Obey

 

Introduction

In the first two Bible studies from Mark 1, you learned God had a plan from the foundation of the world to save humanity from their sin, make them righteous, and give them an eternal home in His kingdom when time is fulfilled. Added to this, you learned Mark’s intention in writing this gospel was to show Jesus to be the Son of God, the Messiah, come to save believers from their sins and eternal death. Mark’s other goal for this gospel was to teach people the cost of discipleship through Jesus’ life. John the Baptist came before Jesus, proclaiming a baptism for repentance. He came to fulfill the prophecy of God that Isaiah proclaimed, “The voice of one calling out in the wilderness ‘Prepare the way of the Lord.’” People prepare the way in their lives to believe in Jesus by confessing and repenting of their sins. John, as the messenger from God telling of the One who is greater than him, proclaimed the Messiah was coming. God introduced His plan for saving humanity from their sins and the punishment of death each person is deserves because of those sins. With Mark 1:9-13, God shows the world how He will save them.

Obey

In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon Him; and a voice came from the heavens: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” And immediately, the Spirit brought Him out into the wilderness. And He was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving Him. (Mark 1:9-13 [NASB])

Mark began this section by reminding the readers/hearers of the time in which it was set. He said, “In those days.” Why was it important for Mark to make sure people understood the timing? Because God’s timing is perfect. He sent His Son to earth at the right time to save humanity. The Romans ruled a large kingdom, which included Europe and the Middle East. They required payment of taxes by any means, even indenturing one’s children. It was the right time to show the Messiah coming from a small town raised as a carpenter’s son. A Carpenter would not have excess money. Jesus knew about being poor and being ruled over by self-serving political leaders. Mark showed it was the right time because many people listened to John the Baptist and repented of their sins, too. Even King Herod liked to listen to John preach. People in all walks of life (rich, poor, young, old, slave, and king) heard John or about him and what he proclaimed. The people’s hearts were ready to hear about salvation. They had prepared the way of the Lord in their hearts because of John’s preaching and the Spirit’s convicting/ They awaited salvation only God could give.

More than creating the right setting for suspense, Mark ensured the readers/hearers were eager to understand why God stressed “preparing the way of the Lord.” Why should people repent? For Jews, repentance and sacrifice were normal. They sacrificed ceremonially clean animals night and day at the temple for cleansing from their sins. What differed from John’s proclamation of repentance and the repentance the Israelites sought at the temple? Why did John stress the timing to be now? Why should the people get right with God? Because God was opening the curtain of the era of an eternal and righteous relationship with Him. After John the Baptist had preached a while (“in those days”), God knew the time was right. “Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan” (vs. 9). He was raised as a carpenter’s son from Nazareth and would be shown as more than a carpenter’s son to the Israelites. Jesus came into the public eye where John baptized in the Jordan River, in the lower Jordan River valley. He revealed Himself to the sizeable crowd of people who watched and listened to John. To this large crowd of people, Jesus came to be proclaimed by the Father that He is His Son, “with whom He was well pleased.” These people who came to listen to John would see the Father confirm His Son in two ways and Jesus would become known as shown to be the salvation from the foundation of the world, which God had prepared.

 Mark liked to use adverbs like “immediately” and “as soon as” to grab people’s attention. He used them to create intensity. Mark used “immediately” over twenty times in his gospel. With that starting in verse ten, he grabbed the attention of the people who read and heard about John baptizing Jesus in the Jordan River. What was so important about Jesus being baptized? Many people traveled to John to be baptized. Some people say Jesus was just a man, so it is obvious why He went to be baptized. God clarified Jesus’ baptism for the people of that moment and for eternity. He did not wait any longer to reveal His plan for salvation. The time was right to fulfill the prophecies.  John did not baptize Jesus for the forgiveness of His sins; Jesus was sinless. Jesus’ baptism was His submission to the Father’s will to be the Head of the body, the Church.

At that ripe time, God revealed Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophecies in two ways. First, He disclosed Jesus as special with “the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon Him” (vs. 10). A dove symbolized peace, gentleness, and innocence. This dove came down from heaven, gently riding the winds of heaven. This dove represented the Spirit of God coming upon Jesus. Besides this, the heavens had never opened before that day. Jesus was the one to open the heavens then and He will be the one who opens them the next time, when He returns from heaven to claim His disciples Let’s consider the metaphors in this verse. The dove was like the Spirit who is gentle, peaceful, and innocent, as is Jesus as part of the Trinity. This dove symbolizes Jesus’ innocence and that He came to the world to bring peace by reconciling humanity to God. The opening of the heavens is a metaphor of the curtain being torn when Jesus died on the cross.

Jesus makes God accessible to each person who believes in Him. His rising from the river at His baptism foreshadowed His rising to life again after His death. Jesus showed Himself to the people of Israel when He walked to John to be baptized and begin His revelation of Himself as the promised Messiah. His opening the heavens, gave a preview of the end times. The Spirit descending upon Him showed the people this man they knew as a carpenter’s son is the Son of God, about whom John spoke and the prophets foretold. If the people watched and understood, Jesus’ baptism and God’s conformation of Him, to the people there and later hearers and readers that Jesus came innocently and brought peace to a hurting and broken world.

God made sure people understood these symbols and Jesus’ actions with what Mark recorded in verse eleven. Mark said, “And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.’” Many people throughout history have wanted and sought the approval of their fathers. They wanted to know they pleased these important men in their lives. God’s pleasure in Jesus was more than His approval for what He would do. It revealed Jesus as His Son, the Messiah. God had always been with the Israelites. He became “God with us,” literally, when He declared Jesus to be His Son living with them on earth. Isaiah proclaimed the prophecy of God in Isaiah 7:14. He said, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.” Matthew 1:23 explains that Immanuel means “God with us.” With the Spirit coming down like a dove, God had a message for the people. With His voice, God proclaimed to each person nearby that Jesus is His Son. He declared Jesus consecrated (set apart) to His role as Redeemer. God inaugurated Jesus’ public ministry at His baptism. He did it visually so people would believe.

With that triumphal burst upon the consciousness of humanity, the Spirit took Jesus to the wilderness alone. Verse twelve says, “And immediately the Spirit brought Him out into the wilderness.” Notice Mark used one of his favorite writing tools again. He began this verse with the word “immediately.” Mark emphasized Jesus did not wait for another time to begin His ministry. The Father announced His identity at His baptism with His words. The Holy Spirit sent notice of who Jesus is with the dove. Time was ready. So, promptly, the Spirit took Jesus into the wilderness. The wilderness in Israel was typical of most wilderness areas. It held very little water and food. This arid place was probably hot during the day and cool at night. It was located below the salt flats of the Dead Sea. Notice, Jesus did not bargain with the Father and Spirit to say, “Hey, not yet. I’m not ready to minister. Can we hold off just a bit? Let me go pack clothes and put water in skins so I can stay warm at night and hydrated during the day.” Jesus said nothing according to the gospel writers. According to Mark, John the Baptist baptized Jesus, the heavens split, a dove came down and alighted on Jesus, the Father said He was pleased with Him, and then, immediately, the Spirit took Him to the wilderness. Jesus had and took what He needed–the clothes He wore, the Father, and the Spirit. How many of us try to bargain with God to put off or not obey what He told us to do? Jesus is part of the Triune Godhead. The plan God made from the foundation of the world included the three persons of the Trinity. Jesus recognized He did not need to settle things with His family and friends before He went into the wilderness because, knowing all things, He understood, everything was done, and the time had come for Him to be “God with us” and “God for us.” Jesus began showing His divinity in His baptism and being willing to go to a harsh place, where Satan tempted Him. Jesus, the Son, readily ventured with the Spirit into the wilderness.

Jesus’ plan was the Father’s plan. Mark’s primary goal was to show the divinity of Jesus. People understand now. Jesus submitted to baptism, took part in the revelation at His baptism, followed the Spirit to a harsh place, and now would be tempted. He faced situations each person faces. Yet, Jesus kept with the plan He, the Father, and Spirit had to save humanity. He submitted to do and be a part of what would happen to Him on His way to saving the world. Maybe you are thinking being in the wilderness for a couple of days would not be so terrible. The wild animals would be neat to see. You could learn to dig tubers for liquid and food. Jesus stayed in the wilderness much longer than two or three days. He was there forty days and nights. Jesus was tempted by Satan three times (most likely over several days). He knew the animals were wild. Jesus had no place to lay His head. In the Bible, forty days denotes completion. Until His purpose of going into the wilderness was complete, Jesus would stay. He had a mission in the wilderness. The Son of God would be victorious over Satan’s temptations of food and drink, status, and a kingdom. He knew the angels would give Him food and drink. Jesus knew who He was and had no jealousy of the Father and Spirit. His kingdom would not be over a portion of the earth only, like the portion of ground with which Satan tried to tempt Him. Jesus already was King over the entire earth, everything under it, and in the heavens. Until Jesus completed the full-testing period, His wilderness experience would continue. It eventually ended with Jesus the victor over bodily, status, and leadership temptations. One other thing to learn in this verse is about the angels who served Jesus. The word “angels” comes from the word diakanos. This word means to serve actively and practically, as the Lord leads, by caring for other people. The word deacon comes from diakonos. Angels served Jesus by taking to Him what His body needed to survive. The other gospel writers say they brought Jesus food and drink. What’s important to remember about the angels is they are servants to God. They do as they are commanded. Angels are messengers, like each believer in Jesus. Where God sends them, they go.

Application and Conclusion:

As we study Mark, we will see Jesus prove He is the Son of God, the Messiah. Jesus will show Himself having authority in teaching and over illnesses, demons, and manmade religious laws. Sometimes what He does, people will see as negative and sometimes positive. In this lesson, Jesus showed Himself as part of the “now and not yet” scenario. His coming to earth and being baptized initiated the start of the “now,” salvation. No one was saved then because He had not been killed by the Romans and arisen from death. Jesus was heralding salvation for humanity. He made known to the listeners exactly who He is and why He was in the world. The “not yet” part of the scenario is understandable. Because Jesus had not died and arisen yet, salvation by faith in Him was not available. Get what Jesus was doing. He was the Son of God, proclaiming by teaching and actions why He came to live on earth as a man. Jesus was a herald of sorts. If Jesus was a herald, we, as His followers, should respond by being His messengers. A messenger is not a negative thing or a low-status job. Since Jesus is the Savior, the Son of God, who was consecrated for a purpose, endured temptation without sinning, and was a herald, we should have no qualms with obeying God when He tells us to do something. Because Jesus endured Satan’s testing without sinning, then we can have His power to triumph over temptation and obey God, too. We Christians have no reasonable excuse for not obeying God. Jesus commanded us to be heralds and tell other people about Him (Matthew 28:18-20). As Christians, God tells us to go to people, speak to him/her, and help him/her without regard for ourselves. Our consecration came at our baptism. At that point, God told Satan, “This is My daughter/son; you cannot have her/him as I lead her/him to go into the world being My messenger telling people about the salvation I give to each person who believes. Satan, you lose. This one is mine.”

1    1. Will you obey God? Jesus aligned Himself to the Father and Spirit for their plan of salvation of people. Will you take the call Jesus gives each of us and align your life with Him in obedience?

2    2. Are you giving God excuses why you cannot do what He says now?

3.     3. Are you trying to bargain with Him?

An angel of the Lord appeared to him (Joseph) in a dream saying, “The child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Now all this took place, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet (Isaiah) would be fulfilled: “Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they shall name Him Immanuel, which translated means ‘God with us.’” (Matthew 1:20-23 [NASB])

“In those days,” Jesus came.

He came to earth at the right time.

Now is the right time to believe in Jesus and to confess and repent of your sins. Today is your day to commit your life to Jesus.

Today is your day to align yourself with God.

God is with us even now.

Prepare

 

Introduction

In the study on Mark 1:1-3, Mark told the Roman Christians about the prophecies by Jewish prophets, Isaiah and Malachi, of a message sent from Yahweh God about a Messiah He would send to the earth. He explained what this Messiah meant for them and for all people. Mark said each person must prepare the way of the Lord in their lives. They must prepare to see Him, repent, and confess, and accept Him as the Savior of their souls from sin and an eternal death separated from God. Mark referred to the one about whom God called to prepare the way for the Messiah to begin His ministries on earth. This study will lead the readers of Mark 1:4-8 to understand who God chose as the messenger “preparing the way of the Lord” (Mark 1:3).

Preparer of the Way

John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. (Mark 1:4 [NASB])

Mark began his gospel writing about Old Testament prophecies. He then went linearly to the next step toward introducing the good news by showing the prophecy’s fulfillment. The first step of that fulfillment was introducing the prophesied “preparer of the way.” John the Baptist was the first man who preached to people about preparing the way. He was the forerunner to Jesus’ ministry of salvation and reconciliation. A forerunner is an announcer. He is the one who goes before the one about whom he/she speaks. Other words for a forerunner are messenger and herald. Each of these describes the person who enters a city, town, or village before the one whom he/she announces. The one whom the herald goes before is a dignitary or person who comes with an important message or important work to do. Think of a king of bygone days. When he traveled, he sent a messenger in advance telling the village or town he was soon to be with them in their town or village. A messenger/herald/forerunner prepares the way for a person of great stature. Mark told the readers/hearers of this gospel John the Baptist was the preparer of the way. John was the one who would go before the Messiah, telling people to get right with God and be ready, for the Messiah is coming imminently.

Who was John the Baptist? What made him important enough to be the herald of the Messiah? John’s parents were Elizabeth and Zechariah, both of whom were from the tribe of Levi, descendants of Aaron. The tribe of Levi was the tribe from whom the priests came. Elizabeth and Zechariah were in their old age when God informed them they would have a son. Zechariah was in the temple and did not consider it possible, so the angel of the Lord told him he would not speak until his son was born (Luke 1:9-17). This reminds us of another couple from Israelite forefathers to whom God gave a promise. Abraham and Sarah had no children and in their old age, God promised Abraham more descendants than all the stars of the sky or sand of the seas. He fulfilled that promise beginning with Isaac’s birth (Genesis 12:1-4 & 21:5). Elizabeth was the cousin of Mary, Jesus’ mother. That means John and Jesus were cousins. Like Jesus, angels proclaimed John’s birth. John grew up in the wilderness (Luke 1:80). His public ministry came after almost 400 years of silence from prophets. John was called the Baptizer because of his practice of baptizing people. When people repented of their sins, he baptized them. John was no great king, seer, or leader of the people. He did not live as most people did. Still, God used him to be the preparer of the way for the Messiah.

What else did Mark say about John in his gospel? In verse four, he said John appeared on the public stage when God gave him a word to proclaim. He lived and ministered in the Judean wilderness in the lower Jordan River valley, just north of the Dead Sea. John preached the word God gave to him to say. He baptized by submerging a person under the water. He wore clothes made of camel’s hair and a belt made from animal skin (Mark 1:6). John ate locusts and wild honey (Mark 1:6). He was no one special in the eyes of man. To God, he was His child and servant, willing to do as He commanded.

What did God tell John to preach/proclaim? Verse four tells readers/hearers that he preached a “baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” Baptism was commonly used by Jews when a person from outside the faith converted to Judaism. It was not an unusual act for the Jews. John used it for another reason. He used it to symbolize a person’s cleansing of sins when he/she confessed and repented of them. Sin comes from the Greek word hamartia. It means missing the mark. When one missed the mark in target practice on an archery or shooting range, it means the person did not do what was required to be perfect. The same occurs in life when you sin. You strive to do and be good, but you can never do or be good all the time. You are human with freewill. The Jewish religion became bounded by many manmade laws that each Jew must keep. By doing this, they could be in God’s presence at the temple and could enter heaven, hopefully, when they died. Yet, each Jew knew he/she was not holy. He/she was unclean daily. Because of this, God told them to offer a sacrifice for their sins each morning and night. John proclaimed to the Jews a new way to repent. Instead of using an animal as a scapegoat for their sins, the Jews could offer themselves directly for cleansing. John told them if they sincerely repented of their sins, they could be baptized for forgiveness of their sins. The Jewish religious laws never taught a permanent forgiveness of sins. The religious leaders would have spoken against what John preached. John, though, was “the preparer of the way.” He helped the people prepare their hearts to see, listen about, and believe in Jesus and what He taught. Confession and repentance are part of being a Christian. Jesus brought what only He could give for salvation, the sufficient sacrifice.

Mark noted for his readers/hearers that “all the country of Judea was going out to him (John the Baptist) and all the people of Jerusalem, and they were being baptized by Him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins” (Mark 1:5 [NASB]) John did what God called him to do. God told him to prepare the way. He told the people about the Messiah who was coming. John preached about repenting of sins and being baptized for repentance, too. Baptism for salvation is what Jesus gives to everyone who believes. This baptism is symbolized in two parts. The going down under the water symbolizes a person dying to him or herself. A person’s rising up out of the water means becoming a man/woman born anew by Jesus. The baptism John performed symbolized a person’s sincere repentance of sin. Repentance prepared a person’s heart for listening to and accepting the salvation Jesus taught about and gave through His sinless life, death, and resurrection.

In Mark 1:7, John preached One mightier than him would come after him. He said he was unworthy to serve Him by untying the straps on His sandals. The most menial work a servant could do, even John was not good enough to do this for the Messiah. Mark used the Greek word ischuros in this verse. This word means a power/might that comes from God and is greater than what a human has. John recognized his humanity and the divinity of the One who would come after him by using this word, “mightier.” He prepared the way for the people to hear about the One whom God would send to them, the Messiah about whom the prophets proclaimed. This Messiah, John realized and proclaimed, is greater in stature, being, and might than him. He, a man to whom the people of Judea flocked and held in esteem, could not be His servant because he was too low in stature.

John prepared the way of the Lord with his words and ministry. He helped the people prepare their hearts and minds to hear about the salvation God gives through Jesus. John helped them prepare to pay attention to the man all knew came from a tiny village called Bethlehem because He came to be the greatest of all. He explained in more detail how great this Messiah would be. John told his listeners in Mark 1:8, “I baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” He said the Messiah sent from God can save people from their sins, but he himself could not save them or empower them not to sin again. Only Jesus, the Son of God, could do this.. John’s baptism was for the forgiveness of sins. It was just a symbol. He knew people needed a sacrifice that was lasting to make them righteous. Cleansing from unrighteousness means cleansing a person eternally from sins and the guilt of their sins. Eternal righteousness only comes from God. Nothing a person could do would ever clean himself/herself from sins and guilt. The temple sacrifices did not give an eternal cleansing and make a person eternally righteous. For this reason, Mark told his readers/hearers that John said, “I baptize with water. He will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” Water just makes the outside of a person clean; it does not touch the inner person-the heart. All actions and words of a person come from the inner disposition of that person. To cleanse and change the heart requires something far beyond what humanity can do. God knows the heart of a person and only He can reach the heart. His Spirit enters a person when he/she confesses and repents of his/her sins and trusts in Jesus Christ as his/her Savior from sins. From that point, the Spirit of God lives in the person giving direction for the right way to live, think, and be. Only the baptism of the Holy Spirit that comes at the point of profession of faith, as Mark wrote, gives a person salvation from sins, guilt, and eternal death. The recounting of John’s proclamation and baptism for repentance disclosed to the readers/hearers of Mark’s Gospel that John’s baptism was nothing compared to the baptism Jesus offers. John was unworthy to untie the Messiah’s sandal, just like his baptism was not good enough to give permanent removal of sins and give salvation.

Application

The Jews considered their actions would be good enough for God to forgive them of their sins and make them righteous. This did not keep them in a close relationship with God, though. They very often lived contrary to God’s way. They sinned and ran away from God like we all do at points in our lives. God prepared a way for each person to receive salvation. He planned this from before the foundation of the world (1 Peter 1:17-21). God provided judges, priests, and prophets to continue to call the Israelites to stay in a close relationship with Him. He told the Israelites, when He gave them the Promised Land, that they were to be a light to the nations so that all nations would come to know Him as their God (Isaiah 49:6). Each of these people were to be the messengers of God, though the Israelites, as a nation, did not follow God consistently. After four hundred years of silence, God called a man, John, about whom His prophets foretold was to proclaim about the One whom God would send. John was God’s first New Testament messenger. He told John to proclaim, “prepare the way of the Lord.”

Today, we who are believers in Jesus the Messiah are God’s messengers. He commands us to tell people to prepare the way of the Lord in their own lives and then to tell more people. Jesus commissioned His disciples by saying,

All authority has been given to Me in heaven and on earth. God, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. (Matthew 28:18-20 [NASB])

For people to prepare the way, they must be told about Jesus, their sin, and their inability to be good enough to earn righteousness and eternal life with God. For this reason, God sends messengers to herald Jesus’ arrival and declare, “Behold.” Added to hearing the good news of Jesus, people need to prepare to receive the salvation God offers. They do this by confessing and repenting of their sins. Unconfessed sins are like bricks stacked on top of one another, creating a wall between us and God. The more we sin, the easier it is to sin. This wall makes it harder for us to want to turn to God. Preparing the way of the Lord is confessing and repenting, as John taught. It is listening to the message of good news about God’s salvation offered to everyone who trusts in Jesus. Preparing the way of the Lord is affirming Jesus is God’s Son and accepting the salvation He provides. It then must involve preparing the way by proclaiming about the salvation Jesus gives. He gives it through His life, death, and resurrection so other people will listen to, accept, and experience salvation for themselves.

This reflects the “now and not yet” of God’s good news of salvation. We are saved at a point in time and are being saved from our sins every day until the day we arrive in heaven with God. At that time, Jesus perfects us in His image. He makes us complete; our salvation is complete because we will sin no more. The point of our salvation reflects a “now and not yet” scenario in that God’s salvation plan of humanity is not complete until His kingdom comes in its fullness. While we are alive on earth as His children, we become His messengers of His good news of salvation for each person. We become like Isaiah, Malachi, John, the disciples, and other Jesus-followers since Jesus’ arrival on earth. We are God’s messengers who prepare the way of the Lord by telling others about Jesus and the salvation He gives to each person who trusts in Him. As Jesus-followers, the Great Commission of Matthew 28:18-20 is our command from Jesus.

As we study these verses, we should ask ourselves questions. 

1     Do you realize you are a sinner?

2.     Do you recognize nothing you do is good enough to remove the judgment of your sins and the guilt?

3.     Have you recognized Jesus is God’s Son, and that He died to save you from the penalty of your sins?

4.     Have you professed your faith in Jesus and confessed and repented your sins to Him?

5.     If you are a Christian, are you “preparing the way of the Lord” by living as God’s messenger, telling people about Jesus?

6.     Does your life point toward Jesus so that people will see your works and heed your words, then seek Jesus to be their Savior?

7.     Do your words and actions seek attention for yourself? Do they point to Jesus so other people will come to know Him as their Savior instead of admiring you as great, strong, smart, and wise?

The one who believes in the Son has eternal life, but the one who does not obey the Son will not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him. (John 3:36 [NASB])

Are you living life as a “preparer” called by God?

Or are you living as a ”hider” trying to avoid Him?

Behold!

 

 Before studying what any book of the Bible says, readers/hearers should look at the background of that book. Each author writes at a set point in time that coincides with certain circumstances affecting the people to whom he wrote. The author can arrange what he writes to discuss specific issues his intended readers/hearers face. Let’s consider these things about the Gospel of Mark. 

Introduction

The dating of the Gospel of Mark is highly debated. Some Bible scholars consider John Mark wrote this Gospel in the late 50s AD because Peter was in Rome during that time. Other scholars theorize Mark wrote his Gospel in the 60s because they presume Luke used Mark’s Gospel as a key source for The Acts of the Apostles. At the end of Acts, Luke wrote about Paul being in prison, hence, these scholars consider Mark wrote his Gospel before 62AD. Historic records by church fathers record Mark’s Gospel being written after Peter’s death in 64AD, during the reign of Nero. They conjecture Mark wrote his Gospel in the mid-60s, which lines up with Nero’s persecution of Christians. The consensus of Bible scholars agrees that the Gospel of Mark dates to the late 50s and early 60s.

Who wrote the Gospel of Mark? From about 125AD, important Christian scholars considered John Mark the original author of the Gospel of Mark. Eusebius wrote in 325AD that Papias, a Greek bishop in Hierapolis (modern Turkey) who lived 60-130AD, recorded that Mark was Peter’s writer and wrote all he remembered Peter teaching and preaching about the Lord. Other church fathers, like Irenaeus, Tertullian, and Clement of Alexandria, agreed with Papias. This John Mark was the cousin of Barnabas. He journeyed with Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey but turned back and went to Jerusalem. Paul considered him unreliable and refused to take him on the second missionary journey. He and Barnabas disagreed about Mark, so Barnabas and Mark journeyed together while Paul went with Silas. (See Acts 15:3-16:10.) To summarize, John Mark, Barnabas’ cousin, wrote what Peter taught and preached about Jesus.

To understand the author better, one must consider what the author faced in his surroundings as he wrote. That requires knowing where the writer was physically. The best information about this comes from Peter’s own letter in 1 Peter 5:13. He wrote to the Christian churches in Rome and sent greetings from Mark at the end of his letter. Peter was with Mark, whom he called his “son.” In 1 Peter 5:13, Peter wrote about being in Babylon with Mark. He used the name Babylon as an allegory by which he meant Rome. The book of Revelation allegorically used the city of Babylon to represent Rome in Revelation 14:8, 17:18 and 18:2 & 10. Papias considered the name “Babylon” represented Rome, too, along with Clement of Alexandria. From this we recognize John Mark wrote while in Rome and most likely during the time of Nero’s persecution of Christians. He himself faced persecution because of standing for his faith in Jesus.

We understand John Mark wrote this Gospel from Peter’s teachings and sermons in the late 50s or early 60s while he and other Christians in Rome faced persecution from Nero. To whom did he write? From reading Mark’s Gospel, we realize Mark wrote it to Roman Christians, ones who came not from the Jewish faith. He wrote to people who lived and experienced the same persecutions he did while Nero reigned. How do we arrive at this? Mark explained Jewish customs to the readers/hearers of his gospel, for example, in Mark 7:3-4, where he explained the Jewish custom of cleansing before eating. Bible scholars have noted Mark used Latin turns-of-phrase that a Roman audience would understand. Based on these, we can understand Mark wrote to a Roman Christian audience.

Knowing Mark wrote to Roman Christians living under the persecution of Nero helps readers and hearers perceive the purpose of Mark’s Gospel. Mark wrote his Gospel to show the divinity of Jesus and the cost of discipleship. He affirmed this by writing about Jesus’ miracle-working power, the salvation He brought, the suffering and death He endured, and His servanthood. Mark’s telling of Jesus’ miracles shows who He is, the divine, almighty, forgiving Son of God. Only the Son of God could heal, forgive, redeem, restore, and encourage and empower His followers to spread the gospel message. Mark sought to encourage the Roman Christians. Jesus’ willingness to suffer and die gives an example to His followers the road they must walk with humility while they evangelize, suffer, and, maybe, die. (See Mark 8:34.) Mark wrote his Gospel to encourage the Roman Christians and to undergird them as they faced Nero’s persecution. He reminded them of who they followed and that He is almighty. They can rely on Jesus to be their strength and their refuge.

Mark 1:1-3

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, just as it is written in Isaiah the prophet.

“Behold, I am sending My messenger before you, who will prepare your way:

the voice of one calling out in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make His paths straight!’” (Mark 1:1-3 [NASB])

 Mark began writing this gospel by telling his readers/hearers of the promise from God that He commanded Isaiah and Malachi in the Old Testament to tell the Israelites. Later in his gospel, he wrote God fulfilled this promise when Jesus was born as a human on earth. Mark taught/reminded the Roman Christians about the prophecy and prepared them to understand Jesus’ commission of them. Jesus’ commission of believers continues the fulfillment of the prophecy, that of calling out in the wilderness of the world in which they live. This brings an understanding of what Bible scholars call “now and not yet.” Each person who professes faith in Jesus is saved from their sins at that point, “now.” That Christian continues to be saved from sins and death until he/she enters God’s presence in heaven. When Christians enter heaven, he or she will be perfected by Jesus.

 After his dynamic first verse, Mark taught Jewish history to the Roman (Gentile) Christians, a history of which they might not have known. These Christians might have heard of Isaiah and Malachi. Jews had lived many years in Rome by the time of Mark’s writing. Possibly, the Roman Christians remembered their Jewish neighbors talking and grumbling that these Gentiles could not have trusted in the Messiah. Their Messiah had not come yet. They were taught the Messiah was supposed to be just for the Israelites, based on Jewish tradition. By these overheard grumblings and conversations, the Roman Christians may have become acquainted with Isaiah and Malachi from their fellow Jewish residents of Rome. Because Mark wanted to be sure these Christians knew them, he recited the prophecy of Yahweh God that He required Isaiah and Malachi to tell the Israelites. Isaiah recorded the original text in Isaiah 40:3-4 and Malachi wrote them in Malachi 3:1.

 Mark chose his words for his audience and for the circumstances in which they and he lived. He wrote, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Mark clearly stated the topic of the gospel and its importance. He said this writing was the gospel of Jesus the Christ, the Messiah from God. With these words, the readers/hearers may/should have pondered the question of when the gospel began. Did the gospel occur only when Jesus began ministering, or did it include the day of his birth, too? What about when John leaped within his mother’s, Elizabeth’s, womb when Mary, Jesus’ mother, visited her? Since Mark quotes two Old Testament prophets, did the gospel begin at that point? The good news from God began from creation. From when God created humanity and gave them freewill, He realized they would choose to go in ways opposite of His own plans for them, plans for their good and not to harm them (Jeremiah 29:11). This turning away from God is rebellion and is called sin. Peter attested to God’s plan for salvation from the beginning of creation in 1 Peter 1:17-21. He wrote about Christ, who was foretold “before the foundation of the world,” the sinless sacrifice for sinful humanity. Paul agreed with Peter when he wrote Ephesians 1:3-4,

Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places in Christ, just as He chose us in Him before the foundation of the world, that we would be holy and blameless before Him.

God planned for each person to be saved from their sins and death. He chose, “before the foundation of the world,” each person who believes in Jesus to be holy and blameless in His sight. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus, in humanity’s mind, occurred when Jesus’ ministry began. But the truth is the gospel began before Yahweh God formed humanity and breathed life into him or her. This, too, is a “now and not yet” scenario. God planned the gospel before He created humanity. God-chosen Israelites (prophets) foretold His good news before it burst onto humanity’s timeline. John was the first New Testament messenger of this gospel. (A messenger is a person or angel sent out for a purpose.) Soon after John’s proclaiming began, Jesus burst into the timeline with His revelation on earth of “God with us.” For those who accept the gospel message, the gospel continues into the future on humanity’s timeline with themselves as messengers. The telling about the gospel did not end when the Romans hung Jesus on the cross and killed Him. It did not end when Jesus rose from death and ascended to heaven. God’s promise of a Messiah is not completed for each person (perfected/fulfilled) until His kingdom comes in its fullness. Mark began the writing of his gospel with “the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Starting this way carries more weight than only being a quote from man over 2000 years ago. It carries it back in time to carry the proclamation of the good news forward until the whole world hears. 

Application and Conclusion

This prophecy did not arrive and end with its telling by John the Baptist in the New Testament and its fulfillment through Jesus’ arrival in history. Christians should consider what “the beginning of the gospel” means for him or her today, like Mark led the Roman Christians to remember and consider for themselves. The gospel is good news and good news should be shared. This good news is the ultimate of good news. It ushered the Messiah, “God with us,” into the world (Matthew 1:23). This spectacular, life-changing, world-moving news of the Messiah must be shared by each believer in Jesus! The prophecy message and fulfillment continue through Jesus’ followers until the kingdom of God comes in its fullness, so all people may come to believe in Jesus as their Savior. This understanding of “now and not yet” of God’s promise and its fulfillment (salvation) should remind Christians today of their responsibility. Each Christian is part of the “not yet” phase in this “now and not yet” of sharing the gospel. Believers have had their initial “now” of coming to faith in Jesus. It’s their turn to continue the sharing of the gospel so that those who are not yet believers can hear and respond to it. Each believer’s perfection by Jesus in heaven brings the completion of their “not yet.” When he or she lives in heaven, Jesus completes (perfects) the process of salvation for him or her. The Christian is perfected in the image of Christ. 

Christians are to be messengers heralding Jesus, the Son of God and Savior of all humanity. By doing this, each person will have the chance to hear and respond to the gospel message. Each believer will say, “Behold!” like the angel (a messenger from God) who called out “Hark!” proclaiming the Christ-child’s birth.

The prophecies from God, as recorded by Mark, proclaimed He would send a messenger before He sends the Messiah to earth to be “God with them.” The purpose for this messenger was to tell people a Messiah (Savior) from God would come to earth, so prepare the way. What must the Israelites have done before the Messiah came? “Prepare the way.” “Prepare the way” means to make ready or to remove the hindrances. The Israelites were to “prepare the way” by preparing their hearts to meet their Savior. The Israelites were fickle, like most people. They obeyed God when they found it helpful to them. They put God on the back burner when they sailed smoothly through life. These people of God only sought Him when life became shaky or frightening. For the Israelites to prepare the way for themselves, they had to renew their relationship with God by repenting of their sins and returning to a vital relationship with Him. What they did not realize is they, too, were to tell people of other nations about the coming Messiah, just as the prophets had. Their lives were supposed to be a light to the nations about Yahweh, so those nations would seek Him with their whole being, too. Preparing the way for the Lord means preparing yourself to receive Him and preparing yourself so that others will see God in your life, then ask and receive Him for themselves. 

Each believer in Jesus should proclaim the gospel regularly, like the prophets and disciples of old did. He or she should prepare the way of the Lord to restore his or her relationship with the Him each day. He or she does this by confessing and repenting of sins and seeking Him daily to guide him or her. By this, each believer becomes a messenger of God to the people in their sphere. Because of this, each person will get to hear the good news about Jesus, the Son of God, who lived as a man though wholly divine, died the death of a criminal though having not sinned, and rose from death to sit on the throne in heaven. Through Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection, any person who trusts in Him will receive pardon from sin and the cleansing of guilt that sin leaves. Each believer will receive eternal life with God in His kingdom in its fullness and will live with the Spirit of Jesus in his or her heart now, another “now and not yet” scenario.

 As we study these verses, we should ask ourselves six questions.

1.  Do you know who Jesus is?

2.  Do you trust the gospel more now that you know Jesus is the Son of God prophesied thousands of years in advance by two prophets?

3. Has the messenger’s proclamation to you affected and caused you to make the way straight by thinking about and acting based on the prophecies, sermons, and teachings regarding Jesus the Messiah by men who lived during His time on earth?

4. Have you heard the prophecy, prepared the way in your heart, mind, body, and spirit, and heard the gospel? Has it stirred your heart with the conviction of its truth?

5. What keeps you from to professing faith in Jesus as your Savior and confessing your sins for forgiveness and cleansing from Him?

6. Are you living the life of a messenger of Jesus and preparing the way so that other people get to listen to and come to know Jesus as their Savior? 

Time does not stop until God’s kingdom comes.

But your time stops when your heart is done.

Don’t wait too long. 

For I know the plans I have for you, declares the LORD, plans for welfare and not for evil, to give you a future and a hope.

Then you will call upon Me and come and pray to Me, and I will hear you.

You will seek Me and find Me when you seek Me with all your heart. I will be found by you, declares the LORD. (Jeremiah 29:11-14a [NASB])

Ventures in New Year

 

Snowflakes and beachside

Christmas world round

Reminders of love

From heaven come down.

 

Candles and carols

Wreaths and trees, too,

Reminders of God’s love

Heralding new year truths.

 

As reminder of the babe

Come down from heaven above,

God tells us our new year

Brings with it His love.

 

New years bring planning,

Hopes, and, for some, tears,

Yet seeking God daily

Gives peace without fear.

 

Troubles from yesterday,

Lost hope from the past

Weigh nothing with a new year

God is greater than that.

 

What comes with January one,

God knows it well;

The Creator of the day

Rules over the detail.

 

Nothing surprises

And nothing prevails

Against almighty God

Ruler o’er earth, heaven, and hell.

 

Nothing comes against you

That God does not know;

Nothing defeats Him

He’s greater than your foes.

 

No troubles or trials

Need overtake your faith,

For God’s already conquered

And for you made a way.

 

Hope, joy, and heart peace

God gives to His child,

As you venture through the new year

He, to you, has supplied.

 

A blessing of love,

To God’s children from His heart,

To give them all needed

To live strong with Him from the start.