Sermon #41 Through The Bible Series
Title: Mark ― Christ the Servant
Text: Mark
10:45
Date: Tuesday Evening—February 17, 2004
Tape # Y-4a
Readings: Bob
Pruitt and Bobbie Estes
Introduction:
The words of our Savior in
Mark 10:45 give us a clear summary of Mark’s Gospel. Remember, Mark’s object is
to present our Savior in his character as Jehovah’s righteous Servant; and that
is exactly how our Lord describes himself. ― “For even the Son of man
came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom
for many.”
Distinct
Purpose
Each of the four gospel narratives are distinct. Each one
presents our Savior in a specific character. It is a mistake to read
Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John as four biographies of the Lord Jesus.
They are not biographies at all. They are biographical character sketches. Each
is intended to be different from the other. Each presents our Savior from a
distinct different point of view. The four Gospels give us four
distinct views of our Lord and of his work.
The
Gospel of Matthew is written to present Christ as the King. The Gospel of Mark
presents his character as Jehovah’s Servant. The Gospel of Luke presents him as
the Son of man. The Gospel of John presents him as the Son of God.
No
Genealogy
Have you ever wondered why
there is no record of our Lord’s ascension in Matthew and John, and why there
is no record of his genealogy in Mark? Luke gives his own record of our Lord’s
genealogy as a man; but John gives us neither a record of his genealogy or his
ascension. Why? The answer is obvious when you remember the distinct purpose of
each.
Matthew
presents Christ as the King and Luke presents him as the man promised in the
Old Testament. In both cases, a genealogical record is
needed. Because Christ is the King from eternity, a record of his ascension in
Matthew’s case would be redundant. John presents the Savior as the
incarnate God, that One who is immutably God over all and blessed
forever. In his case, a record of our Lord’s genealogy or his ascension would
be contrary to his purpose. Mark only mentions the ascension,
because his intent is to show us that as Jehovah’s Servant, our Savior’s
mission is complete, successful, and accepted by the Father. Having finished
his work, he sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on High (Heb. 1:1-3;
10:10-14).
(Heb
1:1-3) “God, who at sundry times and in
divers manners spake in time past unto the fathers by the prophets, (2) Hath
in these last days spoken unto us by his Son, whom he hath appointed
heir of all things, by whom also he made the worlds; (3) Who being the
brightness of his glory, and the express image of his person, and
upholding all things by the word of his power, when he had by himself purged
our sins, sat down on the right hand of the Majesty on high;”
(Heb
10:10-14) “By the which will we are
sanctified through the offering of the body of Jesus Christ once for all.
(11) And every priest standeth daily ministering and offering oftentimes
the same sacrifices, which can never take away sins: (12) But this man,
after he had offered one sacrifice for sins for ever, sat down on the right
hand of God; (13) From henceforth expecting till his enemies be made his
footstool. (14) For by one offering he hath perfected for ever them that
are sanctified.”
Christ
The Servant
Mark’s Gospel narrative is
“a joyful account of the ministry, miracles, actions, and sufferings of Christ”
(John Gill). It is all about the
obedience of our Savior to the will of God. He tells us nothing about the birth
and early life of our Lord. He gives us very few details about our Master’s
sermons. Yet he gives greater details than others about his miracles. Mark’s is
the shortest of the four Gospels. Yet it is not in any way less significant.
Mark used greater brevity than the others; but his narrative is just as
important. Those who suggest that Mark simply copied down some facts from
Matthew, or that he wrote what Peter told him to write both miss the purpose of
Mark’s work and undermine the inspiration and authority of Holy Scripture.
Without question, he got information from those men who taught him the gospel;
but he wrote by divine inspiration.
J.C. Ryle very
properly observed that Mark’s Gospel is “The independent narrative of an
independent witness, who was inspired to write a history of our Lord’s works, rather than of his words…Like all the rest of Scripture,
every word of St. Mark is ‘given by inspiration of God,’ and every word
is ‘profitable.’”
Mark Himself
Let me tell you about the
man God used to give us this inspired narrative of our Savior’s obedience as
our Representative, as the One who worked out righteousness for us. ― He
a man like us, not always dependable, a sinner saved by grace, just like we
are.
In
other places he is called John Mark. He was the man who accompanied Paul on his
first missionary journey and proved himself at that time an unfaithful servant.
He could not take the pressure of the work: the constant opposition, the
thankless labor, and the relentless long, lonely hours. So he ran back home to
momma. But this is not the only time we see Mark displaying such weakness.
If you
want to meet Bro. Mark, turn to chapter 14. There is an unnamed young man in
Mark 14, who is probably Mark himself. I say that because Mark does not give us
the man’s name and because this is the only time this incident is mentioned in
Scripture. After our Lord’s arrest in Gethsemane, we are told that the
disciples forsook him. But Mark adds what is found in verses 51 and 52.
(Mark
14:51-52) “And there followed him a certain
young man, having a linen cloth cast about his naked body; and
the young men laid hold on him: (52) And he left the linen cloth, and
fled from them naked.”
Yet,
this is the man God chose to use to give us this portion of his Word. An
unfaithful servant was chosen, to record for us the perfect faithfulness of
that Servant of God of whom it is written, “He shall not fail,” the Lord
Jesus Christ. I am thankful for that fact. Aren’t you? If the Lord used one
failure, maybe he will use another (1 Cor. 1:26-29).
(1
Cor 1:26-29) “For ye see your calling,
brethren, how that not many wise men after the flesh, not many mighty, not many
noble, are called: (27) But God hath chosen the foolish things of the
world to confound the wise; and God hath chosen the weak things of the world to
confound the things which are mighty; (28) And base things of the world,
and things which are despised, hath God chosen, yea, and things which
are not, to bring to nought things that are: (29) That no flesh should
glory in his presence.”
Peter’s
Influence
Mark was Peter’s son in the
faith (1 Pet. 5:13). He was converted under the influence of Peter’s ministry
and taught by Peter. Because he was, as well he should have been, Mark was
greatly influenced by his pastor, Peter. His Gospel narrative naturally
reflects the teachings and viewpoints we see in Peter.
In
fact, if you will look at Acts 10:38, you will see that Peter gives us a very
brief summary of all that is recorded for us in the Gospel of Mark. Speaking in
the house of Cornelius, we read that Peter stood among them and told them
exactly what Mark tells us in these 16 chapters. ― “How God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the
Holy Ghost and with power: who went about doing good, and healing all that were
oppressed of the devil; for God was with him.”
(Acts
10:34-43) “Then Peter opened his mouth,
and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons: (35) But
in every nation he that feareth him, and worketh righteousness, is accepted
with him. (36) The word which God sent unto the children of
Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ: (he is Lord of all:) (37) That
word, I say, ye know, which was published throughout all Judaea, and
began from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached; (38) How God
anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power: who went about
doing good, and healing all that were oppressed of the devil; for God was with
him. (39) And we are witnesses of all things which he did both in the
land of the Jews, and in Jerusalem; whom they slew and hanged on a tree:
(40) Him God raised up the third day, and showed him openly; (41) Not
to all the people, but unto witnesses chosen before of God, even to us,
who did eat and drink with him after he rose from the dead. (42) And he
commanded us to preach unto the people, and to testify that it is he which was
ordained of God to be the Judge of quick and dead. (43) To him
give all the prophets witness, that through his name whosoever believeth in him
shall receive remission of sins.”
Matthew
and John, like Peter and Paul, were apostles of Christ. As such, they learned
the gospel from the Master himself. Neither Mark nor Luke were apostles. What
they learned of Christ, they learned, like us, through the preaching of others
by the teaching of the Holy Spirit through the preached Word (Rom. 10:17).
Profitable Mark
The human author of this Gospel narrative was John
Mark, the son of Barnabas’ sister, Mary (Acts 12:12, 25; Col. 4:12). Paul and
Barnabas eventually had a falling out because Paul refused to take Mark with
them on his second missionary journey (Acts 15:36-41). But that is not the end
of the story. At some point Paul and Mark did some fence mending, and in his
latter days the old man Paul found Mark to be one of few who were loyal to the
gospel. As he was awaiting execution, he wrote to Timothy and said, “Take
Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry”
(2 Tim. 4:11).
Mark’s
Message
As
I said , Mark’s message can be summarized by the words of our Lord in chapter
10. ― “For
even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to
give his life a ransom for many.”
Instead
of opening with a record of our Lord's incarnation and birth, instead of
telling us about his youth and early years, Mark begins at once with his
ministry. Look at verse 1 of chapter 1 ― “The beginning of the gospel
of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” This is the beginning, but not the end,
for there is no end to the story Mark tells. He is telling us the God-story of
redemption, grace, and salvation by God’s Servant, “Jesus Christ, the Son of
God.” But our Lord tells us that the story will go on forever, even in
eternity. This is too wondrous to grasp; but our Lord tells us that in that
great day called “eternity” “he shall gird himself and make (us) to
sit down to meat, and will come forth and serve (us)” (Luke 12:37). ―
We will never come to the end of the story. The gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son
of God is everlasting.
Time
Fulfilled
After describing the ministry
of John the Baptist and our Lord’s baptism by him (1:2-13), Mark gives a very
brief description of the wilderness temptation (vv. 12-13). Yet, even in his brevity, Mark adds some
things that show the greatness of that trial by which the faithfulness of
Jehovah’s Servant was proved.
Matthew and Luke tell us that our Lord was “led” of the
Spirit into the wilderness. Mark's words are stronger. ― “The Spirit
driveth him into the wilderness.” It is Mark who tells us the temptation
lasted forty days and that the Lord was “with the wild beasts” in the
wilderness.
Then,
he begins to describe our Lord’s earthly ministry in verses 14 and 15 of
chapter 1. ― “Now
after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the
gospel of the kingdom of God, And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the
kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel.”
Mark
tells us that our Lord stepped onto the scene of history and declared that the
time God had promised for the accomplishment of his promises of redemption were
fulfilled. That meant that the kingdom of God was now in the midst of men. If
we enter into that kingdom we must enter in by faith’s door, believing on the
Lord Jesus Christ. In due time, Christ came here to die for the ungodly (Rom.
5:6; Gal. 4:4-5;). ― “When
the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made
under the law, to redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive
the adoption of sons.” He came here as Jehovah’s Servant (Phil.
2:5-8).
(Phil
2:5-8) “Let this mind be in you, which
was also in Christ Jesus: (6) Who, being in the form of God, thought it
not robbery to be equal with God: (7) But made himself of no reputation,
and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
(8) And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became
obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.”
First
Disciples
Immediately after announcing
our Lord’s appearance in Galilee, calling sinners to repentance, Mark shows us
what is meant by that. In verses 16-18 we are told how that the Lord Jesus
called his first disciples, Simon and Andrew, James and John. Those who repent
and believe, those who come to and follow Christ, those who are born into his
kingdom are called by him. And those who are called by him forsake all and
follow him.
Full
of Activity
The Gospel of Mark is a book
full of activity. He moves rapidly from one place to another and from one
miracle to another. The words “immediately,” “forthwith,” “anon,”
and “straightway” meet us constantly in these 16 chapters. Many of the
chapters begin with the word “And.” If Mark were telling us his story
orally, we might say, “Slow down. Catch your breath. You’re moving too fast.”
That is exactly the sense the Holy Spirit intends to give us in this book. Mark
is describing God’s faithful Servant, our all-glorious Christ, whose meat and
drink it was to do the will of his Father. He had nothing to call his own, not
even his time. ― O Lord, my God, give me grace to be such a servant!
·
Mark moves like lightning in declaring our
Lord’s works in Galilee. ― He cast out demons and healed the
sick (1:21-3:12; 5:25-34; 6:53-56; 7:24-37).
·
He gives us display after display of our
Lord’s power and authority as that Servant into whose
hands the Father has given all things. ― After giving us four kingdom
parables in chapter 4, he calmed the raging sea and the troubled hearts of his
disciples with his mere word (4:35-41). ― He cast demons out of the poor
Gadarene (5:1-20). ― A woman was healed of her twelve-year issue of blood
by the touch of his garment (5:25-34). ― He raised Jairus’ twelve year
old daughter from the dead (5:35-43). ― He fed hungry multitudes by miraculously
multiplying little (6:34-44; 8:1-9). ― Twice we read of him giving sight
to the blind. ― Repeatedly, we read of our tender Savior having “compassion”
upon needy souls.
Pictures
of Grace
These miracles were intended to
display our Savior’s power and authority as that man who is Jehovah’s Servant,
that man who is God, to show that he has power and authority, by virtue of who
he is and by virtue of the sacrifice he made in eternity and was about to make
at Calvary, to forgive sins (2:9-10).
(Mark
2:9-10) “Whether is it easier to say to
the sick of the palsy, Thy sins be forgiven thee; or to say, Arise, and
take up thy bed, and walk? (10) But that ye may know that the Son of man
hath power on earth to forgive sins, (he saith to the sick of the palsy,)”
It is
therefore obvious that these miracles were intended to be pictures of his
wondrous works of grace in saving lost sinners.
·
Like the leper, saved sinners
have been made whole by Christ, the Priest, who touched us and made himself
unclean to make us clean. We are made whole by the omnipotent touch of grace.
·
Like the woman with that
twelve-year issue of blood, who had spent all she had on physicians of no
value, we are made whole by virtue we get from touching him.
·
Like the Syrophenician woman,
we who have no claim on the children’s bread have obtained mercy, by faith in
Christ.
·
Like the Gadarene, we have
been made whole and set free by the Master’s word of grace.
·
Like the blind men, our Lord
has given us eyes to see him and to see “every men clearly.” ― The
First Man, Adam ― The Last Man, Christ ― The Fallen Man ― The
New Man!
·
Like Jairus’ daughter, the
Lord Jesus Christ raised us up from the dead.
Determination
to Die
Beginning in chapter 8 (v. 31),
we see a marked determination in our Savior, Jehovah’s Servant. He set his face
like a flint to go up to Jerusalem,, to suffer all the wrath of God as our
Substitute.
(Mark
8:31) “And he began to teach them, that
the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of
the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise
again.”
(Isa
50:5-7) “The Lord GOD hath opened mine
ear, and I was not rebellious, neither turned away back. (6) I gave my
back to the smiters, and my cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: I hid not
my face from shame and spitting. (7) For the Lord GOD will help me;
therefore shall I not be confounded: therefore have I set my face like a flint,
and I know that I shall not be ashamed.”
The
Lord Jesus did not come here hoping that the Jews would allow him to be their
king, sitting on a physical throne in Jerusalem. He came here as the King to
suffer and die, rise again the third day, and ascend to his throne to give
eternal life to his elect by the virtue and efficacy of his blood atonement. He
came here to do the will of his Father, suffering death as our Substitute at
Jerusalem, and nothing could deter or hinder him from accomplishing his
purpose.
Peter’s
Reaction
Look at Peter’s response to the
Lord’s declared purpose (8:32). ―
“Peter took him,
and began to rebuke him.” Matthew
gives a fuller quotation of Peter’s words. ― “Then Peter took him, and
began to rebuke him, saying, Be it far from thee, Lord: this shall not be unto
thee” (Matt. 16:22).
Peter
said, “Spare yourself of this, Lord.” That is always the response of the flesh
to trouble. “Spare yourself.” Then the Master sternly rebuked Peter, saying, “Get
thee behind me, Satan: for thou savorest not the
things that e of God, but the things that be of men “ (v. 33).
Gill
suggests, I think accurately, that “the Lord rebuked him in a very
severe, though just manner; being touched in his most tender part, and
dissuaded from that which his heart was set upon, and he came into the world
for; whose keen resentment is seen by using a phrase he never did but to the
devil himself.” The Master knew the source and cause of Peter’s comments. The
flesh, like Satan, is always opposed to the will of God. The flesh always
chooses that which is easiest on and most appealing to the flesh.
That
this is the meaning of this conversation between Christ and his errant disciple
is obvious because of what follows in verses 34-38. If we would follow Christ,
if we would be his disciples, if we would be God’s servants (That is what it is
to be a believer!) we must give up our will to his will. We must surrender the
rule of our lives to the rule of God our Savior. That is what Jehovah’s
righteous Servant did in the example he left us in the rest of Mark’s Gospel (1
Pet. 2:21).
Transfiguration
In chapter 9 we have Mark’s
account of the Transfiguration. ― “And he said unto them, Verily I say unto you, That there be
some of them that stand here, which shall not taste of death, till they have
seen the kingdom of God come with power” (v. 1). Then
the Lord Jesus led Peter, James, and John up on the mountain top, and they
literally did not taste of death till they saw the King coming in glory. Peter
refers to this in 2 Peter 1:16-18.
“For we have not followed cunningly devised fables, when we made known
unto you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses
of his majesty. For he received from God the Father honour and glory,
when there came such a voice to him from the excellent glory, This is my
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. And this voice which came from heaven
we heard, when we were with him in the holy mount.”
The
suggestion is that God's purpose for his elect and the purpose of our Christ’s
redemptive work is that we should not taste of death. He came to deliver us
from the awful taste of death. Our all-glorious Savior tasted death for
everyone he came to save that we might never taste it (Heb. 2:9), that we might
ever behold and be the recipients of his glory as Jehovah’s righteous Servant
(John 17:22-26).
Then he
identifies his family, those who shall behold and enjoy his glory forever, his
children, the citizens and heirs of his kingdom. They are those who in this
world cast all their care on him (9:17-24), becoming as little children taken
into his omnipotent arms, trusting him as Lord and Savior (vv. 36-37) and blessed
in and by him. Mark alone tells us that he took the little children up in his
arms when he blessed them (10:13-16).
Money
Changers
Our Lord’s last week on earth before the
crucifixion begins in chapter 11. Here again, Mark tells us about a very
significant event the other Gospel writers were not inspired to record. “And they come to
Jerusalem: and Jesus went into the temple, and began to cast out them that sold
and bought in the temple, and overthrew the tables of the moneychangers, and
the seats of them that sold doves; and would not suffer that any man should
carry any vessel through the temple” (vv. 15-16).
This is
not the same event John spoke of in John 2:13-16. That event took place at the
beginning of our Lord's ministry. That which Mark records took place at the end
of his ministry. For the second time, the Lord Jesus overthrows the tables of
the money-changers, cleanses the temple. Mark says, he “would not suffer that any man should carry
any vessel through the temple.”
According
to the Mosaic law, it was the responsibility of the priests to catch the blood
the sacrifices on the brazen altar in the outer court and carry it into the
holy place before the altar. Once each year the high priest would go into the
Holy of Holies and sprinkle that blood on upon the mercy seat. All of this was
highly symbolic of Christ’s sin-atoning work.
He of
whom the priests and the sacrifices were types had come to put an end to all
this. He would not allow any man to carry anything through the temple. In other
words, he ended the sacrifices. He is the end of the law (Rom. 10:4). In this
act, our Lord was saying, “The Lamb of God has come to put away sin by the
sacrifice of himself.”
More
Questions
Mark chapters 10-13 are
primarily concerned with the questions people asked the Savior. In chapter
10 he answers the Pharisees questions about divorce, the rich young
ruler’s question and the disciples’ question about salvation, and James and
John’s question about greatness. He tells the Pharisees that marriage is
forever. He told the rich young ruler that the way to eternal life is faith
alone, that faith that surrenders all to Christ as Lord and God. When the
disciples heard the conversation between Christ and the rich young ruler, and
heard the Master’s explanation of why that man so rich in material property and
religious morality did not believe, they said, “Who then can be saved?”
The Master answered, “With men it is impossible, but not with God: for with
God all things are possible.”
In chapter
11 he answers the questions of the priests, the scribes and the elders
who come out of hatred for him and try to trap him with their questions about
his authority to purge the temple. He answered them by refusing to answer them.
In chapter
12 Pharisees, Herodians, Sadducees, and a scribe who tried to trap him
with their questions. The Lord knew their hypocrisy and answered them
accordingly. The Pharisees and Herodians were trying to get him to say
something that could be used to accuse him of stirring insurrection against Caesar.
The Sadducees tried to trick him into saying something that might be twisted
into a denial of the resurrection. Then a scribe tried to trick him into
speaking a word against the law.
In chapter 13, as
they sat on the Mount of Lives, Peter, James, John and Andrew ask the Lord
Jesus what he meant when he spoke of the destruction of the temple. They said, “Tell us, when shall
these things be? and what shall be the sign when all these things shall be
fulfilled” (v. 4). The rest of the chapter is taken up with our Savior’s
answer, warning them and us of the great danger of following false christs.
A Good
Work
Multitudes talk about good
works. Usually, their intent is to defend their pretended good works of
self-righteousness. In chapter 14 Mark shows us an event that
displays what a good work is. ― “A woman having an alabaster box of ointment
of spikenard very precious; and she brake the box, and poured it on his head” (v. 3). Others, including the disciples,
sharply criticized her.
“And Jesus said, Let her alone; why trouble ye her? she hath wrought a
good work on me. For ye have the poor with you always, and whensoever ye
will ye may do them good: but me ye have not always. She hath done what
she could: she is come aforehand to anoint my body to the burying. Verily
I say unto you, Wheresoever this gospel shall be preached throughout the whole
world, this also that she hath done shall be spoken of for a memorial of
her” (14:6-9).
The
Master said, “she hath
wrought a good work on me.” That is the only time in the Bible
anything done by a sinful human being is specifically called “a good work”
by our Lord. That fact is very instructive. Good works are not what most
imagine they are. A good work is a work of faith. This dear lady seems to have
been the only person who understood and believed what the Lord had said about
his death and resurrection. A good work involves personal sacrifice. It is
always costly. A good work is a work of spontaneous love, wrought for Christ. A
good work is doing what you can for the Savior. A good work is a work that God
our Savior never forgets.
The
Crucifixion
Beginning with chapter 15,
we have the account of the crucifixion. Mark describes this is as an act of
horrible brutality done in the name of justice and righteousness. The Lord
Jesus appears to be a defeated man, a tragic failure, his cause hopelessly
lost. He is hounded, bludgeoned and spat upon. Finally, he is crucified upon
the cursed tree between two thieves. Is this Jehovah’s Servant?
No
wonder the high priests, as they saw him hanging naked, upon the tree, covered
in his own blood and the excrement of men, laughed and said, “He saved
others; himself cannot save” (v. 31).
That is
a strange statement. Yet it is one of the most remarkable statements of gospel
truth ever to fall from the lips of men. It shows that God is able to make even
his enemies praise him.
Three
Things
As we read this account, we see
three things that they could not make our Lord do. First,
they could not make our Lord speak.
(Mark 15:4) “And Pilate
asked him again, saying, Answerest thou nothing? behold how many things they
witness against thee.”
He could have called twelve
legions of angels to deliver him; but the Master said nothing, and Pilate
wondered.
Second, they
could not make him drink.
(Mark
15:23) “And they gave him to drink wine
mingled with myrrh: but he received it not.”
Why not? Had he drunk what they
gave him, he would have saved himself the effect of the agony of the cross and
the weight of the burden of all hell and all the wrath of God pressing upon
him, but he would not. He would not spare himself.
Then, third, they could
not make him die.
(Mark
15:37) “And Jesus cried with a loud
voice, and gave up the ghost.”
“He unspirited
himself.” He dismissed his spirit. He did not die at the hands of the Jews or
the Romans. He died at the hand of God, by his own voluntary will, as Jehovah’s
Righteous Servant (John 10:17-18; Phil. 2:8-11).
(John
10:17-18) “Therefore doth my Father love
me, because I lay down my life, that I might take it again. (18) No man
taketh it from me, but I lay it down of myself. I have power to lay it down,
and I have power to take it again. This commandment have I received of my
Father.”
(Phil
2:8-11) “And being found in fashion as a
man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the
cross. (9) Wherefore God also hath highly exalted him, and given him a
name which is above every name: (10) That at the name of Jesus every
knee should bow, of things in heaven, and things in earth, and things
under the earth; (11) And that every tongue should confess
that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
The
Resurrection
When we get to the last chapter
and the resurrection of our Lord, we see his reason. He was silent and refused
to appeal to Pilate or the crowd, because he was laying the basis for a coming
day, when in resurrection power and glory every knee will bow and every tongue
will confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father. He
would not drink to dull his senses because he was laying a basis upon which
even those who stood around the cross might enter into a life eternal. He was
laying the foundation upon which God can be just and the Justifier of all who
believe. He was determined to die, that he might be exalted as Lord of all, to
give eternal life to as many as the Father had given him.
He would not let men take his life, but he voluntarily laid it
down himself in order that he might overcome our greatest enemy, death, and
forever deliver all who would believe in him from the power and awful sting of
death. That is the Gospel. ― He saved others, but himself he could not
save. That is Mark’s story.
My
Favorite Verse
Before I send you home, let me
give you my favorite verse in Mark’s Gospel. It is not surprising to me that it
is Mark and Mark alone who says what he does here (16:7). In this verse, he who
was himself a disciple who had been unfaithful, speaks a word about his beloved
friend and father in the faith, his pastor, Peter. He tells us that the young
man who stood by the tomb of the risen Lord said to Mary Magdalene and Mary the
mother of James, “go your
way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there
shall ye see him, as he said unto you.”
It is
as though he was reminding Peter, and all of us who are like him and Peter
(weak, faltering, failing, sinful followers of Christ) that God’s forgiveness
of our sins in Christ is full, absolute, and complete. Christ died for our
sins. That means, between us and our God and Savior, everything is alright!
The
book of Mark began with the words “the beginning of the gospel of Jesus
Christ, the Son of God.” In the last two verses of chapter 16 we have the
continuation. The Lord Jesus Christ, Jehovah’s Servant, is still carrying on
his work, working through the preaching of the gospel by his church. ― “So
then, after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into the heaven,
and sat on the right hand of God. And they went forth, and preached everywhere,
the Lord working with them, and confirming the word with signs following.”
Amen.