Introduction to the Bible Lesson 20 – Mark 1.
Introduction a. Mark is the shortest of the four gospels. I love recommending this book to people who wonder where to start reading the Bible. b. Historically It was written first. Matthew is probably first in canonical order because it was written to show how Jesus fulfilled Old Testament prophecy. c. The apostle Peter probably served as a major influence. i. If you read closely, you will see a record of Peter’s discipleship experience. Mark is sometimes called “Peter’s gospel.” ii. Note that Mark begins with Peter’s first contact with Jesus and concludes with a special message in Mark 16:7 – Go tell the disciples and Peter. iii. Mark has too much information for someone who was not close to Jesus. iv. Mark really doesn’t have a whole lot of good things to say about Peter This could be Peter’s analysis of himself. d. Mark was written for the Romans. i. There are a lot of Latin terms used (the official language of Rome) as well as detailed explanations of Jewish customs for those who were probably unfamiliar with them. ii. Mark is full of drama and shows Jesus as a man of action, important to the Romans (who were a people of action). iii. Mark 1:1 says that this gospel is “the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” This emphasizes the Godly aspect of Jesus to a people who worshipped Caesar as a god in the flesh (incarnate).
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The servant Messiah a. This concept was first noted in Isaiah 53. Jesus’s servanthood was marked by three “v’s” at the time of his baptism and temptation (Mark 1:9-13). i. Voice: God is pleased with His servant ii. Vision: Holy Spirit coming down in power iii. Victory: Over temptation b. The servant in action: i. Mark 1:14-15 – Jesus is doing what it takes Matthew and Luke 3 chapters to get to. ii. The word “immediately” occurs 41 times in Mark, 10 of them in the first chapter (1:10,12,18,20,21,23,28,29,30,42,43). This is where a more detailed translation like the New American Standard Bible can be helpful. iii. There are three miracles in the first chapter. Miracles of all types take up 1/3 of the gospel (4 parables, 18 miracles). c. The compassionate servant: As a man of action, Jesus doesn’t just feel sorry for people. He helps them. i. Mark 1:41 – He heals a leper. ii. Mark 3:1-6 – He heals a man with a withered hand (note how angry he was at those who were upset that Jesus had healed on the Sabbath). iii. Mark 6:34 – Jesus had compassion on those who chased him when he was trying to get some rest.
iv. Mark 10:34 – He had compassion for children. v. Mark 10:21 – He had compassion for the rich young ruler. vi. Key verse: Mark 10:45 – “The Son of Man came not to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Note the transition that happens here. Before this verse, he came to serve. After this verse, he came to give his life. d. This concept of suffering confused the disciples. i. Jesus made it clear in Mark 8:34 that anyone who follows him must be prepared to suffer as well (deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me). Perhaps this is why he took the disciples up on the Mount of transfiguration soon afterward (9:2f). ii. In chapters 9-16, the cross becomes the dominant theme of the book (9:9-13, 30-32; 10:32-34). The triumphal entry in Mark 11 depicts a king riding to his throne, in this case a cross. The last week of Jesus’s life takes up 1/3 of the gospel account. iii. Remember that Mark’s audience wasn’t just the Romans, but a suffering church under Roman rule (Think about Nero as well as the executions of Peter and Paul soon after the book is distributed). e. Jesus understood what the disciples did not. Suffering was necessary in order to bridge the separation between God and man. Mark only records one saying of Jesus on the cross: “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” Jesus got the point: the ultimate price of sin is separation from God. 3.
Two blind men (Mark 8:22 – 10:52) a. What do you notice about the first blind man’s healing? i. Others call out to Jesus on his behalf. ii. Jesus took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village. iii. He spit on the man’s eyes and laid His hands on him. iv. He asked, “Do you see anything?” v. The blind man said, “I see people. They look like trees walking around.” vi. Jesus placed His hands on him again and he was healed. vii. Jesus told him, “Don’t go back into the village on your way home.” b. What do you notice about the second blind man’s healing? i. The blind man cried out and ran to Jesus on his own. ii. Jesus asked him, “What do you want me to do?” iii. The blind man said he wanted to see. iv. Jesus told him that his faith had healed him. v. He followed Jesus down the road. c. Table Talk – The first blind man said that people looked like trees. He obviously did not see clearly. Mark then gives us multiple examples of people not seeing clearly. Discuss how the people involved saw “trees.” i. Mark 8:27-33 ii. Mark 9:2-8 iii. Mark 9:14-29 iv. Mark 9:33-37 v. Mark 10:1-12 vi. Mark 10:13-16 vii. Mark 10:17-27 viii. Mark 10:35-45