Fear No Fear

(All scripture from Lexham English Bible, Copyright 2012 Logos Bible Software)

“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Just as it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “Behold, I am sending my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one shouting in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths!’” (Mark 1:1-3)

Mark was written by John Mark, who first appears in the scriptures in Acts 12:12 “And when he realized this, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John (who is also called Mark), where many people were gathered together and were praying.” It was written sometime between 55 and 65 A.D., probably in Rome. It is really a collection of the stories of Peter, one of the Twelve disciples/apostles. There is a vigor throughout this Gospel, where everything happens on top of everything else. It is an action account. In this Gospel, Jesus isn’t loudly proclaiming His Messianic identity, but instead refuses to make that the focus of His ministry. He isn’t denying it, He is waiting to reveal it at the appropriate time. That way, the full implications of His identity becomes crystal clear through His death and resurrection. It is a very Jewish book. One written to an audience that knew persecution. The focus of the book is how Jesus is the Suffering Servant (Isaiah 53). To those being persecuted, this would have been edifying. Being able to read about how Jesus knew what they were going through (Hebrews 4:15). The book can be broken loosely into four sections: the Servant is announced, the Servant ministers, the Servant submits, and the Servant rises.

There is also a focus on discipleship in Mark. On the fact that healings, signs, and wonders are great. They are good evidence that God is telling the truth about Himself and His Kingdom. But the FOCUS should be on relationship and spiritual understanding (3 John 2). Jesus always put a focus on teaching and resisted proclaiming anything that detracted from that. Signs and wonders were meant to FOLLOW teaching as evidence that the teaching could be trusted, not the other way around. Jesus was not about a SHOW. Jesus was about pointing to the Father. Mark presents Jesus through what He DID, not who He was through birth records.

Chapter one opens with John the Baptizer and his mission: readying people to receive Messiah. Readying people for a SPIRITUAL baptism that mirrored the PHYSICAL one John gave. Jesus came to be baptised and was. The Father AUDIBLY declared that Jesus was His Son and that He was well pleased with Jesus. Then Jesus went into the wilderness and was tempted for forty days while trusting in God for protection from wild animals. It wasn’t forty days of fasting followed by three temptations. It was forty days of standing on the Word in intense circumstances (James 4:7) followed by three INTENSE temptations at the end (as shown in other gospels) when Jesus was the weakest. After the devil fled, Jesus was ministered to by angels. It was after this that John the Baptizer was put into prison. Then Jesus started His Galilean ministry preaching that the Kingdom of God was at hand and exhorting people to repent and believe the Gospel (which was also John the Baptizer’s message).

We almost immediately move into the calling of the first disciples (Simon, Andrew, James, and John). Then they went to Capernaum and it was the Sabbath. Jesus didn’t teach other people’s ideas (saying this Rabbi said this or that), but taught with authority straight from the Word. A man was there who was possessed. The evil spirit cried out to Jesus and Jesus silenced it. And then cast it out of the man. The story of it spread throughout the region. When they left the synagogue, they went to Simon and Andrew’s house. Simon’s mother-in-law was sick with a fever and Jesus cast it out. That evening, everyone who had heard the story brought their sick and those who were possessed to Jesus. He made the demons keep quiet about who He was (the Holy One of Israel – Messiah) and Jesus healed everyone (Jesus saw healing sickness and healing demon possession as the same thing).

In the morning, Jesus got up early and went out alone to pray. This was habitual with Jesus. Jesus leaned into relationship with the Father. Simon and Andrew found Him and told Him everyone was looking for Him, but Jesus left the area and went somewhere else to preach. Jesus wanted EVERYONE to hear the message. On the way around, a leper came to Jesus asking for healing IF Jesus was willing. Jesus told him what Jesus told, does tell, and always will tell everyone seeking healing: I will. Jesus ALWAYS wants us healed and whole. EVERY TIME. Jesus healed the leper and told him to obey the Law and show himself to the priests. He also asked the leper not to spread the healing story everywhere, but the leper disobeyed and spread it around a LOT. Because everyone wanted healing too (for themselves and others), it was difficult for Jesus to get into the towns to preach. He was forced to stay in remote places that could handle the crowds that gathered.

Chapter two has Jesus again coming to Capernaum. The minute Jesus was back in His house (Matthew 4:12-17; Luke 4:16; and John 2:37-39 all show that Jesus was living in Capernaum before He called the disciples), people were clamouring to see Him. It was so crowded that when a paralytic on a pallet was brought by his friends the only way they could get him to Jesus was to go up on the roof, tear it apart, and lower him into the house. Jesus forgave the man’s sins and then healed his paralysis. When Jesus went by the seaside, He saw Levi the tax collector (Matthew) and called him to be a disciple. Jesus was also challenged about fasting and about the Sabbath, but proved that the challengers didn’t understand the principles behind either of those things. Jesus used illustrations to try and help them understand.

Summary

Key Players: God, Jesus, Disciples, John the Baptizer, Jews

Key Verse(s): Mark 1:35-39; 18-22