SUFFERING KING: THE BOOK OF MARK:
Preaching The Gospel Of God: Mark 1:14-15
Pastor John Weathersby
Sunday December 8, 2019
Last week, we talked about the immediacy that Mark’s Gospel demands, and goes for. He is like the sportscaster, who is so excited as they discuss the game playing out before you that you too get, excited.
Or like, Jeff from Survivor, who narrates the game so that you’re picking up on the nuances of the details but not distracted from what is playing out before you – but rather so that you have a better perspective on what’s happening that if you just watched.
Mark tells about Jesus bringing God’s guaranteed Gospel of salvation from our own corrupted character, into new life and fellowship with God, forever. No strings.
If Mark intends for us to see this Gospel clearly, what does God intend for the Gospel:
That it moves you to reverence for God
That is moves you to repentance from sin
That it opens communion with God for you here and now, there and then
That it opens a new life for you – one mended to God even in this life
Lets see the completely NOT smooth transition from Jesus temptation into the second phase of our study:
Mark 1:14–15 (ESV)
Jesus Begins His Ministry
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,
If I’m John, I read this and say wait, I baptized Jesus, it was amazing. He went immediately to the wilderness (lead by the spirit of God, who just tore the heavens and said “this is my son in whom I am well pleased) to have this crazy temptation period, and then I went to jail. Something’s missing. What did I do, why am I in jail… am I OK?
And while maybe we are left hanging remember – Mark’s purpose isn’t to tell us everything that happened in Jesus ministry every step of the way, the story isn’t focusing on every detail – it is focusing on the ones relevant to the Author’s purpose, Jesus ministry. For us, we’re now in our second part of this study, we’re seeing Jesus Messianic Proof, in what we’re calling: Part 2, The Path – Messianic proof from daily life. So how do we know that Jesus is God’s promised salvation, aside from His coming to the baptism of John, having the heavens torn open, God Himself say He was pleased with His Son, the spirit like a dove descending into Him, His going off compelled by the spirit to be tempted by satan, then ministered to by Angels and off to His hometown to delivery God’s own Gospel – stay tuned! Jesus life continues to show this truth – He is the promised on of God to do as is revealed in John 1:29 and 1:21
John 1:29 (ESV)
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
Matthew 1:21 (ESV)
21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”
For Mark’s purposes, John was arrested was all we needed to know to understand why the forerunner would be out of the narrative for the next few chapters. Other Gospel writers gave perhaps more detail – but Mark is about the immediacy of Jesus mission showing his messiahship in His life, and realizing God’s Gospel through Jesus ministry and we’ll see that.
In fact, reading a narrative account can make things feel more drawn out than they are. As things happen in real life we can quickly observe them, but when a narrative account describes them it works to capture details giving backgrounds and descriptions that help understand the scene and the subplot(s) Mark is on point his is a utility Gospel, not a work of art – we’ll see that Jesus thrust is to be about discipling, and He’ll get quickly to that task next week.
John was arrested – Jesus came into Galilee. Jesus is from he Galilee area from the town of Nazareth, we do know from John’s account that Jesus came and was baptized and stayed in Judea for a time (he met with Nicodemus, trailed from Judea to Galilee through Samaria and met the woman at the well… but not Mark, Mark is about Jesus messiahship, He is about showing the Path of Jesus giving messianic proof and fulfilling the Gospel of God, in Genesis – defeating sin and death.
And so, that’s exactly what Mark records, Jesus after His Baptism, after His temptation, after John’s arrest goes to Galilee and proclaims the gospel of God. Interesting word choice here by Mark to say “Gospel of God”.
Blink back to Verse 1:
Mark 1:1 (ESV)
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
The first verse of the Gospel of Mark was our first mention of Evangellion, “gospel” the good news of our salvation
This phrasing means this is the Mark 1:14 Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,
We have Jesus going now to the town of Galilee, His hometown, preaching the Gospel of God – good news being fulfilled right now in Him. The good-news that was God’s own plan. God is not waiting around to see what happens with life, what people come up with – He has a plan that is being fulfilled in time, according to His Will. This Gospel, John’s life, forerunning and ultimately His arrest are all playing out in God’s plan and timing. He is in sovereign control of all of these happenings.
He’d said already in:
Isaiah 52:7 (ESV)
7 How beautiful upon the mountains
are the feet of him who brings good news,
who publishes peace, who brings good news of happiness,
who publishes salvation,
who says to Zion, “Your God reigns.”
And so, here we have Jesus doing just that, bringing God news, publishing peace, bringing the goodnews of happiness and brining about salvation in truth. This is why John warned the leaders,
Luke 3:7 (ESV)
Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?
Jesus the king said of His own ministry,
Mark 10:45 (ESV)
45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
John 10:15 (ESV)
15 just as the Father knows me and I know the Father; and I lay down my life for the sheep.
Paul says of this gospel that Jesus is bringing from God:
1 Corinthians 15:1–5 (ESV)
The Resurrection of Christ
1 Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand,
2 and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain.
3 For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures,
4 that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures,
5 and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve.
This is the unstoppable plan of God, great news of peace and salvation, coming from Jesus himself into Galilee, the goodnews starts now with Jesus own life, with all that He taught and modeled, it finds is pinnacle in His own death! How could that be, how could the message of salvation end in the death of the very savior? God’s own plan used the violence of humanity against His sinless son to satisfy His own wrath against the Sins of humanity
1 Thessalonians 5:9–10 (ESV)
9 For God has not destined us for wrath, but to obtain salvation through our Lord Jesus Christ,
10 who died for us so that whether we are awake or asleep we might live with him.
Romans 5:6–8 (ESV)
6 For while we were still weak, at the right time Christ died for the ungodly.
7 For one will scarcely die for a righteous person—though perhaps for a good person one would dare even to die—
8 but God shows his love for us in that while we were still sinners, Christ died for us.
15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
The Gospel we’re being introduced to is amazing, as it’s God’s plan, but that’s too passive – not only is it Gods plan, but God initiates it (remember how Mark introduces and is the only Gospel that says “God’s Gospel”. It’s much like another scene where God is the granter of the promise and it’s guarantee.
Have you ever taken out a loan? Usually they want organs, signatures, pictures of your bank account balance, your DNA, finger prints, your signatures etc. Why, because they expect you to hold up your side, and if you don’t they’re making you promise the penalties that you’ll incur. Remember, scriptures tell one story, they reveal the character and nature of God – we’ve already discussed the Gospel foundations of Genesis’ promise to defeat Satan in Genesis 3:15.
In Genesis 15, verses 6-17, Abraham is promised something by God, God then entered into a covenant with Abraham through a ceremony that was much like a contract whereby the members of the covenant ceremony would pass through an offering together binding them, one member on one side of the covenant, one on the other in fact Hebrews 6:13 says Hebrews 6:13 “For when God made a promise to Abraham, since he had no one greater by whom to swear, he swore by himself” God guaranteed the entire covenant, intact Abraham was forced into a deep sleep to see that God would bring about the outcome and he guaranteed it, on Himself (as we see in Hebrews).
Hebrews 7:22 This makes Jesus the guarantor of a better covenant.
Hebrews 8:6 But as it is, Christ has obtained a ministry that is as much more excellent than the old as the covenant he mediates is better, since it is enacted on better promises.
Hebrews 12:24 and to Jesus, the mediator of a new covenant, and to the sprinkled blood that speaks a better word than the blood of Abel.
This Gospel of God, that Jesus is now ushering in is a clearer and more meaningful picture of God’s grace on us than the law was it’s the substance behind what the law pointed to, it is Jesus. This is why Jesus when He brought this Gospel of God said “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the Gospel”
“The time is fulfilled” Jesus says the Kairos is fulfilled, no a similar word Khronos of time generally, but a specific amount of time, a measured time a season or the fullness of time. Think of a cup, it can only hold so much water – when it’s full, you immodestly understand full – it no longer takes on more water. The same is true about the Kingdom of God – when the time was full, the season was here – no more time would pass. That’s what Jesus is saying. The Kairos is fulfilled.
Galatians 4:4 (ESV)
4 But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law,
How could He be so sure? When God had nothing else to swear on with Abraham, he swore on Himself. Because God’s own character its opposite of lying:
John 8:44 (ESV)
44 You are of your father the devil, and your will is to do your father’s desires. He was a murderer from the beginning, and does not stand in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he lies, he speaks out of his own character, for he is a liar and the father of lies.
So then lying came not from God, but from His enemy, the opposition to God’s own character – it is not of God’s nature to lie, it’s not in Him.
So the Gospel of the God who has no Lie in Him, built on the life and ministry of His son, in His (God’s) timing, in whom we just saw was pleased at the Baptism that happened by God’s forerunner, Who’s own spirit drove His own Son out into the wilderness to be tempted by the Enemy of men and father of lies, who now, carries the message of His own Gospel – He cannot lie, He prophecies the coming of Messiah in all the ways Jesus came, and now Jesus comes with this very message:
1 John 1:9 (ESV)
9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness.
This is HIS gospel!
This is the passionate push that Mark has, to get us to see how incredible Jesus is. No flash, no show, no additional unnecessary details that may distract us from this: Jesus brings God’s guaranteed Gospel of salvation from our own corrupted character into new life and fellowship with God, forever. No strings.
And so, that is why Mark’s gospel is so pressed for time, feeling sometimes short on important details Like John’s arrest (though he’ll circle back in Chapter 6) Mark want’s us to see Jesus’ ministry is on of salvation – and that God’s plan and Jesus fulfillment are our promise.
If our promise is from God we can bank on it – and we can bank on it:
Jesus brings God’s guaranteed Gospel of salvation from our own corrupted character into new life and fellowship with God, forever. No strings.
If Mark intends for us to see this Gospel clearly, what does God intend for the gospel:
That it moves you to reverence for God
That is moves you to repentance from sin
That it opens communion with God for you here and now, there and then
That it opens a new life for you – one mended to God even in this life
Take a few moments today, and consider, God have you done this in me through your gospel?
Pray, Observe, Apply.
This week, will you not wait for a new year? Will you become a person of the book: Read, apply, and help others to discover scripture.
