The Gospel of Mark Survey

Pr Edi Giudetti

04-02-2018

The Minister

The Minister, the servant of servants is how Jesus is represented by Mark in his Gospel account. In our passage today greatness and leadership is given example through Christ on the willingness to serve and to minister to others. Jesus is the demonstration of that end, we will never truly comprehend to what level he showed us what ministry truly is and how it is shown.

AUTHOR of the Gospel of Mark:

Mark, the son of Mary of Jerusalem (Acts 12:12).

Referred to as John Mark (Acts 12:25).

A relative of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10).

Associated with Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey (Acts 12:25; 13:5).

Temporarily alienated from Paul (Acts 13:13; 15:37-39).

Afterwards restored to his friendship (1 Timothy 4:11).

Little else is known of this disciple. However, his gospel does include an unusual event in connection with Christ’s arrest. A young follower hurrying to escape lost his garment and sprinted away naked (Mk 14:51–52). Although it cannot be proven, most scholars understand Mark to be speaking of himself; there would be no other apparent reason for including this event.^[1]

Ancient tradition certifies that Mark was a companion of Peter. The book is called Peter’s Gospel by some very ancient writers. It is generally conceded that Peter may have furnished, or suggested, much of the material found in the book.

Early pastors who wrote commentaries on the Bible testify that Mark was the interpreter of Peter.

Papias, bishop of Hierapolis, in the first half of the second century testified, “….Mark being the interpreter of Peter, whatsoever he recorded he wrote with great accuracy … and he was in company with Peter, who gave him such instructions as necessary, but not to give a history of our Lord’s discourses”

It is probable that Papias as a young man had met the Apostle John.

(Eusebius, Ecclesiastical History III, p. 39).

Interesting point, Mark did not concentrate on the Lords discourses, nor on the fulfillment of prophecy, he concentrated most on what Jesus did.

Ireneaus, bishop of Lyons, agrees, “Mark the disciple and interpreter of Peter, did also hand down to us in writing what has been preached by Peter.”^[2]

Tradition depicts Mark’s Gospel as coming out of Rome and for Roman Christians.

The style as well as some of the contents indicate this belief. Some of which include what is reffered to as “latinisms”, words that have a Latin origin such as those found in Mrk 4:21 (bushel), 12:14 (tribute), 6:27 (executioner), and 15:39, 44–45 (centurion).

Also that Jewish traditions need to be explained (7:3–4), “For the Pharisees, and all the Jews, except they wash their hands oft, eat not, holding the tradition of the elders.” indicates the readers were not Jewish.

Additionally, in Mark 15:21 where a man named Simon bears Jesus’ cross, his sons are named, one of whom was Rufus, who is mentioned by Paul as a resident of Rome (Rom 16:13).

It seems these inclusions are strange if Marks Gospel was to be given to the Jews.^[3]

DATE WRITTEN: No later than 70AD. Believed to be the earliest of the Gospels account but only because much of that which is written is found also in Matthew and Luke, the belief is not that these others give their own account but that they copied from Mark.

This hypothesis had led to many conjectures including the Q Gospel, yes, the belief that there was a book of Quotations of Jesus floating around from which the Gospel accounts were made up.

PURPOSE: To present Jesus of Nazareth as God’s Suffering Servant, the Redeemer of the world.

THE MINISTER

⁴² But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. ⁴³ But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: ⁴⁴ And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

The Great, Ministers

⁴² But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. ⁴³ But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:

In the mind of men both in the days of our Lord and today, to be seated on the right hand and on the left of the ruler is to be seated in the place of power and great authority.

This is why in verse 41 when the ten heard it, they began to be much displeased with James and John.

They understood the position that James and John were asking for.

The positions are hierarchical also, the right hand and the left are 1^st and 2^nd respectively.

Turn forward in your bibles to Mark 12:35

Jesus is here bringing a question to the Saducees intending to bring out their ignorance concerning himself;

³⁵ And Jesus answered and said, while he taught in the temple, How say the scribes that Christ is the Son of David? ³⁶ For David himself said by the Holy Ghost, The LORD said to my Lord, Sit thou on my right hand, till I make thine enemies thy footstool.

The right hand is the right hand of power, it is the primary position next to the absolute ruler.

When the high priest asks Jesus if he is the Christ, the Son of the blessed in Mark 14:61, “… Jesus said, I am: and ye shall see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.”

Turn to the last chapter of Mark and the second last verse, 16:19

¹⁹ So then after the Lord had spoken unto them, he was received up into heaven, and sat on the right hand of God.

The request asked of the Lord for James and John to, Grant unto [them] that [they] may sit, one on thy right hand, and the other on thy left hand, in thy glory, was not lost on the other ten apostles nor on our Lord Jesus, and brings us to our Lords explanation of what it will mean for them to “drink of the cup that he drinks of and to be baptized with the baptism that he is to be baptized with”.

GREAT of HISTORY ARE NOT MINISTERS

⁴² But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. ⁴³ But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:

Throughout history great men have exercised great power. In the Old testament Nimrod was a great hunter before the Lord Genesis 10:10 tells us And the beginning of his kingdom was Babel, and Erech, and Accad, and Calneh, in the land of Shinar.

In 1 Chronicles 1:10 we are told that this same Nimrod “he began to be mighty upon the earth.”

Both the Bible and History gives us the strong impression that war between nations began with Nimrod.

We do not have any reference prior to Genesis ten of an identified individual as “mighty upon the earth”. We don’t have a “Kingdom” referred to prior to Genesis 10:10.

This gives us more confidence that Nimrod was in fact a Conquering King. Rather than a one peacefully elected to the position.

And he was MINISTERED to by his subjects.

But Jesus came to minister.

From Nimrod to this very day they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them.

We gave the original example of military greatness, but let me ensure you understand that absolute despotic rule is not accomplished until it is mixed with religious greatness.

Egypt is our first true witness to a national ruler that had control of both arms and souls. Both the military might of the nation and the heart of the nation was his to govern and control. The Pharaoh was worshipped as a God.

He was Served by his people both by might and heart. This total subjugation of a nation would be reflected by rulers down through the ages.

Babylonian Kings honored themselves as gods, we see this example perfectly demonstrated in King Nebuchadnezzar in the book of Daniel, he was served by his subjects.

EG; If his dreams could not be repeated to him and also explained, death would result to those he asked. He was TO BE SERVED AND MINISTERED TO.

His nation was destroyed by the Medo Persian empire who also had ‘God kings’ governing them, they were served by their subjects.

The Persians were destroyed by the Greeks who had as their general Alexander The Great. It was told that Alexander believed himself to be the reincarnation of Dionysius, another ‘God King’.

The Romans finally had their fill with the Greeks, Julius Caesar “cast his die” and crossed the Rubicon in Northern Italy, Julius had himself identified as Dictator perpetuo, the eternal Dictator, a ruler without end was his desire,  Surprisingly for him, his deified governance was short lived, he was assassinated eleven days later by his senators.

But his name rules on. Our month of ‘July’ is named after him. and his surname Caesar would be carried by All absolute rulers in Rome even to recent times in modern civilization.   The German Kaiser comes from this name, the Russian Tzar also stems from the name of Caesar.

But the position of Emperor and Deity did not meet until the adopted son of Julius, a young general named Octavian, who was then named Augustus and mentioned in Scripture, (our eighth month of August is named after him).

Augustus was the first ruler to take the title “Potifex Maximus”.  This refers to the High Priest of the pagan religion of Rome and therefore the World.

Yes, this is also a title now bestowed upon the Roman Catholic Pope, who is also known as Pontifex Maximus.

Leo “the Great” was the first Pope given such a title as ‘The Great’, and indeed he was not far of the first official Pope of the Roman Catholic Church.

This movement began sometime after the Council of Nicaea in 325Ad, and when the Emperor Constantine moved his empire East to what is now Turkey, a separation was inevitable between East and West Churches.

The Great Schism of 1054 occurred when the Roman Pontiff declared himself absolute ruler of the Church, which soon became absolute ruler of the world.

Kings were to submit themselves to his authority,

As an example during the period of 1207 to 1213 King John of England rejected the rule and governance of the Pope over England, The Pope then put an “interdict” on the People of England so that no one could receive a blessing, the Pope then went further and Excommunicated John from the Church.

King John retaliated by taking the income from all the abbeys and sees (assemblies) for the benefit of England in 1213.

Pope Innocent then tightened the screws against John until he submitted to Rome.

This is just one entry of the letter given to King John by the Pope of Rome.

Innocent III to John of England

‘…you by a devout and spontaneous act of will and on the general advice of your barons have offered and yielded, in the form of an annual payment of a thousand marks, yourself and your kingdoms of England and Ireland, with all their rights and appurtenances, to God and to SS Peter and Paul His apostles and to the holy Roman to church and to us and our successors, to be our right and our property….’

The Roman Empire continued many years under the Popes. The Pope WAS TO BE MINISTERED TO and SERVED not to serve and minister.

The vacuum of this sort of power in the East led to the rise of another ruler, a man who also began a new military regime mixed with religion.

Mohamed would lead his followers as a general into more than sixty battles in his lifetime. He expected absolute obedience and certainly did not come to minister, he was servant to no man and yet thought of to this day as the greatest man who ever lived by his followers.

JESUS MINISTERS

⁴² But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. ⁴³ But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: ⁴⁴ And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

If Chapter one is an indication of anything, it demonstrates our Lords tireless work to serve and to minister for lost sheep.

After the Son of God was baptized by John in the dessert and was tempted by the devil in the wilderness he came immediately to preach the Gospel of the Kingdom of God.

Marks account moves so quickly from one event to another, “Straightway” is a word he uses frequently to Segway from one event to the next.

In chapter one alone;

1. He chose his disciples (v16-20)
2. He went to Capernaum and preached in the Synagogue of the Kingdom as one who had authority (v21-22)
3. He healed a man of unclean spirits (v23-26)
4. He amazed people with that miracle and authority (v27-29)
5. He went to Peter’s house and healed his mother in law of sickness (v30-31) [NB: I said “wife” in the sermon, obvious error]
6. He was brought so many people plagued with disease and possessed with devils and healed them all that same night (v32-34)
7. He got up before daylight to find a private place to pray, and was shortly followed by the Apostles telling him that “all men seek for thee” and travelled to the next town (v35-38)
8. He preached in synagogues all through Galillee and cast out devils (v39)
9. He healed a leper in v 40-45, telling specifically not to tell anybody about it, but the cured man told everybody to the point that “Jesus could no more openly enter into the city, but was without in desert places: and they came to him from every quarter.”

I don’t know, how has the last couple of days been for you?

Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. ⁴³ But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister:

Our Lord makes clear to us by example, that the truly Great of the Lord, MINISTER.

The Chief, Serves

⁴³ But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: ⁴⁴ And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.

Marks Gospel is distinct from Mathew, from Luke and from John’s Gospel account in that he specifically gives the account of Jesus as the servant of the Lord, indeed even the suffering servant of God.

Mark tells of no less than nineteen miracles of Christ in his short Gospel record.

Eight prove His power over disease,–Mark 1:31, 41; 2:3-12; 3:1-5; 5:25; 7:32; 8:23; 10:46.

Five show His power over nature,–Mark 4:39; 6:41, 49; 8:8-9; 11:13-14.

Four demonstrate His authority over devils,–Mark 1:25; 5:1-13; 7:25-30; 9:26.

Two show His conquest over death,–Mark 5:42; 16:9.

He did this to prove to his gentile readers that Jesus is the Christ, the saviour who has not only authority over nature, but also the work ethic to serve those he came to tell of the kingdom.

⁴⁴ And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.

The leaders of what is referred to today as Christian nations are called ministers. The president of the United States refers to himself as a servant of the people. The Prime Minister of the UK and Australia refer to themselves as “Servants” and their office is to be modeled upon the office of Christ.

An office they are charged to hold honorably.

But what is mostly demonstrated to us by the rulers of the world is the opposite of their titles. What the office is called is not what they do.

What they refer to themselves as is also not generally what they do.

When men seek for higher positions in companies or government as Chief, it is generally to serve themselves and not those under them.

The same might be said of your employment, sadly brethren it is also largely said of much in the Church today also.

In fact, the idea that the great and chief of The Lord are to be servants and ministers is really foreign to our thinking, how does this work?

Jesus gave the Church a charge to minister and he led by example.

Turn to John 13:3-17

³ Jesus knowing that the Father had given all things into his hands, and that he was come from God, and went to God; ⁴ He riseth from supper, and laid aside his garments; and took a towel, and girded himself. ⁵ After that he poureth water into a bason, and began to wash the disciples’ feet, and to wipe them with the towel wherewith he was girded. ⁶ Then cometh he to Simon Peter: and Peter saith unto him, Lord, dost thou wash my feet? ⁷ Jesus answered and said unto him, What I do thou knowest not now; but thou shalt know hereafter. ⁸ Peter saith unto him, Thou shalt never wash my feet. Jesus answered him, If I wash thee not, thou hast no part with me. ⁹ Simon Peter saith unto him, Lord, not my feet only, but also my hands and my head. ¹⁰ Jesus saith to him, He that is washed needeth not save to wash his feet, but is clean every whit: and ye are clean, but not all. ¹¹ For he knew who should betray him; therefore said he, Ye are not all clean.

¹² So after he had washed their feet, and had taken his garments, and was set down again, he said unto them, Know ye what I have done to you? ¹³ Ye call me Master and Lord: and ye say well; for so I am. ¹⁴ If I then, your Lord and Master, have washed your feet; ye also ought to wash one another’s feet. ¹⁵ For I have given you an example, that ye should do as I have done to you. ¹⁶ Verily, verily, I say unto you, The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him. ¹⁷ If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them.

Marks account of our Saviour shows us that Jesus LIVED the example. Though a practical lesson is given to us here in John, the entirety of Mark’s account is focused on the servant of servants.

The servant is not greater than his lord; neither he that is sent greater than he that sent him.

Jesus is Master and Lord, he is the Chief of all.

Why such an example of service?

Because the Lord demonstrates to us that service is the greatest representation of leadership.

I will explain more, because the Lord’s example goes much, much further, as he shows to us eternal and perfect example of greatness.

The Son, Ransomed for me.

⁴² But Jesus called them to him, and saith unto them, Ye know that they which are accounted to rule over the Gentiles exercise lordship over them; and their great ones exercise authority upon them. ⁴³ But so shall it not be among you: but whosoever will be great among you, shall be your minister: ⁴⁴ And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all. ⁴⁵ For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many.

In the context of a passage showing man coveting positions of greatness and power, Jesus demonstrates the most perfect example of humility that can be given.

A willingness to die for one you love is the highest example of ministry that can ever be demonstrated. It is not an accident that the passage so often quoted for a couple who intend to commit to one another for life includes a charge to the man that does not preclude his willingness to die for his wife, giving Jesus as his example of love.

Turn to Ephesians 5:25-29

Husbands, love your wives, even as Christ also loved the church, and gave himself for it; ²⁶ That he might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, ²⁷ That he might present it to himself a glorious church, not having spot, or wrinkle, or any such thing; but that it should be holy and without blemish. ²⁸ So ought men to love their wives as their own bodies. He that loveth his wife loveth himself. ²⁹ For no man ever yet hated his own flesh; but nourisheth and cherisheth it, even as the Lord the church:

I will have you know that this is not just a romantic cliché good enough for wedding readings and left at that. This is not just a saying!

KNOW THIS, this is giving to all men the charge of a Wedding Covenant that is to resemble to all of mankind the love Christ has for the Church. If you are sitting there thinking this to be some sort of romantic cliché then know that blasphemy such as that is the most vile thing to think of.

Why do you think so many marriages fail today?

Is it because women do not honor and obey their husbands as unto Christ? NO!

It is because men PUT THEIR LIVES BEFORE THEIR WIVES AND THEIR WIVES KNOW IT!

Tell me, why do we love Christ?

Because he first loved us. (1 John 4:19)

How do we know that Jesus Christ loves the Church?

Because he died for it. (Eph 5:25)

The charge is first to the man to love his wife. The reason is given to the woman on why she should honor and obey him, because he loves enough to give his life as a ransom for hers!

Let me share something that might seem controversial. FEMENISM WOULD NOT EXIST TODAY IF MEN LOVED THEIR WIVES, AND WERE EVIDENTIALLY WILLING TO DIE FOR THEM.

• Before the Lord went to the Cross, he was betrayed and all his disciples left him.
• Before the first nail pierced his hands, he was spat on and beaten.
• Before the nail was struck through his feet into the base of the cross holding him fast, Jesus had his flesh ribboned by the scourge and beheld by his own people.
• Before the base of the Cross was dropped into its hole to stand upright, Jesus brow was pierced with a crown of thorns.
• Before he prayed God would forgive them, he was stripped naked and shamed, and at the base of the cross the soldiers gambled for his clothing.
• Before he died Jesus was mocked and ridiculed by the very ones he came to save.

Jesus was not loved until AFTER he died.

Jesus was not honored until AFTER he lay in the tomb.

Jesus was glorified when he rose, he was worshipped when he stood before them, the lamb as he had been slain.

Honor comes AFTER humility and never before.

But in this do not look for honour from man. If you humble yourself for the purpose of getting honour from people, you will fail. Recall that the Lord had no honour from man while alive, do not expect it either.

In John 5:44 Jesus said, “How can ye believe, which receive honour one of another, and seek not the honour that cometh from God only?”

Let me close by expounding this last verse in our passage.

Mark 10:45 says

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

The choice of words he uses is explicit.

The last part of the verse does not just end with “give his life”, it gives the purpose, and to give his life a ransom for many.

You will never truly know what LOVE is until you give your life to the one who gave his life as a ransom for you.

NEVER. You will NEVER know love, until you know CHRIST.

NEVER.

YOU will NEVER know how to serve, until you know the one who SERVED.

NEVER.

The Gospel of Mark is about THE MINISTER. It is about Christ the servant of God who ministered his life for the benefit of all who accept the ransom he paid.

Jesus is shown as the servant of servants, and he gave us an example of how we should live for the ministry of others.

^[1] Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 1965). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^[2] Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 1965). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.

^[3] Hindson, E. E., & Kroll, W. M. (Eds.). (1994). KJV Bible Commentary (p. 1965). Nashville: Thomas Nelson.