THE GOSPEL OF
CHRIST
SPREADING THE SOUL-SAVING MESSAGE OF JESUs
(Chapters 9-13)
Introduction by narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST.
Spreading the soul-saving message of Jesus. And now,
Ben Bailey:
“Assuredly, I say to you that there are some standing here who will not taste death till they see the kingdom of God present with power” (Mk. 9:1). I’m Ben Bailey.
And I’m
In Mark 9, we find Christ talking about His kingdom
being present “with power.” Wherever there is a kingdom, there naturally has to be a
king. Jesus is the King of His kingdom. The word “kingdom” simply means “the domain of a king.”
Jesus has a kingdom. We learn from John 18:36, however, that the
Ben Bailey:
Jesus’ reign is spiritual in nature. And this relates directly to the type of power and authority He has. In Mark 9:2-5, we read the following:
“Now after six days Jesus took Peter, James, and John, and led them up on a high mountain apart by themselves; and He was transfigured before them. His clothes became shining, exceedingly white, like snow, such as no launderer on earth can whiten them. And Elijah appeared to them with Moses, and they were talking with Jesus. Then Peter answered and said to Jesus, ‘Rabbi, it is good for us to be here; and let us make three tabernacles: one for You, one for Moses, and one for Elijah.’”
The text goes on to say that “a cloud came and overshadowed them; and a voice came out of the cloud, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!’” Jesus is the One to Whom we should listen today. Whenver I read the account of Jesus’ transfiguration, I cannot help but be reminded of the inspiration of God’s Word. In 2 Peter 1:15-21, Peter addresses the Bible’s inspiration as he reflects back on the events that occurred during Jesus’ transfiguration. Peter says that the Word of God that we possess is as sure and trustworthy as the words that he, James, and John heard on the mountain when they were with Jesus. What words had they heard? They heard, “This is My beloved Son. Hear Him!” They actually heard the voice of God speak to them from Heaven. Thus, what a powerful commentary Peter’s comments are in 2 Peter 1:15-21 about the inspiration of God’s Word. The words of God that we have in our Bible are just as sure, just as much the Word of God, as the words of God that came down from Heaven at Jesus’ transfiguration. People often are heard to say that the Bible “contains some good material, but it also contains errors, mistakes, and contradictions, and it is not all true.” That is a false position. The psalmist wrote, “The entirety of Your word is truth, And every one of Your righteous judgments endures forever” (Ps. 119:160). The apostle Paul wrote to Timothy that “all Scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness, that the man of God may be complete, thoroughly equipped for every good work” (2 Tim. 3:16-17). When we approach the Bible, we should do so with the same attitude that Christ had when He said in John 17:17, “Sanctify them by Your truth. Your word is truth.” The Bible is the only communication from God that we possess, and is the only thing that will lead us to Heaven.
Timothy Sparks:
When Jesus spoke, He, too, spoke with authority. Matthew 7:28-29 records, “The people were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, not as their scribes.” In Mark 9, we learn of Christ’s kingdom, and of the fact that some of the people to whom He spoke would still be alive when that kingdom arrived with power. The kingdom and the church are one and the same, as we learn from Matthew 16. Jesus came to establish the church—and He accomplished what He came to do. He said that there would still be some alive when the church arrived. That implies, of course, that some of those to whom He spoke might not be alive. One of those who died was Judas, the apostle who chose to betray Christ. Others (like Peter and John) would be alive when the church arrived—as we learn from Acts 2.
In Mark 9:43-49, Jesus discussed how it is better to lose a part of the body in order to save the whole body, than to keep that part and, as a result, see the whole body destroyed in the flames of Hell.
“If
your hand causes you to sin, cut it off. It is better for you to enter into
life maimed, rather than having two hands, to go to hell, into the fire
that shall never be quenched—where ‘Their worm does not die, And
the fire is not quenched.’ And if your foot causes you to sin, cut it off.
It is better for you to enter life lame, rather than having two feet, to be
cast into hell, into the fire
that shall never be quenched—where ‘Their worm does not die, And the fire is not quenched.’ And
if your eye causes you to sin, pluck it out. It is better for you to
enter the kingdom of God with one eye, rather than having two eyes, to be cast
into hell fire—where ‘Their worm does not die, and
the fire is not quenched.’”
Jesus wanted people to know that it would be far better to
lose a part of the body than to lose
the whole body in Hell. Hell is eternal in nature. We sometimes hear people
speak of
“spending eternity” somewhere. Eternity cannot be “spent” because time does not
exist there.
A Gospel song correctly suggests that when we’ve been there ten thousand years,
we have just as much time as when we first began. Humans cannot fully
understand the concept of eternity, because everything we know has a beginning
and an end. One way that Jesus tried to help His audience understand the horror of Hell was
to say it was a place where “the worm
does not die, and the fire is not quenched.”
Jesus had more to say about Hell than anyone else whose words are recorded within the pages of the
New Testament. Jesus warned
against Hell, because He understood that when a person goes to Hell, he or
she misses out on Heaven. But Jesus also talked to people about how to become a Christian—a member of
His kingdom—so that they would enjoy peace here and now, and even greater things in Heaven.
Ben Bailey:
It’s interesting, is it not, that almost everyone, so it seems, wants to believe in Heaven. But there are few who really want to acknowledge the existence of Hell. We like the positive, but we don’t want to think about the negative. The fact is, Hell is a place prepared for those who do not live according to God’s will. In Mark 10, we find a parallel passage to Matthew 19:1-2, where Jesus is put on the defensive in regard to the topic of marriage, divorce, and remarriage.
“The Pharisees came and asked Him, ‘Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?’ testing Him. And He answered and said to them, ‘What did Moses command you?’ They said, ‘Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.’ And Jesus answered and said to them, ‘Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept. But from the beginning of the creation, God made them male and female. For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, and the two shall become one flesh; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh. Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate’” (vss. 2-9).
Jesus made the point that Moses, because of the hardness of their hearts, had permitted them to divorce their wives. But Jesus went on to say that “from the beginning,” God intended marriage to be between one man and one woman for life. In Mark 10:11-12, He said, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another, commits adultery against her. And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery” Matthew 19:9 expands Christ’s statement with the phrase “except for fornication.” If a person divorces his mate (for any reason other than fornication) and marries another person, then he is living in adultery. If a person’s mate committed fornication, then that person (as the innocent party) would have the right to remarry. People suggest today that there are innumerable reasons why you can divorce and remarry. But that simply isn’t true. God permits divorce for only one reason: fornication. Anything other than that is outside of what God says, and is outside of the Bible’s boundaries for a scriptural marriage. The Bible plan is that one man and one woman should live in marriage forever. Man cannot separate such a marriage, even if he tries. God is the only One Who can perform such a separation. There is indeed a lot of divorce going on the world today. But that doesn’t make it right. I think we can help people understand the importance and permanence of marriage if we help them to understand that, when they enter into that union, it is the second most important step they will take in their entire life (the first being when they become a Christian). When you enter into marriage, you enter into a permanent, binding relationship. We need to take marriage seriously. Too many times, people take a flippant attitude toward marriage. The idea today is, all too often, that if a marriage doesn’t work out, people can simply divorce and “try it again.” That is a sad commentary on where our society is today. God placed sex only within the bond of marriage. The writer of the Book of Hebrews said, “Marriage is honorable among all, and the bed undefiled; but fornicators and adulterers God will judge” (Heb. 13:4). When viewed properly, and when it follows the biblical pattern, marriage is such a beautiful thing.
Timothy Sparks:
As we continue reading through Mark 10:23-27, we see that
Jesus warns against riches and the wealth that this world can provide. He
stresses, twice, how difficult it
can be for those who are wealthy to enter into the
Ben Bailey:
A specific problem had arisen among Christ’s own followers. Some of them wanted to know who was going to be “the greatest” in the kingdom—who was going to be “in first place.” Sadly, even though these men had been with Jesus longer than anyone else, He still had to stop and teach them that the important thing was not being “the greatest,” or being “in first place,” but rather being a servant unto all. Jesus said, “Whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all. For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mk. 10:43-45). Think about Who Christ is. He is God in the flesh. Jesus came to this Earth and took on human form—not to lord it over us, but instead to be a servant to us. He “did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross” (Phil. 2:6-9). We need to remember that Christianity is not about others serving me. Too many times, we have the wrong attitude of “What can I get out of this?,” or “What can someone else do for me?” We should not ask what God can do for us, but rather, what we can do for God! We should search daily for ways to better serve God. Christians must be workers. If they are not, they cannot faithfully serve the Lord. Paul said: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord” (1 Cor. 15:58). We know that our efforts on behalf of God and His church are not in vain. John wrote, “Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord from now on. Yes, says the Spirit, that they may rest from their labors, and their works follow them” (Rev. 14:13). If we exalt ourselves, God will humble us. But if we humble ourselves, God will exalt us (Lk. 14: 11). Jesus’ point in Mark 10 was, “Be like me; be a servant.” This is quite humbling. The Son of God took on a fleshly form—and became a servant! We today need to heed this message, and not think more highly of ourselves than we ought.
Timothy Sparks:
We cannot serve the Lord if we refuse to serve others. We serve Christ
by serving others. That’s what He came to do. And that’s what we must do. In Mark 11, we
see Christ’s public entrance into
As we continue through Mark 11, we also see Jesus as a Man of forgiveness. He taught the people, “And whenever you stand praying, if you have anything against anyone, forgive him, that your Father in heaven may also forgive you your trespasses. But if you do not forgive, neither will your Father in heaven forgive your trespasses” (vss. 25-26). Jesus wanted the people to know that if they did not forgive those who sinned against them, then God would not forgive them when they sinned against Him. As He talked to them, Jesus knew that while at the present time they were willing to praise, exalt, and glorify Him, eventually they would turn on Him and crucify Him. He knew that, ultimately, He would have to exercise the very forgiveness He was teaching them at that moment in time. Jesus thus becomes the ultimate example of how to forgive those who have sinned against us.
Ben Bailey:
When we have a problem with a brother or sister, Christ’s example teaches us how to forgive and how to heal. In Mark 12, we see Jesus as a Man of the Scriptures—a Man Who can wield the Scriptures with power against those who teach false doctrine. The Sadducees came to Jesus with their “paradox.”
“Teacher, Moses wrote to us that if a man's brother dies, and leaves his wife behind, and leaves no children, his brother should take his wife and raise up offspring for his brother. Now there were seven brothers. The first took a wife; and dying, he left no offspring. And the second took her, and he died; nor did he leave any offspring. And the third likewise. So the seven had her and left no offspring. Last of all the woman died also. Therefore, in the resurrection, when they rise, whose wife will she be? For all seven had her as wife” (vss. 19-24).
Jesus, of course, had no problem answering their question. He said to them, “Are you not therefore mistaken, because you do not know the Scriptures nor the power of God? For when they rise from the dead, they neither marry nor are given in marriage, but are like angels in heaven” (vss. 19-25).
Then He dealt with their own false doctrine (the idea that there was no such thing as a resurrection). He said, “But concerning the dead, that they rise, have you not read in the book of Moses, in the burning bush passage, how God spoke to him, saying, ‘I am the God of Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob’? He is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living. You are therefore greatly mistaken” (vss. 26-27). Notice that God did not say, “I was the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” Rather, He said “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” When He said that, Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob had already died. If God is not the God of the dead, but the God of the living, what, then, does it imply when God says, “I am the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob.” It implies that those men were still living in some fashion. Thus, their souls had not ceased to exist—which provided ample proof that there was a resurrection. Jesus, being a Man of the Scriptures, said to the Sadducees, “You are mistaken, not knowing the Scriptures nor the power of God” (Mt. 22:29). Jesus knew the Scriptures well, and rebuked (albeit with kindness) those who taught error. Christians need to be “people of the Scriptures.” We need to be people who know the Bible so well that when someone advocates error, we can stand up and say (albeit with kindness), “That’s not correct; here’s what the Bible says about this matter. Let’s let the Bible be our guide. Let’s study this further and see what God has to say on this issue.” We also need to be the type of people who will teach our friends—with a loving, kind attitude—when we find them steeped in religious error. We don’t want a single soul to be lost. People who are in error are not going to be saved. I can’t say that I’m really their friend if I know they are in error and I don’t teach them the truth. Jesus proved Himself to be people’s friend—because He loved them enough to teach them the truth. If they didn’t accept what He taught, that was their fault. We, like Jesus, need to be people of the Scriptures. It’s so sad that, in years gone by, Christians used to be respected for their knowledge of the Bible, while now, in some instances, they are called derogatory names like “Bible thumper” or “Bible banger.”
Timothy Sparks:
It’s sad when someone makes fun of a Christian for knowing the Bible. We are commanded to be able to defend what we believe (1 Pet. 3:15). We should be, to use an old phrase, “Bible-totin’, Scripture-quotin’” people. We need to be people who know, revere, and respect the Word of God. God has placed within our hands His eternal Word. The Bible is the only book that comes directly from Heaven, and is the only book that can lead us to Heaven.
Mark 13 tells us that Jesus was a Man of vigilance. We, too, must be watchful people—people who live so that, whenever the Lord returns, we are ready. We do not know when He will come. All we know is that He will return “as a thief in the night” (1 Thess. 5:2). Christ is coming unexpectedly, but He is coming. Because His return is imminent, we need to prepare our lives, before eternity arrives. God wants all people to be saved, and to come to a knowledge of the truth (1 Tim. 2:4). We learn from 2 Peter 3:9 that God is patient with us, “not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance.” People cannot be saved, however, without the Gospel of Christ. If you believe that Jesus is the Son of God, and if you will genuinely repent of your sins by changing your heart and your mind, you can make the good confession that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God, and you can be baptized into Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. Then, you can live a faithful Christian life and have the hope of heaven as you try to do the greatest amount of good in the time that you have left on this Earth.
We want to extend to you a heartfelt and personal
invitation to attend the
Narrator accompanied by a cappella singing:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST is brought to you by loving, caring members of the church of Christ. The McLish Avenue church of Christ in Ardmore, Oklahoma, oversees this evangelistic effort. For a free CD or DVD of today’s broadcast, please write to:
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST
You may call 580-223-3289. Please visit us on the
web at www.thegospelofchrist.com.
We encourage you to attend the
1. According to John 18:36, there is something that Christ’s kingdom is not. What is that “something”?
2. Mark 9:2-5 records the transfiguration of Christ. What is the main message of the transfiguration?
3. What one thing about Christ’s teaching caused the people to be “astonished”?
4. If Jesus told the people of His day that some of them would still be alive when His kingdomcame, what is the implication of His statements for those today who teach that Christ’s kingdom has not yet arrived?
5. In Mark 9:43-39, Jesus said that it would be better for one part of the body to be lost than for the entire body to be lost. What was the spiritual teaching He was offering?
6. Mark 10:11-2 and Matthew 19:1-2 are parallel passages. What is their main thrust?
7. Paul taught in Philippians 2:6-9 that Christ came as a “bondservant.” What is the implication of that for Christians today?
8. What was Jesus’ point when He said that it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich person to enter Heaven?
9. In Mark 10, Christ had to deal with a specific problem that had arisen among His own followers. What was that problem?
10. Paul said in 1 Corinthians 15:58: “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be steadfast, immovable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, knowing that your labor is not in vain in the Lord.” Why is our work not in vain?
11. Using Mark 11 and Mark 16, discuss how people can be “spiritually fickle.”
12. If someone sins against us, and we do not forgive them, what implication does that have in regard to God forgiving us when we sin against Him?
13. In Mark 12:26-27, how did Jesus refute the false view of the Sadducees on the resurrection?
14. According to Mark 12:19-25, what will not exist in Heaven?
15. Paul, writing in 1 Thessalonians 5:2, said that when the Lord’s Second Coming occurs, it will be sudden and without warning. He compared it to something that we might experience here on Earth during our everyday lives. What was that “something”?
16. What did Peter tell us to be ready to do (1 Peter 3:15)?
17. Who is the “greatest” in the kingdom of God?
THE GOSPEL OF CHRIST,