Thank you for joining us as we study God’s Word together. This book is so much more than just a book. Peter calls it living and abiding, and then he further describes it by adding the word forever. Now think about the combination of those two words, living forever and abiding forever. Two things humans yearn for and want. There are many things we do in our attempts to fulfill these needs, this search for life, and the desire to last forever. An example of this is the scientists who are searching to determine what causes aging and why we die. I don’t know if they will ever figure it out, but I am pretty sure they won’t figure out how to live forever, at least I hope they don’t. If you want to experience real life and abide forever, delve into the Bible. This is our hope, and this is what we share with you from this incredible book.
Today, we begin our series in the gospel of Mark. J. Mark will introduce the lesson and examine the background and context in which Mark was written. The teaching is a little shorter than usual, so I’d like to take a moment to share some testimonies with you.
Here at Heralds of Hope, our goal is to utilize media to make disciples of Jesus, thereby accomplishing the Great Commission in our lifetime. This goal permeates everything we do as an organization.
The first testimony I have comes from our Bible distribution. This was in Pakistan, and the leader shared these encouraging words with us. “Two young girls stood side by side, their arms wrapped around their very first Bibles, tears shining in their eyes. They grew up in poverty, with no books, no resources, and no way to afford a Bible. Yet their hearts longed to know more about Jesus. They expressed their desire to have their own Bible to read. Through your generosity, the Lord made it possible for they to have the Word of God. Thank you so much, Heralds of Hope!”
We are honored to partner with God’s servants around the globe, and our supporters are encouraged to hear testimonies like this one.
I have two additional testimonies, both from the country of Zambia. We recently began broadcasting our teachings in Lozi, and two listeners shared their thoughts about the teachings they heard. First, “We thank you for those words, I’ve really fallen in the word, and I have been looking for where I can listen to the true and undiluted Word of God in my language, and I can testify that I’ve found this program a blessing, I will be tuning in, Peace.” Another person said this, “We thank you for these nice programs, I always tune in, and I’ve received and learned a lot from the message given.”
So, whether it is Bible distribution or Bible teaching, our goal is to make disciples, and we thank God that this is happening. We also thank God for the many people who support this work. Many people love Jesus and support His work worldwide. One encouraging benefit of being involved in the ministry is seeing God work throughout the entire process. Some love Jesus and feel him leading them to give. They give, and those who receive are encouraged and grow in their faith. We who are in the middle are amazed at our great God, who is orchestrating this from start to finish.
We are thankful and blessed to be serving Him here, and wish you the best as you serve Him there. Thanks again for joining us. Let’s begin with J. Mark for the first lesson from the Gospel of Mark.
For the past couple of years, in April, Heralds of Hope has sponsored a 5-kilometer race as a fundraiser for the ministry. My wife and I aren’t runners, but we joined to show our support. We’ve served as the “sweepers” a couple of times now; we ensure that all runners have cleared the course and pick up any trash left behind. That means we always finish last, but that’s ok, we still get some exercise, and we get to encourage the runners.
Like most races, this one begins with the familiar words, “On your mark, get set, GO!” This sentence has been used to start races since the 1800s. The mark is the starting line. All runners start from the same place. This prevents any runner from having an unfair advantage, and getting set means being prepared because the beginning of the race is imminent. The command to “Go” is usually signaled by a shout, a shot from a starting pistol, a whistle, or some other loud noise.
As I promised you last week, on this episode of Hope for Today, we’re beginning a study of the Gospel of Mark. That’s why I’ve titled today’s teaching, “On Your Mark.”
If you’re a regular listener, you’re likely aware by now of the importance I place on understanding the background and context of Scripture. Many errors and much false teaching result from a careless handling of the Bible. One of the challenges we face in our understanding is that the Bible was written in a culture that’s significantly different from our own.
That doesn’t mean it’s irrelevant because the Bible is universal. It simply means we need to work harder to comprehend what the writer intended to communicate to their original audience. Once we understand the message, we can then apply it to our time and place. This episode will explore some of the background material that helps enhance our understanding of Mark’s Gospel.
If you’re a Bible reader, you know that Mark’s version of the gospel story is very different from the accounts of Matthew and Luke. These three are referred to as the Synoptic Gospels. In the word, synoptic, syn means together, and optic means seeing. That equals seeing the gospels together. Laying these different accounts side by side and comparing them highlights their differences, but it also reveals many points of agreement. It’s like interviewing witnesses to the same event; depending on their perspective or vantage point, they highlight different observations.
Aside from the apostle John, we know more about Mark than any other of the gospel writers. We know that he was sometimes referred to as John Mark or simply John, as in Acts 13:5. He was the son of Mary, a woman who must have had significant wealth, as evidenced by her hosting the budding Jerusalem church in her home. Some scholars believe this was the location of the Last Supper. You may recall that when Peter was miraculously released from prison by an angel, he went to Mary’s house (Acts 12). The church was gathered there, praying for Peter’s deliverance.
We learn from that same account that one of the servants recognized Peter’s voice in the darkness when he showed up at the gate. Peter was well known in Mark’s house, and it’s very possible that Mark was converted under Peter’s preaching. Later, in his first epistle, Peter refers to Mark as “my son.” This close connection suggests that Peter was the source of much of what Mark wrote, inspired by the Holy Spirit. It also seems like Mark was present at the arrest of Jesus. He makes a rather cryptic reference to this in Mark 15:51, 52.
According to Acts 13, John Mark accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. For some unknown reason, John Mark didn’t finish this journey but returned to Jerusalem. Later, this incident caused a division between Paul and Barnabas when Paul refused to have John Mark on his mission team because he considered him unreliable. So, Paul chose Silas for his second journey, and Barnabas chose Mark, as recorded in Acts 15. We do know that over time, this rift was healed, as evidenced by Paul’s high regard for John Mark in his final letter to Timothy.
The consensus of the early church fathers was that Mark wrote the gospel that bears his name. Justin Martyr referred to the Gospel of Mark as “the memoirs of Peter,” and early church tradition accepted Rome as the place of writing. In chapter 15, Mark mentions that Simon of Cyrene was the father of Rufus, and according to Romans 16:13, Rufus was a prominent member of the church in Rome.
Mark’s writing was designed primarily for a Gentile audience, so he quotes the Old Testament less frequently than Matthew and Luke, and there is no record of Jesus’ genealogy. In some instances, Mark employed Latin terms rather than Greek equivalents, and when he used Aramaic terms, he provided translations for his readers. He also reckoned time according to the Roman system and carefully explained Jewish customs that may have been unfamiliar.
It’s challenging to pinpoint a definitive date for the time of writing, but it was most likely written before the destruction of the Temple in AD 70. This difficulty doesn’t affect the legitimacy of the text or its place in the biblical canon.
Another distinction of Mark’s Gospel is its style. The word immediately, or straightway, depending on the version you use, along with its synonyms, is found about 40 times in this book! Mark’s goal seems to be conciseness and brevity. He omits the long discourses found in the other Gospels. He also highlights more of what Jesus did than what He taught, and expresses the humanity of Christ, His emotions, and the limitations of His physical body more clearly.
Matthew’s Gospel presents Jesus as the King, but Mark reveals Him as “Jesus, the Suffering Servant.” That is the title I’ve chosen for this series of teaching. In Mark 10:45, we have what I believe is the key verse of the entire book. There, Jesus said, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” Over a third of the book, chapters 11 to 16, deal with a small fraction of Jesus’ earthly life: the last week.
Three times in three consecutive chapters—8, 9, and 10—Mark pictured Jesus informing His disciples of His great sacrifice and ultimate victory. His disciples either rejected the teaching altogether or showed themselves concerned with other matters. As Jesus prepared to perform the most outstanding service in the history of humanity, His disciples could only think about themselves, their position, or their safety.
Because we, too, are human, we find ourselves struggling with the same things they did. We are more focused on self-preservation and comfort than sacrificial service. The challenge Jesus presents to us in the book of Mark is to break free from patterns of self-absorption and to give ourselves in service and love to others.
Mark records many miracles that Jesus performed to illustrate both His power and His compassion. In a case of supreme irony, that power and compassion culminated in His suffering, death, and resurrection. What appeared to be total defeat from a human perspective became the pathway to eternal life for all who place their faith in Him.
By God’s grace and the enabling of the Holy Spirit, my goal in this series of studies will be to bring us face-to-face with our reactions to Jesus and His ministry. I believe Jesus calls us, as His followers, to break free from our patterns of self-centeredness and to give ourselves in love and service to those around us. Let’s yield ourselves to the work of the Holy Spirit as He conforms us more fully to the image of Christ.
Thanks, J Mark, for this introductory lesson to the book of Mark. This was a valuable lesson that provided context and gave us some background. Let’s keep these points in mind as we continue to study the rest of the book. We look forward to being with you next time as we begin our studies in Chapter 1.
If you have any questions about today’s lesson or would like to contact us, please don’t hesitate. You can reach us by email or the internet. Our email address is [email protected], and our website is heraldsofhope.org. There, click on the “contact us” link, which is on the top right of the page, and you can message us directly. Contact us in whichever way is easiest for you. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
May the Lord bless you as you go, and may His grace and peace infuse you, transforming the world.
