The Beginning of the Gospel

Prayer for Understanding and the Reading of Scripture

0:03 This sermon was preached on Sunday morning, July 31st, 1983, at the Trinity Baptist Church in Montville, New Jersey. Now may we once again seek the face of God, confessing our utter dependence upon His grace and the ministry of His Holy Spirit, if we are rightly to understand and rightly to receive His own infallible Word. Let us pray. Father, we do again confess our thankfulness for the preciousness of the Word of God.

0:44 We cannot begin to conceive what our lives would be like were they lives framed in total ignorance of the truth found in the pages of Your Holy Book. We thank You that it has been given to guide us on our way to heaven. We thank You that it's love. Light does cheer our drooping souls.

1:11 It rebukes our careless souls. We pray that this morning it may come to us, not in word only, but in power, in the Holy Spirit, and in much assurance, that every boy and girl, man and woman, saved or unsaved, each may know that You are present with Your own Word, causing it to come to every heart in power and in saving influence. O God, hear our cry and meet us in the ministry of the Word, to the end that Your dear Son may receive a fuller measure of the reward of His own suffering. Amen.

2:07 Now may I urge you to follow in your own Bibles as I read from the Gospel according, to Mark, the first four verses of the first chapter, and then several verses from the tenth chapter of the book of the Acts of the Apostles. Mark's Gospel, chapter 4, verses 1 through 4.

2:34 The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, even as it is written in Isaiah the prophet, Behold, I send my messenger before thy eyes. Behold my face, who shall prepare thy way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ye ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. John came, who baptized in the wilderness, and preached the baptism of repentance unto remission of sins. And now the tenth chapter of Acts, verses 34 to 37.

3:15 An excerpt of Peter's... sermon at the household of Cornelius, Acts chapter 10, beginning with verse 34.

3:29 And Peter opened his mouth and said, Of a truth I perceive that God is no respecter of persons, but in every nation he that fears him and works righteousness is acceptable to him. The word which he sent unto the children of Israel, preaching good tidings of peace, by Jesus Christ, he is Lord of all, that saying you yourselves know, which was published throughout all Judea, beginning from Galilee, after the baptism which John preached.

Mark's Introductory Words: Two Interpretations

4:10 Now turning back to the gospel according to Mark. In recent weeks we have considered together some introductory matters relative to that spirit-inspired section of the Gospel of Mark. A section of New Testament literature commonly called the Gospels, that is, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And then in the last couple of weeks, some introductory perspectives on the Gospel of Mark in particular.

4:41 And I hope the analogy of New Testament Avenue will help you as you try to hold together what we have done in recent weeks. In preparation for studying the actual text of Mark's Gospel, we have likened the New Testament to a row of houses, New Testament Avenue, with twenty-seven homes. We paused for a while to look at the first four and to consider some of the things that make them distinctive houses in relationship to the rest of the houses on New Testament Avenue. And then we went up to the second of those houses, the Gospel of Mark, and we examined something about its huge, human builder, Mark the man, some of the distinguishing characteristics of the house that he built, wherein his house differs from the other three Gospel houses, and something of the overall structure of that house. Now what we do this morning is we actually enter the front door, having stood on the porch, and on that front door we have Mark give us these introductory words to his Gospel record. Mark 1 and verse 1, the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

6:03 Now as we address ourselves to these words, the first thing we must do is seek to ascertain the precise intention of these words of introduction. What did Mark intend to do when he wrote, literally, beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, God's Son. And there are two basic possibilities with respect to Mark's precise intention. And with reference to these possibilities, good, godly, able men, knowledgeable in the original languages, men of humble mind who love the word of God, they're about equally divided as to Mark's precise intention when he wrote these simple words, the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. There are some who believe that he intended to give us a general introductory summary of his entire gospel record. In other words, this would be a kind of title standing over the entire book of Mark, similar to what we find on a title page, in which there may be one or two words giving the title of the book, and then an expanded statement informing us as to the basic intention of the contents of that book. Now I say

7:32 not a few good, godly, able students of the word of God believe that this was the precise intention of the words of introduction in verse one. They suggest that Mark is thinking in the framework that Luke expresses when he says in Acts 1 and verse 1, the former treatise I have made, O Theophilus, referring to the gospel of Luke, of all that Jesus began both to do and to teach. So Luke regards his gospel as a record of the things Jesus began to do and to teach, and the book of Acts with its record of the ascension of Christ, the descent of the Spirit, and the resurrection of Jesus Christ. And then the apostolic preaching and teaching are a continuance of the things that Jesus began to do and to teach. And so these commentators suggest, and with not a little warrant, both from the grammar of the verse itself and from its connection with the rest of the gospel and parallel passages, that the precise intention of Mark was this. He was giving us an introductory statement that summarizes the entire content of his treatise, so that anyone reading it would know this is but the

8:55 beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. More is to follow, and that you must not assess the full significance of the life and death and the teaching of Jesus simply from the gospel records. You will not fully know the gospel when you only know the gospel records. You will not fully know the gospel records when you only know the gospel records. You will not fully know the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Now you ought to know its beginnings in the person and work and teaching of Jesus, but you must also go on to know its fullness in the descent of the Spirit and in the full-blown apostolic instruction. A man by the name of Bernard, who has written a book called The Progress of Doctrine, has some very helpful thoughts supporting this particular thesis. But there is another possibility. The other possibility is that Mark's precise intention

9:54 with these words of introduction was not so much to give a general introductory summary of the entire book, but rather to give us a specific introduction to the ministry of John the Baptist. And the major reasons for saying this are two. Number one, you will notice, the connecting word with which verse 2 begins, the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, even as it is written in Isaiah the prophet. And then we are immediately introduced to the ministry of John the Baptist. And these students of the word of God say, Mark's precise intention is to do this, to give us the beginning of the gospel as it unfolded historically with the ministry of John the Baptist. Because when we turn to other scriptures, it is clear that the ministry of John the Baptist is a watershed of God's dealings with men in history. According to Luke chapter 16 and verse 16, Luke 16 and verse 16, our Lord Jesus thus regarded,

11:16 the ministry of John. The law and the prophets were until John. From that time, the gospel of the kingdom is preached. You see what our Lord is saying? From the time of John, the gospel is preached. The law as a dispensation or economy or a period in the history of redemption comes to its transition point. The law as a dispensation or economy or a period in the history of redemption comes to its transition point with the appearance of John. And the gospel in its historical fulfillment, unfolding and proclamation begins with John. So these commentators say, when Mark says, the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, even as it is written, and then he plants John before us, what he is doing is not introducing the subject of the entire book so much as introducing to us the ministry of God. And so, as we are introduced to the gospel of Jesus Christ, John, and you will remember if you were listening alertly, when I read from Acts 10, 34 to 37, that is precisely the point that Peter makes. When he is preaching in the household of Cornelius, he says, this message, you know, had its beginning from the time of the preaching of John the Baptist.

12:38 Now, I personally believe, though either of these positions contains no heresy, neither of these positions contains no heresy, neither of these positions contains no heresy, neither of these positions contains no heresy, neither of these positions contains no heresy, neither of these positions contains no heresy, neither of these positions contains no heresy. has more credibility to it. Now, if you examine the evidence and come up on the other side, you will not come under church discipline, you will not be censured, you will not be regarded as a heretic. But I do believe the analogy of Scripture and particularly the grammar of the passage so links verse 2 with verse 1 that we can see that the analogy of Scripture and particularly we cannot think of a general introductory statement of the entire book so much as Mark's intention is to introduce to us the ministry of John the Baptist. But you see, he does not introduce the ministry of John the Baptist until he gives us this profound introductory statement. And having considered with you briefly what is a little bit technical but absolutely necessary if I am properly to handle the word of God in your hearing, let us now move on to consider the profound significance of these words of introduction. Having spent a few minutes to examine the precise intention of these introductory words,

The Profound Significance: Essential Substance of the Gospel

14:02 now consider with me the profound significance of these words of introduction. And once again, we can only marvel at the reality and the richness of the word of God. We dare not pass over these words and launch right into an examination of the ministry of John as the forerunner. For although I believe these words are an introduction to the place of John in the purpose of God, they are introductory words that are profound in their significance both with respect to the ministry of John and the entire gospel community.

14:43 Notice, first of all, that they set before us the essential substance of what is to follow. What is to follow, as Mark writes? Well, he tells us, the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, even as it is written. So that as he moves on to describe the ministry of John and will subsequently introduce the ministry of John, he will also introduce the ministry of John and will subsequently introduce the ministry of John and will subsequently introduce the ministry of John and will subsequently introduce the Lord Jesus himself.

15:16 And then after that we will meet many people with many needs in many circumstances. We will listen to many words and encounter many events and hear the recorded sayings of Christ. Mark wants us to understand at the very outset that the essential substance of everything that follows is gospel. It is beginning.

15:43 Of the gospel. And there are few words in the Bible of greater significance than the word gospel. That word gospel literally, simply means, in biblical usage, good news. Its original meaning was a reward given to a bearer of good news.

16:04 But its meaning in scripture is good news. More particularly, it is the good news of God's graciousness and gracious, sovereign, and powerful activity in rescuing sinners from their horrible condition. It is good news because it announces what God has done. It is good news because it announces what God has graciously done.

16:36 It is good news because it announces what God has sovereignly done for poor, helpless, and poor. It is good news because it announces what God has sovereignly done for poor, helpless, and poor. needy sinners. Now Mark is not in any way suggesting that there was no good news until John the Baptist appeared on the scene. In a very real sense, the first proclamation of good news or the gospel goes right back into the Garden of Eden. When Adam and Eve sinned and in their sense of guilt and shame run from God, the gospel is beautifully set before us in that very context. The Lord God comes to sinning man and woman and God calls Adam, where art thou? That's a gospel voice. And God says, I will put enmity between the

17:35 seed of the woman and the seed of the serpent. And that first proclamation of good news or the first gospel promise in Genesis 3.15 is gospel. God isn't saying to Adam and Eve, you must do and you must do and you must do. He announces, I will do, I will do, I will do. That's gospel. And according to Paul in Galatians 3.8, when God came to Abraham and said, I will make of you a father of many nations and in your seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed.

18:08 According to the gospel promise, God is saying to Adam and Eve, you must do and you must do. That's the explicit word of the apostle in Galatians 3.8. That's gospel. God preached before the gospel unto Abraham saying, in thee and in thy seed shall the nations be blessed. And so the Old Testament is full of good news by the explicit conferral of pardoning grace, by promise, by prophecy, by type and by shadow. God's grace is full of good news. God's grace is full of good news. God's grace is full of good news. God's grace is sovereign, powerful activity in rescuing sinners is amply declared in the Old Testament.

18:49 Well, why then does Mark say, the beginning of the gospel? Well, he says it from this very simple perspective, that in the actual historical unfolding of the coming of the Redeemer, in the actual unfolding of those acts, the coming of the Redeemer, the coming of the Redeemer, the by which the Redeemer promised and prophesied and foreshadowed by type and symbol, the actual coming of that Redeemer to live, to die, to be buried, to be raised again. In that sense, John the Baptist heralds that this one has actually appeared in space-time history. There is dust on the roads of Palestine and Judea. That is kicked up by the feet of the long-promised Messiah. And so in that sense, in the actual historical events in which Jesus Christ will redeem his people, in which he will live and die and be raised from the dead, in which he will manifest all the credentials that the promised Messiah must manifest, this coming of John the Baptist was the beginning of the gospel. Not the

20:09 beginning of the gospel. It was the beginning of the gospel. It was the beginning of the gospel. It was the beginning of the gospel in terms of God's gracious, sovereign mercy to sinners. That began in the announcement in the Eden of God. And it is repeated and amplified throughout the Old Testament. But it is the beginning in terms of actual historical fulfillment. When the angels declared it is birth unto you, this day is born in the city of death.

20:40 It is the coming of the promised Messiah. It is the coming of the promised Messiah. When it came, Jesus gave it a Savior who is Christ the Lord. The long-promised Messiah has come. And therefore the ministry of John the Baptist actually saying, the one promised is coming. The one who is greater than I. The one who will baptize with the Spirit and with fire. The one who is the Lamb of God. John's Baptist breaks the silence of 400 years in which no one no prophet appeared saying thus saith the Lord and suddenly in the wilderness of Judea this strange man appears and everyone is awakened and alerted to the fact that God who has broken into history in the past and through that history has given promise and type and shadow and prophecy this God has now broken into history in the person of the Redeemer and the essential substance of everything that follows is good news, glorious news, almighty God has come to man in all of his need and lostness and undone-ness

21:53 and you see because all that follows is good news to needy sinners the gospel of Mark will mean little to you unless you know and feel yourself to be a guilty needy sinner it's not good news to a person walking down Bloomfield Avenue in the middle of the day to be told that there is a wonderful remedy for a certain disease that is killing people by the thousands if the person is healthy and feels no malady working in his own system for you to run up and down Bloomfield Avenue saying I have good news for you sir good news for you sir I have such and such a remedy for such and such a disease he'll look at you like a madman but let him become part of a community afflicted with this rare disease taking human life by the dozens every day and see the man with a distraught look upon his face and wringing his hands in despair saying what shall I do, what shall I do to come to him and say I have good news, I have good news I have a remedy that is the answer to the malady, your words now are indeed good news to him, may God grant that as we come to our study of the gospel of Mark we will take our clue from Mark's opening introductory words with respect to John the Baptist

The Profound Significance: Central Figure of the Gospel (Jesus)

23:22 all that follows is good news, but good news only to needy, helpless sinners, but then in these profound words of introduction we are not only given by Mark the essential substance of all that is to follow, it's to be good news but we are given the central figure in all that is to follow the central figure and who is he, look at the text it is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God now for you Greek students what we have is an objective genitive, not a subjective genitive it is not the gospel of which Christ is the author and which he preaches but it is the gospel concerning Jesus Christ, it is the good news which focuses in Jesus Christ the Son of God in other words Mark is telling us that the central figure in all that is to follow is Jesus Christ Son of God and in those words we have three very fundamental things, number one his personal name

24:49 Jesus, his official title, Christ and his unique identity God's Son, that's what the text says and that's where I plan to take you in your thinking, first of all his personal name now we have a lot of births around here at Trinity Church and it looks like we've got a lot about to happen in the next few weeks as well and we always delight when God is pleased to give us little ones to our families and we seek to surround them with love and concern and care and our prayers and our testimony and witness, but it's interesting, the larger the church family grows and the more certain names get used up, the more difficult it is for our young couples to choose names, and it's interesting sometimes when babies are a few weeks from coming and I'll be talking with the mother-to-be or the father-to-be and say if it's a girl, if it's chosen a name a boy, and they really get hung up sometimes because so many of the nice names are getting used up or names that match and rhyme with the particular last name that they have, and choosing a name a personal name by which to identify that child from all others is rather difficult but you see it was never difficult to choose a personal name for the one who is the central figure of the gospel God took the task out of Joseph and Mary's hands

26:17 when Mary was found to be with child and Joseph, not the human father, for he had no human father but the one who was engaged to be married to Mary when he discovered this and was wrestling with what he should do about this situation, we read in Matthew's gospel chapter 1 that the angel of the Lord came to him, the angel Gabriel came and appeared to him and he said to him, and I read now from Matthew's gospel chapter 1 and verse 20, but when he fought on these things, behold an angel of the Lord appeared unto him in a dream saying, Joseph son of David do not be afraid to take Mary your wife, for that which is conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit, and she shall bring forth a son thou shalt call his name Jesus you will give him the personal name Jesus now that name was a very popular name in the day in which Joseph and Mary lived there were probably hundreds of little boys running around Palestine by the name of Jesus just like there are hundreds of little boys in this area of the country whose name is John or Peter or Harry or Tom some of the more popular names there were hundreds of little Jesus's running around the streets of Palestine

27:44 and yet the angel said his personal name was not to be unique in terms of its popularity but this was to be the name by which he was to be designated his personal name was to be Jesus and because it was such a popular name there are times when even in the gospel writers they had to mark out which Jesus they were talking about, so you'll notice in John chapter 1 and verse 45 that he's identified as the Jesus who comes from a certain place and who has a certain father and that pretty well narrowed it down to the right Jesus to the right Jesus John 1.45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him we have found him of whom Moses in the law and the prophets wrote Jesus of Nazareth the son of Joseph there were so many Jesus's running around that he had to be identified as the Jesus who comes from Nazareth and the Jesus whose earthly father is called Joseph that is in terms of parental relationship not father biologically now why then? since he is to be the one in whom all the lines of the gospel focus, why did not God choose a unique personal name?

29:11 well the answer is given to us right there in the Matthew passage for the word Jesus though a popular name has a very distinct and definite meaning it means Jehovah saves or Jehovah is salvation and that's why the angel went on to say in verse 21 thou shalt call his name Jesus for he will bear this personal name though it is a common name though there's nothing unique about the name in terms of that contemporary historical setting but there is something so utterly unique in his mission that that name and that name alone will be as it were a distillation of his mission thou shalt call his name Jesus, the word which means Jehovah saves or Jehovah is salvation for he shall save others may bear the name, multitudes may have it as a personal designation but he and he alone will be the one worthy of that name for he is Jehovah incarnate, he will be the Jehovah who saves he is the Jehovah who rescues men from sin and from its consequences and then throughout the rest of the gospel of Mark approximately 100 times you will find the name Jesus, Jesus did

30:39 this, Jesus went here Jesus said this Jesus performed this and we must never regard lightly any occurrence of that name but every time we come to it remember Mark says beginning of the gospel concerning Jesus, it is good news because it all focuses in one who has a personal name which embodies the whole genius of his mission and and and and and and and and and and and and And as we go through the gospel and we see him in contact with human sin and suffering, coming into contact with the wrecks of humanity, we shall see again and again Jesus forgiving sin, Jesus conquering the powers of demons, Jesus stilling the raging seas and we need to remind ourselves again and again that this central figure in his personal name is doing precisely what his name would lead us to believe he would do. He is saving from sin and my friends that's good news. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus it is good news because it is news about Jesus Savior

The Profound Significance: Central Figure of the Gospel (Christ and Son of God)

32:07 of mankind. But then we not only have the central figure set before us in terms of his personal name, but secondly his official title. Now you kids, you might be tempted to think, well, my mom and dad gave me two names and if they had problems with my first name, you should see the trouble they went through trying to find my middle name. Last name was already settled. In our society I take that from my mom and dad, but then they had to give me a first name and a middle name. Now a lot of people think that, well, Jesus is his first name, Christ his middle name, or maybe Lord his title and Jesus Christ his two personal names. But that is not the case. He was given one personal name, Jesus.

32:52 And when Mark says beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the word Christ is not a personal name like a middle name, but it is his official title. It is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew word Messiah, which simply means the anointed one. But in meaning simply that, the anointed one, there is bound up in that official title all of the richness of everything that God had predicted and promised and prophesied throughout the Old Testament. For God had led his ancient people to believe that he would raise up a prophet who would be anointed of him to be the great and final prophet, even greater than Moses, who would bring the word of God to men. He promised with an oath that he would set apart a priest after the order of Melchizedek. A priest who could do what no other priest could do, who would confer salvation as a king priest upon his throne. And so this official title reminds us that Jesus' personal name is God's Christ, God's anointed Messiah, God's God's peculiarly chosen and designated Redeemer of sinners.

34:20 And though Mark is writing primarily to non-Jews, as we saw in our introduction, most likely with Romans in view, and though multitudes of them would be utterly ignorant of the Old Testament, he lets them know at the outset, though they may be ignorant of the profound significance of the term Christ, they can never fully appreciate the good news if they view it in isolation from all of its taproots in the Old Testament promises and prophecies. All of the Old Testament type and figure that points forward to him who has God's anointed prophet, priest and king would accomplish the salvation of his people. And that's good news. God is taking the initiative. God has chosen one upon whom to place his spirit.

35:15 And that's where we'll see the significance down in this chapter when Jesus is baptized. The Father speaks out of heaven, this is my beloved Son in whom I'm well pleased. When he places his spirit upon him to begin his work in actual contact with men in space-time history, he anoints him with his spirit and formally sets him apart as the anointed one to accomplish the redemption of his own. But then in the third place, these words set before us, not only his personal name, his official title, but his unique identity.

35:56 Look at the language. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, literally God's Son. God's Son. Son of God. Now I'm aware that there is some question as to whether or not Mark actually wrote those words. Some ancient manuscripts omit them, but the overwhelming evidence is that Mark did write these words. And at the very beginning of his gospel, in this introductory statement in which he's about to set before us the ministry of John the Baptist, he would have us pause, even though he's writing in this racy breakneck speed style that we considered. John does not write, Mark does not write, not write non-theologically.

36:46 And on the very threshold his introductory word points to the unique identity of the one who is the sum and substance of the good news. He is the Son of God. And no fewer than 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6 times in his gospel is he explicitly called Son of God. Chapter 3, verse 11, 5, 7, 9, 7, 14, 15, 51, 61, and 1539.

37:19 Now why do I emphasize this? Well, for this simple reason. There are those who say, well, you see, the gospel of Mark is closer to the original facts about Jesus. John the Apostle wrote his gospel much later, and by then the Christians had so worshipped Christ that their estimation of him had been elevated far beyond facts and reality. So John begins his gospel where? In eternity. In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The Word became flesh.

38:03 And we are told that is a Joannine conception of Jesus, one that Jesus didn't believe about himself, one that the earlier gospel writers did not believe. Their doctrine was totally different from the doctrine of John. Furthermore, we have the birth narratives of Matthew in which he's called Emmanuel, God with us, and Luke in which he's called Son of God. Even by the time those gospels were written, the Christians, you see, began to elevate Christ to a place he did not originally have in his own estimation of himself or in their original relationship to him.

38:40 And to all of that we can say one simple word, rubbish. Rubbish! Theological, exegetical rubbish! For when Mark begins to introduce the beginning of the gospel with the ministry of John, he pauses long enough to let us know that there is no doubt in his mind that the one of whom John speaks is none other than Son of God.

39:10 And Son of God in Scripture means nothing less than God the Son. The second person of the ever blessed Trinity who came from the presence of the Father, the eternal Father sent the eternal Son. The eternal Word takes flesh and dwells amongst us. And in a very real sense you will not be able to read the book of Mark and understand it unless you pause long enough to consider the unique identity, of the one who is the focal point of the entire book.

39:50 When you see a man saying to other men your sins are forgiven. If he's only a man then let us join the Pharisees and say this man blasphemes! Who is a man to forgive sin as though he were God?

40:11 When we read a man speaking to this created order and saying to winds and waves be still not in the name of Jehovah not in the name of some higher power but in his own authority. When we see someone talking to demons who say we know you who you are Jesus Son of God and he says be still and demon powers obey him. You see you cannot read the gospel of Mark and understand it at all unless on the very beginning the opening statement you come to grips with this unique identity of Jesus of Nazareth. He is Son of God. He is God the Son. This mighty energetic servant of Jehovah whom Mark brings before us in these quick cut pictures of his mighty deeds his unique identity alone opens up to us the mystery of that mighty power. He is nothing

41:23 less than Son of God. He is God's Son. Well we've spent a few minutes discussing the precise intention of these words of introduction a lengthier time considering the profound significance of these words of introduction. The essential substance of all that follows is gospel. The central figure of all that follows is Jesus Christ Son of God. Now then in closing what are the practical applications of these words of introduction? Is there anything that is burningly relevant to us in all of this? Well there is much and I have time only to trace out two or three lines of application with you.

Practical Application: Preoccupation with Christ in Study

42:12 The practical application of these words of introduction is first of all to be seen here. These words of introduction should determine our great concern and preoccupation in all of our study of Mark's account of the doings and sayings of Jesus. These introductory words by which he brings us to John the Baptist in a very real sense should fix our minds and hearts in terms of our expectation what we're looking for and what we're looking for. What we come here Lord's Day by Lord's Day for what is it? It is that we might hear good news but good news concerning Jesus Christ God's Son. He himself is the sum and substance of the good news. The beginnings of the good news are a man who points not to himself but points to him. I must increase he must decrease. Aren't

43:22 you the promised one? No I'm not worthy even to untie his sandals. He's the mighty one. He is the gospel. Forget John look to Jesus Son of God. As we go on through the gospel we will see the continuance of that gospel in the actual appearance of the Lord Jesus. The unfolding of his works and his deeds his mighty power manifested as Lord over his creation and hearts of men and sickness and demons and death but oh the great passion of our hearts should be if the beginning of the gospel is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ God's Son and everything John says is good news about him and all that he does is an

44:16 unfolding of good news about him then woe be unto me if I come to the study of that literature with any other dominant concern but that I should be preoccupied with him who is the sum and substance of the gospel. My friend don't come here thinking well I wonder how Pastor Martin will handle that passage well I wonder what he'll get out of that passage when preaching turns into that God have mercy on you when you play little clever head games with the preacher well I think maybe could approach it that way I think maybe he might approach it. My friend don't come with that spirit you come with the spirit Lord Jesus you are here in the galleries of yourself Lord Jesus by the spirit I would hear good news and I would hear good news in the way that Mark intends me to hear it good news concerning Jesus Christ Son of God and I say the practical application of Mark's introductory words is first of all to be understood as that which should determine our great concern in all of our study of this gospel record but then in the second place these words constitute a scale in which to weigh all so called gospels

Practical Application: Weighing All So-Called Gospels

45:44 these words of introduction constitute a scale by which to weigh all so called gospels you see Mark tells us even though he's about to introduce John the Baptist that in doing so he is giving us the beginning of the gospel concerning not John the Baptist but concerning Jesus Christ God's Son he is concerned that we should understand that good news focuses upon and flows out of Jesus Christ Son of God now if you want a simple scale by which to weigh any so called gospel weigh it by this scale does it begin with a view of man that demands as good news nothing less than the incarnation of God is man so bad that we've got to have a virgin conception is man so bad that we need God to come amongst us by way of a virgin's womb is man so bad that we need the incarnate God to give the credentials of his unique identity as God's anointed prophet priest and king is man so bad that we need that incarnate God to be

47:12 stripped to be spat upon to be beaten bruised hung upon a cross forsaken of his father laid on a cold slab is man so bad as to need all of that to be rescued the answer of the bible is yes and any gospel that doesn't begin by telling man that's how bad he is it is no gospel he is a false panacea that will lull the conscience to sleep and drag the soul to hell by all who believe it is the gospel one that focuses upon Jesus his personal name being as it were a distillation of his mission not Jesus great teacher primarily Jesus great example primarily but Jesus savior from sin Jesus savior from sin in his official capacity as the anointed one Jesus savior from sin as son of God my friend you want a little scale by which to weigh all so called gospels here you have it in the opening words of Mark and then finally in the way of practical implication application these words direct us as to how we ought to to the gospel to others you see Mark was in

Practical Application: Unembarrassed Proclamation of the Gospel

48:41 contemporary jargon up front with his convictions about Jesus Christ know about son of God in which you don't care you see he doesn't hold back in the wings the offensiveness of the notion that this Jesus the personal name identified with Jesus I'm every person names in a different way that individual who was reared in Nazareth, born in Bethlehem, performed His miracles throughout Judea and up in Galilee. He's not at all embarrassed at the very beginning to say, the good news that begins with John the Baptist is good news about Jesus Christ, Son of God. There is that unembarrassed, upfront proclamation of the supernatural in the opening words of His gospel. Mark did not try by subtlety of human argumentation and human reasoning to bring men to the place where they would finally admit the possibility of the supernatural and then reason to the likelihood of the supernatural in conjunction with supernatural salvation and then reason to the mathematical. No, no, he didn't fool around with all that

50:00 claptrap. He simply says, beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, Son of God. And if men were too proud to read on, they deserve to go to hell in their pride and their ignorance. If they read Son of God and say the notion that a man could be God is foolish, I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it out of my mind. I dismiss it Disputor of this world, hath not God made foolish the wisdom of this world?

50:40 For after that in the wisdom of God the world by its wisdom knew not God. It pleased God by the foolishness of the thing preached to save them that believe. And when this gospel circulated amongst men and they read its opening words, the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, Son of God, if they can't get over that, there's nothing more for them. But if they read on, they'll see that Mark had every reason to say he's Son of God.

51:15 As they read on, they'll see this mighty worker for whom there is no explanation, but that he is Son of God, God's anointed Jesus who came to save. And my friend, that's the way you and I need to preach the gospel to people. Don't be intimidated. Don't be intimidated and say, well, I'm not a job.

51:37 That guy's got a Ph.D. in psychop. Most people with Ph.D.s in psychology don't know anything.

51:44 No, I mean that. It's one of the easiest doctorates to get and to come out the most ignorant. Now, I didn't say all people who have a Ph.D. in psychology are ignorant, but most that I've met are ignorant. They haven't even learned how to study. It's an easy doctorate to get. So don't be intimidated.

52:03 Even if they got their Ph.D. in biochemistry, that's not easy to get. Or they have their Ph.D. in a field in which they have really proven academic competence.

52:12 My dear Christian friend, don't you be intimidated and say, well, how could I reason? I mean, I just...

52:18 No, no. You come to them and say, my friend, I have good news. Would you let me share with you good news? Good news about what?

52:26 Good news about Jesus Christ, Son of God. Son of God, what in the world are you talking about? The supernatural is...

52:35 Say, my friend, I have nothing more to say. If in your arrogance and pride you will not consider and contemplate what God has done in the sending of his Son for sinners, all I can do is pray that God will humble you and back you into the corner where your pride is crushed and you're ready to listen to good news that is suited to your need. Now, you don't need to go out with your chin stuck out and your shoulder up and your fist clenched ready to have a fight. Be wise as serpent.

53:07 And harmless as a dove. Be gracious. Paul said, being crafty, I caught you with guile. Pray for the gift of holy guile to catch the ears of sinners.

53:18 But, my friend, what a principle of witness. Don't feel intimidated because somebody's more learned than you are. Don't feel intimidated because they've cut degrees and all the rest. If the Holy Ghost through the scriptures has made Christ precious to you and you know him to be Jesus, Savior from your sin, you know him to be Christ, your prophet, priest and king, you know him to be Son of God, then without embarrassment you tell that good news and pray that God who opened your blinded eyes will open theirs and bring them to the knowledge of the Lord Jesus.

Concluding Exhortation and Prayer

53:58 Well, those are the introductory words of Mark's gospel. They set before us this wonderful person who is the central...

54:08 central figure. The great theme is good news. May God grant that if you're here today a stranger to the saving knowledge of Christ that the good news proclaimed will become good news to you. And if it has, then your dealings are not with the church, with a minister, with a priest, with a rabbi.

54:30 Your dealings must be with Christ. He's the sum and substance of the gospel. Believe on him. Turn from your sin.

54:38 Turn from your sin and your pride and accept and receive and embrace the offers of mercy that are extended to you in the Lord Jesus. And dear child of God, will you not pray for a proper frame of mind as we embark on this study and we get ourselves into the text of Mark? May it not be said of us that we fail constantly to see the woods for the trees. We want to behold the Lord Jesus.

55:12 In every instance, our great concern is to behold him who is the gospel. May he become precious in these days to come. Let us pray.

55:32 Oh, our Father, how we thank you for your blessed and infallible word. We thank you for the richness of it. We thank you for the Lord Jesus, who is the great theme of all of your word, but in a very special way, the focus, the concentrated focus of this portion of the word we have begun to study. May the Holy Spirit give us a new understanding of and appreciation for our Savior.

56:05 May we love him as we've never loved him before because we've come to know him as we've never known him before. Seal the word to our hearts. May we know what it is to meditate upon that word and suck sweetness from it. May we be filled to the profit of our souls.

56:24 Hear our cry, and may the blessings of your grace rest upon your people now and throughout this day, that we may know this to be a day in which we are in the spirit on the Lord's day, refreshed in your grace and more conformed to the image of your Son. Hear our cry. Receive our thanks through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.