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The Gospel of Mark was probably the first of the Gospel accounts. The text says nothing of its authorship, though the title ascribes it to Mark. Mark is identified early in church history as the author. Mark is connected with Peter in 1 Peter 5:13, if indeed Babylon is taken to be Rome. The Apostle Paul requested Mark’s presence in Rome in 2 Timothy 4:11. Tradition is that Mark penned the Gospel sometime around 65 A.D. from Rome and that Peter had shared with him his own eyewitness accounts of the ministry of Jesus, though surely Mark heard accounts of Jesus’ life and ministry from others as well.

Mark’s account of the Gospel is a fast-paced narrative focused on Jesus’ servant ministry. “The Greek word eutheos, translated variously as straightway, immediately, anon, or forthwith, appears forty-two times in the book. This message made a natural appeal to the busy, practical Roman reader.”^[1]

As time quickly passed from Jesus’ earthly ministry, Mark’s account of the Gospel addressed the growing need for a simple collection and arrangement of Jesus’ teachings and deeds. But his writings were more than a historical narrative. Mark set out to establish an understanding of who Jesus is, thus developing an early Christology. Mark established that Jesus was both Son of God and Son of Man, the Messiah of the Jews and the Lord of the Gentiles. By emphasizing the person and ministry of Jesus in the context of service, suffering, and death, he ultimately prepared his church, and churches since, for persecution.

Indeed, this theme of the serving and suffering Savior runs through the Gospel account so that as we read it, we learn what it truly means to be a follower of Jesus. “For Mark discipleship was following Jesus in suffering and mission.”[2]

So why a preaching emphasis from the Gospel of Mark on following Jesus for us now?

We live in Rome, or at least a Romanesque culture, though twenty centuries removed. Christianity is in the minority in a secular world and tolerance of Christian teaching and lifestyle is waning. What Mark needed the church in Rome to know about the serving and suffering Savior is what we need to know.

We, too, are a busy and practical people. Mark gets to the heart of the matter concisely and convincingly.

And, we need reminding of what it really means to follow Jesus, particularly in a Romanesque culture. What better way to do that than to follow Jesus’ ministry and see where He went and what He did. After all, if we are going to follow Him, we will end up where He went.

While many of us in the church would readily say that we want to be disciples of Jesus, we struggle with attitudes contrary to true discipleship, like:

Spiritual complacency. “I trusted Jesus to keep me out of hell, so just let me rock along and do my thing until I get to heaven.”

Spiritual pride. “I’m a part of the Kingdom elite; I’ll be happy to direct others in serving and pity them in suffering, but that’s not my calling!”

Spiritual gamesmanship. “We’ve got to compete for the good folk if we’re going to be the big church, or at least the important church in town.”

But none of these, or a thousand others added to them, is the attitude of a genuine disciple of Jesus.

And he (Jesus) sat down and called the twelve. And he said to them, “If anyone would be first, he must be last of all and servant of all.” Mark 9:35

And Jesus called them to him and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers of the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. But it shall not be so among you. But whoever would be great among you must be your servant, and whoever would be first among you must be slave of all. For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:42–45

The genuine disciple of Jesus follows Jesus in service and suffering.

My heart as a pastor is that I, personally, and we as a church, will be seen with Jesus, serving and suffering for the Father’s glory and the good of others. Let us Follow Jesus.

^[1] Dunnett, W. M. (2001). Exploring the New Testament (p. 19). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Books.

[2] Brooks, James A. (1991). The New American Commentary: Mark (p. 30). Nashville, TN: Broadman Press.

Very Early
Mark 1:35-45

The sun doesn’t have a switch. It just rises. Darkness gives way to the glow of dawn as the sun hints at its arrival for a new day before bursting onto the scene in all its radiance glory.

Jesus is the in the darkness with the Father, praying. The Father and Son shared eternity together. Now, the Son – God in flesh – steals away under cover of night for a few uninterrupted minutes alone with the Father.

A few minutes. They found him. “Everyone is looking for you.”

Jesus said, “Let’s go…” There are more in more cities who needed to hear what Jesus had to say. It’s why he came. They are why he came. You are why he came.

By the Hand
Mark 1:29-34

While shaking hands I ask, “How are you doing?”

“Pastor,” the shaker replies, coughing, wheezing, and hacking while wiping the nose with the free hand, “I just can’t seem to get over this crud!”

At that moment, my thoughts are not Pastor-like.

Jesus does not fear her fever. Nor does he fear the appearance – single male teacher taking woman by the hand. With compassion, he simply takes her by the hand, raising her from her sickbed, delivering her from her sickness.

Jesus does not fear your condition. Nor does he fear the appearance of nearness to one like you. He simply wants to take you by the hand, raising you from the sickbed of this world, delivering you from your sin.

He Taught Them
Mark 1:21-28

Wishy-washy: lacking strength or boldness; ineffectual, weak.

A religion based on the traditions of humankind, even one that uses the Bible, will inevitably be wishy-washy. It will morph to suit the opinions and felt-needs of humankind, lacking consistency and clarity. It will be powerless to meet the actual needs of humankind.

First century Rabbis interpreted interpretations, touted tradition, and debated theological philosophies, all while demons roamed their synagogues. They were pretentious and powerless.

Jesus, on the other hand, not only taught with the authority of Gospel clarity, he kicked the demon out of the synagogue. He walked in not as another Rabbi to interpret the Scriptures, but as the One who wrote the Scriptures. And they all were astonished.

Jesus didn’t come to debate religion. He came to defeat the devil and deliver us from the power of sin and evil. And he did. Astonishing.

Wild Animals
Mark 1:9-20

Remote. Desolate. Dangerous. For forty days, wild animals roamed about Jesus while angels served him. And Satan tempted him.

Moses led the children of Abraham through the waters of the Red Sea, delivered God’s law to them, and guided them to the Promised Land. There, they promptly disbelieved God’s Word and spent the next forty years wandering in desolate places. A generation would die in the wilderness because of doubt.

Tempted, Jesus didn’t doubt. He trusted the Word of his Father and fully obeyed his Father’s will. Satan and wild animals couldn’t shake him. That’s good news for all us who have been shaken by doubt. Jesus stared down the Devil and the wolves for us.

But He
Mark 1:1-8

“Among those born of women,” Jesus said, “there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist.” (Matthew 11:11) Yet, John said that he was not worthy to untie Jesus’ sandals (John 1:27). As great as John was, as important as his ministry was, there was one yet greater. John had water. Jesus had the Holy Spirit.

You may be great, at least in your own mind. But you are not the greatest. You’re not even close. None of us are. The closer we follow Jesus, the more we think of him and the less we think of ourselves. Like John, Jesus must increase while we decrease (John 3:30). Purpose is found not in being great, but in following the Greatest.

Many of us use the start of a new year to start (or restart) a Bible reading plan. The God inspired Scriptures make us wise unto salvation and mature us in Christ (1 Timothy 3:14-17). Consistent time in the Word of God is essential for our Christian growth.

I hope the following list of reading plans will help you get more into God’s Word in 2018. I’ll be using the 5 Day Reading Plan. Click on the headings to review each plan. Then choose one and get reading.

5 Day Reading Plan
Read through the Bible in a year, with readings five days a week.

52 Week Bible Reading Plan
Read through the Bible in a year, with each day of the week dedicated to a different genre: Epistles, The Law, History, Psalms, Poetry, Prophecy, and Gospels.

5x5x5 Bible Reading Plan
Read through the New Testament in a year, reading Monday to Friday. Weekends are set aside for reflection and other reading. Especially beneficial if you’re new to a daily discipline of Bible reading.

Chronological Bible Reading Plan
Read through the Bible in the order the events occurred chronologically.

The Discipleship Journal Bible Reading Plan
Four daily readings beginning in Genesis, Psalms, Matthew and Acts.

Two-Year Bible Reading Plan
Read the Old and New Testaments once, and Psalms & Proverbs four times.

It is Sunday.  She is grieving.  Not only had He died, but now it appeared His body had been stolen.

Jesus had delivered her from seven demons.  She had invested her life in following Him.  And now He and His body were gone.  Her tears blinded her to the reality of angels and the nearness of her Savior.

Until He said her name, “Mary.”
(John 20:11-16)

It is Sunday.  Hearts still grieve.  Tears still flow.  He still lives.

Listen for your name.

It is Saturday.  It is Sabbath.  It is a day of rest from labors and focus on God.

The Roman soldiers go about their business, retelling the stories of yesterday.

The Pharisees and Chief Priests conduct their Sabbath rituals with blood stained hands supposing they are done with this man named Jesus.

Those touched by His healing hand, comforted by His tender compassion and instructed by His Kingdom teaching wonder about what was…what could have been…what will they do now.

The remaining eleven of the inner circle seclude themselves in fear.  Could they be next?

He had told them that He must die, but would live again.  Yet they seemed not to hear or at least not to understand.

How difficult it is to see hope in the darkness of doubt and fear.  Second guessing shortens our vision and our memories.

Though death had taken Him away from their sight, a million things were still happening they could not see.  And the morrow would prove it.

When clouds of doubt and dismay obscure your vision of His face, trust and know that He is yet there, working, smiling, loving and readying the dawn.

Weeping may endure for a night,
But joy comes in the morning. (Psalm 30:5)

It is Friday.  Before the dawn a kiss betrays the Master.  Mortals armed with lanterns, torches and weapons presume to arrest the eternal Son of God, yet cannot remain on their own feet.

It is Friday.  Jesus willingly surrenders to men who could not take Him and to be bound with fetters that could not hold Him.

It is Friday.  Jesus is condemned, mocked and beaten by His own.

It is Friday.  Jesus is forsaken.  The rooster crows.  Peter weeps.

It is Friday.  Pilate washes his hands.  The Roman soldiers “crown” the King.  The crowd cries, “Away with him! Crucify him!”

It is Friday.  Jesus bears His cross.  Jesus is nailed to His cross.  Jesus is suspended between heaven and earth.

It is Friday.  Darkness falls.  Sin is judged.

It is Friday.  It is finished.

God forbid that I should boast except in the cross of our Lord Jesus Christ, by whom the world has been crucified to me, and I to the world. (Galatians 6:14)

O Mighty Cross
O Christ so pure
Love held Him there
Such shame endured
His Sacrifice on Calvary
Has made the mighty cross
A tree of life to me
(from “O Mighty Cross” by David Baroni, John Chisum)

It is Friday.  But Sunday is coming.