Serving the Saviour - Studies in the Gospel of Mark - 1
Introduction
The theme of the Gospel of Mark is service and sacrifice. The key verse is Mark 10 verse 45. Jesus said, "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 Lord Jesus Christ is presented as the servant on the move. He is the ideal servant always ministering to others. We are called to do the same. We read in 1 John 2 verse 6, "Whoever claims to live in Him must walk as Jesus did". We are called to be servants, and to serve God and others just as our Saviour did. We should serve the Lord with the same spirit of sacrifice and commitment.
Mark, the writer of this Gospel, lived in Jerusalem. A prayer meeting was held in his home there whilst Peter was in prison. When he was released Acts 12 verse 12 tells us, "He went to the house of Mary the mother of John , also called Mark". Mark was the cousin of Barnabas. We read in Colossians 4 verse 10, "My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas". Mark was converted to Christ through the ministry of Peter. In 1 Peter 5 verse 13 Peter refers to him as, “my son Mark”. Peter means his spiritual son, brought to new birth through his preaching. Peter was the source of Mark's information. Mark was not one of the twelve, so he was not present when most of what is recorded in the Gospel took place. Peter was, and he passed this material on accurately and faithfully.
Mark was a member of Paul's evangelistic team. We read in Acts 12 verse 25, "When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark". Later Saul's name was changed to Paul. Mark became a disappointment to Paul because he had returned home to Jerusalem before finishing the job Paul gave him to do. Barnabas wanted to take Mark on their next missionary trip. This caused a dispute between Paul and Barnabas. We read in Acts 15 verses 37 and 38, "Barnabas wanted to take John, also called Mark, with them, but Paul did not think it was wise to take him, because he had deserted them in Pamphylia and had not continued with them in the work". A few years later Mark had clearly learned his lesson and had acted more responsibly. Paul says this about him in 2 Timothy 4 verse 11, "Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry" It is good to know that when we make a mistake in serving the Lord it is not the end of our service. We must learn the lesson from it, pick up the pieces, and continue to serve. God still has a plan for us and a work for us to do. Experience is a good teacher. We can become better servants of the Lord when we learn from it, especially when we learn from our mistakes.
Mark wrote his Gospel between 55-65AD. He wrote with the Gentiles in mind. There is no reference to genealogy, fulfilled prophecy, the Law, or Jewish customs. These are all of no significance to the Gentiles. Mark is a Gospel of action. The emphasis is on deeds more than words. There are no long teaching sections and conversations. There are very few parables. The perfect humanity of Christ is prominent. We see his compassion when the leper came to him. We read in Mark 1 verse 41, "Filled with compassion Jesus reached out his hand and touched the man". He sighed when he saw distress and sorrow. We see his reaction when a deaf man was brought to him. We read in Mark 7 verse 34, "He looked up to heaven and with a deep said to him, be opened". Our challenge is to follow in the footsteps of the ideal servant of the Lord. There is real blessing when we do. Jesus said in chapter 8 verse 35, "For whoever wants to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for me and for the Gospel will save it". Our lives must be lost in his service. This means dying to self and seeking the will of God and doing it. Jesus said in chapter 8 verse 34, "If anyone would come, after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and follow me".
The first main section of Mark's Gospel takes us from chapter l verse l to chapter 2 verse 22. Here we see the principles of service and servanthood as exemplified in both John the Baptist, and Jesus Christ. We develop a servant attitude by following these principles. Often the role of the servant is viewed negatively. The servant is considered to be a low calling not worthy of much regard. In scripture servanthood is a high calling. The call to serve Christ is the highest calling for any person to receive. The Lord of creation became a servant. Charles Spurgeon said, "The meanest work for Jesus is a grander thing than the dignity of an emperor"
The opening eight verses introduce us to John the Baptist and his ministry. We read in verse 4, "And so John came, baptising in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins". His ministry was to prepare the way for Christ. Mark quotes from Isaiah 40 verse 3 and applies it to John. We read, "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way, a voice of one crying in the wilderness" John shows us the message and character of the one who serves the Lord. Serving God means sharing that message with everyone, including your family and friends, that God calls them to repent, and turn from their sins, so that they can enjoy God's forgiveness. That is the message the Lord expects us to pass on as we serve Him in this fallen world. We fail in our service if we do not..
John's lifestyle is important too. His clothing and food were basic. We read in verse 6, "John wore clothing made of Camel's hair, with a leather belt round his waist and he ate locusts and wild honey." I am not suggesting we should have the same diet of food, and dress as he did. It does show us, though, that John was separated from the world. He was content with basic things. We see his humility too. We read in verse 7, "After me will come one more powerful than the thongs of whose sandals am not worthy to stoop down and untie". The servant of God will walk humbly before Him. Separation from the world and humility of heart, will make you effective when you share the Gospel message with those around you. May the Lord help you to develop those qualities so that you will be effective in your service for Him.