Mark 1:1-11 "The Beginning Of The Unstoppable Good News"

Let us read Mark 1:1-11 together, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, ‘Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’

John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, ‘After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.’

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

We have spent the last four weeks considering Isaiah 40 as we have begun to transition from the Book of Judges to the Gospel of Mark. There were several reasons for having spent a month in Isaiah 40. First, as we came to the end of the Book of Judges we should have had a desire to spend time with the King that Israel did not long to see in that book. You will recall that the theme of the Book of Judges was, “In those days there was no king in Israel. Everyone did what was right in their own eyes.”

Secondly, throughout the Book of Judges we saw the importance of timely and true repentance. We are ‘sinful individuals, living in sinful families, in a sinful community’ and so we must deal with sin in the right way. In Judges 19-21 we saw that repentance is important, however, it is not always done rightly. Therefore, as we came to the end of our study in the Book of Judges we probably wanted to understand repentance a little better.

I chose the Gospel of Mark as our next book to study because I wanted to spend time getting to know the King who has come. In this gospel we are immediately introduced to Him in verse 1, ‘The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God’. Then right after this introduction, just like in the Book of Judges, we see once again how important true repentance is in Mark 1:2-8. In Mark 1:2-3 Mark uses a quote from two places in the Old Testament as he introduces this topic. One of those passages is Isaiah 40. Because of this we spent some time looking at that chapter.

I won’t spend a lot of time reviewing Isaiah 40:1-11 except to say that last week we saw in verses 9-11 that Isaiah was commanded to take his stand upon a tall mountain and begin to proclaim the Good News. One of the things that we took special notice of was that as he did this the LORD told him to speak with boldness, strength, and without any fear. One of the things this teaches us is that Isaiah would have to do this by having a faith that receives God’s grace that will produce these very qualities.

The week before when we studied Isaiah 40:6-8 we learned that this ministry that Isaiah was given to speak these things was to be an on going ministry that he would speak continuously from that point on. Let me make a couple observations about this.

• First, from the very first day that Isaiah climbed up on to that high mountain and began to speak he was to do it with boldness, strength, and without fear. Sometimes we can do something enough so that we overcome our fears and speak with more passion and zeal, however, the LORD is letting Isaiah know that his ministry is to begin with him relying on God for the grace to do these from the very beginning.

• Second, this characteristic of his ministry was to not only start this way, but it was to continue day by day through all of its ups and downs. If this were to be the case, Isaiah would have to walk by faith, receive grace, and let the fruit of this grace characterize his ministry. Isaiah’s was never to become self-reliant and depend upon his own abilities; rather, was to minister with the grace God gave to him for any situation and context.

• It would seem to me that this would be the way to have a long and faithful ministry in which a person can hear the LORD say, “Well done, my good and faithful servant!” If we try to fulfill our callings through our own strength, motivated by our own feelings, we will struggle and eventually grow weary, and probably even quit.

In a similar way, as we come now to the Gospel of Mark we are going to be reading the words of a man who initially probably tried to do ministry according to his own strength and according to his own feelings. In the Book of Acts John Mark was with Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey. At one point during this missionary journey Mark abandons the mission and returns to Jerusalem. (Acts 13:13) Later, when Barnabas tried to bring Mark on the second missionary journey Paul would not let him come and there was no small disagreement between them over these things. Eventually Barnabas and Paul split and each went their own way. Paul took Silas, Barnabas took Mark, and they went in different directions. Eventually Mark joined Peter and his ministry and Mark learned from him many of the things that we are reading about in this Gospel.

As Mark continued to associate with Peter he grew and proved to be a faithful minister of Jesus. As a result of these things Paul would eventually appreciate the usefulness that Mark had proven to be to him and his ministry. At the end of Paul’s ministry he wrote these words to Timothy, “Luke only is with me. Having picked-up Mark, bring him with yourself, for he have proved to be useful to me for service.” (2 Timothy 4:11) Those are interesting words that Paul ends with in that sentence, “...for he have proved to be useful to me for service”.

I bet that throughout Paul’s ministry he had seen many people come and go. There were probably many people who proved to be like Demas, who in love with this world, abandoned Paul and the ministry. However, one beautiful exception to this would be John Mark. Despite having failed Paul on that first missionary journey, John Mark proved to be faithful because at some point he learned that if he were to fulfill his calling all the way to the end he would have to live by by faith, receive God’s grace, and let the grace produce the things that make for a faithful and effective ministry. Or Paul might put it this way, “Because Mark walked his ministry out by faith and received the grace of God he has proven to be useful to me for service.”

These gracious virtues in Mark are especially true when we considered that he is the one who wrote this gospel. It is believed that this gospel was written around the time that persecution was being brought against God’s church and the churches leaders. He wrote this gospel at a time when it would have been easier not to climb up on that tall mountain and begin to proclaim the Good News regarding Jesus Christ. If you were to do this you would probably be persecuted by the Jews and by Nero who was beginning to persecute the church and under his reign both Paul and Peter would be killed.

And yet, despite these circumstances Mark, who once left Paul when he was on his first missionary journey, pens this Gospel to encourage God’s suffering people. In this Gospel Mark presents Jesus Christ as the God-King-Savior who was truly a servant who was willing to suffer to fulfill His Ministry here on earth. The first half of the Gospel (Mark 1:1-8:30) demonstrates that Jesus Christ was the Messiah and Savior and Son of God. The last half of the Gospel (Mark 8:31-16:8) presents the idea that Jesus Christ, as the Messiah, Savior and Son of God, was willing to take on a suffering role as a servant in order to be the Savior.

Mark will teach us that faithfulness in serving God and doing His will will often lead to opposition, persecution, suffering and even death. Serving God in this world does not typically lead one to great popularity and win you approval with men.

Jesus Christ is the Perfect servant of God, and as the LORD’s Servant He was opposed, hated, and eventually killed. When John Mark wrote this letter these Gentile believers were being arrested and even executed by Nero. One of the purposes Mark had in writing this letter was to remind them that a relationship with Jesus Christ is not popular in this world. Serving God faithfully often leads to suffering.

If we are determined to faithfully serve the Lord we will not be given many awards and get many accolades from those around us. Mark wanted us to realize this and to see that Jesus Christ, who was the Son of God, who was God, who was Israel’s King, and who perfectly served His Father and did not deserve to suffer, did suffer in His earthly ministry. Since this is the case, each of us needs to learn to do what God has called us to do, not by feelings or emotions, but by faith which receives God’s grace and then produces the virtues that we need.

It is into this difficult moment in history for Christians that Mark penned this Gospel. The man who pulled back early on in his ministry now stands upon his ‘Kingdom Platform’ where he can be noticed and identified by everyone as a minister of the LORD Jesus Christ. With the opening verse of this Gospel Mark shows us who he is willing to be imprisoned, persecuted, and even die for. He is willing to take his stand and speak with clarity, boldness, strength, and without fear.

In fact, Mark was not shrinking back or speaking in fear at all. No, he spoke with joy because he had Good News to share with everyone who would listen. The term Good News in Mark’s day was usually used in two ways. First, the good news was proclaimed when there was a great victory over an enemy. Secondly, good news was also proclaimed when there was the installation of a new king upon the throne. In the case of Jesus both of these things are true. Mark had Good News to share about the coming of God’s Kingdom and of the King of that Kingdom- Jesus Christ.

Even though Mark was living during very difficult days this Good News regarding the Kingdom of God and Jesus Christ the King produced a joy that the circumstances of his day, no matter how difficult they were, could not extinguish. Mark writes in verse 1, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”

Part of the reason that Mark could have joy under these circumstances is seen in the word ‘beginning’. This is the word ‘arche’ in the Greek and it speaks of the starting point from which something begins to unfold. It speaks of the dawn of a new age of God’s saving work. It is the beginning of a work that re-creates (or restores) things into the way that God intended it to be from the beginning.

You can see why, if Mark had a worldview, a theology, or an eschatology like this, he could be strong, courageous, bold, not fearful, and even joyful under these circumstances. Mark knew that at the end of this book Jesus was killed (14-15), but then He rose again and His work continues now through the ministry of the Spirit and His Word through the ministry of His Church (16). Because of these things, Mark really did believe that Jesus began a work that could not be stopped by the combined effort of all the nations. (Ps.2) From the very beginning of this Gospel Mark proclaims that the coming of Jesus is the beginning of something that will never end. (16:19-20)

In Mark 1:4-8 we are introduced to John the Baptist who is another man who was called by God to climb upon his Kingdom Platform and begin to speak. (Mt. 11:11) John did not seek to draw attention to himself, but like Mark he sought to introduce the people to the Lord who would come after him- Jesus Christ.

Many people came to hear and respond to what John the Baptist was saying. In our text we are told, “All the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.” However, not everyone liked John the Baptist and his message of repentance to prepare the people for the coming of the Christ. Despite this, John the Baptist continued to proclaim these things by faith, receiving grace, and displaying the evidence of this through his boldness, courage, and without fear. This faith and grace enabled John to call everyone to repent of their sins. In the end, this would cost John the Baptist his life. We read of this in Mark 6:17-28,

“For it was Herod who had sent and seized John and bound him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, because he had married her. For John had been saying to Herod, “It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife.” And Herodias had a grudge against him and wanted to put him to death. But she could not, for Herod feared John, knowing that he was a righteous and holy man, and he kept him safe. When he heard him, he was greatly perplexed, and yet he heard him gladly. But an opportunity came when...immediately the king sent an executioner with orders to bring John's head. He went and beheaded him in the prison and brought his head on a platter and gave it to the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother. When his disciples heard of it, they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.”

This morning we have spent quite a bit of time speaking of Isaiah, Mark, and John the Baptist. These men climbed upon their Kingdom Platforms in obedience to the command of the LORD. They did this by faith, received grace, and spoke with boldness, courage, strength, and without fear even in the face of danger and death. If we have been encouraged by these men then just consider how wonderful it will be to see the One to Whom they all speaking about show up now. We have looked at these men who received grace and spoke the truth, but now we get to see the man who was full of grace and truth! (John 1:16-18)

In Mark 1:9-11 we finally get to see Jesus Christ and He is introduced to us by someone far greater than the faithful prophets that who heralded this Good News. Let’s read Mark 1:9-11, “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

Oh what a moment in history this was! If the gospel comfort that was given in Isaiah 40 was surprising, this moment of Gospel Comfort is even better. This is when the Father and the Holy Spirit reveal the Son Who will fulfill all of the Promises that He had made in Isaiah 40:1-11. At this moment the heavens are ripped open and the Father speaks while the Holy Spirit descends like a Dove and then rests upon Jesus.

As this unfolds, Jesus comes to John to be baptized by him. John’s surprise of this confirms that John understood that Jesus was the perfect Lamb of God Who would pour out the promised Holy Spirit upon His people. by this. Mt. 3:13-17 speaks of John’s surprise, “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized…”.

John, like Peter who did not want Jesus to wash his feet, obeys Jesus and baptizes Him. When he does this the man who was blameless, spotless, and free from sin identified with sinners and conveyed to everyone that He was willing to be the one who would propitiate our sin. When Jesus does this the Father says, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” Jesus is willing, the Father approves of His Son, and the Holy Spirit consecrates Jesus into this ministry as our Prophet, Priest, and King.

All of these exciting things are happening and we are only in the beginning of this Gospel. I feel like Jesus’ words to Nathaniel are appropriate for us, “Nathanael answered him, ‘Rabbi, you are the Son of God! You are the King of Israel!’ Jesus answered him, ‘Because I said to you, ‘I saw you under the fig tree,’ do you believe? You will see greater things than these.’ And he said to him, ‘Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see heaven opened, and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”(John 1:49-51) As we begin to study this Gospel we are about to see amazing things. Mark’s gospel more than the others concentrates, not on Jesus’ sermons, but on His works.