New Testament survey (02): Mark

And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. (Mark 1:15)

For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)

Overview

[1] Mark, from Thru The Bible Radio with Dr. J. Vernon McGee ©, with free downloads Notes & Outlines (PDF), Complete 5-Year Study (MP3), The Unpardonable Sin (PDF), Wanted: Stretcher Bearers (PDF), and Why Four Gospels? (PDF).

It is a Gospel of action because Simon Peter was that kind of man. It is a Gospel of action, written to the Roman who was also a man of action.

In Mark’s Gospel, Jesus lays aside the regal robes of kingship and girds Himself with the towel of service. He is King in Matthew’s Gospel: He is the Servant in the Gospel of Mark. But He is no man’s servant; He is God’s Servant. Mark expresses it by stating the words of our Lord, “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45).

In Mark’s Gospel Jesus is presented as the Servant of Jehovah. This fulfills Isaiah 42:1–2: “Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him: he shall bring forth judgment to the Gentiles. He shall not cry, nor lift up, nor cause his voice to be heard in the street.”

Why are there four Gospels? One reason is that they were written to different people. Matthew was written for the nation Israel; it was written for the religious man. Mark was written specifically for the Roman, and it was suited for the Roman times. It was written for the strong man. The Romans ruled the world for a millennium. The Gospel of Mark was written for such people. The Romans actually had subjugated the world; they had brought peace and justice, good roads, law and order, protection; but it was a forced peace. The iron heel of Rome was on mankind, and it had to pay a price. Rome was a strong dictatorship. (Read the complete article)

[2] Gospel of Mark, from gotquestions.org (this website is also available in Afrikaans, Arabic, Bengali, Burmese-Myanmar, Cebuano, Chinese- Simplified, Chinese – Traditional, Hausa, Hindi, Indonesian, Japanese, Khmer, Korean, Malaysian, Persian-Farsi, Portuguese, Quechua, Sesotho, Spanish, Swahili, Tagalog, Tamil, Thai, Urdu, Vietnamese, Zulu, and 70 other languages)

Whereas Matthew is written primarily to his fellow Jews, Mark’s gospel appears to be targeted to the Roman believers, particularly Gentiles. Mark wrote as a pastor to Christians who previously had heard and believed the Gospel (Romans 1:8). He desired that they have a biographical story of Jesus Christ as Servant of the Lord and Savior of the world in order to strengthen their faith in the face of severe persecution and to teach them what it meant to be His disciples. (Read the complete article)

[3] The Gospel According to Mark, from Blue Letter Bible

One of the most predominant themes in Mark's Gospel is the messianic secret. Jesus does not reveal, or admit to, his Messiahship in the first half of Mark's Gospel. In the second half of the Gospel, however, he acknowledges it to the disciples after Peter's confession, but commands them not to tell anybody (Mark 8:27-30). The demons realized who he was, but even they were commanded to stay silent (Mark 1:34; 3:12 et al.). Some who were healed by Jesus also knew who he was, yet they too were commanded to keep it to themselves (Mark 1:43-45 et al.). The messianic secret reaches its pinnacle at the confession of the centurion who said that Jesus truly was the Son of God (Mark 15:39). (Read the complete article)

[4] From Scofield Reference Notes (1917 Edition)

WRITER: The writer of the second Gospel, Mark, called also John, was the son of one the New Testament "Marys", and nephew of Barnabas. He was an associate of the apostles, and is mentioned in the writings of Paul and of Luke Acts 12:12,25; 15:37,39; Colossians 4:10; 2 Timothy 4:11; Philemon 1:24.

DATE: The date of Mark has been variously placed between A.D. 57 and 63.

THEME: The scope and purpose of the book are evident from its contents. In it Jesus is seen as the mighty Worker, rather than as the unique Teacher. It is the Gospel of Jehovah's "Servant the Branch" Zechariah 3:8 as Matthew is the Gospel of the "Branch. . .unto David" Jeremiah 33:15.

Everywhere the servant character of the incarnate Son is manifest. The key verse is Mark 10:45. "For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister." The characteristic word is "straightway," a servant's word. There is no genealogy, for who gives the genealogy of a servant? The distinctive character of Christ in Mark is that set forth in Philippians 2:6-8.

But this lowly Servant, who emptied Himself of the "form of God," "and was found in fashion as a man," was, nevertheless, "the mighty God" Isaiah 9:6 as Mark distinctly declares (Mark 1:1) and therefore mighty works accompanied and authenticated His ministry. As befits a Servant-Gospel, Mark is characteristically a Gospel of deeds, rather than on words.

The best preparation of the heart for the study of Mark is the prayerful reading of Isaiah 42:1-21; 50:4-1152:13-53:12; Zechariah 3:8; Philippians 2:5-8.

Mark is in five principal divisions:

1. The manifestation of the Servant-Son, Mark 1:1-11.
2. The Servant-Son tested as to His fidelity, Mark 1:12,13.
3. The Servant-Son at work, Mark 1:14-13:37.
4. The Servant-Son "obedient unto death," Mark 14:1-15:47.
5. The ministry of the risen Servant-Son, now exalted to all authority, Mark 16:1-20.

The events recorded in this book cover a period of 7 years.

Discussion

[1] Key verses: Mark 1:11,15,17; 10:14-15, 45; 12:33; 16:6, 15

[2] What is man’s saving response to the Gospel? “Repent and believe” (Mark 1:15)

[3] The Apostle Paul had serious disagreement with Barnabas about Mark who had abandoned them (Acts 15:37-38). Despite this failure, Mark became useful again in the ministry. Near the end of Paul’s life, he called for Mark to be with him (2 Timothy 4:11).

[4] Mark was written for the Romans or Gentile believers, as proven by his translations of Jewish words and customs for his Roman audience (Mark 3:17; 5:41; 7:3-4, 11, 34; 12:18; 14:36; 15:6, 16, 22, 34, 42).

[5] The characteristic words in Mark are “straightway” and “immediately” . The word “immediately” is used 41 times in Mark, and only 19 times elsewhere in the New Testament.

[6] Old Testament references in Mark: John the Baptist (Mark 1:3 from Isaiah 40:3); Christ’s rebuke of the Pharisees (Mark 7:6 from Isaiah 29:13); scattering of the disciples (Mark 14:27 from Zechariah 13:7); driving the moneychangers out of the Temple (Mark 11:15-17 from Isaiah 56:7, and Jeremiah 7:11); Christ being the cornerstone (Mark 12:10-11 from Psalm 118:22-23).

[7] The Messianic secret: Jesus commands people not to tell anyone who He is (Mark 1:25, 34, 43-44; 3:12; 5:43; 7:36; 8:26, 30; 9:9, 30).

[8] Miracles of Christ as recorded in Mark:

• Demoniac healed in the synagogue at Capernaum (Mark 1:23-27)
• Leper healed (Mark 1:40-45)
• Peter’s wife’s mother cured (Mark 1:30-31)
• Man sick of the palsy cured (Mark 2:3-12)
• Man’s withered hand cured (Mark 3:1-5)
• The tempest stilled (Mark 4:37-41)
• Healing of Gadarene demoniac (Mark 5:1-13)
• Swine rush into the sea and drown (Mark 5:1-20)
• Jairus’s daughter raised from the dead (Mark 5:23, 35-43)
• Woman’s issue of blood cured (Mark 5:25-34)
• Jesus feeds 5,000 in a desert place (Mark 6:30-44)
• Jesus walks on the sea (Mark 6:48-50)
• Syro-Phoenician woman's daughter cured (Mark 7:24-30)
• The deaf and dumb man (Mark 7:31-37)
• Four thousand fed (Mark 8:1-9)
• The blind man of Bethsaida (Mark 8:22-26)
• A child with deaf and dumb spirit healed(Mark 9:14-20)
• Blind Bartimaeus healed (Mark 10:46-52)
• Fig tree cursed (Mark 11:12-14)

Note: Christ distinguished between people who were physically sick and those who were possessed by evil spirits: And at even, when the sun did set, they brought unto him all that were diseased, and them that were possessed with devils. And all the city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak because they knew him (Mark 1:32-34).

[9] Parables of Christ recorded in Mark:

• New cloth on old garment (Mark 2:21-22)
• The divided kingdom (Mark 3:23-27)
• The sower (Mark 4:1-20)
• The seed (Mark 4:26-29)
• The mustard seed (Mark 4:30-34)
• The heart of man (Mark 7:1-23)
• The husbandmen (Mark 12:1-12)
• The fig tree (Mark 13:28-37)

[10] Stories of Jesus’ conflicts with the Pharisees, scribes, etc

• Jesus’ healing of a paralyzed man (Mark 2:1-12)
• Jesus’ calling of Levi (Mark 2:13-17)
• The question about fasting (Mark 2:18-22)
• Plucking grain on the Sabbath (Mark 2:23-28)
• Healing of man with withered hand (Mark 3:1-6)

[11] Jesus predicts His suffering and crucifixion (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34).

[12] Jesus spends time away from the crowds to be alone with his disciples (Mark 3:7; 3:13; 4:10; 4:34; 4:35; 5:37; 6:7; 6:31-32; 7:17; 8:10; 8:27; 9:2; 9:28; 10:10; 10:23; 10:32; 10:42; 11:11; 12:43; 13:3).

[13] Jesus calls for commitment (the call to salvation is a call to discipleship)

• The need for self-denial and taking up one's cross (Mark 8:34)
• Saving and losing one's soul (Mark 8:35)
• Gaining the world and losing one's soul (Mark 8:36)
• In exchange for one's soul (Mark 8:37)
• Being ashamed (Mark 8:38)
• The Kingdom of God in power (Mark 9:1)

Further study (Be like the Bereans! Acts 17:11)

[1] Mark: Introduction, Argument, and Outline, by Daniel B. Wallace, Th.M., Ph.D. (also available in: Croatian)

[2] The Historical Reliability of the Gospels, by James M. Arlandson, Ph.D

[3] Interpreting Prophecy Today - Part 4: The Kingdom of God in the New Testament (continued), by John F. Walvoord

[4] A Follower’s Response - Mark 1:1-45, by Jeff Miller, Th.M.

Sermons on Mark 1:15 and 10:45 (Be like the Bereans! Acts 17:11)

[1] Sermons by Pastor Jeremy Stephens, Southview Baptist Church

• A Conquering King
• The Commencement of the Good News

[2] "What Do You Want Me To Do For You?" (Episode One), by Stephen Filyer, Bothwell and Clachan Baptist Churches

[3] Sermons by Timothy McGhee

• SF913 - The Seriousness of Sin (Matthew 5 27-30)
• sf1023 - The Nature Of True Repentance (Mark 1 14-15)

[4] Personal Evangelism Outline, by Theodore Edwards

[5] A Voice of Purpose, by Alan Wilkerson

[6] Repent And Believe, by Carl R. Garrison

[7] Distortions of the Cross, by Josh Kelley

[8] Why Did Jesus Think He Had To Die? Part 3, by Jeff Lovitt

[9] Topical - Evangelism - Personal Evangelism, Ronnie Mitchell

[10] The Son of Man Came to Serve, by David E. Holden

For other available sermons, please surf to Sermon / Preaching resources. Sermons are also available from South McGehee Baptist Church, McGehee, Arizona; Central Baptist Church, Lowesville; First Baptist Church, Mountain View, Missouri; Swift Creek Baptist Church; Word of Life Baptist Church, Pottsville, Philadelphia; Palm Springs Baptist Church, California; South Woods Baptist Church; Grove Baptist Church, Ulster; Dudley Baptist Church, United Kingdom; Independent Fundamental Baptist Sermons, Fundamental Christian Radio Broadcasts, Off-Site Audio Page and The Christian Radio Tuner

Notes: (1) This ministry does not necessarily endorse or share all the views and opinions expressed in the materials, resources or links mentioned in these posts. Please always refer to the Articles of Faith and Biblical distinctives of Baptists when you study these materials. (2) This lesson is part of the projected 300 plus lessons. From time to time, the lessons will be updated, revised, combined, formatted, and edited to comply with the VOA Simplified English word list. Later on, these lessons will be categorized, numbered sequentially, and made available as PDF downloads.