 
- Enlighten Me! Cavern
The Gospel Writers
Mark
Jesus, the Servant
King!
- When
you see this cross, it is a suggested stopping place.
- Each
Gospel lesson will have five
crosses and can be used as one
week of studies!
- Stop
and reflect
 A new beginning.
The Gospel
The Gospel of Mark, probably written sometime
between 50 and 60 A.D., records the last three years in the life
of Jesus, in geographical order. Mark takes us from the water
baptism by John the Baptist in the Jordon River and the teaching
ministry in and around Galalie, to Jerusalem where our Lord fulfilled
His Messianic mission. Mark moves swiftly but pays close attention
to detail. He gives us glimpses into the looks and gestures of
Jesus. He groups accounts together as they can best present the
gospel message.
It is believed Matthew and Luke used Mark's
words, polished the language a bit and added new material in
chronological order. Matthew and Luke each had a different audience
to address, increasing understanding of the Messiah and fulfillment
of His mission from their own knowledge of the ministry of Jesus.
Christians followed the traditions and
practices of the Jewish community in the handing down of the
accounts of God in detail by memorization. As the Gospel of Jesus
Christ began to spread, those with eye witness knowledge of the
accounts began to write them in manuscripts. The early church
leaders accepted Mark's account into the New Testament Canon
in the second century, as having been dictated by Simon Peter.
He quickly establishes Jesus as the Son of God!
- The beginning of the gospel
about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Mark 1:1
Conquering Servant
John the Baptist announces the arrival
of the long awaited Messiah. Old Testament prophets foretold
the coming of the great one, the Anointed One, sent by God who
would offer salvation and inner peace not only to Israel but
to the entire world.
"For even the Son
of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his
life as a ransom for many." Mark 10:45
Jesus Christ, the Son of God, lived his
life on earth and conducted His ministry in total dependence
upon the Holy Spirit as an example of how we are to live.
Jesus, full of the Holy
Spirit, returned from the Jordan and was led by the Spirit in
the desert, Luke 4:1
The first half of the Gospel of Mark is
dedicated to the servant ministry of Jesus. He preformed many
miracles to convince the people who He was and to teach His disciples
His true identity as God! Mark recounts Jesus' public ministry
of healing and teaching. He raised the dead, gave sight to the
blind, hearing to the deaf, restored deformed bodies, quieted
stormy seas, and extended forgiveness of sin. He came to conquer
sin and death. Death on the cross was His ultimate service.
They left that place and
passed through Galilee. Jesus did not want anyone to know where
they were, because he was teaching his disciples. He said to
them, "The Son of Man is going to be betrayed into the hands
of men. They will kill him, and after three days he will rise."
Mark 9:30-31
Praise be to Our Serving
Christ! Amen
How do you serve God
and others? Think about it!
Suffering Servant
Many parallels are found in this Gospel
between the suffering and death of Christians in Rome and the
mission of Jesus Christ.
Living in Rome at the time of the writing
of this manuscript, Mark wrote His Gospel to comfort the Roman
Christians who were under persecution from Nero. After Nero had
burned down Rome, in order to take the heat off of himself, He
used the Christians as scapegoats and began gathering them for
execution. He chose them because of their anti-social ways, dressed
them in wild animals' skins to be torn to pieces by dogs, crucified
them, or made them into torches to be ignited after dark as a
substitute for daylight. It was Nero who first brought martyrdom
to the early church. These victims were pitied as they were sacrificed
to Nero's brutality. They had not presented any threat to Roman
rule.
Mark's intention was to strengthen the
faith of the Roman believers as they faced this persecution.
He wanted to inspire them to suffer faithfully for the sake of
the gospel. He placed before them the life, suffering, crucifixion
and resurrection of Jesus their Lord. Jesus gave His life that
mankind would know about God's love for them.
Then he called the crowd
to him along with his disciples and said: "If anyone would
come after me, he must deny himself and take up his cross and
follow me. Mark 8:34
Thanks be to Our Sacrificing
Savior! Amen
How do you sacrifice
for God and others? Think about it!
Triumphant Servant
Jesus spent three years teaching his disciples
and preparing them for what would take place, but they still
would not understand God's plan to resurrect Jesus. He would
be the final atonement for sin in the world. He would bring man
into a personal relationship with God. Jesus was "The Holy
Lamb of God!"
They put a purple robe
on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on
him. And they began to call out to him, "Hail, king of the
Jews!" Mark 15:17-18
Again and again they struck
him on the head with a staff and spit on him. Falling on their
knees, they paid homage to him. And when they had mocked him,
they took off the purple robe and put his own clothes on him.
Then they led him out to crucify him. Mark 15:19-20
Jesus was with God from the beginning.
We have already established that means forever. He was with God,
and He was God. John 1:1 Suffering the
cross and bearing the sins of the world meant that He had to
die as a man and be separated from the Father until the third
day. This knowledge brought Jesus into such agony in the garden
of Gethsemane, his sweat turned to blood. He was prepared to
go to the cross and die for us, but separation from the Father
would bring unbearable torment.
Jesus called out with a
loud voice, "Father, into your hands I commit my spirit."
When he had said this, he breathed his last. Luke 23:46
"Don't be alarmed,"
he said. "You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene, who was
crucified. He has risen! He is not here. See the place where
they laid him Mark 16:6
His death and resurrection made a way for
us to be connected in Spirit with the Father. When we die, there
will be no separation from God, only our resurrection to new
life with Him. Those who believe in Him will not experience eternal
Hell. He took our punishment and we can live with Him for eternity
in heaven.
Glory and Honor be
to Our Saving Lord! Amen
- How do you use the
resurrection power?
- How do you allow the
Holy Spirit to work in your life?
- Think about it!
The Writer
John Mark was the son of Mary (of Mary
and Martha fame - sisters of Lazarus, another lesson) and lived
in the house where the disciples and Jesus were known to gather
in Jerusalem. A Jewish Christian converted by Peter, who called
him, 'my son'. He was also a cousin to Barnabas. Mark traveled
with Barnabas and Paul on the first missionary journey to Antioch.
He went as far as Perga, but abandoned the trip to return home,
either homesick or in fear as the journey proceeded into dangerous
territory. Paul and Barnabas planted many churches as they took
the gospel to the gentiles. Paul could not trust taking Mark
on the second missionary journey. Barnabas took Mark to Cyprus
training him in the ministry. Paul chose Silas and headed to
Galatia and Macedonia, doubling the strength of the mission.
Paul makes it clear in his letters Mark
becomes most valuable to him in the ministry and as a personal
friend. Paul sent him on a mission to Asia Minor and requested
he join Timothy's ministry in Rome. He later calls for Mark to
come to him during the final days of his last imprisonment and
at the end of his life. Mark later planted a church in Alexandria,
Egypt where he died.
Mark wrote his Gospel under the direction
and inspiration of the Holy Spirit. The original writings were
dictated by Peter. The writing style is that of Peter's and Mark
records in detail the accounts where Peter was present. Remember:
All Scripture
is God-breathed and is useful for teaching, rebuking, correcting
and training in righteousness, so that the man of God may be
thoroughly equipped for every good work. Tim. 3:16-17
I pray that
through this lesson you have learned the value of becoming a
servant to others for the sake of the gospel. God will be with
you as you seek to serve Him and others. There is power in the
Name of Jesus and Power in His Word. Now that I have researched
this for you (and me), I am going to go back and re-read the
book of Mark. I hope you will too! We need to pray for better
understanding and for God to speak to our hearts through His
Word. God says we must pray for wisdom. He will honor that prayer!
Praise, Honor and Glory be unto Him.
Don't forget to go back now and
read the Gospel of Matthew.
Gramma Cherbear
To start at the beginning
of the Gospel Writer's series: click here!
To go to the entrance
of the Teen Cave: click here!
If you hear music
in two pages, just close the one you are finished with!
- The Teen Caverns "Enlighten
Me" studies referenced from
these sources:
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- Influential! Cavern
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