MARK THE BOOK OF THE SERVANTHOOD OF JESUS CHRIST

MARK - THE BOOK OF THE SERVANTHOOD OF JESUS CHRIST

Mark has been widely recognized as the simplest and most direct of all the gospels. It certainly is the shortest and most straight forward of all the gospel accounts.

Author

Like the other three Gospels, Mark is technically anonymous. However, from the first century the commonly held view has been that the author is John Mark of Jerusalem, and that his Gospel reflects Peter's version of Jesus' ministry. In the case of Mark, there are relatively few passages that give any hint concerning his own interests or personality and says nothing about his background or identity. Church history, however, is different. There is early and unanimous evidence that John Mark did in fact wrote the Gospel of Mark.

Recipients

Mark came from a prominent family in the early Jerusalem church. His parents were wealthy enough to own a large house and employ servants (Acts 12:12-13) and at least one of his close relatives, Barnabas, was a reasonably prosperous landowner (Acts 4:36-37; Colossians 4:10). The traditional belief is that Mark's family home was the place where Jesus held the last supper and where the disciples met in the early days of the church (Luke 22:11-13; Acts 1:13).

It is believed Mark was written before the destruction of Jerusalem, which occurred in 70 AD. Beyond that, little is known. Clement of Alexandria tells us in his writing that, “Mark was entreated by the Romans to record Peter ‟s preaching. If so, then the Gospel of Mark was written during his time with Peter at Rome between 61 and 67 AD Mark clearly wrote for Roman readers: Four main reasons are given for reaching this conclusion.

1.. It contains little emphasis on Jewish law and custom.

2. Latin phrases are often used where Greek terms could have served

3. Aramaic words are interpreted for the reader (Mk. 3:17, 5:41, 7:34, 15:22).

4. Early church history is almost unanimous in affirming that Mark wrote to Roman readers.

Message

The subject of Mark is Jesus Christ as a servant. It contains no genealogy, account of His virgin birth or history of His childhood. A servant needs to be seen in action, and his pedigree is not relevant. Mark is a book of deeds. The emphasis in Mark is on works, not words. There are only a few discourses and only 4 of the 15 parables of Matthew are seen. Jesus is pictured as a worker hastening from one task to another. The word “immediately” occurs over three dozen times in this gospel account. The key verse is Mark 10:45 where Jesus’ purpose is given as “To minister . . . to give His life”. So, Mark stresses the servant aspect of Jesus, ministry,

He is by no means silent concerning Jesus as teacher. Indeed, teaching is part of Jesus‟ work. His words grow out of His work, not His works out of His words. While Mark stresses the servanthood of Christ, he does not neglect the Sonship of Christ (Mk. 1:1). This Servant is also seen as the Son of God! The message is Jesus is the Son of God, who came to serve, die for sin, be resurrected, and commission His disciples to preach the gospel in the entire world.

Structure

Although Mark and Matthew cover much of the same ground, Mark is not nearly as meticulously organized as Matthew. There is no repeated phrase which conveniently divides the book for us. However, unlike Matthew, Mark is, in the main, chronological, its overall structure is geographical.

I. Introduction 1:1-13

II. The Servant Ministry in Galilee (to minister) 1:14-9:50

III. The Servant’s Ministry in Judah 10:1-52

IV. The Servant ‟s Ministry in Jerusalem (to give His life) 11:1-13:37

V. Conclusion: The Servants Death and Resurrection 14:1-16:20

The Purpose.

The Gospel of Mark records more action than the other Gospels, but less of Jesus' teaching. Its basic teaching purpose, as the opening verse indicates, is to show that Jesus is the Son of God (Mark 1:1). According to Mark, the entire ministry of Jesus showed that he was a divine person in human form, the Messiah who came from God.

Another purpose of Mark is to encourage Roman Christians in their service and suffering. After five years of responsible rule (54-59 AD), Nero, the emperor of Rome, became a reckless despot. In then in the summer of 64 AD, a disastrous fire swept through Rome. Of the fourteen regions of the city, three were reduced to ashes and rubble and in seven others, most of the oldest buildings and monuments were destroyed or seriously damaged. Only four zones were spared. A scapegoat had to be found. The Christians were blamed for the fire. Nero had any self-acknowledged Christians arrested. Then, on their information, large numbers of others were condemned. They were either torn to pieces by dogs, or crucified, or made into human torches to be ignited after dark as substitutes for daylight. All of this is the backdrop for the Gospel of Mark who spoke into the terrible situation the Christian community faced in Nero’s Rome.

In Mark’s Gospel, they found that nothing that they had suffered from Nero was different to the experience of Jesus. Like them, He had been misrepresented to the people and falsely accused (Mk. 3:21-30). They also knew the experience of betrayal from within their circle of intimate friends. Christ spoke of crossbearing, which Tacitus affirms was a very real reality for Mark’s readers in Rome. Such had been the literal experience of Jesus preceded by a trial before a Roman magistrate, which included scourging and cruel mockery of the Roman guard (Mk.15:1520). It was the threat of such punishment that could move a man to deny Jesus. The explicit reference to Peter meant that the way was open for restoration even for one who had denied the Lord (Mk. 14:66-72). Here is the basis for forgiveness for those who had denied that they were Christians when brought before the Tribunals of Rome. The situation in Rome was such that they would have read the Gospel in this light.

Throughout his Gospel, Mark reinforces this essential truth that Jesus was the Son of God. Demons even know that Jesus was the Son of God (Mark 3:11; Mark 5:7), Jesus' disciples recognized it (Mark 8:29), and the Father confirmed it at his transfiguration (Mark 9:7). Jesus declared it plainly to his disciples and to his enemies (Mark 13:32; Mark 14:61-62), and even a Roman centurion at the cross was forced to admit it (Mark 15:39).

Summary

Mark presents Jesus as the Son of God who came to serve, die for sin, be resurrected, and commission His disciples to preach the gospel in the entire world. Servants give their lives away. That is what Christ did; that is what we are to do (Eph. 5:24; Phil. 2:17).