Gospel of Mark Study #1

“The Beginning of the Gospel”

Mark 1:1-8

Study #1 in Mark Series

INTRODUCTION:

• Matthew, Mark, & Luke = “Synoptic Gospels” (Greek, meaning “to see together”)
• Really a misnomer, because each one has a distinctive point of view and flavor.
• Matthew = He was a Jew writing to Palestinian Jewish Christians.
• His book is full of Jewish stuff, with nothing explained for Gentiles.
• There are loads of OT quotations and references, which Jews would know.
• Mark = He was a Jew writing to Gentile (especially Roman) Christians.
• He explains everything “Jewish” for those with no background.
• Luke = He was a Greek doctor writing to Greek-cultured Gentile converts.
• He gives detailed medical descriptions, etc.
• He uses sophisticated language and perfect grammar.
• Mark’s Gospel was the first of the three to be written (probably AD 60-65) shortly before Peter’s death in AD 67. Mark reveals the Petrine perspective of events.

TRANSITION:

An important question = Who is Saint Mark?

• He is mentioned 10 times in the New Testament.
• We first met him in Acts 12:12.
• His name was John (Jewish) Mark (Marcus = Roman).
• His mother was Mary, a devout Christian who opened her home to the church.
• He was a cousin of Barnabas (2^nd cousin?).
• Acts 12:25 says he went to Antioch with Paul and Barnabas.
• Acts 13:5 says he went with them to Cyprus as far as Perga (vs.13).
• Later (15:37-39) Barnabas wanted to take him again, but Paul did not because Mark had abandoned them on their previous trip.
• He dropped out of sight for several years. Tradition says he carried the Gospel to Alexandria, Egypt.
• Later Paul commended him (cf. Col. 4:10; Philemon 24; 2 Timothy 4:11).
• Peter calls him “his son” in 1 Peter 5:13.
• He was a disciple of Paul, Barnabas, and Peter.
• He was a constant companion and disciple of Peter for many years.
• He lived in all three Christian centers: Jerusalem, Antioch, and Rome.
• Why is this book important for us?
• It is the first of the Gospel accounts and thus it was particularly important to the early Christians.
• Mark is the Gospel of Action. It focuses attention on the acts of Jesus more than His sayings. It is written like a news story, with great emotion. It is the shortest of the three Synoptics—only 661 verses. Mark has a favorite word, used 47 times, translated “immediately, straightway, forthwith.”

NOTES on the Text:

Verse 1: The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

• “The beginning” of the story, not the end. The Good News continues with the teachings of Jesus, the story of the Church, etc.
• “The Gospel” – The Greek word is euangelion, which means “good news” or “glad tidings”, especially the good news of Christ. Implies that there is also BAD NEWS. You cannot have one without the other. The Bad News is about us.
• “The Son of God” = Mark flies his flag from the very beginning, i.e., that Jesus is God incarnate, God clothed in human flesh.

Verse 2-3: As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I send my messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way; ³ the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight.’”

• This is one of only two times that Mark quotes the OT scriptures apart from Jesus’ actual words. He combines two passages. He quotes Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3 from the LXX. He rightly applies these prophecies to John the Baptist who he describes in the next verse.
• “Make His paths straight” = often before the visit of a King the villagers would go out and fill in all the potholes and ruts so that it would be a smooth ride for the dignitary.

Verse 4: John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

• We read about the miraculous announcement and birth of John in Luke chapter 1. However, we know nothing about his formative years. At the right time “he appeared” in the Judean wilderness “preaching” [khrux = to proclaim, as a herald] about the coming Messiah and the need to repent from sin to be prepared to meet Him.
• “Baptism of repentance.” This baptism is not believer’s baptism that we learn about later in the epistles, but a different kind of baptism. It symbolized repentance from sin and a desire to be prepared for the coming Messiah.
• Repentance is the Greek word, metanoia, from meta (= “after, or beyond” implying change) and nous (“mind”); thus, “after [a change] of mind.” It can be illustrated by a military “about face.” To be forgiven of our sins, we must have a change of mind, which results in a change of actions.
• Baptism was already a part of Judaism. Gentile proselytes to Judaism had three obligations: (1) circumcision; (2) sacrifice made for them; and (3) baptism, which pictured cleansing from their past sins. John’s baptism aligned them not with Judaism but with the Messiah, the Saviour.
• Baptism does not forgive sins, nor can any other religious rite. Only God can do that. When we repent of our sins, God forgives us and cleanses us. John’s baptism was to show that the forgiveness of sins had already occurred because of the people’s repentance before God. 

Verse 5: And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

• Here Mark uses a bit of hyperbole to show how many people were going out to listen to John and to get baptized by him.
• “…confessing their sins” This is the Greek word, homologeo, which means
  “to say the same thing.” It means to agree with God about what He considers to be “sin.” It is the same word we find in 1 John 1:9, “If we confess our sins…” Confession is always 3-fold:

1.       We confess to ourselves that what we are doing is sin

2.      We confess to those we have harmed and make restitution

3.      We confess our sins to God and receive His forgiveness 

Verse 6: John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey.

• This is an interesting detail but, in a sense, unimportant. John was not known for his snappy attire. He dressed like Elijah of the OT (cf. Matt. 3:4; 2 Kings 1:8; Zechariah 13:4). He was a Nazarite from birth and lived accordingly (cf. Luke 1:15). He lived on simple fare, needing little, wanting little. His life was not about money or things. He lived what he preached.

Verse 7: And he was preaching [proclaiming], and saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals.

• A student would often carry out menial tasks for his master, but not even a student would be expected to take off the master’s sandals and wash his feet. That was the job of a slave. John said that he was not even worthy of being the slave of the One who was coming. 

Verse 8: “I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

• Mark quotes John’s promise that what Messiah was bringing was much more important than what John was doing. John’s baptism was but a picture, a foreshadowing of what Christ would do. This was literally fulfilled at Pentecost when the Spirit was poured out on all the believers and the Church was born.

CONCLUSION:

Most Christians think they understand the Gospel, but many have a false, or incomplete knowledge. You cannot understand the Good News without first knowing and accepting the Bad News. Salvation depends on repentance, confession of sin, belief in Christ, and receiving God’s forgiveness and cleansing.