THE COMPASSIONATE SERVANT
S - Scripture: Mark 1:1-45
Mark (John Mark) was a friend of Peter (1 Peter 5:13) and a companion of the Apostle Paul (Acts 12:12). His record of the life of Jesus may have been the earliest. It is certainly the shortest and there is a note of URGENCY about the account. Notice the frequent use of ‘urgent’ words such as: 'immediately' - 'straightway' - 'astonished' - 'forthwith' - 'amazed'. The urgency and impact of the message will not be lost on us if we read earnestly and prayerfully.
There is a brief introductory section that presents the credentials of the servant Christ in the first 13 verses of chapter 1. Following that is the ministry of the servant Christ, from chapter 1, verse 14, to chapter 8, verse 30. The rest of the book is concerned with the ransoming work of the servant Christ.
O - Observations:
The Book opens with John the Immerser and a brief account of Yehoshua (Jesus) being baptized. After that it says immediately He was driven into the desert where He fasted for 40 days and was tempted by the evil one. Mark does not give account as to the temptations as other gospels do, but moves right into the fact that John the Immerser was placed in prison and we see Yehoshua (Jesus) preaching the gospel (Good News) of the Kingdom of Heaven and beginning to call His disciples starting with his friend Peter and Peter's brother, Andrew.
The urgency by which they were called and the urgency ("straightaway") by which they left what they were doing and their families is recorded here (v. 18, 20) and then "straightaway they went to the synagogue on the Sabbath to teach. After casting out an unclean spirit it says His fame spread "immediately" throughout all of Galilee.
Verse 34 is interesting "And he healed many that were sick of divers diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him." It wasn't time for Yehoshua (Jesus) to be made known in full who He was and what He had come to do therefore the devils were not allowed to speak because it was not the right time to speak.
Verse 35 gives us some encouragement for being up at o' dark thirty! "In the early morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left {the house,} and went away to a secluded place, and was praying there ..."
Now they went from town to town preaching and casting out devils and healing the lepers. Jesus showed His compassion for the people.
Four Gospels ~ Four different accounts
The Gospel of Matthew is written to present Christ as the King and was written with the Jews in mind. Matthew speaks most of the sin offering and emphasis Christ's sacrifice and it's affect on human sin. Matthew speaks of the wise men because of His Kingship. Matthew was a disciple and wrote as such.
The Gospel of Mark presents his character as a servant. Mark writes his Gospel for the Roman mind. This is the Gospel that has the most Latin words in it---the Gospel of haste and action, characteristics of Rome. In Mark the trespass offering is most emphasized, that is the effects of sin and it's manifestation in the deeds of men. The author of our current focus, the Book of Mark, was John Mark an unfaithful servant to Paul on Paul's first missionary trip. As Peter's friend the Book of Mark records alot of what happened to and the thoughts of Peter. Mark gives us very little about himself, but it is thought that Mark 14:51 perhaps was a personal account of his experience in watching Christ move to the place of His crucifixion. The whole Gospel is summed up for us in a phrase about the Lord in chapter 10: "For the Son of man also came not to be served but to serve ..." "not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life as a ransom for many." He taught as one with authority and as the servant of God, Christ knew the heart of the Father. He speaks and quotes only Scripture, never apologizes, never repeats and always speaks with authority especially over the "powers of darkness" and disease and he did it not only with authority, but compassion. The compassion of the servant's heart is revealed as he touched the leper (as no ever did!), healed him, and sent him to the priest, the first instance in all of Scripture of a leper ever being healed according to the law of Moses and sent to the priest, as the law demanded.
The Gospel of Luke presents him as the Son of man---as man in his essential humanity and was written with the philosophical Greek in mind. Luke answers to the peace offering. Luke records that shepherds came at his birth versus the wise men and talks about his struggle in the Garden of Gethsamane because in these accounts we can see more of his humanity. Luke wrote his gospel from the perspective of Paul.
The Gospel of John presents him as the Son of God, that is, his deity, and there you find the greatest claims for his deity and it was written for the Believer and it speaks of fellowship. John speaks to the burnt offering an expression of complete and utter dedication and devotion as every bit of it was burnt up speaking to a life TOTALLY given to God. John wrote his gospel based on his experience as a "Beloved Disciple".
All the gospels however reflect Christ as our meal offering in the sinless being that He was.
A - Application for me today:
To serve and not seek to be served.
P - Prayer in response:
Our Father, we thank you for your suffering Servant, the One who came not to be ministered unto, as we so frequently demand for ourselves, but to minister and to give his life as a ransom for many. May the impact of that holy, selfless sacrifice imprint itself upon our minds and hearts, that we may never forget that there is One who saved others, but himself he could not, would not, save.
In the Name of our Suffering Servant's name
B'shem Yeshua HaMashiach
Amen & Amen
THE LOVE DARE CHALLENGE
Day 21: Love is satisfied in God
The Lord will continually guide you, and satisfy your desire. —Isaiah 58:11
TODAY’S DARE
Be intentional today about making a time to pray and read your Bible. Try reading a chapter out of Proverbs each day (there are thirty-one—a full month’s supply), or reading a chapter in the Gospels (Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John). As you do, immerse yourself in the love and promises God has for you. This will add to your growth as you walk with Him.
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