We just concluded an incredible “Masterclass” Series on the Gospel of Mark. Wow – what a series! We walked chapter-by-chapter through this amazing book in the Bible and really saw the ministry of Jesus come to life. Jesus is our “Master,” and we are to grow as His disciples. This series has been so deep and rich. Having four Gospels on the life of Jesus is amazing because it is like having four different camera angles when shooting a movie. Each camera picks up a different detail and yet together they tell a more complete and holistic story. While Matthew is written to a Jewish audience (quoting so many Old Testament passages), Luke to the Greeks, and John to all people, Mark is written more toward a Roman audience. Mark emphasizes more of Jesus’ leadership and action. Mark frequently uses the word “immediately” to show how much Jesus is teaching and accomplishing in only three years.
Whereas Matthew and Luke begin with Jesus’ birth (the Christmas Story), Mark starts with Jesus’ earthly ministry. In Mark 1, we see Jesus’ baptism and then calling His first disciples. Then, Jesus begins His teaching ministry. I love in Mark 1:27 as Jesus is teaching in Capernaum, “the people were all so amazed that they asked each other, ‘What is this? A new teaching – and with authority!” This phrase “What is this,” is exactly what the children of Israel said back in the Old Testament when God provided bread from heaven to feed His people in the desert. They exclaimed, “What is this?” God provides for the physical needs of His people and then through Jesus for the spiritual needs of our souls.
Then Jesus begins His healing ministry in Chapter 2. We noted that sometimes Jesus heals people and says to them, “Don’t tell anyone,” and yet other times He heals someone and then tells them, “Go tell everyone.” We discovered that this was based on where Jesus was and who He was healing. If He was in the Jewish region, He would tell them not to tell anyone because His time had not yet come. There was such a buzz about Jesus, He did not want them to think He was leading a rebellion against the Romans. But, in the Gentile regions, He would say, “Go tell everyone,” because He knew after His death, burial, and resurrection the Early Church would grow and expand into this region and Jesus was preparing the hearts of the people.
Everywhere Jesus went there were crowds. We saw that Jesus had “Rockstar” status back in this day. Jesus had compassion for the crowds. He fed the crowds, taught, loved, and served. But, ultimately Jesus was not simply about the crowds, Jesus came to call disciples. Jesus would look into the crowd and then invite people to follow Him. There were the 12 disciples, but we also discovered there were women and even Gentiles who believed Jesus to be the Messiah. Discipleship is this life-impacting commitment to follow Jesus.
We then arrived at Mark 11, we saw that Jesus’ time had come. Mark 1-10 covers 3 years of Jesus’ life and Mark 11-16 covers one week. This is the Defining Moment of Jesus’ ministry and of all history. Everything in Mark is leading up to the Cross and the Resurrection. The incredible plot twist of the Jews wanting a Political Messiah (someone who would lead a rebellion against the Romans and restore the Jews to a place of prominence), but what God was doing was so much more! Jesus is the fulfillment of the entire Old Testament as the Spiritual Messiah who saves the world from our sins. Jesus came not simply to change our circumstances, but to save our hearts. Jesus suffered and died for our sins, so that we could be reconciled to God. Jesus paid our price on the cross in Mark 15, so that we can be forgiven. Jesus’ purpose was to go to the cross and die for our sins – all people; not just Jews, but for us Gentiles as well.
As powerful and life-impacting the cross is for all of us, Mark 15 is not the end of the story. In the last chapter, Mark 16, Jesus conquers death. The Resurrection is the ultimate climax of the Gospel of Mark, of all history and for each of us! Jesus’ Resurrection means that we can have eternal life. Jesus overcomes our greatest fear and makes a way for us to be with the Lord forever. The incredible grace and love of our great God lived out in His one and only Son!
I’m so thankful for this journey through the Gospel of Mark. I pray we all become deep disciples of Jesus. I pray we have a hunger for His Word and our lives will look more like Jesus. From loving to serving, Jesus modeled for us how to live. Because of His sacrifice, we can now have the Holy Spirit in us to lead and guide us in our daily lives. And, we know Jesus is in heaven interceding before the Father on our behalf. O, what a Savior! The Gospel of Mark shows us just how much God loves each of us and how God ultimately wins in the end. Let’s live in the joy and grace of being disciples of Jesus today.