Mark Sermon Week 1

Intro/Welcome

Good morning church

We are starting a new series today through the gospel of Mark

as we look at the life and teaching of Jesus

as we begin today I want you to...

Imagine the last wedding you were at.

The Decor, the setup, the garments

The reception, dinner, the farewell

Quite a lot goes into a wedding

Who does all that work?

Who prepares all of that?

A wedding coordinator.

John the wedding coordinator

Today we are going to be opening the gospel of mark

and looking at the ministry of John the Baptizer

He was the wedding coordinator of Christ

He came to prepare the way for the Eternal Groom to meet the beautiful bride, the church.

The remarkable thing about John was that he was crystal clear on his calling.

he knew that it was not about Him, but about Jesus.

How sad would it be for the wedding coordinator to make the wedding about him or her? and all they had done?

they wouldn’t be a WC for very long.

Jesus must be greater

As Jesus came on the scene and was growing in popularity a dispute arose among John’s disciples

We read it in John 3:25ff

John 3:25–30 (CSB)

25 Then a dispute arose between John’s disciples and a Jew about purification. 26 So they came to John and told him, “Rabbi, the one you testified about, and who was with you across the Jordan, is baptizing—and everyone is going to him.” 27 John responded, “No one can receive anything unless it has been given to him from heaven. 28 You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Messiah, but I’ve been sent ahead of him.’ 29 He who has the bride is the groom. But the groom’s friend, who stands by and listens for him, rejoices greatly at the groom’s voice. So this joy of mine is complete. 30 He must increase, but I must decrease.”

He must become greater and I must become less

My goal

What I want us to see today as we open up the gospel of Mark and look at the ministry of John the Baptizer

John came to prepare the way for Jesus

so if you are here and you don’t know Jesus we want you to meet Jesus.

But as the Church, in some sense his ministry is our ministry

Just as John was to prepare the way for people to meet Jesus

the role of the church is to prepare the way for people to meet Jesus.

and rightly understood and rightly practiced, by the power of God, it is a source of great joy

Bible

We’ll be in Mark 1:1-8 today

I would encourage you to go there in your Bible.

feel free to mark it up as we go along.

Welcome you if are joining us online

joining us when you can

Good to be with you all today.

My name is Justin, one of pastors

Let me pray

Pray

That we would be like John the Baptizer and make the name of Jesus more and the name of One Hope less.

Introduction to Mark

The Gospel of Mark opens up with Mark 1:1

Mark 1:1 (CSB)

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

This is basically the title of the book

more like a subtitle that tells what the story is about.

Acts 1:1 (CSB) 1 I wrote the first narrative, Theophilus, about all that Jesus began to do and teach

Who was Mark?

Four gospels written as eyewitness testimony

The early church fathers (those alive in the last 1st century and 2nd century) — basically the second generation of the church

They attest and affirm that Mark is the John Mark mentioned in the books of acts and that he was the Apostle Peter’s attendant and writer

This means that we have in the gospel of mark is the eyewitness testimony of the leader of the twelve aposltes — Simon Peter.

That’s pretty remarkable

and one of the pieces of evidence that supports this is some of the details, particularly the names of some of those who were healed by Jesus.

We’ll point them out along the way.

Mark mentioned in Acts 11:19-25, 12:12-17, 13:2-5,13, 16:35-40, 1 Pet 5:13, Col 4:10, Phlm 24, 2 Tim 4:11,

Mark proclaimed Peter’s recollection of Jesus Christ.

‘beginning’

is an interesting start but it really means that the whole gospel of mark is just the beginning.

This means the death and resurrection wasn’t the end.

The book ends as abruptly as it begins in Mark 16 8

Mark 16:8 (CSB)

8 They went out and ran from the tomb, because trembling and astonishment overwhelmed them. And they said nothing to anyone, since they were afraid. [Some of the earliest conclude with .]

Gospel

‘gospel’ — the announcement, the good news

Illustration: Presidential Election

Do you remember how you felt at the last presidential election?

It’s an exciting night

You see the votes counting up, you are anticipating a winner

You are waiting for that moment

The proclamation of the good news of the winner

This is what ‘gospel’ meant to the jews in that day

It was the long awaiting rescuer of God’s people.

Jesus the ‘Christ’

it is the gospel of Jesus Christ

of Jesus the Messiah, the rescuer

The Jews had been waiting for hundreds of years for the promised ‘messiah’ to arrive and rescue the people from oppression

and usher in an era of peace and prosperity.

They were living a particularly oppressive time under Roman Rule.

There was a heightened expectation in there air

there were false messiah’s that had popped up.

One mentioned by Gamaliel in Acts 5:35-37

Acts 5:35–37 (CSB)

35 He said to them, “Men of Israel, be careful about what you’re about to do to these men. 36 Some time ago Theudas rose up, claiming to be somebody, and a group of about four hundred men rallied to him. He was killed, and all his followers were dispersed and came to nothing. 37 After this man, Judas the Galilean rose up in the days of the census and attracted a following. He also perished, and all his followers were scattered.

People were longing for this messiah to appear

Anticipating Football

Not unlike the dawning of the Football season this weekend.

Some of you have been eagerly anticipating the start of football season since the super bowl ended.

Off season, preseason and the excitement just grows

This was like what the Jewish people were feeling

they new something was about to happen.

Plug for the Chosen

Son of God

Who was none other than the Son of God himself.

in other words, he was God in the flesh.

This is what Mark’s gospel, that is Peter’s gospel is going to reveal about Jesus Christ and it starts right in verse 2.

Preparing the Way for John

Mark 1:2–3 (CSB)

2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. 3 A voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way for the Lord; make his paths straight!

He says this Jesus, the God man being the Christ is just as it is written in Isaiah.

He quotes Both Malachi (the last prophet) and Isaiah (the greatest prophet)

just saying Isaiah, (being the greatest prophet) could include malachi

V2. is a quote from Malachi, the last prophet.

For 400 years there had been no prophets for God’s people.

The belief in the coming Messiah was prevalent and here God says through Malachi that there will be a forerunner that comes just before the messiah, the rescuer.

v3. is from Isaiah 40:3-5. “He would be a voice crying in the wilderness.”

Prepare the way for the LORD

And so both of these prophecies, from 300 years apart basically are saying the same thing.

Look at what mark says next.

John the Baptizer

Mark 1:4–6 (CSB)

4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 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. 6 John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.

Mark immediately describes John the Baptizer as this forerunner

He preaches in the wilderness

He is preaching and baptizing repentance

We know from Mark 11:32 that these crowds coming out to him believed he was a prophet from God

So here after 400 years of silence, a prophet shows up on the scene.

John’s Attire

Have you ever wondered why John’s attire is specifically described?

Mark 1:6 (CSB)

6 John wore a camel-hair garment with a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.

Do you know why that is?

This is significant becuase of one of the last verse in the last prophet of Israel.

Malachi 4:5 (CSB)

5 Look, I am going to send you the prophet Elijah before the great and terrible day of the Lord comes.

So this forerunner prophet would be an Elijah like prophet

Guess what Elijah wore.

2 Kings 1:8 (CSB)

8 They replied, “A hairy man with a leather belt around his waist.” He said, “It’s Elijah the Tishbite.”

It was reminiscent of Elijah

They shopped at the same store.

Jesus basically affirms that John is this elijah like prophet.

Jesus’ testimony of John

Matthew 11:7–15 (CSB)

“7 As these men were leaving, Jesus began to speak to the crowds about John:

“What did you go out into the wilderness to see? A reed swaying in the wind?

8 What then did you go out to see? A man dressed in soft clothes? See, those who wear soft clothes are in royal palaces.”

9 What then did you go out to see?

A prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet. 10 This is the one about whom it is written:

See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you. (Mal 3:1) ...

13 For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John. 14 And if you’re willing to accept it, he is the Elijah who is to come. 15 Let anyone who has ears listen.

So then, Jesus identifies John as the one mentioned Malachi 3:1

why this matters

You say, why is this all important?

Why does this matter to me here on September 12th, 2021

Great question.

It matters immensely because of what John was called to do.

Let’s go back to the Wedding day.

Could you imagine that the bride shows up on her wedding day and doesn’t recognize the groom?

How sad would that be? How tragic?

Yet this is the case for many in that day, and many in our day.

John was sent to prepare the way for the Lord, so that the people might recognize who he is.

John is fulfilling 400-700 year old prophecy

That’s pretty compelling evidence.

recognizing the identity of Jesus as the Messiah, God in the flesh is the single most important event in your life

it has eternal consequences.

What you believe about Jesus is the most important decision you will ever make!

If Jesus was the rescuer then, he is still the rescuer today.

some of you, some of us, still need rescuing.

We are all looking for a messiah

The truth is we are all looking for a messiah

someone to rescue us from life’s pains

someone to enact justice for the oppressed

someone to bring, peace, prosperity and rest

Increasingly in America we are looking to political parties to rescue us — to be our messiah.

But this could be a relationship

it could be your kids turning out well

So how did John do it? And what does that mean for us?

John’s Ministry

Mark 1:4 (CSB)

4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

There are three things we see here that John does and they are all preparatory:

He baptizes

He preaches repentance for the forgiveness of sins

He magnifies the messiah.

Baptizing

When John came preaching, it was the start of a new era, a new age.

Something new was happening

And so this ‘baptism’ that John was doing

there wasn’t anything quite like it in the OT

There were some similar practices

Ceremonial Washings by those who needed to be cleansed

Practices by the Essenes as a daily act of cleansing

As the final step for a gentile convert.

But John’s baptism doesn’t fit neatly into any of these

Namaan

It was a one time event for jews and possibly gentiles

But there was something different about John’s

and it was this “he was ushering in a new age”

it has to do with repentance and forgiveness of sins

or cleansing from sin.

We know this by what he preached

Preaching

Mark 1:4 (CSB)

4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

The firs thing he preaches repentance for the forgiveness of sins

Repentance

What is repentance?

literally means to ‘change one’s mind” — meta noia

it is depicted as changing one’s course, to turn around, to turn to the lord

ultimately it is a change of allegiance from the Kingdom of darkness to the Kingdom of Light.

Matthew’s gospel puts it this way:

Matthew 3:2 (CSB)

2 and saying, “Repent, because the kingdom of heaven has come near!”

The kingdom of heaven/God is at hand

Because the King has come — this messiah who is God.

What does repentance look like?

Luke gives us a little more of his preaching

Luke 3:7–9 (CSB)

7 He then said to the crowds who came out to be baptized by him, “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath?

8 Therefore produce fruit consistent with repentance. And don’t start saying to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you that God is able to raise up children for Abraham from these stones. 9 The ax is already at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that doesn’t produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Different kinds of people start asking “what do we do?”

to the crowds — to the ‘share with others’ (Luke 3:10-11.)

to the tax collectors — “don’t extort and be greedy” (Luke 3:12-13.)

to the soldiers — “be satisfied with your pay, don’t abuse your authority” (Luke 3:14)

“bear fruit in keeping with repentance”

that is truly repenting, changing your allegiance to God, results in a changed life.

but remember, John is preparing the way

pointing the way to the ‘forgiveness of sins’

This repentance is for the forgiveness of sins

this is the greatest need any of us have

most of us don’t know it, we don’t feel it

But it is our sin that separates us from God and from each other.

it is the single source for all the suffering in the world.

Lamb of God

Notice what John the apostle reports about John’s preaching.

John 1:29 (CSB)

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

This lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world

literally will take sin upon himself

and will over time remove the presence of sin from the world

until the coming in full of the kingdom of God.

So we have all things pointing to the identity of the rescuer to being Jesus of Nazareth.

John is preparing us to see who Jesus is and what he has come to do.

Jesus the Messiah, God in the Flesh

The 2nd thing he preachers is who Jesus is.

Mark 1:7 (CSB)

7 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.

Here John again demonstrated that Jesus must become greater an I must become less

He says this Jesus is

More powerful than I (quite an understatement)

More worthy than I

Untie his sandal strap

A disciple was expected to do any service for his teacher that a slave would do for his master, except for untying his sandals. Such a task was so demeaning that it was beneath the dignity of a disciple. John regarded himself as less worthy than a slave in comparison to Jesus.

Revisiting Mal 3:1

Let’s back up for a minute and let me show you something

We saw in the beginning that both John and Jesus refer to Mal 3:1 as pointing to the purpose of John as preparer

but the only quote half the verse

Do you know what the other half says?

It’s remarkable. Let’s take a look

Malachi 3:1 (CSB)

1 “See, I am going to send my messenger, and he will clear the way before me.

[separate slide]

Then the Lord you seek will suddenly come to his temple, the Messenger of the covenant you delight in—see, he is coming,” says the Lord of Armies.

Who is coming after this messenger?

The Lord, God himself

He will personally visit the temple

He will be the messenger of a new delightful covenant.

that is why he is much more powerful than John

That is why he is infinitely more worthy than John.

and that’s why what John says next is so massive

Holy Spirit Baptism

Mark 1:8 (CSB)

8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

John’s baptism is symbolic

But Jesus’s baptism is transformative

The point being made here is that

John’s baptism was inferior — mere water

but Jesus’ baptism would be of the Spirit

One is physical and symbolic

The other is spiritual and transformative.

What does this mean?

not pentecostal spirit baptism

it literally means ‘to immerse’ — to submerge fully in something.

but metaphorically it is used in the sense of ‘overwhelm’ or drench, staturate.

Christ’s baptism of suffering

Christ himself, in speaking of his coming suffering says that he must undergo a baptism Mark 10:38, Luke 12:50.

Mark 10:38 (CSB)

38 Jesus said to them, “You don’t know what you’re asking. Are you able to drink the cup I drink or to be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?”

This baptism that Jesus undergoes is his death and resurrection.

it is an immersion into suffering and death — death on a cross

and it is his resurrection — the greatest surprise in the world.

This is why Paul makes this very comparison:

Romans 6:3–5 (CSB)

3 ... are you unaware that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death?

4 Therefore we were buried with him by baptism into death... 5 For if we have been united with him in the likeness of his death, we will certainly also be in the likeness of his resurrection.

Therefore our ‘water baptism’ is merely symbolic of our spirit baptism — or our coming to faith in Christ and being transformed

given a new heart.

John 3 must be born from above.

This is confirmed by Eze 36:25-27

Ezekiel 36:25–27 (CSB)

25 I will also sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean. I will cleanse you from all your impurities and all your idols. 26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. 27 I will place my Spirit within you and cause you to follow my statutes and carefully observe my ordinances.

Elsewhere in the NT also the Spirit is spoken of in terms of water, whether poured out or drunk (Jn. 7:37–39; Acts 2:33; 10:45; 1 Cor. 12:13; Tit. 3:5–6).

This baptism of the spirit then is the very core of the transformative work of the gospel that begins in conversion.

A Cup:

Almost like dunking an empty cup

the bucket goes under the water line, it is submerged and then filled.

Perhaps it is something like that.

To be baptized by the Spirit is to be united to Christ.

Summary

This is the gospel, the good news of Jesus the Christ.

we can now turn to Jesus, we can repent and be forgiven all of our sins

We can be ‘baptized’ into the death of Christ and raised to new life

This is the very core of what Jesus came to do

And john’s role was simply to point people to Jesus

to the one who is greater

Perhaps this is why Jesus calls John the greatest person ever born of women

Matthew 11:11 (CSB)

11 “Truly I tell you, among those born of women no one greater than John the Baptist has appeared, but the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Closing

John came to prepare the way for Jesus, the rescuer, the forgiver of sins

“the lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world”

Let me ask you first:

1. Have you repented and turned to Christ to receive forgiveness of your sins?

have you recognized who Jesus is

how great, and powerful and full of grace and truth

Come to him, turn and be made new

Do so right now, today.

You and I are not promised tomorrow

Why wait?

and then come and get baptized next week.

2. Who in your life helped prepare the way for Jesus?

who was that for you?

what did they do?

share the gospel with you

invite you into their life / to church

walk along side of you

show you what repentance and faith look like?

that leads to my third question

3. How can you help prepare the way for Jesus in other’s lives?

John’s ministry is the same as our ministry

How can Jesus become greater in your life and you become less?

This could be parents to their kids

to your friends, family

to whomever God has brought into your life.

We are to help introduce people to Jesus

By how we live — lives that bear the fruit of repentance

By what we preach — I am a great sinner, but Christ is a great savior

By how we love one another

What does that look like for you?

Let’s Pray