Skip to content The Gospel of Mark: A Journey of Faith Jul 23 · 14 min ...more
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Family Research Council is serving in the kingdom of God by championing faith, family, & freedom in public policy and the culture from a biblical worldview.
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Introduction to the Gospel of Mark 0:10 Good morning. Welcome to Stand on the Word. Thanks for joining this morning. As we begin the next leg of our journey through the Bible, we turn today to the book of Mark as we look at chapter 1 verse 27. Then0:21 they were all amazed so that they questioned among themselves saying, what is this? What new doctrine is this? With authority, he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him. Now the gospel according0:33 to Mark is an action focused narrative, but that should not be surprising. Consider Mark's source. Mark was neither an apostle nor a close associate of Jesus. He wrote the0:45 gospel based upon the preaching and teaching of Peter. Eusebius, known as the father of church history, documented the first few hundred years of Christianity. He wrote this of Mark, quote,0:57 becoming the interpreter of Peter, wrote accurately, though not in order, whatever he remembered of what was either said or done by Christ, for he was neither a hearer of the Lord nor a follower of him. But afterwards,1:08 as I said, he was a follower of Peter who arranged the discourses for use, but not according to the order in which they were uttered by the Lord. So the the book of Mark is Peter's1:20 eyewitness account of the ministry of Jesus. Now that does not necessarily mean that Mark did not meet Jesus. It is widely believed that Mark is the young man that is recorded in chapter1:32 14 that fled the night of Jesus's arrest. He was the son of Mary, an influential woman in Jerusalem. It was Mary's home that the disciples would often gather in. In1:44 fact, when Peter was miraculously released from prison and there was this prayer meeting going on, And and Peter shows up to the door and knocks on it, and, the young girl who opened1:56 it or saw Peter there thought she was seeing a ghost. So that was Mary's home. Mary was the aunt of Barnabas. Mark went with Paul and Barnabas on the first missionary journey, but he turned2:07 back, and that apparently angered Paul, which led to a split between Paul and Barnabas. Mark was later reconciled to Paul, and he was among2:19 his most trusted companions. In fact, just before Paul was martyred in second Timothy, Paul called for Mark. So where does the connection to Peter come in?2:31 Mark, most likely grew up listening to the apostles and the other disciples of Christ in the early as the early church was formed as they met often in his mother's home. And he had a front row seat.2:43 In first Peter 5 13, we read this. She who is in Babylon elect together with you greet you, and so does Mark, my son. Now this reference to Babylon is Rome,2:55 and the book of Mark was most likely written to the church at Rome. It was to that, that mindset that this is written, the the the gentile. This is believed to be3:07 this reference to Mark is believed to be a reference to Mark, the son of Mary, who Peter either led to the faith in the Lord or became a spiritual father to him. As for the date of3:19 the writing of the book of, Mark, well, that is a bit uncertain. Most scholars consider it 1 of the earlier books written in Rome somewhere between 55 to 603:31 AD. The focus of Mark is on what Jesus did, not so much what he said. Mark focuses on the miracles. In all, the gospels record 353:43 specific miracles that Jesus did. There were 17 physical healings, 9 miracles that defied the forces of nature, calming the seas, the3:55 storms. There were 6 deliverances from demons. There were 3 resurrections from specifically listed but are generally acknowledged.4:08 Alright. Let's begin. Verse 1, chapter 1. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the son of God. Right there, it establishes what this is about. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the son of God. Right4:14 there, it establishes what this is about. Jesus Christ, the son of God. As it is written in the prophets, behold, I send my messenger before your face who will prepare your way before you. The voice of4:26 1 crying in the wilderness, prepare the way of the lord, make his path straight. John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sin. So here's focusing4:39 on John the Baptist, the 1 who went before the Messiah. And and look here. The message has not changed. It was the message of John the Baptist. It was the message of Jesus. It was the message of the apostles, and it4:50 should be the message of the church today, and that is repent. Now Mark goes from the Old Testament prophecy of the coming messiah straight to the ministry of the forerunner,5:02 John the Baptist, and into the public ministry of Jesus. The genealogy and the early years of Jesus are not included in in part because those aspects would not be as5:14 important to the gentile reader. And it was, shortly after the baptism that Peter first encountered Jesus through the introduction by an by his brother Andrew, who had been a5:26 disciple of John the Baptist. So we're kinda picking up, again, Peter's narrative on what Peter saw himself. This first chapter quickly moves us through the first 2 years of Jesus'5:38 ministry. After his baptism and then the the testing and the temptation in the wilderness, we move right into his Galilean ministry, which was in the second year of his ministry.5:49 Most of Jesus' ministry was in this region of Israel. So look at verse 12. Immediately, the spirit drove him into the wilderness, and he was there in the wilderness 40 days tempted by Satan6:01 and was with the wild beast, and the angels ministered to him. It's all we have on that. Then between verses 13 between verse 12 to verse6:13 13, there's about a year gap. And we read over in John chapter 1 verse 19 through John 4 54, that whole period of time, that first year6:25 is covered there. And we'll look at that when we get to the book of John. Verse 14. Now after John was put in prison, Jesus came to Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God6:37 and saying, the time is fulfilled. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel. There it is, the message of the gospel. Repent and believe.6:49 Verse 21, then they went to Capernaum. And immediately on the Sabbath, he entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as 1 having authority and not as the7:01 scribes. Ain't that interesting? That it was taught with authority. He he knew the word. He was the word. Now there was a certain man in the synagogue with an unclean spirit, and he cried out saying,7:13 let us alone. What have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Did you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the holy 1 of God. But Jesus rebuked him saying, be quiet and come out of7:25 him. And when the unspeakable spirit had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice, he came out of him. Notice once again7:37 the prominence of demonic activity that greeted the introduction of the kingdom. Now the the the the demons,7:48 Satan, they don't know everything. They they don't have the same power as god. They don't see everything. They don't know everything. They can't be every place. That's only god. However, by the benefit of8:00 longevity and the understanding of watching God's redemptive plan from the beginning, they are equipped, and they are dangerous, which is why they should not be taken8:12 casually. This is why we're instructed in in, in part to put on the armor of God in Ephesians chapter 6. Let me just read that in the context of this. Ephesians 6 10, finally, my brother,8:24 be strong in the Lord and the power of his might. That's the only way we're gonna stand up to the forces of darkness. Put on the whole armor of God that you may be able to stand against the wiles of the8:36 devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this age, against spiritual host of wickedness in heavenly places. We8:47 have to have on our spiritual armor. It's essential for the spiritual battle that we are engaged in. Alright. Let's go, back to Mark 1 verse 32. At evening,9:00 when the sun had set, they brought to him all who were sick. So this was on that this was a Sabbath evening after the Sabbath was over, and they all flocked to the house and brought all who were sick and those who were9:12 demon possessed. Now this is 1 of those examples that we don't have a specific miracle here. We just have the reference to a lot was done. Many healings and demonic,9:23 possessed the demonic possessed were set free. And the whole city gathered together at the door. Then he healed many who were sick in various diseases and cast out many demons, and he did not allow the demons9:35 to speak because they knew him. Now in the morning, having having risen a long while before daylight, he went out and departed to a solitary place, and there he prayed. Now9:47 as we saw in Luke a lot, Jesus had a robust prayer life. In here, as Mark focuses on the actions of Jesus, he cannot9:59 separate the miracles of Jesus from the prayer life of Jesus. And I think that's important for us that we have a vibrant prayer life. And I, you know, I I10:10 subscribe to this pattern that Jesus engaged in, you know, long before the daylight, long before the sun had risen. He was out praying and and and able to get away into a10:22 place that is quiet and alone and commune with the father. Verse 36, and Simon and those who were with him who were with him searched for him. They couldn't find it. When they found him, they said10:34 to him, everyone is looking for you. But he said to them, let us go into the next towns that I may preach there also because for this purpose, I have come. Now the final 5 verses here provide the10:46 account of Jesus healing the leper, which we've read before. But this was the leper who had great faith. And we we saw this both in Matthew and Luke, but it's worthy to be to be read again. Verse 40. Now a leper10:58 came to him, imploring him, kneeling down to him and saying to him, if you are willing, you can make me clean. Then Jesus moved with compassion. So here we11:10 have faith meeting the compassion of Jesus. He stretched out his hand, and he touched him, and he said to him, I am willing. Be cleansed. You know, this11:22 is this is the heart of god that we see here. If we'll have the faith, if we'll take that step toward him, god is moved with compassion, and he will he will touch us. He will11:34 strengthen us. He will heal us in in in the sense that oftentimes, it is a spiritual healing that we're looking for that we need most desperately. But I I just11:46 this characterization of Jesus as 1 who has is has compassion to those who humbly bow before him. Father, we we do humbly bow before you,11:58 lord, acknowledging our need for you. And, lord, we know that if you're willing, lord, you can you you can touch us. You can strengthen us. You can guide us. You can direct us for your glory and for your honor. And so,12:10 father, we humble ourselves before you, asking you to touch us. I pray for those that are on this journey, lord, that may be looking for physical healing. Lord, they just need a touch physically from you.12:22 Spiritually, those, lord, who are in a in a spiritually dry place, those, lord, that may not know you. And and, lord, they need to come into a relationship with you. Lord, I pray they will find that you are a12:34 gracious, merciful, and compassionate god. And as they will reach out to you and humble themselves before you and call upon your name that you will save them and restore them and place them into a relationship with you.12:46 So we continue to ask for the holy spirit to guide us on this journey, opening our eyes and understanding to your word and how to rightfully apply it to the world in which we live. For we pray this in Jesus' name.13:07 Today's study comes from the stand on the word Bible reading plan available for free at f r c dot o r g slash bible. By following along in just a few minutes a day, you13:19 can read through the entire Bible in just 2 years. Learn more and request the free reading guide at frc dot org slash bible.In this video 0:00 Introduction to the Gospel of MarkComments No comments yet. Start the conversation.
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