Introduction

Nearly every one of us, when we took science classes, had to dissect something. It might've been a frog, a cow's eyeball, a shark, or some other animal. Our goal was observation and study. We were supposed to learn as we dissected. Look at that vein! The heart is so little! Gross, something squirted into my eye!

But there was likely little awe and wonder during those dissections. We are merely trying to learn the material and grow in knowledge.

In contrast, every one of us has been around others we've found interesting. A celebrity, an athlete, an author, or an expert in a particular field can catch our attention. Look, there's so-and-so. They are shorter than I thought they'd be. What are they going to order?

But, in those moments, there is little imitation or life change. We are merely fascinated and curious about the individual.

Why study a gospel?

The study of Mark, or any other of the gospels in the New Testament, should lead us beyond mere learning or curiosity. We should not approach them as a way to dissect Jesus or learn a little more about his fascinating life and lifestyle.

None of the gospel accounts -- Matthew, Mark, Luke, or John -- are mere biographical portrayals of Jesus. Mark didn't sit down one day and ask himself, "What have I ever heard about Jesus? I think I'm going to write it down."

This should be obvious in every gospel account because all of them withhold lots of information from the modern reader. Little is said about Jesus' upbringing and childhood. They are silent about the life Jesus led as an adult before he went public. They don't tell us what he looked like. They don't tell us what he did in his downtime. They don't tell us of his personal tastes or interests.

Instead, the gospel writers arranged carefully selected episodes from Jesus' life with the intention of proving a point to their readers. They are historical and accurate, but they are trying to teach us something about God. They are historical theologies, histories with a theological point.

John is a clear example of this, as his stated aim was to convince his audience that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, God the Son (John 20:30-31). He chose each story in his gospel for the way it backed up the proclaimed identity of Jesus as the eternal God who became flesh and dwelt among us (John 1:1-3, 14).

Mark is no different. He highlights different stories in order to highlight the identity of Christ. For example, all throughout his gospel, Mark chose stories that demonstrated Jesus' heart for the nations. Jesus is seen serving in Galilee of the Gentiles (Isaiah 9:1, Matthew 4:15). He ministers primarily far from the Jewish religious center of Jerusalem, and frequently leaves Galilee for completely Gentile regions like the Decapolis to the east or Tyre and Sidon to the north.

But Mark also highlights other themes: that there are insiders and outsiders, some who are in the know, and some who are still blind. Jesus is seen as on a journey or way, he frequently tells people to keep his miracles a secret, and faith is often highlighted -- but Mark's goal is for us to contemplate Jesus.

Goal: Confrontation Which Leads To Formation

And "contemplate" is likely too soft a word.

Mark wanted to confront his readers with Jesus.

Though Mark is considered by many as the first of the gospels to be written, and though he wrote fairly soon after the life of Jesus, enough time had elapsed for stagnation to enter the church. Mark seems to want to jolt his readers -- likely a group of Roman Christians -- back into an understanding of Christ. He wanted to confront them with Jesus so they would be formed into Christlikeness. He wanted them to appreciate Jesus so they would follow Jesus.

Mark's goal was for his readers to confront Jesus so that spiritual formation could occur. He did not want mere dissection or gawking, but an exchange.

And that is what we'll seek as we move through the book of Mark. Rather than say, I know the story of Jesus. I've heard it a million times, we will instead say, I am ready to discover Jesus afresh. I want what he is to shake me to my core, to move me into his reality, and to shape my life.

You see, Jesus is after our hearts. He will call his disciples in Mark, but he calls you today. He wants you to spend time, just like they did, considering and confronting him until you make a decision to surrender your life to him because he's the best thing going. He wants you to see how you can only find fulfillment in him and his love. He wants you to follow him.

Theme: Follow The Servant-Savior

And "following" will serve as our theme for our study of Mark. In the first half of the book, Jesus is portrayed as the Servant of the region around and beyond Galilee. In the second half of the book, Jesus is portrayed as the Savior who went to Jerusalem to die for the sin of the world.

Mark portrays Jesus as the Servant-Savior. This is pictured in something Jesus said to his disciples:

"For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many." (Mark 10:45, ESV).

But rather than merely look at Jesus the Servant and Jesus the Savior, Mark knew we are all called to follow this Servant-Savior's way. We are to interact with him, allow him to change our lives, and then journey on with him.

So I hope this book rocks us. I hope it reveals Jesus to us in new and exciting ways. I can't do it. Not even Mark can do it. But the Spirit can do it. Let's continually pray throughout our time in Mark for God to work in us and show us Jesus. And let's follow him, the Servant-Savior.

The Author

Now, before moving on to the text, I should talk about the author. Mark was not one of the original disciples, but his mother was a follower of Christ who opened up her home for various meetings, including the last supper (Mark 14:14, Acts 12:12) and probably the prayer meeting the church engaged in after Jesus' ascension (Acts 1:13-14). A relative of Barnabas, he joined Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey, but abandoned the group in the middle of their trip (Acts 13:13). Paul didn't like this, and wouldn't join with Mark on a second mission, though they did patch things up at some point (2 Timothy 4:11).

We also know he worked with Peter, likely in Rome (1 Peter 5:13). And the early church considered Mark a coworker with Peter, writing down all Peter told him (Papias, Exegesis of the Lord's Oracles). For this reason, many have concluded that Mark is, in one sense, the gospel according to Peter. This makes perfect sense.

Now, Mark never overtly refers to himself in the book or plainly states himself as the author, but there is one strange episode some consider an autobiographical account. Remember, he was a young man, and his mother hosted Jesus for the last supper. Where did Jesus go after the last supper? The garden of Gethsemane. There, after Jesus' arrest:

"And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked." (Mark 14:51–52, ESV).

It's gotta be autobiographical, right? It's just too weird to be anything else.

But that's enough introduction. Let's move into the text. Today we are going to interact with the first eight verses, learning what Mark thought of Jesus. These opening verses set a tone for the entire book. Through them, I will show you four things Mark thought of Jesus.

1. Jesus is good news (1:1).

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

The Son Of God

Right away, Mark shows us his hand concerning Jesus. He tells us what he thinks of Christ. He is the Son of God. All through the book of Mark, this title for Jesus will be an important theme. In Mark, the disciples never quite recognize this about Jesus. Demons will (Romans 3:11, 5:7). A Roman centurion seems to (Romans 15:39). But it won't be until after the resurrection the disciples uncover Jesus' true identity. Mark, though, launches right into it: Jesus is the Son of God (1).

New Beginning

But doesn't the start of this book make you think of the beginning of the Bible, Genesis 1:1?

"In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth." (Genesis 1:1, ESV).

Here, Mark speaks of a different beginning, the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (1). At the beginning of time, God created.

But Jesus brought the possibility of a new creation through his life and death, and Mark wanted to get right into it. He did not elaborate on Jesus' or even John's birth and childhood. Instead, he jumped right into the message about Jesus.

Mark calls this a gospel (1). Gospel means good news. In those days, it was a word used to announce reports of victory from the battlefield or other forms of good news. In that era, they even used it to announce the good news of Caesar Augustus' birthday. But Jesus brought the good news of a new beginning in him (1).

If you've ever played Monopoly, you know how each roll of the dice leads to good news or bad news. You land on someone's property -- bad news. You pass Go and collect $200 -- good news. And sometimes you land on Chance or Community Chest -- it could be good news, it could be bad news.

But the gospel of Jesus Christ isn't just another in a long line of pretty good things to have happened. When Jesus comes into your life, he forgives you, accepts you, and puts you into his spiritual family. And the results are tremendous. It is the best thing. The supreme thing. The ultimate news! When you embrace it, good flows!

Benefits Of The Gospel

First, embracing the gospel message helps a person deal with the negative effects of sin. That which they've committed, but also that which has been committed against them. Forgiveness flows, and Christ releases us from shame. He clears our guilt, awakens our conscience, and produces inward wholeness. Bad things we've done, things we've suppressed or ignored or learned to cohabitate with, are marked out by his blood. He slays the beast and makes way for us to overcome those sins.

"He has removed our sins as far from us as the east is from the west." (Psalm 103:12, NLT).

But a second benefit of embracing the gospel message comes from the acceptance Jesus wins for you with God. And knowing God accepts you as his child has massive and positive benefits in your daily life. Rather than fight for the approval of others, you rest secure in the knowledge God has chosen you, that he has made you his own. So many people are struggling for the esteem and favor of others, and this striving often requires compromising your values, playing a part someone else wants you to play, or living with the constant fear you will be unfriended or unliked. But the gospel of Jesus Christ is meant to place you firmly on the rock of God's love and grace and acceptance.

And a third benefit of embracing the gospel message is the spiritual family God places us into. So many of us are searching for a loving community, a family of people we can share life with, and the gospel of Jesus Christ wins us such a group. When you trust Jesus, you are baptized by the Spirit into the body of Christ, the family of God, the flock of Jesus. You become part of a new humanity generated by Christ's blood. You belong. You are not outside, but inside. You are in!

I pray, through our interaction with Jesus in the book of Mark, the gospel of Jesus Christ will have its way in you, especially if you've yet to trust and believe in him. The war is over. He can make you new. He plans to make a new heaven and earth. In him, we have a new beginning.

2. Jesus is the King we should follow (1:2-4).

2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, "Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, 3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'" 4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

The Quotations

Mark rarely quotes from the Old Testament Scriptures. When he does quote them, it is only the characters of the particular episode, usually Jesus, quoting them.

This makes the beginning of Mark's gospel interesting because these are the only Old Testament verses Mark himself takes the time to insert into his record. Right here, at the launch of his book, he clips together a few Old Testament passages. Since the major one is from Isaiah 40:3, Mark says it is written in Isaiah the prophet, but he also quoted from Exodus and Malachi as well.

In the Exodus passage, God promised to send his angel to go before Israel as they departed from Egypt and headed to the Promised Land.

In the Malachi passage, God promised to send his messenger to prepare the way before him.

And in the Isaiah passage, God promised a wilderness voice would come to ready God's people for the way of the Lord.

The King Cometh

The prophecies conjured up the image of a coming king. This king would bring with him the glory of the Lord (Psalm 24:7-10). And before the king's arrival, a messenger, a voice from the wilderness, would prepare his route. He would fill in the low places and make low the hills; he would prepare the road for this coming king.

All of this speaks of John the Baptist's ministry in preparing the way for the coming of King Jesus. When John arrived, he broke 400 years of silence. God had not spoken to Israel since the days of Malachi. As the decades turned to centuries, everything went from bad to worse, and it seemed all hope was lost.

But God was not done. His King would come. Jesus, at the proper time and place, would arrive. And John would prepare his way by helping people prepare for his arrival (3). He was to make Jesus' paths straight (3). He did this by appearing in the wilderness, baptizing people in the Jordan River (4). His was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (4).

Prepare The Way

It seems John was used by God to stir people up afresh to the presence of God. Once in tune with the reality of God once again, they sought out the forgiveness of sins (4). They would then get baptized, not as Christians do, but as Jews of that day did, as a way to use a ceremony to demonstrate what was going on in their hearts. They wanted to be clean!

John had this preparatory effect on the people of his day. And Mark wants the same for us today. He wants King Jesus to come into our lives and find a smooth path that enables him to jump right in and exercise his authority in our lives. Our hearts, minds, and bodies should be under his sovereign rule, part of his domain, his kingdom.

And as John emerged from the wilderness, pleading with people to get right with God, they would have repented of sin and turned to God again. This all required introspection on the part of John's hearers.

Here are some practices which help prepare my heart for his reign in me.

• A daily appointment with him: This is a time for me to listen for his voice, to surrender my day to him, and to ask for his help for the day to come.
• Scripture reading: Whether reading the Bible slowly or quickly, it is the word of the King, and I find he will use the Bible to talk to my heart.
• Silence and solitude: Sometimes, we need to sit quietly before God. Turn off the phone. Tune everything else out. Be alone with your thoughts. Talk to God. Good things happen.
• Failure: When I fail, it serves as a great driving force to push me back to God. He forgives, cleanses, and picks me up. When my limitations are glaring at me, it creates desperation in my heart, a longing for King Jesus to have his way in me!

3. Jesus is the culmination of God's plan (1:5-7).

5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.

Mark uses what most assume to be hyperbole to describe John's popularity. He said, All the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized (5). John was wildly popular, and the masses were coming out to him for this fresh awakening.

And out there, at the river Jordan, John did his work (5). He was a sight to behold. He wore camel's hair and a leather belt (6). He ate locusts and wild honey, indicating he was living out in the wilderness (6). What a mysterious man John was! No wonder the people were curious.

Prophetic Garments

Now, why did Mark mention the garments of John? Why did he describe his appearance? This isn't Mark's way of setting the scene. Jesus and the disciples aren't described in this way. It's not a mere literary device.

No, John's appearance harkened back to something else, a truth Mark wants us to know.

As I said earlier, God had been silent for about 400 years at that point. In his last words to the world, he said:

"Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction." (Malachi 4:5–6, ESV).

So the last thing God said was that Elijah would come before the day of the Lord.

Then, to Zechariah, John's father, the angel said of John:

"He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready for the Lord a people prepared." (Luke 1:17, ESV).

So John the Baptist would come in the spirit and power of Elijah.

But let me show you one more quotation. This one has to do with the way Elijah dressed. It came from a time many years earlier when the wicked King Ahaziah fell off a balcony and injured himself, likely because he was in a drunken stupor (2 Kings 1:2). He sent messengers to a false god to find out whether he would recover or die. Elijah, though, inspired by God, intercepted the messengers and told them Ahaziah would surely die (2 Kings 1:3-4).

The messengers returned to Ahaziah. He was shocked they'd returned so quickly, so he asked them about their journey. They told him a messenger had approached them on the way and told them he would die. He asked, "What did he look like?"

"They answered him, 'He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist.' And he said, 'It is Elijah the Tishbite.'" (2 Kings 1:8, ESV).

All that to say when John came out of the wilderness in the spirit, power, and even the clothes of Elijah, it rocked the people. They were waiting for Elijah before the coming of the day of the Lord, and John even looked the part!

Elijah Was The Man

And Elijah was widely regarded as the prophet of all prophets. He was just a normal and anonymous guy who came onto the scene and confronted all kinds of evil. Forcefully, boldly, he won great victories for God. When he prayed, God listened. And, at the end of his powerful years of ministry, he was taken to heaven without dying. That Elijah would be the prophet to come again made sense to everyone.

And Jesus regarded John as the prophet of all prophets also.

"Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist." (Matthew 11:11, ESV).

For all his greatness, though, John said, After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie (7). To loose someone else's sandal was the lowest task of the lowest slave. In fact, they even had rules in place which prohibited many servants from ever having to lower themselves to such a menial task. But John said he wasn't worthy of the honor of loosing Jesus' sandal.

This gives us a picture of how Jesus is the culmination of God's plan. Great prophets came before. Elijah was revered by all. John was the greatest of all. But they could not hold a candle to Jesus. There is no one more important than him. He is the central figure.

The Position Christ Gives Us

But this central figure, the one all of Scripture points to, longs to bring every person up into a place of privilege with God. Let's read the full quotation from Matthew 11 --

"Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he." (Matthew 11:11, ESV).

So John is great. And Jesus is much greater. And the least in the kingdom is greater than John.

How can this be? Jesus! When we trust Jesus, we are given a radical position in God's family. We are put into the kingdom.

"Even when we were dead in our trespasses, God made us alive together with Christ—by grace you have been saved— and raised us up with him and seated us with him in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus..." (Ephesians 2:5–6, ESV).

We are seated with the One whom John, the greatest prophet ever, was not worthy to loose sandals.

When you trust in Jesus, you are seated with him, given his position before the Father. The greatest prophet ever was not worthy of loosing his sandals, but the Father finds you worthy of sitting with him in the heavenlies. Amazing.

4. Jesus inaugurated the age of the Spirit (1:8).

8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

A Longed-For Day

The prophets of old had predicted a day would come when the Holy Spirit would be poured out upon God's people, forming a new and special relationship never before seen in God's chosen people.

"And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules." (Ezekiel 36:26–27, ESV).

The Baptism With The Holy Spirit

And when John came along, he took human beings and immersed them in the waters of the Jordan. But he said Jesus would come along, not baptizing them with water, but with the Holy Spirit (8).

And each person who trudged back to the shore after John's baptism would've been drenched head to toe, the marks of water baptism dripping off their bodies. Jesus' intention, though, is to have the Spirit of God dripping off our lives. He comes to live within us, but also to gift and empower us for God's work on earth today. He lives inside us, but also wills to flow through us to others.

But Jesus inaugurated this age, the age of the Spirit. Joel had said --

"And it shall come to pass afterward, that I will pour out my Spirit on all flesh; your sons and your daughters shall prophesy, your old men shall dream dreams, and your young men shall see visions. Even on the male and female servants in those days I will pour out my Spirit." (Joel 2:28–29, ESV).

And Peter quoted this passage after Jesus ascended back to heaven, when the Spirit was poured out on the small band of early Christians. As people gathered to witness the spectacle of these Spirit-filled individuals, Peter announced to them that God had fulfilled his word (Acts 2:16-21). The baptism with the Holy Spirit Jesus came to bring had occurred.

I would encourage you to crave the work of the Spirit in your life. For various reasons, some believers are scared of the Holy Spirit. But we cannot be effective for Christ without him.

I would also encourage you to take some time to pray over the various gifts of the Spirit mentioned in the New Testament. You will find most of them in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12. They aren't the only way you'll ever help your church -- some things just need to be done, and believers are called to serve in their local church family -- but it is good to get in touch with how God made you. Knowing the way he's designed and gifted you will help you serve him with less frustration. Then, go for it, watch what he does in your life.

Applications

1. Tell people in your life what Jesus has done for you.

2. Keep a daily appointment with Jesus.

3. Recall and celebrate the position Jesus won for you.

4. Read and pray through the spiritual gifts found in Romans 12 and 1 Corinthians 12.

5. While in Mark as a church, each Sunday, spend time preparing your heart for King Jesus.