The Beginning of the Good News
The Gospel of Mark • Sermon • Submitted • Presented
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Mark 1:1-45
1 This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. It began
2 just as the prophet Isaiah had written: “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way.
3 He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’ ”
4 This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.
5 All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.
6 His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.
7 John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals.
8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”
9 One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River.
10 As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove.
11 And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
12 The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness,
13 where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him.
14 Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News.
15 “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”
16 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living.
17 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”
18 And they left their nets at once and followed him.
19 A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets.
20 He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men.
21 Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach.
22 The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law.
23 Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out,
24 “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
25 But Jesus reprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered.
26 At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him.
27 Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. “What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!”
28 The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee.
29 After Jesus left the synagogue with James and John, they went to Simon and Andrew’s home.
30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. They told Jesus about her right away.
31 So he went to her bedside, took her by the hand, and helped her sit up. Then the fever left her, and she prepared a meal for them.
32 That evening after sunset, many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus.
33 The whole town gathered at the door to watch.
34 So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak.
35 Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.
36 Later Simon and the others went out to find him.
37 When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
38 But Jesus replied, “We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came.”
39 So he traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons.
40 A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said.
41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!”
42 Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed.
43 Then Jesus sent him on his way with a stern warning:
44 “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”
45 But the man went and spread the word, proclaiming to everyone what had happened. As a result, large crowds soon surrounded Jesus, and he couldn’t publicly enter a town anywhere. He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people from everywhere kept coming to him.
INTRODUCTION:
A- Authorship and date:
1- John Mark
a. While the authorship is not stated in the text, tradition dating back to the early church attributes the gospel to John Mark.
He is believed to be the young man of Mark 14:51–52.
51 One young man following behind was clothed only in a long linen shirt. When the mob tried to grab him,
52 he slipped out of his shirt and ran away naked.
Acts 12:12 implies that his mother was a person of means who had a house large enough for a meeting of a group of Christians (many Palestinian houses had but one small room).
12 When he realized this, he went to the home of Mary, the mother of John Mark, where many were gathered for prayer.
Acts relates how Paul and Barnabas took him from Jerusalem to Syrian Antioch (Acts 12:25), how they included him on the mission to Cyprus (Acts 13:5), how he left them at Perga (Acts 13:13), and how Paul refused to take him on a second missionary endeavor and Barnabas took him instead back to Cyprus (Acts 15:37–39).
25 When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission to Jerusalem, they returned, taking John Mark with them.
5 There, in the town of Salamis, they went to the Jewish synagogues and preached the word of God. John Mark went with them as their assistant.
13 Paul and his companions then left Paphos by ship for Pamphylia, landing at the port town of Perga. There John Mark left them and returned to Jerusalem.
37 Barnabas agreed and wanted to take along John Mark.
38 But Paul disagreed strongly, since John Mark had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in their work.
39 Their disagreement was so sharp that they separated. Barnabas took John Mark with him and sailed for Cyprus.
Colossians 4:10 indicates he was Barnabas’s cousin and that he was with Paul (in Rome?) at the time of writing.
10 Aristarchus, who is in prison with me, sends you his greetings, and so does Mark, Barnabas’s cousin. As you were instructed before, make Mark welcome if he comes your way.
Philemon 24 indicates that he was with Paul (in Rome?) at the time of the writing of that letter.
24 So do Mark, Aristarchus, Demas, and Luke, my co-workers.
2 Timothy 4:11 expresses Paul’s desire to have Mark join him in Rome.
11 Only Luke is with me. Bring Mark with you when you come, for he will be helpful to me in my ministry.
1 Peter 5:13 associates him with Peter in Rome.
13 Your sister church here in Babylon sends you greetings, and so does my son Mark.
Church tradition states that he became bishop of Alexandria in Egypt.
The Paschal Chronicle (seventh cent.) claimed that he died a martyr’s death.
b. Date:
It is widely accepted that Mark’s gospel was written between 64-75 AD.
c. Purpose:
He wanted to make some clear statements about Jesus, not just give a chronology of Jesus’ life.
He wanted to set forth his own understanding of Jesus and develop his Christology.
He wanted to do so in such a way as to minister to the needs of his own church.
Mark’s concept of Jesus was that he was fully human and fully divine, both Son of Man and Son of God. Furthermore he was both the Jewish Messiah (Christ, Son of David) and the Lord of the Gentiles.
Such a balanced Christology as Mark’s weighs against the theory that he was battling a heresy.
Mark was especially concerned to emphasize the suffering and death of Jesus as a ransom for sinners.
The final major purpose for which Mark wrote was to clarify Jesus’ teaching about the future
B- Keys to reading Mark:
1- Key word throughout the book is “immediately.”
2- Key theme:
Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. (Mark 1:1)
This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.*
Repent and believe the Good News (Mark 1:15)
“The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”
The fact that Mark wrote with the Romans in mind helps us understand his style and approach.
The emphasis in this Gospel is on activity.
Mark describes Jesus as He busily moves from place to place and meets the physical and spiritual needs of all kinds of people.
One of Mark’s favorite words is “straightway,” meaning “immediately.”
He uses it forty-one times.
Mark does not record many of our Lord’s sermons because his emphasis is on what Jesus did rather than what Jesus said.
He reveals Jesus as God’s Servant, sent to minister to suffering people and to die for the sins of the world. Mark gives us no account of our Lord’s birth, nor does he record a genealogy, unnecessary in regard to a servant.
I- JESUS’ IDENTITY CONFIRMED (Mark 1:1-11)
I- JESUS’ IDENTITY CONFIRMED (Mark 1:1-11)
A- Confirmed by Prophetic witness. (Mark 1:1-3)
A- Confirmed by Prophetic witness. (Mark 1:1-3)
1 This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. It began
2 just as the prophet Isaiah had written: “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way.
3 He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’ ”
1- Mark cites two quotations from the Old Testament prophets, Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3 (note also Ex. 23:20).
a. The words messenger and voice refer to John the Baptist, the prophet God sent to prepare the way for His Son (Matt. 3; Luke 3:1–18; John 1:19–34).
b. In ancient times, before a king visited any part of his realm, a messenger was sent before him to prepare the way.
This included both repairing the roads and preparing the people. By calling the nation to repentance, John the Baptist prepared the way for the Lord Jesus Christ. Isaiah and Malachi join voices in declaring that Jesus Christ is the Lord, Jehovah God.
B- Confirmed by the God-Ordained Forerunner’s witness. (Mark 1:4-8)
B- Confirmed by the God-Ordained Forerunner’s witness. (Mark 1:4-8)
4 This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.
5 All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.
6 His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.
7 John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals.
8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”
1- Jesus called him the greatest of the prophets (Matt. 11:1–15).
(Matthew 11:9)
9 Were you looking for a prophet? Yes, and he is more than a prophet.
In his dress, manner of life, and message of repentance, John identified with Elijah (2 Kings 1:8; Mal. 4:5; Matt. 17:10–13; and note Luke 1:13–17).
8 They replied, “He was a hairy man, and he wore a leather belt around his waist.” “Elijah from Tishbe!” the king exclaimed.
5 “Look, I am sending you the prophet Elijah before the great and dreadful day of the Lord arrives.
10 Then his disciples asked him, “Why do the teachers of religious law insist that Elijah must return before the Messiah comes?”
11 Jesus replied, “Elijah is indeed coming first to get everything ready.
12 But I tell you, Elijah has already come, but he wasn’t recognized, and they chose to abuse him. And in the same way they will also make the Son of Man suffer.”
13 Then the disciples realized he was talking about John the Baptist.
13 But the angel said, “Don’t be afraid, Zechariah! God has heard your prayer. Your wife, Elizabeth, will give you a son, and you are to name him John.
14 You will have great joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth,
15 for he will be great in the eyes of the Lord. He must never touch wine or other alcoholic drinks. He will be filled with the Holy Spirit, even before his birth.
16 And he will turn many Israelites to the Lord their God.
17 He will be a man with the spirit and power of Elijah. He will prepare the people for the coming of the Lord. He will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children, and he will cause those who are rebellious to accept the wisdom of the godly.”
2- John’s message and baptism were preparation so that the people would be ready to meet and trust the Messiah, Jesus Christ.
II- JESUS’ MINISTRY BEGINS. (Mark 1:12-19)
II- JESUS’ MINISTRY BEGINS. (Mark 1:12-19)
12 The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness,
13 where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him.
14 Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News.
15 “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”
16 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living.
17 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”
18 And they left their nets at once and followed him.
19 A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets.
A- Jesus’ pre-ministry testing. (Mark 1:12-13)
A- Jesus’ pre-ministry testing. (Mark 1:12-13)
12 The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness,
13 where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. He was out among the wild animals, and angels took care of him.
1- Jesus was tested intensely during his 40 day fast in the wilderness.
(Matthew 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13)
1 Then Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted there by the devil.
2 For forty days and forty nights he fasted and became very hungry.
3 During that time the devil came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become loaves of bread.”
4 But Jesus told him, “No! The Scriptures say, ‘People do not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, Jerusalem, to the highest point of the Temple,
6 and said, “If you are the Son of God, jump off! For the Scriptures say, ‘He will order his angels to protect you. And they will hold you up with their hands so you won’t even hurt your foot on a stone.’ ”
7 Jesus responded, “The Scriptures also say, ‘You must not test the Lord your God.’”
8 Next the devil took him to the peak of a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory.
9 “I will give it all to you,” he said, “if you will kneel down and worship me.”
10 “Get out of here, Satan,” Jesus told him. “For the Scriptures say, ‘You must worship the Lord your God and serve only him.’”
11 Then the devil went away, and angels came and took care of Jesus.
B- Jesus begins his preaching ministry. (Mark 1:14-15)
B- Jesus begins his preaching ministry. (Mark 1:14-15)
14 Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News.
15 “The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”
1- Our Lord’s message was the Gospel of the kingdom of God, or “the Gospel of God” as some texts read.
a. No doubt most of the Jews read “political revolution” into the phrase “kingdom of God,” but that was not what Jesus had in mind at all.
b. His kingdom has to do with His reign in the lives of His people; it is a spiritual realm and not a political organization.
c. The only way to enter God’s kingdom is by believing the Good News and being born again (John 3:1–7).
1 There was a man named Nicodemus, a Jewish religious leader who was a Pharisee.
2 After dark one evening, he came to speak with Jesus. “Rabbi,” he said, “we all know that God has sent you to teach us. Your miraculous signs are evidence that God is with you.”
3 Jesus replied, “I tell you the truth, unless you are born again, you cannot see the Kingdom of God.”
4 “What do you mean?” exclaimed Nicodemus. “How can an old man go back into his mother’s womb and be born again?”
5 Jesus replied, “I assure you, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit.
6 Humans can reproduce only human life, but the Holy Spirit gives birth to spiritual life.
7 So don’t be surprised when I say, ‘You must be born again.’
2- The Gospel is called “the Gospel of God” because it comes from God and brings us to God.
a. It is “the Gospel of the kingdom” because faith in the Saviour brings you into His kingdom.
b. It is the “Gospel of Jesus Christ” because He is the heart of it; without His life, death, and resurrection, there would be no Good News. (1 Corinthians 15:1-4)
1 Let me now remind you, dear brothers and sisters, of the Good News I preached to you before. You welcomed it then, and you still stand firm in it.
2 It is this Good News that saves you if you continue to believe the message I told you—unless, of course, you believed something that was never true in the first place.
3 I passed on to you what was most important and what had also been passed on to me. Christ died for our sins, just as the Scriptures said.
4 He was buried, and he was raised from the dead on the third day, just as the Scriptures said.
c. Paul called it “the Gospel of the grace of God” (Acts 20:24) because there can be no salvation apart from grace (Eph. 2:8–9).
d. There is only one Gospel (Gal. 1:1–9), and it centers in what Jesus Christ did for us on the cross (1 Cor. 15:1–11).
(Galatians 1:6-7)
6 I am shocked that you are turning away so soon from God, who called you to himself through the loving mercy of Christ. You are following a different way that pretends to be the Good News
7 but is not the Good News at all. You are being fooled by those who deliberately twist the truth concerning Christ.
3- Jesus preached that people should repent (change their minds) and believe (see Acts 20:21).
21 I have had one message for Jews and Greeks alike—the necessity of repenting from sin and turning to God, and of having faith in our Lord Jesus.
a. Repentance alone is not enough to save us, even though God expects believers to turn from their sins.
b. We must also put positive faith in Jesus Christ and believe His promise of salvation.
c. Repentance without faith could become remorse, and remorse can destroy people who carry a burden of guilt (see Matt. 27:3–5; 2 Cor. 7:8–10).
3 When Judas, who had betrayed him, realized that Jesus had been condemned to die, he was filled with remorse. So he took the thirty pieces of silver back to the leading priests and the elders.
4 “I have sinned,” he declared, “for I have betrayed an innocent man.” “What do we care?” they retorted. “That’s your problem.”
5 Then Judas threw the silver coins down in the Temple and went out and hanged himself.
8 I am not sorry that I sent that severe letter to you, though I was sorry at first, for I know it was painful to you for a little while.
9 Now I am glad I sent it, not because it hurt you, but because the pain caused you to repent and change your ways. It was the kind of sorrow God wants his people to have, so you were not harmed by us in any way.
10 For the kind of sorrow God wants us to experience leads us away from sin and results in salvation. There’s no regret for that kind of sorrow. But worldly sorrow, which lacks repentance, results in spiritual death.
C- Jesus chooses his disciples. (Mark 1:16-20)
C- Jesus chooses his disciples. (Mark 1:16-20)
16 One day as Jesus was walking along the shore of the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew throwing a net into the water, for they fished for a living.
17 Jesus called out to them, “Come, follow me, and I will show you how to fish for people!”
18 And they left their nets at once and followed him.
19 A little farther up the shore Jesus saw Zebedee’s sons, James and John, in a boat repairing their nets.
20 He called them at once, and they also followed him, leaving their father, Zebedee, in the boat with the hired men.
1- He has chosen us to be fruitful for His Kingdom.
(John 15:16)
16 You didn’t choose me. I chose you. I appointed you to go and produce lasting fruit, so that the Father will give you whatever you ask for, using my name.
(Eph 2:10)
10 For we are God’s masterpiece. He has created us anew in Christ Jesus, so we can do the good things he planned for us long ago.
III- JESUS’ AUTHORITY DEMONSTRATED. (Mark 1:21-42)
III- JESUS’ AUTHORITY DEMONSTRATED. (Mark 1:21-42)
A- Jesus had authority over evil spirits. (Mark 1:21-28)
A- Jesus had authority over evil spirits. (Mark 1:21-28)
21 Jesus and his companions went to the town of Capernaum. When the Sabbath day came, he went into the synagogue and began to teach.
22 The people were amazed at his teaching, for he taught with real authority—quite unlike the teachers of religious law.
23 Suddenly, a man in the synagogue who was possessed by an evil spirit cried out,
24 “Why are you interfering with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God!”
25 But Jesus reprimanded him. “Be quiet! Come out of the man,” he ordered.
26 At that, the evil spirit screamed, threw the man into a convulsion, and then came out of him.
27 Amazement gripped the audience, and they began to discuss what had happened. “What sort of new teaching is this?” they asked excitedly. “It has such authority! Even evil spirits obey his orders!”
28 The news about Jesus spread quickly throughout the entire region of Galilee.
1- All power and authority belongs to the Lord.Jesus
(Matt 28:18)
18 Jesus came and told his disciples, “I have been given all authority in heaven and on earth.
(Phil 2:9–11)
9 Therefore, God elevated him to the place of highest honor and gave him the name above all other names,
10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
11 and every tongue declare that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
B- Jesus had authority over disease. (Mark 1:29-34)
B- Jesus had authority over disease. (Mark 1:29-34)
29 After Jesus left the synagogue with James and John, they went to Simon and Andrew’s home.
30 Now Simon’s mother-in-law was sick in bed with a high fever. They told Jesus about her right away.
31 So he went to her bedside, took her by the hand, and helped her sit up. Then the fever left her, and she prepared a meal for them.
32 That evening after sunset, many sick and demon-possessed people were brought to Jesus.
33 The whole town gathered at the door to watch.
34 So Jesus healed many people who were sick with various diseases, and he cast out many demons. But because the demons knew who he was, he did not allow them to speak.
1-
C- Jesus had authority throughout Israel. (Mark 1:35-39)
C- Jesus had authority throughout Israel. (Mark 1:35-39)
35 Before daybreak the next morning, Jesus got up and went out to an isolated place to pray.
36 Later Simon and the others went out to find him.
37 When they found him, they said, “Everyone is looking for you.”
38 But Jesus replied, “We must go on to other towns as well, and I will preach to them, too. That is why I came.”
39 So he traveled throughout the region of Galilee, preaching in the synagogues and casting out demons.
1- Jesus’ authority is not limited by location!
(Col 1:16–17)
16 for through him God created everything in the heavenly realms and on earth. He made the things we can see and the things we can’t see— such as thrones, kingdoms, rulers, and authorities in the unseen world. Everything was created through him and for him.
17 He existed before anything else, and he holds all creation together.
(Ps 139:7–10)
7 I can never escape from your Spirit! I can never get away from your presence!
8 If I go up to heaven, you are there; if I go down to the grave, you are there.
9 If I ride the wings of the morning, if I dwell by the farthest oceans,
10 even there your hand will guide me, and your strength will support me.
D- Jesus had authority to cleanse all impurity. (Mark 1:40-45)
D- Jesus had authority to cleanse all impurity. (Mark 1:40-45)
40 A man with leprosy came and knelt in front of Jesus, begging to be healed. “If you are willing, you can heal me and make me clean,” he said.
41 Moved with compassion, Jesus reached out and touched him. “I am willing,” he said. “Be healed!”
42 Instantly the leprosy disappeared, and the man was healed.
43 Then Jesus sent him on his way with a stern warning:
44 “Don’t tell anyone about this. Instead, go to the priest and let him examine you. Take along the offering required in the law of Moses for those who have been healed of leprosy. This will be a public testimony that you have been cleansed.”
45 But the man went and spread the word, proclaiming to everyone what had happened. As a result, large crowds soon surrounded Jesus, and he couldn’t publicly enter a town anywhere. He had to stay out in the secluded places, but people from everywhere kept coming to him.
1- This authority points out that Jesus can cleanse whatever impurity is within us.
(Matt 9:20–22)
20 Just then a woman who had suffered for twelve years with constant bleeding came up behind him. She touched the fringe of his robe,
21 for she thought, “If I can just touch his robe, I will be healed.”
22 Jesus turned around, and when he saw her he said, “Daughter, be encouraged! Your faith has made you well.” And the woman was healed at that moment.
(Heb 9:14)
14 Just think how much more the blood of Christ will purify our consciences from sinful deeds so that we can worship the living God. For by the power of the eternal Spirit, Christ offered himself to God as a perfect sacrifice for our sins.
Conclusion:
