Walking With The Rabbi
Notes
Transcript
Good morning - if you are able - would you please stand together as we read God’s word.
Today our scripture reading is Mark 1:1-15
Mark 1:1–15 (CSB)
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight!
John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.
He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”
Immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving him.
After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
This is the Word of the Lord. Please be seated.
The Gospel. Perhaps no more important thing - something we can’t afford to get wrong - and yet something that we may get squeamish to define if we are put on the spot in front of others.
People use the word Gospel as a trump card in many ways, and I’ve actually read and agree that some pastors quote unquote “Gospel drop” in their sermons to make it sound more powerful. Just by using the term gospel - gospel truth - gospel centered. gospel gospel gospel gospel. By using that word, we as good christians are trained to agree with that word.
But that begs the question - What is the Gospel? how are we to understand the Gospel? As Mark uses Gospel, what did he have in mind?
As we begin our lenten series - following the rabbi - we are going to hop and skip our way through the Gospel of Mark, the second book of the new testament. Some brief introductory remarks on the work of Mark before we really dig into the text
Some scholars have summarized the book of Mark: as
a passion narrative with an extended introduction
Meaning a disproportionate amount of time and space is focus around Jesus’ final week - and the start of the book is dramatic and quick and moves from scene to scene.
Mark is often thought of being the first of the four gospels that was written, and Matthew and luke seem to borrow or use Mark as a source. and we tend to call all three of those, matthew mark and luke the Synoptic Gospels. The idea being that all have the same view or perspective.
While the book of Mark has no authorship attested to in the writing itself, it has long be understood and believed to be written by John Mark, who traveled with Paul and Barnabas. and according to tradition John Mark was a disciple of Peter and helped Peter write down his testimony.
We often also think about Mark as being written primarily to hellenistic readers. That means - it wasn’t written to a jewish audience primarily, but a roman one.
This makes sense if it was written under the discretion of Peter, who we believe did a lot of his final ministry in Rome.
This means that Mark actually uses a lot LESS old testament and prophecy fulfillment to make his point, where Matthew uses a ton as he was writing to a jewish audience.
Mark’s purpose, however is clear - from the very beginning of his writing. He wants to talk about the gospel.
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
For Mark - his whole work is the Gospel specifically of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And then there is the implied invitation - wanna know the Gospel - read on.
But when people would have read and heard the word Gospel would have been different than what likely comes to our mind.
the word in the greek is euangelion. and it can also be translated good news.
And when we hear that word we likely think of Jesus, and the sacrifice of Christ on the cross, and how we can now be justified by grace through faith with God through Christ’s blood. Beautiful,
but for the roman citizen, likely not what they were thinking of. In fact - it wan’t the first Gospel they were exposed to.
Gospels had been proclaimed before - particularly they were used around emperors and their accomplishments.
One famous mention of this is the Priene inscription which comes from the ancient town of Priene as an honouring of the birthday of Caesar augustus and it dates to 9bc or there a bouts. Let me read the translation of the inscription.
Since Providence, which has ordered all things and is deeply interested in our life, has set in most perfect order by giving us Augustus, whom she filled with virtue that he might benefit humankind, sending him as a savior, both for us and for our descendants, that he might end war and arrange all things, and since he, Caesar, by his appearance (excelled even our anticipations), surpassing all previous benefactors, and not even leaving to posterity any hope of surpassing what he has done, and since the birthday of the god Augustus was the beginning of the good tidings [εὐαγγέλιον] for the world that came by reason of him
So the idea of good news - royal proclamations were not unknown to the roman people. They had gospels of their emperors - and you can see the worship they had of their caesars. “he might end war and arrange all things, surpassing all things - that is the beginning of the euangelion of the world that came by reason of him,”
Isn’t that crazy??
So Mark, writing to Romans seems to be directly challenging the roman hierarchy and idolatry. And the gospel is a political statement over the world.
Caesar isn’t Lord. Jesus is. Caeser isn’t a god. JEsus is God.
Caesar isn’t the king of all things. Jesus is the king of kings and lord of lords. This is the reality that we live in, so submit to him.
And this document, the gospel of mark - is that proclamation. Jesus is the king of kings. the son of God.
As James Edward writes in his commentary: “From the outset Mark annouces that the content of the gospel is the person of JEsus, who is the Christ and Son of God. IT is a brief confession of faith, the meaning of which will unfold only as the reader follows Mark’s presentation of Jesus in the gospel.”
With that in mind - Mark knows that this proclamation of Jesus as King is the fulfillment of the narrative of the people of Israel - so he immediately ties the start of his Gospel to the Old Testament. Mark 1:2-3
Mark 1:2–3 (CSB)
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight!
Mark takes a beautiful tapestry of the old testament, all framed through the early christian’s favorite prophet of Isaiah to set up John the Baptizer as the messenger that was to come, but also to set him up as the herald not only of the messiah, but also of God himself.
The messenger was to point people to God - and there was a lot of expectation that this would be Elijah within Jewish thought. Because Elijah the prophet didn’t die, people expected him to come back to be the announcer of the kingdom of God in the final day.
Mark identifies this idea of Elijah with John the baptist - something Jesus would later affirm on the Mount of Transfiguration to his disciples.
And Johns job then was to point to Jesus as the manifestation of God.
This is important, Jesus is not the plan B of God’s plan of redemption. It’s not like God’s earlier plan had been foiled. No - Jesus is the yes and amen of all of the work of God in Israel. He is the fulfillment.
In fact - as Edwards writes:
The gospel is understandable only as the completion of something that God began in the history of Israel
James R. Edwards
We cannot dismiss or distance ourselves from just how important the Old Testament is and how important the Jewish identity of Jesus is to the Gospel.
Notice also in these verses, if I can put them back up Mark 1:2-3
Mark 1:2–3 (CSB)
As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight!
notice the recurring word of path, and way. From the get go of MArks account - the reference to JEsus and his Gospel is a way. This will continue in the church through acts where they didn’t call themselves christians but followers of the way of JEsus.
There is a practical reality here. We get the feel that we aren’t being called to, in the words of one author, metaphysics and mysticism, nor to ethical rules and systems, but to something practical and transforming a way of salvation made possible by God. And In mark - the way of God is ultimately in the way of the Cross.
Following the quote from the Old Testament, Mark immediately introduces us to John. Mark 1:4
John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
John proclaims a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
I think that it is proclaimed is significant. Meaning, that it is not something we do just as a human action, but there is an action of God. a proclamation here shows that there is a gift and opportunity offered here by the divine realized only through repentance.
And Repentance. Sometimes considered a dirty word - but essential to the message of John, and as we will read, the message of Jesus.
The greek for repentance is a compound word - metanoia. it means “to change one’s mind” or “to alter one’s understanding.” this is much more rational and willful rather than just emotional feelings. If you were to distill John’s message down to one word, it would be repent. And it is urgent, more so than earlier prophets - because of the immanency of Jesus’ arrival!
And it wasn’t just for the notorious sinners - but for all people, and for the entirety of one’s life.
Mark continues with expounding on John’s work here - verse 5-8 Mark1:5-8
Mark 1:5–8 (CSB)
The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
We see here that John had amazing attraction and influence. People from all over were going to him. And it appeared to be successful - and by successful, i do not mean that he gathered a large crowd - but they seem to actually be baptized, so repent, and confess sins all in preparation for the one who is more powerful that is to come.
The look of this guy was a thing and definitley would remind the people of the grabs of a prophet. Elijah was known to be… rough on the eyes. here’s how 2 kings 1:8 descibes Elijah
2 Kings 1:8 (CSB)
They replied, “A hairy man with a leather belt around his waist.” He said, “It’s Elijah the Tishbite.”
Some verses in Scripture just make me laugh - that’s one of them.
All that said - John being wild would have set him a part from the temple cult that was in control in jerusalem at the time.
He was different, and was all about the coming messiah.
Looking back at Mark 1:5-8
Mark 1:5–8 (CSB)
The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “One who is more powerful than I am is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
The crescendo at the end is significant “I baptize you with water but he will baptize you with the holy spirit.
John is clear that his baptism is just a symbolic foreshadowing of the truer reality that was to come.
And it’s an incredible statement because at least from an old testament perspective - only God was able to bestow the Spirit. So JOhn, thus Mark, is declaring that Jesus is GOD as HE will be able to baptize with the Holy Spirit.
Again we see through this whole beginning that Mark is setting Jesus up as the consummation of God’s work in and through Israel. This is the new chapter of God’s redemptive story - but its still part of the same story.
Mark now switches to his telling of Jesus’ baptism, Mark 1:9-11
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”
A short few verses that Mark uses, but they are chalk full of three incredibly significant things that all signified the inauguration of God’s eschatological kingdom in jewish thought.
The heavens opening, the Spirit’s decent, and the voice speaking to him.
The idea of heaven being torn, or rended, open was first mentioned by Isaiah in Isaiah 64:1 and it was elaborated on in later jewish thought. It was especially significant here because there was a common belief in the second temple period - which is the period between the temple being rebuilt after the exile, and the arrival of JEsus, that with the passing of the great OT prophets that the Holy spirit was no longer speaking directly to God’s people.
so with the opening of the heavens at the baptism - there is the long awaited return of God’s spirit. A new period of Grace has appeared in Jesus.
the second big sign is the decent of the Spirit. And the language is a bit awkward so translations make it more readable “the spirit descending on him” but literally it would be the Spirit was descending into him. this shows Christ is completely full and equipped for ministry by the Spirit. And there is apparently a physical decent on something that looks like a dove.
And the third sign is the declaration from heaven. The father’s voice heard that Jesus is the son - and enjoys the pleasure of the father.
The baptism of Jesus is the start of his ministry. And we know that later on in Acts, when the apostles are working out who should replace Judas, they say that the replacement must have been witnesses from the baptism through the ascension.
and what Does the messiah do first as his ministry is inaugurated?
One might expect a party, or a celebration - but not Jesus. He goes to the wilderness, to face off with Satan.
Immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving him.
Mark’s account of this event is very short, as is his style.
The Spirit from heaven that descended into him at his baptism, now drives him into the wilderness to confront Satan. Why? I like how Edwards describes this:
The Gospel according to Mark God’s Son Meets God’s Adversary (1:12–13)
The temptation establishes the free, sovereign agency of Jesus, who, like all human agents, must choose to make God’s will his own. The significance of that choice can be realized only in the context of an alternative and opposite choice posed by God’s adversary. Hence Jesus must be “tempted by Satan.”
Jesus sees all that Satan has to offer - and remains faithful to God. He is the great messiah and he emerges victorious, all the while being served by God. Even in the wilderness, the angels attended to him.
He shows us that the way of God, the Way of Jesus will lead us into the wilderness, face to face with temptation, but like Jesus, with the spirit we are given upon regeneration by grace through faith, we too walk that path and can walk in victory.
Beautiful and powerful stuff.
Now we move to the last two verses for this morning, the Gospel in a Nutshell. Mark 1:14-15
After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
We first notice that John’s ministry is now cut short as he is arrested, and now Jesus, whom Mark has already identified as God in Flesh, the messiah, goes to Galilee to preach.
He proclaims the good news - thats the word euangelion, or gospel. So Jesus, the embodiment of the Gospel, is preaching the Gospel of God.
Word to the wise here - we should listen REALLY carefully to the Gospel of God proclaimed by Jesus himself.
He begins - the time is fulfilled. This only makes sense again, in light of the old testament. Jesus is the yes and amen to the old testament. This isn’t plan B - this is the completion of the plan put into place in Genesis 3:15. And the fulfiller, the seed of Eve, the snake crusher, the king of kings was now on the scene.
And he says - The kingdom of God has come near.
It seems Mark is able to fully encapsulate Jesus’ life and teachings in one phrase - The Kingdom of God.
God is the creator and sovereign over all creation - above the creatures, majestic in rule and reign.
The reign of God started in Israel’s story, specifically in the exodus story - The covenant on My Sinai, where God said he would be the God of the people. But all the way through the OT through the prophets there was a promise of a coming King, a messiah, who would come and bring about the eternal reign of God.
But Jesus will expand the understanding of his contemporaries on this. They expected the messiah to come and to topple their earthly foes, in this case the Romans, and to make his glorious and physical kingdom now in Jerusalem.
Jesus changes this - fighting first to disarm the work of Sin and the devil. And he speaks of the path leading to the kingdom first and foremost as a new state of being. he introduces a new way to be human! And while there will be future physical kingdom - right now it is hidden. But even in the hidden, people are compelled to choose if they will receive it or reject it.
And in Jesus - the kingdom shows up, in the flesh. The king of Glory is on hills in galilee preaching the Gospel. The kingdom is near.
And what is the response required? What is the appropriate response?
To repent and believe the good news, or the gospel.
Now that this new time has come, with advent of the kingdom, it demands a change in thinking. We must repent. It’s a decisive change from the ways of the world.
And it’s coupled with the command to believe the gospel.
Repent, turn from, and believe, turn to.
And the verb tense in Greek are both present imperative, which means live in the continued act of repentance and belief.
Its an all encompassing call - don’t just repent from part of life - but as a total call of allegiance.
The Gospel, as it’s being proclaimed by Jesus is - The kingdom of God is being instituted in the person of Jesus right now - and the only appropriate response is to repent and believe.
The king has come, in the flesh. Will you turn away from the other pretender kings and believe on Him who has come to take away the sins of the world.
This is the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, The Son of God.
Which brings us to our question - So What
So What?
So What?
When we talk about Walking with the Rabbi - following after him - we need to, as best we can, step into contextual frame of the original readers of Mark.
When they heard Mark write about the good news proclaimed about a new King, son of God - they likely had two things come to mind,
First, the fulfillment of the Old Testament promise and covenant in and through Jesus. He is the yes an amen - and so the messianic expectations are laid on him, and he not just answers them - but in many ways expands them beyond what the jewish people originally though.
All that said - If we dismiss the old testament, or the jewishness from the new testament - we miss out on a ton of context, and understanding that can help us understand our faith well.
Jesus is the messiah - who came to rescue the people of God and bring about new jerusalem.
That’s first - Jesus is the fulfillment.
Second - they likely understood a poltical subversive message. Where romans in the world at the time worshipped Caeser as King, and son of God, and bringer of peace by the sword, and that word came by gospel or good news - We proclaim that Jesus is the king of kings and lord of lords. And he has won peace by his blood.
Therefore we don’t follow Caeser, we follow Jesus. We don’t worship the ways of the world or the rulers of the world - but the one who MADE the world.
We are called to repent, turn from the ways of the world - and believe in Jesus as the messiah king from the line of Judah who came to take away the sins of the world.
The Kingdom of God has come near - will you follow Jesus into the new way of being JEsus and inherit this kingdom?
That’s what we are talking about when we talk about the Gospel.
Yes - we can distill it down and simplify it - like “jesus in my place” and that’s not wrong, not in the least - but the more wholistic view would have the view of the Old Testament and sees JEsus as King who came in the fulfillment of the promises of God to rescue the people of God and win the nations for himself.
And we are called to proclaim that - to announce that the king is on the throne. And therefore the gospel is good news, not good advice.
We declare what has been revealed and that is Jesus is King - he came to take away our sin for all who repent and believe.
It’s not up for debate - you can’t #NotMyPresident with JEsus. He has been seated above all names - he is king. And we declare that truth. the king of Glory has come and is seated on the throne - repent and believe and be saved!
We don’t need to apologize for our King - we just need to lovingly declare who he is to others! By word and deed show people Jesus - the king of king.
It’s good news - and we must never forget that the gospel is good news. IT’s good.
And last thing for this morning.
Mark introduces time and time again the idea of the way, the path, which christians picked up on later on in history.
We need to walk with Jesus on the path he walked.
Jesus came, went into the wilderness, was despised, gossiped about, was with the outcast and the sick, preached, healed, suffered, and died for others.
Friends - if thats the path that JEsus walked, for those of us who follow him - why do we have in our mind that our lives aren’t going to follow in the same direction?
So many of us want the effects of following JEsus - resurrection, life, joy - with the actual following of JEsus.
We would rather follow other kings that promise pain free portfolio full good ROI kings. Kings that promise comfort above all things or power or influence. Sounds like politicians on both side of the isle to me.
No friend - we don’t follow the elephant or the donkey, we follow the lamb. Jesus is our king. And that means we actually need to repent - change our minds about the reality of the world - and believe on JEsus. Follow Him.
There is no one better to follow. Because JEsus is alive. JEsus is on the throne. And We declare that JEsus is coming back again to make all things new and right all of creation back to perfection. He will lead us into the new way to be human so that we too can inherit the new heavens and new earth.
I will follow JEsus. The Rabbi, The King.
Will you?
