THE GOSPEL OF
CHRIST
SPREADING THE SOUL-SAVING MESSAGE OF JESUs
(Chapters 1-4)
Introduction by narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
Spreading the soul-saving message of Jesus. And now,
Ben Bailey:
“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God” (Mk. 1:1). I’m Ben Bailey.
And I’m
The Book of Mark was written to the Romans. The Romans were the military mind of the day. They liked their message quick, snappy, to the point, and immediately. In fact, in the Book of Mark, one of the key words is “immediately” (or “straightway” in the King James Version). You will read frequently where Jesus did this, or that, “immediately.” Another key word, as odd as it might sound, is the little word “and,” because in Mark, we see a progression of events. The overall theme of the book is the majesty of Christ. Mark 7:37 sums it up by saying, “He has done all things well.” This is a book that focuses more on what Jesus did than on what He said. Jesus, the Master Teacher, taught not only by His words, but also by His actions. Mark, as one of the four Gospel writers, addresses the military might of the day.
Ben Bailey:
Marks begins in chapter 1 (vss.
9-11) with the baptism of Jesus, Who was baptized “to fulfill all righteousness.” The text tells us:
“And immediately, coming up from the water, He
saw the
heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My
beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Thus, Jesus was obedient to God
by being baptized. While Jesus was
baptized to fulfill all righteousness, we are baptized to have our sins
cleansed. Here, we learn an important lesson about what baptism really is.
Some in the religious world suggest that “baptism” can be sprinkling,
pouring, or immersion, because the mode
really doesn’t matter. But Mark 1:9-10 tells us that Jesus was “coming up from the water.” In order to “come up from the water,” what does a person
first have to do? He or she must “go
down into the water.” Every instance of baptism in the New Testament is one
of immersion. In fact, that is the meaning of the Greek word—to submerge or plunge beneath. In John
3:23, we read, “Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.” Does it require
“much water” to sprinkle or to pour? No. But it does take “much water”
for full-body immersion. In Acts 8, we find the example of Philip and the Ethiopian nobleman. The
nobleman is traveling
back to
Timothy Sparks:
In Mark 1, Jesus also begins to call those men who will serve as His apostles. First, He calls Simon and Andrew, and tells them that if they will follow Him, He will make them fishers of men (Mk. 1:17). Notice that immediately they abandoned their fishing nets and followed Christ. We today need to exhibit that same eager willingness to follow Jesus. Look at what is contained within these few verses. Jesus came to Simon and Andrew—two fishermen—and told them that He no longer wanted them to spend their lives trying to catch fish. Rather, He wanted them to become “fishers of men.” They were being called to save souls. They left their vocation, their livelihood, their means of making a living, in order to follow Jesus. Jesus called them to be fishers of men, and He calls us today to be fishers of men. Our job is to save souls—to rescue them from the grasp of the devil.
Ben Bailey:
Luke recorded that Jesus came “to seek and save the lost” (Lk. 19:10). If we follow Jesus, then we will do exactly the same. In Mark 1:35, we learn that Jesus had an active prayer life. Unless our prayer life is what it needs to be, we will not be able to survive as Christians. The text says, “Now in the morning, having risen a long while before daylight, He went out and departed to a solitary place; and there He prayed.” It appears as if Jesus arose early enough in the morning to get away from crowds of people, be by Himself, and pray to His Father. Wouldn’t it wonderful if you and I started every day that way? Have you ever thought about setting your alarm clock 15 minutes early so that you can get up, be by yourself, get away from the hustle and bustle of life, and ask for God’s help throughout the day? Jesus needed to pray. He frequently was tempted by the scribes and Pharisees, and even by the devil. We, too, need to pray—and must not overlook the power of prayer in our lives.
We see another active lesson, beginning Mark 1:42. A leper approaches Christ, and says, “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” The man had faith that Christ could help him. The text records Christ’s response: “Then Jesus, moved with compassion, stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” As soon as He had spoken, immediately the leprosy left him, and he was cleansed.” Jesus told the man not to tell anyone what He had done, but the man was so excited about being healed that he simply couldn’t help but tell others what had happened. There is a picture here of our own salvation. Sin is a lot like leprosy. It’s a horrible disease that no man can heal. Jesus alone has the cure. If we are willing to have the same attitude as the leper who approached Jesus (“Lord, please make me clean”), we can be healed because Jesus is willing. The Bible says that Christ “tasted of death for every man.” If we submit ourselves to Him and are willing to obey Him, He will stretch out His hand of compassion and save us. Like the leper in Mark 1:42, we need to be excited about what Christ has done for us. If you had a cure for a horrible disease like cancer, would you hide that cure? Of course not! You’d shout it from the rooftop of every building you could get to. The same ought to be true of the salvation of our soul. Sin is a much greater problem than cancer. When we are cleansed of our sins, we ought to tell everyone with whom we come in contact. Jesus had compassion on people—and was willing to act on that compassion. How wonderful that is to see and know!
Timothy Sparks:
In Mark 2, a paralytic is brought to Christ for healing. Jesus tells him, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Of course, Christ draws criticism for His statement. The text records the story, as the scribes asked:
“ ‘Why does this Man speak blasphemies like this? Who can forgive sins but God alone?’ But immediately, when Jesus perceived in His spirit that they reasoned thus within themselves, He said to them, ‘Why do you reason about these things in your hearts? Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, “Your sins are forgiven you,” or to say, “Arise, take up your bed and walk”? But that you may know that the Son of Man has power on earth to forgive sins,’ He said to the paralytic, ‘I say to you, arise, take up your bed, and go to your house.’ Immediately he arose, took up the bed, and went out in the presence of them all, so that all were amazed and glorified God, saying, ‘We never saw anything like this!’” (vss. 7-12).
The purpose of
these events, of course, was to demonstrate that Jesus not only had the power to heal,
but also the power to forgive sins.
Mark 2:10 makes it clear that Jesus had been given the authority and the power by God to
forgive sins. Later, at His crucifixion, Jesus would tell one of the
two thieves who had been crucified with Him, “Today shall you be in
Ben Bailey:
Part of the actions of Christ in the Book of Mark take place here in chapter 2 and 3. In chapter 2, He healed a paralytic. In chapter 3, He heals a man with a withered hand. Jesus entered into the synagogue. The religious elite were watching Him carefully—to see if He would “do good on the Sabbath” so they could accuse him. The text reads as follows:
“And He said to the man who had the withered hand, ‘Step forward.’ Then He said to them, ‘Is it lawful on the Sabbath to do good or to do evil, to save life or to kill?’ But they kept silent. And when He had looked around at them with anger, being grieved by the hardness of their hearts, He said to the man, ‘Stretch out your hand.’ And he stretched it out, and his hand was restored as whole as the other. Then the Pharisees went out and immediately plotted with the Herodians against Him, how they might destroy Him” (vss. 3-6).
The Pharisees were indignant, because as Jesus went about doing good, the people loved Him. The Pharisees were losing power, while Jesus was gaining it. One of the lessons we learn from this account is that sometimes people can get so wrapped up in their own traditions and ideas that they miss the truth. For example, consider the Jews and the Sabbath. There were laws governing the Sabbath, of course. But those laws never said you couldn’t “do good on the Sabbath.” In another context, Jesus would ask the people, “If you have an ox that falls into a ditch on the Sabbath, are you going to get him out or let him die?” And, of course, the people said, “we’re going to get him out.” Jesus’ point was, “Isn’t it more important to heal a man than to get a mere ox out of a ditch?” The people had gotten so caught up with their own traditions, and were so determined to follow their own ideas, that they had completely overlooked “doing good,” and things like mercy, justice, and love—just like the Jews in Matthew 23. The point is this. Let’s get rid of our traditions, manmade ideas, and manmade doctrines. Let’s get back to the Bible, which teaches us how to do good, how to love the Lord, and how to do the things God wants us to do. The Bible only, makes Christians only—and the only Christians. You cannot make Christians using something besides the Bible. If we adhere to our own ideas and doctrines, we’re not doing what God wants us to do. And in the end, this inhibits our obedience to God, rather than enhancing it.
Timothy Sparks:
The commandments of men will not save anyone. We learn
from Matthew 15:9, “In vain do they worship me, teaching as doctrine the commandments of men.” The
Gospel—God’s Word—is what will save our souls. In Mark 2:17, we find Jesus eating
with tax collectors and sinners, and His critics wanted to know how He
could do such a thing. Jesus responded, “Those who
are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I did not come to
call the righteous, but
sinners, to repentance” Jesus is a man of logic. He is the Great Physician.
Those who are healthy don’t need a physician. But the sick do. Jesus, in
essence, was saying to the Pharisees, “You don’t think you need a spiritual
physician, but I’m here to tell you that you do!” The tax collectors and other
sinners knew that they did need a
spiritual physician—and they turned to Jesus for healing. Jesus was the answer
to their sin problem. Today, I’m so glad that Jesus ate with sinners. He is the
friend to, yes, even sinners! In Mark 1:35, we learn that Christ is a man of
prayer. From Mark 2:17 we learn that he is a man of logic. And from Mark
3:32-35, we learn that Jesus is a man of impartiality.
“And a multitude was sitting around Him; and they said to Him, ‘Look, Your mother and Your brothers are outside seeking You.’ But He answered them, saying, ‘Who is My mother, or My brothers?’ And He looked around in a circle at those who sat about Him, and said, ‘Here are My mother and My brothers! For whoever does the will of God is My brother and My sister and mother.’”
Jesus was impartial. He didn’t cater to just His physical family. Rather, anyone who does the will of God is Christ’s family. In Matthew 7:21, Jesus said, “Not everyone who says to Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ shall enter the kingdom of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven.” The Book of Hebrews tells us that Christ is not ashamed to call those who are redeemed His brothers.
Ben Bailey:
In Mark 4, we learn that Jesus is a man of power. He is on the sea with His disciples. A great storm arises, and Jesus remains calmly asleep. His disciples wonder if He even cares about them? Mark records:
“Then He arose and rebuked the wind, and said to the sea, ‘Peace, be still!’ And the wind ceased and there was a great calm. But He said to them, ‘Why are you so fearful? How is it that you have no faith?’ And they feared exceedingly, and said to one another, ‘Who can this be, that even the wind and the sea obey Him!’” (vss. 38-41).
Jesus was a man of power—even power over nature! From this account, we can learn an important lesson about the power of Christ in our own lives. When our lives are like that tumultuous sea, when waves attack us from every side, when there is chaos and unrest, the only way that calm can arise is if Jesus does the calming. The only way that lives will truly be worth living is if we are willing to make Jesus the center, the apex, of our lives. Jesus said in John 10:10, “I have come that they may have life, and that they may have it more abundantly.” In John 14:6, Jesus said, “I am the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to the Father except through Me.” The power of Christ enables us to be a powerful people. In Philippians 4:13, the apostle Paul said, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” The “smallest man in the world” is the person who says, “I can’t do anything. I’m worthless. My life doesn’t count for anything. But the opposite of that is the person who says, “With God’s help, I can do anything He wants me to do.” What kind of people will we be? Will we have small goals and objectives, or will convert the world with the Gospel of Christ? Jesus doesn’t have power just over nature. He also can exhibit power in our lives, too.
Timothy Sparks:
From Mark 1-4, we learn much about prayer. We need to be people who pray! James 5:16 teaches us that “the effective fervent prayer of a righteous man avails much.” We are to “continue earnestly in prayer, being vigilant in it with thanksgiving” (Col. 4:2). We are to be people of constant prayer—people who “pray without ceasing” (1 Thess. 5:17). It has been said that prayer moves the Hand that moves the world. If Jesus, the Master Teacher, saw the need to go to God in prayer, then we, too, need to go to God in prayer.
We also need to be people who engage our minds. And as we do, we need to be willing to accept and do whatever Jesus asks of us. He is the Great Physician. He alone can heal us of our sin. God has given us a plan of salvation in the New Testament. You can read it for yourself. In John 8:24, Jesus said, “If you do not believe that I am He, you will die in your sins.” We must believe that Jesus is Lord of our lives, and is the risen Savior Who died for our sins. We must believe that so much that we are willing to change. Jesus demands that when I become His child, I change from the world to Him. In Luke 13:3, Jesus said, “Unless you repent, you shall all likewise perish.” Plus, we must make the good confession that Jesus is the Son of God (Romans 10:9-10), and then we must be baptized for the remission of our sins. Jesus said, “He that believes and is baptized shall be saved” (Mark 16:16). As the apostle Peter said, baptism “does also now save us” (1 Peter 3:21). And then we can live faithful lives to Jesus (Rev. 2:10). Once we have become a child of God, everything we think, say, or do must center on, and revolve around, Jesus Christ as the main focus of our lives.
Today, it is our hope and prayer
that you will continue in your study of the Word of God. Do not take our word
on any of this, but search the Bible. And if the things we are saying are true,
they are true because God said them, not because we said them. If you would
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1. To whom was the Book of Mark written?
2. What is the overall theme of the Book of Mark?
3. What is the difference between Jesus baptism and any other person’s baptism?
4. What is the definition of “baptism”?
5. According to Romans 6:3-4, what is one of the purposes of baptism? According to Acts 2:38 and 1 Peter 3:21, what is another purpose?
6. Why did Jesus need to pray?
7. Why was it possible for Jesus to forgive sins?
8. When Jesus told a paralytic that his sins had been forgiven, and then He healed the man, what lesson was Jesus teaching those who witnessed this event?
9. How is it possible for the thief who died at the same time as Jesus to go to Paradise without being baptized (Lk. 23:43)?
10. Today, do we live under the Old Law or the New Law? Under the law that applies to us today, is it possible to be saved without being baptized?
11. When Jesus healed a man with a withered hand on the Sabbath Day, did He sin by dong so? If so, why? If not, why not?
12. Jesus said that the scribes and Pharisees were hypocrites, because they “tithed mint and anise and cumin,” yet “left undone the weightier matters of the law—justice, mercy, and faith.” What was Jesus’ point in this passage (Mt. 23:23) and in Mark 3:3-6?
13. How do Matthew 23:23 and Mark 3:3-6 apply to Christians today?
14. If the “commandments of men” will not save us (Mt. 15:9), what will?
15. Why did Jesus eat with sinners like tax collectors (Mk. 2:17)?
16. Explain this statement: “Jesus is a man of impartiality.” Incorporate into your
answer Mark 3:32-35.
17. Explain Jesus’
statement in John 14:6 that “no man comes to the Father, but by me.”
18. What do passages
such as Colossians 4:2 and 1 Thessalonians 5:17 teach us about prayer?
19. Explain how Jesus used a raging sea to teach His disciples an important lesson about faith (Mk. 4:35-41).
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST,