Servant Messiah: The Gospel of Mark (Part 1)

By:  Dale Weckbacher

Mark 1:9-10

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John. ¹⁰ As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 

(CSB)

Unlike the gospels of Luke and Matthew, the Gospel of Mark begins with the preparation for his coming by John the Baptist, Jesus’ baptism, and Jesus’ temptation (Mark 1:1-15).  Jesus is God in the flesh (John 1:14) who came to earth to minister, serve His Father, and later die for the sins of humanity making a path to eternal life through His resurrection (John 3:16).  With such a resume one would think He would simply burst onto the scene in some glorious demonstration of power and establish Himself as King.  However, Jesus is not an ordinary king, but the promised Jewish Messiah promised in Genesis 3:15.  Genesis 3:15 speaks of the striking of Messiah in the head but also striking the heel of Satan, referring His death and resurrection. 

Instead of coming on to the scene as some majestic and powerful ruler, Jesus humbly comes to John the Baptist.  Matthew 3:13-15 records the initial reservations of John the Baptist, claiming he needs baptism more than Jesus.  John is correct for his baptism was not a baptism of purification but repentance with Jesus having no need for repentance.  Jesus, however, seeks baptism to provide a righteous example for his followers.  After coming up from the water, God allows John to see a vision of the heavens opening and the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus.  This vision was a confirmation to John the Baptist that the one he just baptized is the one mightier than him who would baptize people with the Holy Spirit. 

While Luke and Matthew begin with the physical birth of Jesus, Mark and John begin with the birth of the ministry of Jesus.  However, this is not going to be a ministry like the prophets that preceded Him for this is going to be a ministry from the Son of God and God Himself.  Mark 1 lays the foundation for this unique ministry by,

1)      An announcement from an unexpected source (Mark 1:1-8) – The expected announcement of the Jewish Messiah would be either the High Priest or some supernatural announcement from God Himself.  While this did occur with the star and angelic announcement at Jesus’ birth, the announcement of his ministry comes from one appearing on the scene wearing a camel-hair garment, with a leather belt. 

2)      An example of obedience (Mark 1:9-11) – Jesus, the Son of God and God Himself is perfect and has nothing from which to repent but he approached John to be baptized.  Initially John fails to understand the need for him to baptize Jesus but after Jesus explains that the purpose is to obey all righteousness, he realizes Jesus is providing an example to others of the need to repent of sins (Matthew 3:13-15). 

3)      Resisting temptation  (Mark 1:12-13) – After Jesus’ baptism and the Holy Spirit’ descending upon Him, he is driven to the wilderness and tempted by the Devil.  This parallels what occurred in the Garden of Eden between Satan, Adam, and Eve.  However, this time Jesus resists the temptation to sin, paving the way to living a sinless life and becoming the spotless Lamb of God removing sin from the world.    

4)      Assembling an unusual team of disciples (Mark 1:16-20) – One who is the Messiah and Son of God could have chosen anyone on earth to become part of His team of Disciples.  However, instead of choosing from the elite religious leaders of His time, Jesus chooses a rag tag group of simple people from Galilee.  While this seems illogical, Jesus’ later encounters with these elites demonstrates the wisdom of this decision.  These young disciples had their problems as do us all, but they would later give their own lives in service to their Lord.  Jesus as God knew the hearts of people and knew these men had good hearts that He could mold into great leaders and pioneers in spreading the Gospel message.  God can and will use anyone who has a heart that loves Him, no matter what their background.

5)      Miracles and teaching (Mark 1:21-45) – Jesus wastes no time in beginning His ministry as servant Messiah by driving out a demon, healing the sick, and teaching about His Heavenly Father.  The miracles got everyone’s attention and demonstrated the power of God present in Jesus.  With their undivided attention, Jesus could now teach. 

As we progress in our study of the Gospel of Mark, we will read about many more miracles.  We will read the teaching of Jesus with a foundation of sound doctrine from God Himself in flesh through the words of Jesus.  The climax is the greatest miracle, the miracle of Jesus death and resurrection and his commission to the Church.  My prayer through this study is that everyone will gain a greater knowledge of their servant Messiah and a desire for a closer relationship with God. 

Come back next Wednesday and share the link to this posting with others wo they can join in.  May God bless everyone reading this.