The Beginning of the Gospel

Mark 1:1-15 (NLT) The Gospel of Mark The Beginning of the Gospel Introduction: If it’s your first time joining us - Welcome! We are dedicating this year to deepening our discipleship to Jesus. We are taking this next season to teach through the Gospel of Mark, using it, as Christians have done for centuries, as a template to understand in a deeper way who Jesus is and what it means to be his disciples. Last week we did a bit of an introduction into the book of Mark showing how Mark is a book of deep mystery around the person of Jesus - calling us further up, and further in - in order to truly discover who Jesus is, in order to follow him in his kingdom mission. We said the challenge of mark is to let this Gospel be a guide to learn to stand before this mystery in silence, to acknowledge the limitations of our understanding, to think again, in order to draw us closer as true disciples as we wonder at the Mystery of our God in the face of Jesus Christ. So this morning we begin our journey of following Jesus through Mark’s Gospel. I think it’s always good to set the context for scripture. So, what was happening in Israel at the time before Jesus Ministry began? What is the background and context for Mark’s Gospel? As we come to the close of the OT, whether the Jewish order of Chronicles or the Christian order of Malachi, the OT leaves us wanting and waiting waiting for God’s true king, waiting for his kingdom to be re-established, waiting for the end of the exile waiting for the judgment of God on sin and evil and finally for the nations to be delivered from Idolatry and brought to know the one and true God. When the curtain rises on Mark’s drama - we find that Israel is still in exile, and it would seem at a moment of crisis. It has been years since any divine intervention or revelation and despite God’s past favor, the people are now in a state of powerlessness, confusion, and need - they are “Like sheep without a Shepherd.” Though the nation of Israel is no longer in captivity in Babylon, they are still under foreign occupation, without a king, without a kingdom ..Israel is waiting for the end of exile, and waiting for redemption. 1. The Beginning of the Gospel a. The Gospel of Mark starts like this “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.” b. Mark uses the phrase "the beginning." It’s a bit of a weird way to start a story - especially since he doesn’t start at the beginning of Jesus’ life like Matthew or John’s gospels. So why start like that? Well, this is the first of many of the shoes Mark will drop for us. This phrase, “the beginning” is supposed to awaken echoes of the first phrase of the Bible. It’s a hyperlink to Genesis 1. "In the beginning... God created the heavens and the earth." Mark uses the same kind of language to awaken our minds to the significance of what is happening in the person of Jesus Christ. In Jesus, a new beginning is happening - but this is the beginning of beginnings. Jesus is a new beginning to Israel's story. But also a new beginning to the story of the whole world. In Jesus God is rebooting the story. Think about the latest Star Wars movies - it’s the same old stories but subverted, Right? This time it’s not the Skywalkers, or a male hero - but IT IS the same story being told. It’s Jedi’s, the dark and light side of the force in conflict, but in a new way). Jesus is the reboot - He is redeeming humanity's story, he is picking up themes of God’s acts of salvation in the past but in a new and subverted way. And, just as in Genesis where God initiated creation bringing about his kingdom reign on earth, here at this time God is initiating new creation and the re-establishment of his kingdom. c. What Mark is saying in essence is, "God is taking decisive action in Jesus Christ to redeem to save the world and to bring about new creation” 2. The voice who Cries in the wilderness.. a. “It began just as the prophet Isaiah had written: “Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, and he will prepare your way. He is a voice shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’s coming! Clear the road for him!’ 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. 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. 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. 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. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!” b. Mark attributes this quotation to Isaiah the prophet - Though Jerome, An early church father, chided Mark for making this mistake. It has been pointed out that this passage though partially being from Isaiah is also a quotation from Malachi 3:1 and Exodus 23:20. Doesn’t Mark know his Bible? Why did he make this obvious mistake? c. Commentators have come up with all sorts of reasons for this but I believe the most convincing is that Mark attributes this passage solely to Isaiah because Mark wants us to expect that his story will focus on the fulfillment of Isaiah’s vision of a new exodus and the establishment of God’s kingly rule in Jerusalem seen in the latter half of his book. d. It’salso quite interesting to note that in reconstructions of 1st century synagogue readings of Torah - a massive two/thirds also included prophetic readings from Isaiah. The reason for this popularity is most likely because no other scriptural book offered such an extended presentation of Israel’s future hope of Yahweh’s personal coming in power to rescue his oppressed people from exile, leading his people home, and dwelling among them in a restored Zion to which all nations would come… So Mark is directing his gospel right at the messianic hope of Israel in the 1st century. 3. Mark continues with this Isaiahic theme in the next verses.. a. Mark brings us to the baptismal waters of the Jordan where John is calling all of Israel to repent and confess their sins John’s baptism was an invitation to the nation of Israel to be cleansed from past sin and have a new beginning - It’s this beautiful picture of Israel going back to the baptismal waters of the Jordan - Like those who had come out of Egypt in the first exodus and through the wilderness. John is calling all of Israel to once again, prepare to enter into the promises, to get clean and ready for the Lord’s coming and to take up their call to be a light to the nations. Now along comes Jesus one day, and he insist on being baptized by John (found in Matthew’s gospel) But we, the reader already know that Jesus doesn’t need repentance, he has no sin.. so what is this all about? In the baptismal waters Jesus is taking up the mantle of Israel, taking up their story in order to fulfill and accomplish all the promises of God to Israel and to the nations. When Jesus comes up out of the water something radical happens - "Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” b. The word’s “You are my Son” are taken directly from Psalm 2 A song about God and his anointed (Messiah) king who will rule, not only Israel, but over the nations and the ends of the earth. The words, “whom I love or the beloved” - would have taken the hearers back to the original beloved son, Isaac, the son of promise (Genesis 22) which is a story about redemption and sacrifice. And lastly, “the one in whom my soul delights, or with whom I am well pleased,” is a reference to Isaiah 42 God’s servant In whom his soul delights - “Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.” c. The words of the Father affirms that Jesus is Israel’s anointed king, the Servant of Yahweh, who by the Spirit will inaugurate the kingdom of God. d. But Jesus isn’t just the messianic king, or “the son” who makes redemption by sacrifice. Mark notes that "Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open…" Heaven is torn open? Whenever the Bible uses this sort of language, it's saying that God is about to speak or act, and that someone will get a glimpse into the purposes of God. e. Isaiah actually prayed this. It says, "Oh, that you would tear the heavens and come down.” (Read Isaiah Isaiah 63:15-64:4) f. The prophet Isaiah prays that the barrier between heaven and earth (what was lost at the fall) would be torn open and God would be among His people. Mark is saying that this is happening in Jesus. In Jesus, the fabric of heaven is torn open and God is among His people. God is among us. In Jesus Christ an irreversible cosmic change has taken place. This breaking in of heaven to earth is the great turning point in history - what all the world has been waiting for - even though they might not have known it. And what has been opened cannot be closed, what is torn is never the same again because God is on the human scene. i. All over these introductory verses the language Mark uses is telling us that this is exactly what God has done He is tearing open the heavens and coming down to bring his long awaited salvation… g. According to Mark - this Gospel is God’s answer to Isaiah’s cry; and the cry of 1st century Israel. The tearing open of heaven and the descent of the Spirit on Jesus signifies that God’s "last days" work of deliverance is beginning. God is returning to rule over Israel once again…. h. The first thing that Jesus, the spirit anointed messiah, God in the flesh does, after this revelation is to go into the wilderness to face Humanity’s greatest enemy - the Satan. I wish we had more time this morning to talk about this - But I will say that Mark more than any other gospel writer records Jesus’ interaction with the demonic world - Clearly, Jesus is here to cleanse the world of evil, to take on the great enemy of humanity and creation. He is here, not to expel the Romans, or Gentiles, but to take on the powers of darkness, the evil behind all evil and as we see - When evil and darkness comes into contact with Jesus it trembles at his word and his presence.. 4. Believing in the Kingdom of God a. “Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee, where he preached God’s Good News. “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!” b. God’s good news - this term "good news” would have had its own significance in Jesus’ day because Caesar Augustus’ coming to power was proclaimed as “Good News” or Gospel Caesar claimed to be the son of God, who brought peace to the whole world through his reign and the Pax Romana… Mark then is subverting and challenging that claim saying that Actually - the True Son of God has come, in the person of Jesus Christ, and has established the true kingdom of Peace. But this term “Good News” would also have had an older, deeper and richer meaning for the Jews of Jesus’ time. i. Again, Isaiah the prophet, In chapter 52, paints this vision of the people of Zion, of Jerusalem watching, waiting for a messenger who will bring the “Good News” - that their exile in Babylon is over, that judgment is complete - He writes, "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who proclaim peace, who bring good tidings, who proclaim salvation, who say to Zion, “Your God reigns!” Listen! Your watchmen lift up their voices; together they shout for joy. When the Lord returns to Zion, they will see it with their own eyes. Burst into songs of joy together, you ruins of Jerusalem, for the Lord has comforted his people, he has redeemed Jerusalem. The Lord will lay bare his holy arm in the sight of all the nations, and all the ends of the earth will see the salvation of our God.” - Isaiah 52:7-10 c. The Kingdom of God or The Kingdom of Heaven is a huge Biblical idea woven throughout scripture. To proclaim that the kingdom of God was here was a was hugely packed statement! For the Jew the Kingdom of God referred to God’s final and eternal reign over his creation - God would finally return as the world’s rightful King! The Kingdom of God meant, a guaranteed new heavens and new earth, a healed material creation; absolute wholeness and well being- physically, spiritually, socially, and economically. d. The Kingdom was bound up with the Old Testament concept of shalom - The peace and glory of God permeating every part of the creation. The Kingdom was said to be fully established when all that is broken and wrong with this world is mended and made right. As such, it is tightly bound up with poverty, oppression, misery and sin in all its various forms being brought to an end, and an ushering in of absolute flourishing, prosperity and blessing of the creation. e. Jesus is claiming that THAT kingdom was here. In Jesus God’s kingdom is on the move to bring about the restoration and redemption that God had always promised. 5. So what does it mean then when Jesus says repent and believe the Gospel? a. “When Jesus says “Repent and believe in the good news” towards the beginning of his ministry in Mark chapter 1, there’s almost an exact parallel to that in the Jewish writer, Josephus. He talks about a time when he went to Galilee in the 60’s of the first century and he said to one of the brigand leaders, “Repent and believe in me!” What Josephus was saying was, “Give up your way of doing stuff…I’ve got a better idea…Come with me!” That’s what those words sounded like in Galilee in the first century! When Jesus told people to repent, he didn’t mean “Have some kind of sad religious experience.” He meant “You’re going the wrong way! You’re going to have to turn around because God is doing a new thing. If you’re going to part of that new thing, you’re going to have to give up the way you’ve been going.” - N.T Wright b. Sadly in our western culture we have relegated this call of Jesus to repent and believe to feeling sorry about our lives and giving mental assent that he is God and we need forgiveness.. The Bible sometimes uses the word “believe” in terms of mental assent - but more often, and especially in the context of salvation what God is calling for is our Allegiance! He is calling us to be radically faithful to his king, to his kingdom, and his kingdom work.. i. “True ‘Faith’ (or belief) is not an irrational launching into the void but a reasonable, action-oriented response grounded in the conviction that God’s invisible underlying realities are more certain than any apparent realities….With regard (then) to eternal salvation, rather than speaking of belief, trust, or faith in Jesus, we should speak instead of fidelity to Jesus as cosmic Lord or allegiance to Jesus the king.” - Matthew W. Bates, Salvation by Allegiance Alone: Rethinking Faith, Works, and the Gospel of Jesus the King c. As Mark, uses this gospel to undermine the claims of Caesar, guess who else would be included in that? All rulers, all powers. Maybe for some of us who have heard “the gospel” more times than we can count, today the Holy Spirit is calling you to reconsider how Jesus did through his life, death and resurrection, what tanks and bombs could never do, what the United Nations, what the US, what no president or Caesar, what all charity and all good will, throughout all history, could never do. He, in weakness, suffering and death establishes the kingdom of God and ushers in a kingdom of righteousness, justice and peace… d. This is what Paul says, in his epistles - Jesus is our peace who has broken down the walls that separate us, He has conquered all the powers in heavenly places, he has created a new humanity He has established the eternal kingdom of God, that is advancing e. This is why when the early church broke out on the empire kings, philosophers, soldiers, and Caesars stood shocked they had never seen power like this before, it was not the power of sheer force, but the power of love - sacrificial love of God. They could not understand this pervasive power of the kingdom of God and it took the world by storm… f. I’m not sure if anyone here has ever gone through the Naturalization process of becoming an American citizen.. But I do believe that this is what the original Gospel was after. Either the Gospel is the hope of all the world and we give our lives in allegiance to it and the kingdom of God, or it is some other kingdom that we are giving our allegiance to… The US Government understands this - How could the Church miss it? g. "I hereby declare, on oath, that I absolutely and entirely renounce and abjure all allegiance and fidelity to any foreign prince, potentate, state, or sovereignty, of whom or which I have heretofore been a subject or citizen; that I will support and defend the Gospel and the Kingdom of God against all enemies, foreign and domestic; that I will bear true faith and allegiance to the same; that I will bear arms on behalf of the Kingdom of God when required by his law; that I will perform noncombatant service in the Armed Forces of the kingdom of God when required by his law; that I will perform work of kingdom importance under civilian direction when required by his law; and that I take this obligation freely, without any mental reservation or purpose of evasion; so help me God." h. Closing thoughts and questions: What would happen if the people of God gave themselves in this way to the Good news of Jesus Christ and the Kingdom of God? - What would it look like for us to esteem the Gospel as the greatest thing in all the world, the hope and desire for every person, and then to give our lives to join God in his kingdom Mission - to make known everywhere - the real presence and coming of the kingdom of God into the world? i. “Human salvation is directed toward God's intention to restore individuals, communities, and the world as the kingdom of God continues to break into history. When we give allegiance [to the Lord Jesus Christ], we become new creatures set free from the enslaving power of sin. As we worship the Son of God, who is the authentic, original image of God, our own distorted Adamic image is transformed, so that we are personally renewed. As we are transformed into the image of Jesus the Christ, we bring God's wise service, stewardship, and rule to one another and to the remainder of creation.”- Matthew W. Bates, Salvation by Allegiance Alone: Rethinking Faith, Works, and the Gospel of Jesus the King i. Consider again the claims of the Gospel (repent) and believe (give faithfulness or allegiance to the Gospel).