Some Expository Thoughts on the Gospel of Mark (part 1: Opening verses 1:1-3)

Mark 1:1-3 ESV
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (2) As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, "Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, (3) the voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'" 

Expository thoughts

The Gospel According to Mark is a book of testimony that bears witness to Jesus the Messiah. Mark opened his gospel narrative with the Greek word for “beginning” (ἀρχή). The opening word ΑΡΧΗ resembles the LXX opening word in Hosea 1:2 ΑΡΧΗ. The Greek version of Hosea speaks of the beginning of the Lord’s word as it began to come to Hosea. Mark 1:1 speaks of the beginning of the gospel as it began to be made known, in fulfillment of the predictions made by the prophet Isaiah (see Isa. 40:9; 52:7; 60:6; 61:1). In Hosea, the beginning was the beginning of the history of new divine revelation as it came to him. Perhaps in Mark, then, the beginning here means the history of the beginning of new divine revelation as it came in and through Jesus Christ. Mark referenced the book of Isaiah, but quoted a combination of Malachi 3:1, Exodus 23:20 and Isaiah 40:3. Isaiah chapter 40 is an announcement of anticipated good news which would be realized after the period of Israel’s exile in Babylon. The opening words are, “Comfort, comfort my people, says your God” (Isa. 40:1). These gracious words anticipated the comforting good news that Jerusalem’s warfare had ended, her iniquity had been pardoned and the wrath of God had been more than satisfied by double payment for her sins (Isa. 40:2). A voice calls for the preparation of the Lord’s way in the desert wilderness (40:3). Malachi 3:1 is used in context of Isaiah 40:3 by building on the concept of a predicted messenger who would prepare the Lord’s way in the wilderness. Malachi was written at a later date than Isaiah, yet Malachi reiterates the promise of a forerunner who prepares the way for the Lord to come. Both quotations are linked to the idea as it was first presented by Moses in Exodus 23:20, where God warns the people of Israel that they must obey the voice of his angel (messenger) whom he will send before them to keep them in their way as they traversed the desert wilderness. In each of the passages just mentioned, the Lord’s way in the wilderness indicates God’s own presence to deliver His chosen people Israel. Mark seems to have traced the concept of the Lord’s forerunner/messenger from its development in the history of revelation up to the point of John. He seems to have understood these predictions to have had the ability to reach beyond the prophet’s own experience at the time of their writing, as well as beyond Israel’s experience in returning from Babylon, and to reach forward to describe the period of fulfillment when the good news would become evident. In other words, Mark understood Isaiah’s prophetic announcement of good news to have been fulfilled by Jesus the Messiah. The basic premise of Mark’s writing is this: God has fulfilled His promises of good news by sending Messiah Jesus, His Son. The beginning of this good news is the ministry work of John the Baptist, who signals its inauguration.

A Portrait of Jesus in the gospel of Mark, part 5

This is the 5th part in a series of short chapter summaries from the Gospel According to Mark.
Here are chapters 9 & 10:

9. About six days later, Jesus took three of his chosen students up to a mountain, and there they saw him transfigured so that his clothes shone bright with whiteness. They were terrified, and a cloud overshadowed them with a voice in it that said, "This is my beloved Son, listen to him." (Mark 9:7). After the vision, he charged them not to tell anyone, not until after he had risen from the dead. They came to a man who was in distress over his boy who was oppressed by a spirit, so that the boy was mute and convulsed. The man asked Jesus, "if you can do anything, have compassion on us and help us." Jesus answered, "If you can! All things are possible for one who believes." Immediately the father cried out, "I believe; help my unbelief!" (Mark 9:22-24). Then Jesus healed the boy and commanded the spirit to never come back. Later, Jesus told his disciples again that he would be delivered into the hands of men and killed, and after three days he would rise from the dead. But they still did not understand him.

10. When questioned about divorce, Jesus reminded them of what God said in the beginning of creation, when He made a man and a woman for unity in marriage, so they should not be separated. He also welcomed little children, took them in his arms and blessed them. He taught that the kingdom of God must be received as a little child in order for anyone to enter in (since it is only by faith one is saved). A young man came to Jesus asking him, "Good Teacher, what must I do to inherit eternal life?" (Mark 10:17). Jesus told the man that God alone is good, and he quoted the last five of the Ten Commandments. The man claimed to have kept them all, so Jesus looked at him with love and said, "You lack one thing; go, sell all you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." But since he was very wealthy, he left Jesus disheartened. Then Jesus taught how hard it is for rich people to be saved, so his followers asked if anyone could be saved. He told them it is impossible with men, but all things are possible with God, and promised a great reward for any who leave things they cherish to follow him. After this, he travelled toward Jerusalem, where he said he would be condemned to death, mocked, spit on, flogged and killed, but after 3 days would rise again. Jesus also corrected his students about those who desire to be great in his kingdom, teaching them to be the least and servants of all. He taught that he had come to serve and give his life as a ransom for many. Then he healed a blind man who called for mercy, and blessed him for his faith in Jesus as the "Son of David" (the one prophesied to be the Messiah or Christ).

A Portrait of Jesus in the gospel of Mark, part 4

Here are chapters 7 and 8 of my short summary of the Gospel of Mark (simply click the tag at the bottom of the post to read the others or click here):

7. Jesus severely corrected the hypocrisy of many religious people, because they honored God with their lips, but their hearts were far from him. They were rejecting God's commandments for the teachings of men. He explained to them that it is not what enters, but what comes out of the heart and mouth that makes a person unclean. Jesus said that from people's hearts come "evil thoughts, sexual immorality, theft, murder, adultery, coveting, wickedness, deceit, sensuality, envy, slander, pride, foolishness." (Mark 7:21-22). He then cast out a demon from a non-Jewish woman's daughter, and blessed her for her great faith, because she believed that she could still find mercy at the Lord's table as a dog finds a crumb. Jesus also healed a man who could not hear or speak, so that he heard and spoke clearly.

8. With great compassion, Jesus fed another large crowd of more than 4,000 people, simply with seven loaves and a few small fish. Everyone ate to their satisfaction and found seven full baskets left over. Afterward he was deeply grieved when his enemies deceitfully asked him for a sign from heaven. Instead of giving it, he rebuked them for their willful unbelief and left in a boat. Then he warned his students about hypocrites and their ways, but his own students still had very little faith in him. When a blind man was brought to him, he fully restored the man's sight. Then they traveled on. Jesus asked his students, "who do you say that I am?" Peter answered, "You are the Christ." (Mark 8:29). He charged them to keep it a secret, and told how he was going to be betrayed, suffer and die on a cross, then be raised again in three days. When Peter tried to correct him for this, Jesus rebuked Peter. He charged all his followers to also be willing to deny themselves and take up their crosses after him.

A Portrait of Jesus in the gospel of Mark, part 3

These are very brief summaries of each chapter from the gospel of Mark. Here are chapters 5 and 6:

5. After the storm, Jesus and his students went to the other side of the sea, where they met a man who was possessed with many violent demons. Jesus drove the demons out of the man into a herd of pigs, which ran into the sea and drowned. The town's people were very afraid when they saw what happened, so they begged Jesus to leave them. Then the man who had been restored to his right mind wanted to follow Jesus, but Jesus told him to go home and tell his friends "how much the Lord has done for you, and how he has had mercy on you." (Mark 5:19). So he went through ten cities telling all about how much Jesus had done for him, and the people marveled. Jesus also blessed a woman for her faith when she touched his robe and was instantly healed. Then he went to a religious leader's house and restored the man's daughter to life, so that her parents received their daughter back with amazement.

6. People were also amazed at the wisdom of Jesus. But even his own home town still did not believe him. He then sent his 12 students to the towns, giving them power to heal as they preached everywhere that people should repent. During this time, King Herod killed John the Baptist, who was the forerunner for Christ. With all the crowds of people seeking Jesus, it was hard for him and his students to find rest. But Jesus had compassion on the people, and fed 5,000 men (plus thousands of women and children) with only five loaves of bread and two fish. His students recovered 12 full baskets left over after everyone was satisfied. Then he went up a mountain by himself to pray. He returned to his students late in the night, walking on the water toward their boat. They were terrified when they saw him, thinking it was a ghost, but he said, "Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid." (Mark 6:50). Then he climbed into the boat with them and the wind calmed down. As Jesus traveled through more towns and villages, multitudes came to be healed of their sicknesses, even by a touch of his robe.

A Portrait of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark, part 2

Continuing my summary of the Gospel of Mark (chapters 3 and 4):

3. The religious leaders became even more upset with Jesus, especially since he kept healing people on the Sabbath day. But he declared that it was right to do good on that day, because he was "Lord of the Sabbath." This made them mad enough to conspire to destroy him. However, they could not deny that Jesus really did miracles. He even freed people from demons, so they accused him of driving out evil spirits by the prince of evil. Therefore Jesus warned that whoever blasphemes the Holy Spirit will never be forgiven, and he showed them the error of their thoughts by telling them it is impossible for evil to cast out evil.
Jesus also went away to pray alone, and afterward he deliberately chose 12 men to be his students [disciples]. He also chose Judas Iscariot, who would betray him.

4. Everywhere Jesus went, he was always teaching and preaching. He often spoke in parables (stories that have a spiritual meaning). He told them of the sower who sowed some seed on bad soil, and some on good soil. The seed that fell on the bad soil did not last, while the seed on good soil produced fruit. Later he explained that these are different people who hear the Word of God. Some believe it but later fall away, while others continue in it with patient endurance and later produce the fruits of a transformed life. This was a warning for anyone who hears the gospel, since some hear without being saved.
On the same day, Jesus and his students were in a terrible storm on the sea. His students were surprised to find him asleep, so they woke him in fear. Jesus rebuked the wind and the sea, saying, "Peace! Be still!" (Mark 4:39). Everything calmed immediately, and he said, "Why are you so afraid? Have you still no faith?" (Mark 4:40). They were absolutely astonished at who this could be, since he commanded wind and sea, and they obeyed him!

From the Series: A Portrait of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark

• part 1

A Portrait of Jesus in the gospel of Mark, part 1

How wonderful it is to meditate on the Lord Jesus, whom we know as "Christ" (the Anointed, who fulfills all of the Old Testament prophecies that God would come in human flesh and be King forever)! The gospels were also written to be evangelistic, to help others come to believe in the one God the Father has consecrated and sent to be the Savior of the world. That is why I am writing a summary of the Gospel of Mark. I will be posting summaries of each chapter, until all 16 chapters are completed, then I hope to use what I learn to write an evangelistic tract about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Here are the first 2:

The Gospel According to Mark
A Brief Summary about Jesus Christ, the Son of God

1. The word "gospel" means "good news." It is called "the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God." (Mark 1:1). To fulfill prophecy, John the Baptist came as a witness calling people to repent, turn from their sins and return to the Lord in preparation for the Christ [the Messiah or Anointed One]. Jesus himself was baptized, and the Holy Spirit descended upon him like a dove, while God the Father testified from heaven saying, "You are my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." (Mark 1:11). Immediately Jesus went away to be tempted by the devil, resisted every temptation and returned preaching, "The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent and believe the gospel." Jesus also called some fisherman to follow him, taught with astounding authority in the Jewish synagogues, commanded an unclean spirit to come out of a man, healed Peter's mother-in-law from a fever, taught crowds the Word of God, went to pray alone, and then healed many more from various diseases and ailments. He even had compassion on a leper, being willing to touch him to make him clean.

2. As he traveled through each town, crowds came to hear Jesus preach and be healed by him. A crippled man was brought to him on a stretcher. Seeing their faith, Jesus said, "Son, your sins are forgiven." (Mark 2:5). Some scribes thought he was blaspheming, since only God could forgive sins. But Jesus proved his authority to forgive by telling the man to get up and walk home. Immediately the man got up and walked! This amazed all the people. Then some religious leaders criticized him for eating with sinners and tax collectors. So he explained that it was not the righteous [or good] people who needed him, but sinners that he came to call to repentance [because those who think they are good see no need for a Savior].

From the Series: A Portrait of Jesus in the Gospel of Mark

• part 2