OVERVIEW: The Servant teaches (chapter 7:1-8:26); the Servant reveals that suffering leads to glory (chapter 8:27-9:13); the Servant reveals that power comes from faith (chapter 9:14-29); the Servant reveals that service leads to honor (chapter 9:30-50).
HIGHLIGHTS & INSIGHTS:
For the past several days we’ve been laying down the pieces that will give us the “big picture” of Mark’s Gospel. Today, let’s begin by pulling all the pieces together into a concise, easy-to-open package.
- Information About the Author.
- His name: Mark
- His name means: “A Defense”
- His mother’s name is Mary. (Acts 12:12)
- He is also called John. (Acts 12:12, 25; 15:37)
- He is also referred to in scripture as Marcus. (Col. 4:10, Phm. 1:24; 1 Pet. 5:13)
- His uncle is Barnabus. (Col. 4:10)
- He was a minister or servant on Paul’s first missionary journey. (Acts 15:48)
- He quit the team (45 A.D.). (Acts 13:13)
- He was rejected by Paul as a participant on the second missionary journey. (Acts 15:48)
- He became profitable for the ministry again (66 A.D.). (2 Tim. 4:11)
- He was a convert of the Apostle Peter. (1 Pet. 5:13)
- Facts About the Gospel
- Approximate date of writing: 57-63 A.D.
- Written from: Jerusalem
- Dates of the recorded events: 26 A.D. – 33 A.D.
- Theme: Christ as the Willing Servant
- Christ is seen as: The Servant of the Lord
- Key Verse: Mark 10:45
- Key Words: Straightway (19 times); Immediately (17 times)
- Chapters: 16, Verses: 678, Words: 15,844
- Features of This Gospel
- This Gospel refers to Christ as Lord only two times in contrast to the other three gospels which refer to Christ as Lord a total of 73 times.
- This Gospel lets us know not only WHAT Christ did in His earthly ministry, but HOW He did it.
- This Gospel contains 11 fulfilled prophecies.
- A Simple Outline of This Gospel
- The Servant’s WORK (Chapters 1-10)
- The Servant’s SACRIFICE (Chapters 11-16)
Allow me to offer a few “pithy” comments as we move through today’s reading:
- 7:1 – As soon as you see the scribes and Pharisees approaching, you can bank on it–it ain’t gonna be good!
- 7:7 –This little definition will let you know that the scribes and Pharisees live on in many Bible-believing churches. The tell-tale sign is that they “teach for doctrines the commandments of men.” They pride themselves in their “holy standards”, and see themselves as those who champion God’s Word, while Jesus says they actually “make the Word of God of none effect through [their] tradition.” (7:13)
- 7:15 – It’s not the stuff we put in our mouths that God is concerned about, it’s the things that come out of our mouths!
- 7:20-23 – As in every sin situation, “The heart of the problem is the problem of the heart!”
- 7:34 – This is an unbelievably powerful glimpse into God’s heart. Check this out… before Jesus heals this guy, “He sighed.” What’s that “sigh” about? Jesus recognizes that it wasn’t supposed to be this way! Sickness, disease, handicaps, etc., are all part of the curse of sin that we invited upon ourselves.
- 8:12 – This is a different “sigh” here. This is the “How-proud-can-these-Pharisees-get” sigh!
- 8:14 – The disciples get themselves a little worked up because there’s only one loaf of bread in the boat between them all, and fail to realize that the very “Bread of life” is in the boat! (We can’t be too harsh on them, however, we do it just about every day.)
- 8:29-33 – It is amazing that people can be used of God in one breath (Matt. 16:17), and used of Satan in the next! Don’t forget that. (Remember, it’s just as true about me and you as it is for the person you just thought of!)
- 9:5-7 – With a bad case of diarrhea of the mouth, Peter is spouting off, talking for the sake of talking! (9:6) You’ve just gotta love how the Father interrupts him: “This is my beloved Son: hear him.” If I may paraphrase, “Yeah, yeah, Peter, thank you for your wonderful ideas, but it’s not time to talk right now, it’s time to listen!” I wonder how many times, on a daily basis, God would like to speak a similar rebuke to us!
- 9:29 – Maybe this prescription is what it will take for God to answer that unanswered prayer request that you believe to be His will!
- 9:31-32 – We call this “selective hearing.” (Ladies, you know that we men have a bad case of it!) We hear what we want to hear, and don’t hear what we don’t want to hear.
- 9:33-35 – Remember, as Laodiceans (Rev. 3:14–22; 2 Tim. 3:1–2), we are characterized biblically by the love of SELF! Sometimes rather than “denying ourSELVES” (8:34), we have simply traded arenas where self vaunts itself. Before coming to Christ, we vaunted ourselves in the WORLD. Many times, after coming to Christ, we vaunt ourselves in the CHURCH! Oh, God, help us! (see 3 John 9)
- 9:43-48 – The Jehovah’s False Witnesses would have us believe that hell is actually nothing but the grave. Dig up any grave anywhere on this entire planet, however, and you’ll not find it burning with unquenchable fire!
- 9:50 – Is there anyone with whom you need to seek peace today?