Journey Through Mark
Our God is a God of action! Mark, the shortest of the gospel records, shows us the works of Christ and the heart of the perfect Servant.
Overview of Mark
Many years ago, I was reading after a renowned Bible teacher, and He gave a word of personal testimony. He said during His educational preparation, He was sent to a very liberal German university. During his time, there was a professor who attacked the Deity of Christ. He said, day after day this professor railed on the person of Christ. And he said this teacher”really shook my faith.” He testified:
“Every night when I came home from class, I was depressed, discouraged, and despondent. I would sit down. And there was one book of the Bible that I would read. And he said I read it through every night. And he said that one book of the Bible kept me from losing my faith. It kept me anchored in Who Christ Is.”
The book he read every night was the Gospel According to Mark.
And that’s where we’ve come now in our Journey. It is the shortest of all the Gospel Records. It’s very easy to read through in one sitting. There are only 16 chapters in it, and I must tell you, Mark is my favorite Gospel record.
The Gospel Records
Each record places a different emphasis and was written to a different target group.
- Matthew writes primarily to the Jewish mind.
- Mark writes to the Roman mind.
- Luke writes to the Greek mind.
- John writes to all mankind.
The first three gospel records (Matthew, Mark, and Luke) are referred to as the “Synoptic Gospels.” They give a synopsis – an account of the whole thing, a comprehensive view. Largely, these three books cover the same ground.
John wrote the fourth Gospel Record much later. His record is more interpreted. He gave spiritual insights into many of the events recorded in the first three Gospel Records. Why four accounts? It is like looking at four sides of a pillar. They all stand together to support one main character: Jesus Christ.
Four is the number of the earth. There are four points of the compass, four dimensions, four seasons, four parts of the day, four material elements, four basic members of the family unit, and on and on we could go. Therefore, four is the number of Earth. These four Gospel Records give us a view of Christ during His earthly life and ministry.
Mark’s Gospel Record
The Original Audience
Mark wrote to the Roman mind. You must understand that the Roman mind would be much like our world today. A society of action, innovation, and wealth. In many ways, this account appeals to us. Mark was written like a continuous, fast-moving drama.
Twelve of the sixteen chapters begin with the word “and.”
Key Word
The keyword of the book is the word “straightway.” It is found 42 times. It means at “once or immediately.” This is the gospel of action. If anyone that tells you they get bored reading the Bible, take them to the Gospel According to Mark, because it’s exciting to read. It is continually an emphasis on the works of the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Human Author
Now, the author of the book, humanly speaking, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, is Mark. Mark, this is the same Mark who was Barnabas’s nephew. This was the same John Mark, you remember that traveled with Paul for some time and then went back, and in the end was.
Restored, a beautiful picture of the grace of God Himself. This is the same Mark that, 20 years after his failure, writes arguably one of the most dynamic records of the life and ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. Then, encourage your faith today. God is a God of second chances. (Learn more about Mark HERE).
Mark writes to the Roman mind. Romans were more impressed by what was done than was said. That is why, in Mark, you find fewer of the words of Jesus and more of the works of Jesus. Most people believe that Mark, who was very close to Simon Peter, wrote under the influence and testimony of Peter. The Apostle Peter would have relayed so many things that he saw as an eyewitness to the Lord Jesus Christ.
The Great Message of Mark
The theme for the Gospel According to Mark is found in Mark 10:45: “For even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.” Observe several truths from this verse:
The Son of Man
Jesus is referred to here as the Son of Man. In the Gospel According to Matthew, we learned that Jesus was the Son of David and the Son of Abraham. And yet, is it interesting that Christ’s favorite title for Himself was not Son of David and not Son of Abraham? The title He most used for Himself was “Son of Man.” Every time He said “Son of man”, He was connecting Himself to every human being. You do not have to be a Jew to be connected to Jesus Christ.
We know He came for the whole world. Jesus Christ rightfully could have called Himself the “Son of God” every time He spoke. He is the Son of God! Instead, Jesus chose to use the phrase “Son of Man.” It is a statement of humility. It is a statement of mercy. Every time he spoke the phrase “The Son of Man,” He was saying, “I became one of you.”
Why did He come?
The Bible gives us two reasons:
- The Bible says, “he came not to be ministered unto but to minister.”
- The Bible says, “and to give His life a ransom for many.”
These two statements provide an outline for the entire book. They show us the heart of our Lord Jesus to reconcile us to Himself!
Jesus Christ in Mark’s Gospel
Jesus Christ is portrayed in two ways in Mark’s Gospel.
He is the Servant.
He came first of all to minister. That is to serve. Beginning in Mark 1 and ending in Mark 8:26. And then there’s a little transition passage from verses twenty-seven through thirty. Some people have called it the Great Divide in Mark, as Jesus asks, “Whom do men say that I am?”
He is the Sacrifice.
And then from that point on, we see him not as a Servant, but now we see Him as a Sacrifice, from Mark 8:31-16:20. Stand in the middle of a book and hear Jesus inquire, “Whom do men say that I am?” If you look back over the first part of the book, you will see the Servant. But if you look toward the end of the book, you see the perfect Sacrifice. These are the reasons for which He came.
The great emphasis that Mark makes in this book is the Savior as Servant, the One who came to ransom us, the One who came to die for us, came to serve us? Why would the God of the universe, who is willing and worthy of being served, come and make Himself a servant of us?
Well, that’s the great message that Mark gives. He reveals to us Jesus Christ as the perfect servant, the Ultimate Servant. If you are a believer, this is quite an example for all of us to humble ourselves to do what we do as a servant of God and as a servant of those whom God loves all around us.
Unique Features of Mark
As you read through Mark’s gospel record, several things reveal the servanthood of Christ:
Omissions
- The genealogy of Christ is omitted. Matthew and Luke are going to record it, but not Mark. Why? Because nobody cared about the servant’s genealogy here.
- The discourses of Christ are largely omitted. Why? Because the works were more important than the words of a servant. No one came to hear the servant speak. They wanted to see him at work. In Mark, you see Jesus at work.
- The strong indictments of Christ are omitted. Why? Because that was uncharacteristic of a servant in every way.
By what is given and what is selectively not recorded in Mark’s record, God is saying, “My Son came to be the servant.”
The Hands of Jesus
Mark emphasized the hands of Jesus.
- Mark 1 – Jesus takes Peter’s mother-in-law by the hand and lifts her up.
- Mark 8 – He took the blind man of Bethsaida by the hand. Jesus placed His hands upon the blind man’s eyes.
- Mark 7 – He put His finger in the ears of the deaf and dumb man.
- Mark 9 – He took the demon-possessed boy and lifted him up.
Why the emphasis on hands? Because hands are the symbol of service.
Think of this: the ultimate service is that those hands will be nail-pierced. They were wounded for us. He suffered for us!
The Savior Behind the Scenes
Mark seems to emphasize Christ’s desire to be behind the scenes, to be unknown. Mark himself does not even call Christ “the Lord” until after his resurrection. In the other three gospel records, he’s called “Lord” 70 or 80 times.
But Mark reserves this for after the record of the resurrection. You see, the Savior was both the servant of the will of His Father and the needs of mankind all around him. He is the ultimate servant. Look at him on his knees, washing the feet of those disciples. Friend, can I tell you that the one you’re serving today is still serving? He is praying for you. He is laboring and working for you today.
Mark emphasizes the miracle-working power of Jesus Christ, more than anything else, as a reminder to us that our Savior, the ultimate Servant, still has that miracle-working power. His hands are at work at this present hour in our life. See the Lord Jesus today as the Servant and ask God the Father to make you more like His Son.
Related Article: 55 Prophecies Jesus Fulfilled
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