Mark’s message and mission is to reflect, Jesus Christ
the Son of God, The Servant King.
Mark 10:45 says it best:
For
even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his
life as a ransom for many.”
True to that ministry of humility Mark doesn’t even
provide his name.
But almost every Church father and historian agrees
this gospel was written by Mark.
More precisely, John Mark.
It was common for first century Jews that had dealings
with the Roman world to add a Roman name to their given Jewish name.
Perhaps we can think of it as, John, doing business as,
Mark.
Mark’s mom had a house in Jerusalem large enough to be used as a meeting place for prayer. Tradition says the Upper Room in that house was the location of the Last Supper. In Acts 12:12, Peter went there after an angel released him from prison, and there he found the Church in prayer, for him to be released from prison.
As a teenager in the house Mark was greatly influenced
by the ministry of Jesus.
He may have even been tagging along on the night Jesus
was betrayed... and perhaps became the first streaker. “Now a certain
young man followed Him, having a linen cloth thrown
around his naked body. And the young men laid hold of
him, 52 and he left the linen cloth and fled from
them naked.” (Mark 14:51-52).
As a young man Mark went on the first missionary
journey with his cousin Barnabus, and the apostle Paul. For reasons we don’t
know, young Mark left that journey early. Paul was upset with Mark and didn’t
want him to go with them again. Barnabus, the encourager, was upset with Paul
for being upset with Mark.
So much so that they parted ways. Mark went with
Barnabus and Paul went with Silas. Acts 15:36–41.
Later, they reconciled and Paul complimented Mark as a fellow worker, comfort and useful in ministry. Colossians 4:10–11, 2 Timothy 4:11, Philemon 24.
Mark also ministered with Peter. Perhaps he was
Peter’s protégé, because Peter calls him his “son”. 1 Peter 5:13.
It’s believed that under inspiration of the Holy
Spirit, Mark put to pen, Peter’s words regarding the life of Christ and thus we
have the Gospel According to Mark.
Mark didn’t let any grass grow under his feet.
He not only served ministers like Barnabus and Paul
and Peter but is considered one of the most influential figures in the spread
of Christianity in Africa.
The last leg of Mark’s ministry journey was to Egypt
settling in Alexandria, which was a major intellectual and pagan hub in the
ancient world.
There Mark got busy about his Father’s business of soul
winning and disciple making.
Same thing we’re called to do. Simply spreading the
Good News of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. This life will soon be past, only
what’s done for Christ will last.
Mark stayed the course and before long the Church of Alexandria
was born.
As is often the case, the Good News about Jesus was
bad news for the bad guys, the pagan religious system.
The Truth offends the lie.
How do we know we’re living in days of deception?
Everybody is so easily offended.
Getting offended is opposite the character
of Godliness.
Mark spoke the Truth in a den of lies, and thus, like
Christ, Mark became a marked man.
The demonic hatred grew until one Easter Sunday Service
the mob stormed the Church and tied Mark with ropes and hooks and dragged him
through the streets until his flesh was shredded and scattered up and down the
rocky streets of the city.
But he was still breathing. So, they cast him in
prison for the night.
Even then, Mark wouldn’t relent, wouldn’t plead for
mercy, did not beg for his life. For he knew they couldn’t take his life, it
was already given to Christ.
To live is Christ, to die is gain. Philippians 1:21.
To be absent from the body is to be present with the
Lord. 2 Corinthians 5:8.
So, the next day, the demonized mob drug him again,
until Mark echoed the words of his Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, “Into Thy
hands I commit my spirit.” And with that, Minister Mark, entered Eternal Life.
The mad mob was not satisfied, because sin never is.
As they prepared to burn Mark’s body to ashes, a heavy storm poured down on
their plans.
Which allowed the Christians to retrieve and
respectfully bury Mark’s body.
John
15:13
Greater love has no one than this, that someone lay down his life for his
friends.
Indeed, Mark did that, lived that. Do we?
Today Mark is credited as the founder of the Church of
Alexandria and is recognized as the first Pope of Alexandria by the Coptic
Orthodox Church.
Archeological artifacts regarding Mark’s ministry are split
between Saint Mark’s Coptic Orthodox Cathedral in Cairo, Egypt and the Basilica
of St. Mark in Venice, Italy.
The Gospel of Mark reveals Jesus Christ the Son of God,
The Servant King, busy about His Father’s business.
This fast paced Gospel, spotlights Jesus Christ as a
Man on the move, leading by serving, sacrificially, continuously.
Mark is already running when he opens the gate of the
Good News, looking back only once, just long enough to point to a couple prophets
that predicted the forerunner, John the Baptist, who preached and baptized, “Repent”
and pointed toward the One to come, whose shoe latchet he wasn’t fit to
unloose.
Then, it’s full steam ahead as Jesus steps onto the
scene and into the water, is baptized by John, then, led by the Spirit into the
wilderness with wild beasts to be tempted by the devil and then, ministered to
by angels.
Then John goes to prison and Jesus goes to Galilee,
picking up where John left off preaching, “Repent”.
Then Jesus calls fishermen to be fishers of men.
Then He casts out a demon in the middle of Church.
Then He heals Peter’s mom.
Then, the sun goes down and the diseased and demonized
show up. Without slowing down Jesus heals and delivers.
Then, Jesus is up before the sun and out and alone, and
in prayer.
When they finally find Him, He’s says it’s time to go,
and they’re off, from town to town preaching and teaching and casting out demons.
Then, along comes a leper, saying, “If You are
willing, You can make me clean.”
Jesus, moved with compassion, and, for the first time
it seems, He causes time to stand still, as He reaches out, and touches the
untouchable, saying, “I AM willing, be clean.”
Then, in that moment, the leper, is a leper, no more.
And all of that was just the highlights of the first
chapter of this Glorious Gospel.
Now, before we enter the Holy Ground of
this Sacred Scripture let’s prepare our hearts by going back in our
imaginations to the first century.
You are about to hear this Gospel being read for the
very first time.
You are not sitting safely, comfortably, but hiding
under the city of Rome, in a damp, dark, catacomb, surrounded by bones and
skulls and cadavers saturating the atmosphere with the stench of death.
Why are we hiding?
Because Emperor Nero is nuts.
He hunts folks like us, Christians.
If he catches us, he’ll cover us in animal skins and feed
us to wild dogs. Or he’ll dip us in tar oil, hang us from a post and ignite us
like a torch to illuminate his garden. Or, for sport he’ll put us in the center
of the crowded coliseum and turn the hungry lions loose.
We don’t want to die like that, so we take precautions
when we gather to hear the Good News.
Yes, it’s dangerous.
Yes, we may get caught.
Yes, we may be fed to wild animals, or burned alive...
But we will never stop.
To stop would be like trying to go on living, but
doing so, without breathing.
Gathering and Hearing His Word is our Daily Bread, our
Breath of Life.
There.
Now that you’ve been introduced to Mark.
Now that you understand the perils of the preaching of
this book.
We will open the door, and cross the threshold, and
begin our journey together through this Glorious Gospel of Mark.
But first, we must pause and pray.
Lord Jesus, how can we thank You for the price that was paid to prepare and preserve Your Holy Word for us to freely read? How should we live, how can we serve, what can we do, to honor You and carry on this legacy of Love You’ve left us? When our lives are said and done, we pray we’ll be known as soul winners and disciple makers, so that of all those You’ve given us, none are lost.
Thank You.
We love You, forever.
Amen.
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This was feed for you to read. Now it’s
Seed for you to sow.
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