Mark Final

Mark’s Final Message - Jesus is our Ransom!

Mark 15:15 - 16:8

John and Betty Stam, met at Moody Bible Institute, where both felt God calling them to missions in China. They later married on October 25, 1933 they had a daughter in September 1934. Three months later they were captured by Chinese Communists. In one letter, John relayed the demand for a $20,000 ransom and then closed with, “The Lord bless you and guide you, and as for us, may God be glorified whether by life or by death.”(Philippians1:20), They were martyred not long there after, their daughter was secretly returned to her grandparents, veteran missionaries over a hundred miles away) Why for what reason is it that this couple would give their lives for the opportunity to share the gospel in China? The answer is the Gospel.... Jesus paid the price so that all who believe will live.

Let’s take a quick look at the final chapters of Mark, there is much here that we are familiar with.

Jesus is Mocked

Jesus is mocked

By Romans (verses 16-27)

Purple Robe and Crown of Thorns, Saying hail King of the Jews, striking him. The sign over Jesus was even meant to mock him.

By the Crowds(verses 29-30)

“The One who claimed to destroy the temple and build it in three days, save yourself by coming down from the cross.”

By Religious Leaders (31)

“He save others, but cannot save Himself, Let the Messiah the King of Israel come down from the cross so we may see and believe.”

By the Dying Criminal (32)

Mark’s account shows that even those that were crucified with him taunted him. (Matthew the same, Luke tells of one rebuking the other for his taunting)

Jesus is crucified and dies

(33-39)

At 9 in the morning Jesus is crucified. Noon until 3 in the afternoon darkness envelops the land.

Jesus cries out and the crowd responds with mockery and confusion as they thought he was crying out for Elijah.

Then seen in the Gospel of John Jesus says “It is finished” (John 19:30) and breathed his last.

(v38) The veil was torn in the temple from the top to the bottom.

“The separation between God and His people is no longer an issue. His Holy and wonderful presence is now. Not in the temple (the holy of holies), or through levitical priests, or sacrificial offerings. The whole point of that way of worship was completed in the work and person of Jesus.”

We this is right here with the Centurion’s statement...

Christian Standard Bible (Chapter 15)

Truly this man was the Son of God!” Mark 15:39b

In the distant watching all of this unfold were women among whom were Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James the younger and of Joses, and Salome. These women followed Jesus and took care of him (v40-41)

Jesus is Buried

Jesus was hastily buried because it was just before the beginning of the Sabbath, and is laid in the tomb of a believing Pharisee. (v42-47)

Jesus is Resurrected

When the Sabbath is over on the first day of the week, a Sunday, we see Mary Magdalene, Mary the mother of James, and Salome.

They find the stone rolled away, a man in white robe, telling them Jesus was risen.

They ran from the tomb becasue they were overwhelmed and astonished and said nothing out of fear.

Then the Gospel ends there.

So what are we to take with this…well, the gospels are the eyewitness accounts… and that is where Mark ends, but we have the blessings of the other gospels. We know that with Matthew’s gospel Jesus appears to these women and says “Peace be with you”.

Mark’s gospel actually ends at verse 8. There are some other verses added from verse 9 to 20, but they were not a part of the original text. The abrupt ending of Mark left some people with the idea that they needed to complete the story and so they added to the Scripture. Your Bible indicates that this is added and does not appear in the early manuscripts.

The addition speaks of Jesus’s appearance, commission, and ascension. All which is still accurate and verify-able with the other Gospels, but the earliest texts do not include these passages.

Jesus is our Ransom

So we have come to the end of our study of Mark.

We have stated that the Gospel of Mark can be summed up in one verse of Mark. A kind of thesis statement if you will.

Mark 10:45 CSB

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”

The Son of Man - Jesus uses this title to express both his humanity and divinity we can trace this back to Daniel, but Jesus intentionally uses this phrase to drive home our understanding who He is.

To serve- We see very clearly all through the Gospel of Mark that Jesus is a servant. He heals, drives out demons, teaches people to follow the scripture despite religious leader’s un-servant like approach, and patiently trains the disciples.

Ransom - what is given in exchange (as payment) for the release of someone held captive.

This is the idea that I want us to leave with as we are finishing our present study in Mark. Jesus is our ransom...

Jesus is our ransom… the ultimate service he worked for us. That the Son of Man, fully divine took on flesh and became Emmanuel “God with us”, and humbled himself to live this earthly life perfectly to only be mocked, crucified, bearing the wrath of the Father on that wretched yet wonderful cross, dying for the very people to whom He was bringing salvation.

Why? Because we were in bondage and can cannot in anyway obtain our own freedom. We were in bondage because of sin. Indeed we are a slave of sin. Jesus states in John 8:34

John 8:34 CSB

Jesus responded, “Truly I tell you, everyone who commits sin is a slave of sin.

God back to the garden in Genesis 3 where Adam sinned. Paul explains this in Romans 5:12

Romans 5:12 CSB

Therefore, just as sin entered the world through one man, and death through sin, in this way death spread to all people, because all sinned.

We are all held by the bondage of sin, and a price must be paid. Romans 6:23 teaches us that the wages of sin is death.

Romans 6:23 CSB

For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.

The price of sin will either be payed by Christ on the cross or by our suffering for all eternity bearing the unending wrath of God. We were held captive, held captive by sin and the only price for that sin is by the blood of Jesus Christ who was the perfect sacrifice. For us Jesus alone bore this wrath, it is the reason for this reason we see Jesus’ crying out...

Mark 15:34 CSB

And at three Jesus cried out with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lemá sabachtháni?” which is translated, “My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?”

Jesus was not abandoned by God, we know that God is always present. Jesus in his agony is quoting Psalm 22:1. Jesus at this moment no longer is experiencing the same intimate relationship that He previously did with the Father. Jesus was taking the very wrath of God. The picture that I remember is similar to the manner that a father may look away in disgust and shame because of their child. This feeling of abandonment and shame. This is why hell is horrifying in it is eternality we are unable to pay and must bear this wrath in eternal torment never meeting the approval loving gaze of God the father.

This is why we use the word Gospel… good news… the good news is that Jesus paid our ransom by his death and given us eternal life with his resurrection. When we repent of our sins and believe in Jesus for salvation that credit of redemption for our bondage in sin is paid and we receive eternal life. So the righteousness Christ becomes our own, it is not my own righteousness that I can stand before you today but rather the it is by the righteousness of Christ I am set free.

As our ransom has been paid and we are free, we must not submit ourselves to sin again. This does not mean we become sinless, rather when we sin we are convicted of it, repent and to live continually sanctified lives eventually sinning-less.

Galatians 5:1 CSB

For freedom, Christ set us free. Stand firm, then, and don’t submit again to a yoke of slavery.

It is under this freedom that we have, that John and Betty Stam gave their lives to share the good news of Jesus with the Chinese people. In our daily lives we may not be faced with a physical death, but we are face with moral and spiritual forces everyday. This does not mean that we live a life free of struggle,

My question for us is this, are we living our lives as though Christ already paid the price or are we still trying to earn some merit, while knowing of Jesus’ death? Jesus is our ransom, Jesus is our redeemer, Jesus our savior. We are set free from the bondage of sin when we place our salvation in him alone.