Mark’s Gospel Introduction (Part B)

No, we think the word immediately means right then that incident with John is not more John Mark not using it. He is saying in action and he does it and then he bills that out will cover that as we move through the gospel, but no one uses the word is masterfully it is an action word that the Roman mind would would quickly pick up and we then pick it up when it was told that's right. I keep seeing him use that word. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville. Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the gospel of Mark. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching today. Pastor Rick continues his introduction to the gospel of Mark in Mark chapter 1.

The narrative is centered on the deeds of Jesus and rapid one after another, he gets right to the point in his readers of the Roman audience. They would appreciate that. In fact, one of the other indicators that this audience was wrong. Roman are the Latin words that he uses that you got a dig for that one in research if you want to find the Latin words for that he uses for century and for example 4 denarii for all the words you're really going to have to dig but it's there, and it is an indicator that again his audience was the Latin, the Romans that at the time, very few Old Testament quotations in Mark compared to the other Gospels. He explains the Jewish customs, but he ignores much of the Mosaic law as far as putting into print. He didn't ignore the law of the law on his practice and his behavior, but he doesn't get into it and tells us things about the Passover that you wouldn't know if you did, you would understand what the what a non-Jew would not and so he gives that to us, and these facts.

They point to a Gentile audience and they point to a a a Latin. The Roman audience.

Remember when Christ was crucified over his head. The king of the Jews was put into that.

The Hebrew, Latin and the Greek the dominant languages of those days. In fact, in fact, if you lived in Rome at this time you were forced to grasp both the Latin and the Greek language.

If you going to survive there and this just these these things are critical because it is God making the statement I need to use you where you are like a lily planted among farms you are supposed to flower and once you flower. You know the flower indicates the fruits coming if you go to a cherry tree and MME the fruit cherry tree and you see a bunch of flowers you know each flowers going to produce the very and this is significant when you take that word from the song of Solomon like a lily amongst a phone so is my beloved like a beautiful flower amongst a world of sinners. So is my beloved church, my beloved church is made out of individuals whom I love and died for sinners saved by the grace of God. And so again Mark shows us Jesus as worker, a servant in action, but all the time as master.

Still, Lord is still the Lord even though he is this servant John, of course, brings that out the deity of Christ, as I been hitting on when mentioning John but yet here the dig here the God the son washing the feet of his disciples unheard-of, and yet John make sure that it's published in the Holy Spirit, make sure that it's it lasts forever and so this servant hood would appeal to the Romans again with their engineering successes and their great legions of action is when the Roman Legion showed up at all the people knew they were going to win just a matter of how much time it would take them other than that the stage and in Roman history, they were unstoppable as servants of Rome of Caesar, and Mark is going to make connections with that first verse that we read is going to make a direct connection to how the Caesars would announce their the people would announce their Caesar's he is going to take that and announce the Savior of the world. He starts this or puts this gospel into print to refute the errors and the myths that were beginning to overtake the church, even in the early days. The charts they were Christians that have wacky ideas. They are, they have not stopped the visit. You should be saying, like the apostles is that I just don't ask me because he put me on the spot here is you. Well anyway, don't be a wacky one. Don't don't go for things without a basis without behind it and I know building up will get those get to that statement we would get to that will get to them, but hope to get to that we get to how Peter influenced Mark in his writings.

But before we do that, having now passed the Gospels the characteristics of Mark's gospel. Now we come to Mark the man the devil and tundra is a dual meaning. Mark the man himself. Write it down market.

John Mark, that's his full name. He was the son of a well-to-do Jerusalem woman named Mary and the apostles in the early church met often at her house often enough to find it said in the in and acts chapter 12 read some of it in a moment, but to be able to afford a large house in Jerusalem, you had to have some cash, and that was again mom's house. Acts chapter 12 we read about it.

Verse 12.

So when he had considered this, he came to the house of Mary the mother of John, whose surname was Mark where many were gathered together praying. Then again in verse 25 we read and Barnabas and Saul returned from Jerusalem when they had fulfilled a ministry and they also took with them. John, whose surname was Mark cerumen name Marcus is how it would appear in the Latin and gradually that Gentile name superseded his Jewish name John John the gracious women over having grace in that name and but because it is mended as the church became less and less Jewish and more and more Gentile. His ministry although course of natural course began being more centered in the Gentile community in the name sort of been stuck with him. It was a popular name that surname market was popular amongst the Romans and the U course look in the history books you find great men from that culture of Marcus Tullius Cicero, the great statesman and philosopher and orator of Marcus Aurelius one of their Caesar's of the common name that's where I'm going with that as John was also a common name amongst the Jews.

I think one of the reasons why Mark eclipses John and as far as use of his name is to distinguish him from John the apostle John, the baptizer and so many other John's. That may have come out of the Jewish community.

That's the man. In brief, but the times that he lived in, you know, we ask you restate or solve the time you we live in an exciting time as is, even though was surrounded by some of the dumbest human beings and their decisions known to humanity. I mean is just a good man. You know that's really not done that sinister but anyway I digress.

I'm holding down the hairs on the back of my neck. I don't appear like anyway the times he lived in now and I talked about the Jews how they they prospered in their communities, they, when they were taken to captivity into Babylon.

They did very well.

They develop commercial and its later banking skills that were extraordinary as people go and in that exile.

They began very comfortable when the exile ended many of the Jews did not want to return to Jerusalem, and to rebuild the promised land.

Quite challenging.

We covered some of this.

We went through Esther Nehemiah and Ezra, so after they receive their freedom from the Babylonian captivity stage.

They spread throughout the Gentile world taking these commercial skills with them that this the dysphoric the Diaspora. The dispersion methods for diaspora dispersion and doing very well for themselves. This is the kind of people that Mark would be ministering to throughout the world in his time in establishing the gospel it would work, and in favor of the deists of the apostles as Jews were saved in the Jews of means could finance a much of the work that was being done but this is the ministry the world that Christ preached in while on earth, and during these days. The Jewish people.

They needed to hear a gospel that was centered not on prosperity of of of materialism, but of course on spiritual prosperity and Jesus worked in his parables and his is is is his lifestyle. You know that the birds of the air have nests, foxes have holes of the Son of Man has nowhere to hang his hat she could say and that the was trying to send them the lives you can minister as a servant of God without all of this material.

There are other things in life. Life does not consist Jesus said in the abundance of things we need today in this country this church and environment that we are in being middle and upper middle-class. We need to heed these words so we can understand what to do with these blessings that God has given to us for the kingdom as opposed to simply enjoying and receiving the blessings and not doing much with them now Peter the apostle does appear that he had much to do with Mark's ministry life. He discipled Mark as did Paul and Barnabas, and there's no direct evidence for this in the gospel. In other words, Paul starts out with his gospel Paul the apostle of Jesus Christ, James and apostle of Jesus Christ, and so they start out announcing themselves typically in the in the letters Gospels. None of that happens. Matthew's name does not show up in Matthew's gospel. Look, he wasn't believer that the time that of Christ walked the earth in his name does not show up in his gospel. Mark's name is not show up in his John's does but John fails himself as to not bring attention to himself.

That was the way those early Christian leaders lived.

They did not bring undue attention to themselves. If they were in charge. They would not stand up and run around so I got the Holy Spirit and you need to see see how holy I am as they distract everyone you know the church and Christians, we should work to reduce distractions and in this church. For example, we asked you not to bring water into the certain sanctuary.

What would happen if everybody could bring a bottle water and you had here a swig. There is swig everywhere. Snakes make and is a distraction you know you listening to these profound sermons have someone's bottling up on you and the ushers us into going down, down some of the idea isn't one of them was got especially against other special needs.

Jesus can accommodate some not in a public forum yet, you know, challenges will try to work through it, but you can't bubble boy, what would bubble boy. What we do with you talking about I want to bubble boy wanted to come to church. We don't have bubble for you. You have to watch online high-five so okay nevermind some folks are offended by this.

They think that there's an endless entitlement that they have and this is not true and I took the time to get all that in. That really wasn't part of my intention, but it worked. I saw the opening I took it. So back to Peter's influence here no direct internal evidence of authorship, how we know Mark wrote this will there are some hints and all of them but we just going to take Mark Francis in chapter 14 we have this account of of of a lad, a young boy that shows up when Christ is being arrested and we read in verse 52 and he left the linen cloth and fled from them naked. There was, I had to do with anything, random will.

It's a cameo it's Mark saying that was me and you learn this you learn to pick these things up. The more you read the Gospels and the more you read the Scripture you learn the pink thing was, I see Jeremiah's rights.

Now I understand what he's doing. I read let's just take G.

Campbell Morgan, Harry & Warren Rizvi. I probably read about 20 or more of their books.

I'm not bragging, this would be a good chance to but I'm not. My point is I can usually tell you what it will quote from them without seeing their name because I've just been so familiar with how they'd speak with the words they use this part of reading. This is the case with the Bible to you.

Read Isaiah know often when you get to the New Testament. He says in Isaiah. Quote and you will find yourself right. Very often, so these little Lisle of benefits there in there anyway. It was the unanimous testimony of the early church fathers that John that Mark will John Mark was the writer of the gospel that we have associated with his name and some of the most important evidence comes from the pious and he quotes an earlier source than himself and he was born about the time that Paul was making his way towards Rome Mark. I'm going to read what papyrus writes is is Mark having become Peter's interpreter wrote down accurately. Everything he remembered, though not in order of the things earlier said or done by Christ. He made it is one concern not to omit anything which he had heard or to make any false statement in them if that wasn't true.

There were plenty leaders in Christianity that had a chance to object to that state goal statements, but no one objects it's it's likely very true's true statement, I believe it is.

And this Peter as papyrus says Peter gave the gospel account that we have no known as Mark to Mark and Mark wrote it down and published it clear in that then there's your apostolic authority for this document being in in our Bible first Peter 513. Peters says she was in Babylon at this a reference to the church through Peter is elect together with you, greets you and so does Mark. My son and so Mark and Peter were together even after the early phases in the book of acts. Mark was plugged into church leaders. Acts chapter 12 as I read earlier.

The disciples were praying in the house of his mother, Paul and Barnabas send verse 25 of acts 12.

As I read earlier. Also Barnabas was his cousin and the two of them were together with Paul for a while. The big argument develop between Barnabas and Ann Paul over John Mark's failure in service and then Barnabas and Mark went off and did ministry together. Apart from Paul for a while but Mark ends up coming back this account that we have of Mark's gospel to show the influence of Peter in chapter 10 of acts peters the outline he uses to share the gospel with Cornelius is the outline Mark uses for his entire gospel.

It is you start off with the baptism and works its way to the miracles and wonders that Christ had done that and then it ends with the crucifixion and resurrection and and Mark follows that pattern.

The there are other distinctives that belong to this gospel.

That should excite you is up as believers. Its connection to the Old Testament in presenting Christ as the servant of God God. The servant servant of God the father and the power of God the Holy Spirit. Isaiah chapter 41 God speaking to Isaiah about the coming Messiah.

He refers to him as my servant.

He says behold my servant, whom I uphold my elect one in whom my soul delights.

I put my spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. Nobody can nobody fulfill that many of anywhere in Scripture or history Christ again Isaiah 52 verse 13 behold my servant shall be approved deal prudently, he shall be exalted and extolled and be very high. These superlatives belong to Messiah and so he outright. Mark does declare the servant hood of God. We see he doesn't have to say all you see Isaiah he said this and now we see Jesus doing it. He doesn't do it that we could've done it that way, but he does not, I would've done it that way. I would cross referenced Isaiah, but they didn't have a Bible in the way we have it today. We just under the page and boom you guys still had scrolls and codecs is another thing that were just not as smooth as what we have in our age. Instead what he does to declare the servant hood of God is, he has a single word that he uses more than any of the others. In fact, the word in the Greek appears many times in the New Testament.

40 of them used by Mark and his gospel and the word is immediately and immediately and immediately next boom that we think the word immediately means right then right at that instant. But John is not Mark John Mark not using it that way.

He is saying in action and boom. He does it and the many bills that out will cover that as we move through the gospel, but no one uses the word is masterfully it is an action word that the Roman mine would would quickly pick up and we then pick it up when it went, told that's right. I keep seeing him use that word and I see that he doesn't use it as I would expect them to use it. But then when I think about it. See how it's connected to the man of action, the servant, who is in action and not just claiming I'm a servant actually doing something action results influence can separate we we say about other Christians in the church. I love that guy is such a servant. I want to be like that God we want people to say that about us over just a man, that guy's okay is terrible servant.

I will be in the life I want our there's something compelling about Mark being the one to emphasize the servant hood of God again. Matthew makes the connection that this is your Messiah.

Luke says, consider the wisdom that came from this one is greater than Aristotle and Socrates and all the rest put together and Mark says watch him work.

Watch what he does.

You tell me because Mark himself failed as a servant.

He was the rich kid that was used to all of the nice things in life there in Jerusalem.

But you know he wanted to be in ministry wanted to servant. He had a chance to serve with Paul no lesson on his cousin Barnabas and then he goes out there and he finds out. The food was disgusting. So were the mannerisms, so does the lifestyles of the Gentiles were just too much for marketing just couldn't stomach God. Instead of saying what you know Mark you were tough enough. I don't really have much for you know God doesn't do that are always as you know I would miss you.

I'm going to take you and I'm going to have you write the gospel according to Mark and as I said earlier it's going to be the springboard for the other Matthews as you know what Mark man is so much information that I can add to what Mark has because I was there.

Look will come along and say I research this. I have the word he uses Lou when he opens his gospel of peace. As I performed an autopsy on the facts we get our English word autopsy from most word that is exploring these things so thorough.

Luke was in his research, he brings things that Matthew and Mark did not have men because they didn't have the ability, but good, but Luke had the time he traveled around the interviewed people and he the begotten witnesses to, and substantiated his the testimony of these witnesses and it is is quite refreshing to see it, then it it it is this niche of Mark that gives us this gospel and says this to us. You can fail in ministry because you just haven't found yourself yet but I hope you get there and I will use you and you will be used.

No genealogy of Jesus Christ in this gospel like we have in Matthew and and in Luke and why we all get to why we don't have it in John but the what we have here brought us to John first in John's Gospel, the genealogy is not given, because Christ has no ancestral is the word is self existent and that's what John is coming from slow let us move beyond the incarnation, let me tell you about the existence move. Thanks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry.

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