One of the most important aspects of the Gospel of Mark is that it details the life of Jesus, the miracles he performed, and the salvation that his death offered his followers. The Book of Mark is also considered the earliest source of information about the life of Jesus. Although Mark was not present with Jesus and his followers during the events written about in the book, The Gospel of Mark is an account of Mark's interpretation of the events taking place in the lives of those around Jesus.
Mark stands out as a distinctive figure within the New Testament, which does not explicitly mention any other individuals named Mark aside from him. His identification as the author of the Gospel of Mark primarily comes from early Christian traditions and writings outside the Bible itself.
Church fathers like Papias of Hierapolis, writing in the early 2nd century, attribute this Gospel to Mark, whom they describe as Peterโs interpreter.1 This connection is further supported by references within the New Testament itself, particularly in the Acts of the Apostles and the epistles, which help to solidify his identity.
NOW WHAT STORY DOES MARK UNFOLD FOR US?
๐๐ก๐ ๐
๐๐ข๐ฅ๐๐ ๐๐ข๐ฌ๐ฌ๐ข๐จ๐ง๐๐ซ๐ฒ
๐๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ก๐๐๐๐ข๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐ด๐๐ก๐
1. He was a young man when the story in Acts 12 happened.
2. He is the son of a wealthy woman named Mary (Acts 12:12). Mary supported the church with her wealth. She held prayer meeting in her home.
a. ๐๐๐ก๐: In Acts 12 church members came to Maryโs house to pray after Herod put Peter in prison. Peter escaped from jail. Then Herod died a terrible death.
b. Mark doesnโt really have an important part in the story of Acts 12, but his introduction at this point prepares for his later connection with Barnabas and Saul.
๐ป๐๐ค ๐๐๐ ๐ฝ๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐ ๐ก๐๐๐ก ๐ค๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ต๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ?
1. Acts 13 describes the first missionary journey of Saul and Barnabas on A.D. 46.
2. Barnabas and Saul (who had gone to Jerusalem to bring an offering) took John Mark to Antioch (Acts 12:25).
3. Luke (author of Acts) mentioned that Markโs role in this missionary trip is simply as a helper or servant.
4. Luke doesnโt say anything else about John Mark until verse 13. Then he says that Mark went back to Jerusalem.
๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐๐๐ โ๐๐ ๐ค๐๐กโ๐๐๐๐ค๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ฆ ๐ค๐๐๐
1. The book of Acts doesnโt tell us why John Mark goes back home (Acts 13:13).
๐ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ง๐ ๐๐ก๐๐ง๐๐
๐
๐๐๐ ๐๐ ๐คโ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐ก ๐ฝ๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐, ๐๐๐ ๐คโ๐ฆ ๐๐๐ ๐ต๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ฃ๐ โ๐๐ ๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ ๐โ๐๐๐๐
โข When Paul proposed the second missionary journey, he refused to accept Mark as a collaborator (Acts 15:36-38). Paul needed strong helpers, who would be a support, not a burden. Mark did not fit this profile.
โข However, Barnabas was sure that his nephew Mark had enough potential to be a good missionary. So he took Mark with him to Cyprus, while Paul and Silas headed to Asia (Acts 15:39-41).
๐๐๐๐โ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐ฃ๐๐๐ฆ
โข We don't know what happened next, but we know that Barnabas was right. Paul came to consider Mark โuseful for the ministry,โ an effective collaborator (Col. 4:10; Phil. 24; 2Tim. 4:11).
โข Thanks to this second opportunity, today we can enjoy the exciting story of Mark's gospel.
โข May we give second chance to others after all we are all beneficiaries of many chances that God extended to us.
๐โ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐๐๐
โข Mark begins by introducing us to God preparing the journey of his Son (Mk. 1:1-2; Mal. 3:1). A journey that begins in the heavenly courts, and that will take Jesus Christ to the cross, to be received again in Heaven (Mark 16:19).
โข To prepare this way, God chooses John the Baptist, the โvoice that cries in the wildernessโ (Mk. 1:3; Isa. 40:3).
โข Before Jesus began his journey to give his life for us, John prepared people's hearts by directing them to repentance and inviting them to be baptized (Mark 1:4-6).
โข He prepared them to receive the son of God: more powerful than John himself; more worthy; and that he will baptize with a more effective baptism (Mark 1:7-8).
๐๐ก๐ ๐๐จ๐ฌ๐ฉ๐๐ฅ ๐๐๐๐จ๐ซ๐๐ข๐ง๐ ๐ญ๐จ ๐๐๐ฌ๐ฎ๐ฌ
๐โ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐๐ก๐ ๐๐ ๐กโ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐๐๐ ๐ ๐๐๐ ๐กโ๐๐ก ๐ฝ๐๐ ๐ข๐ ๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐๐ (๐๐๐๐ 1:14, 15)
1. โThe time is fulfilledโ: A reference to the 70-week prophecy (Dan. 9:24). This prophecy finds fulfillment in the baptism of Jesus, where He is anointed with the Holy Spirit and begins His ministry (Acts 10:38)
2. โThe kingdom of God has come nearโ: A promise that the covenant of salvation was beginning to be fulfilled.
3. โRepent and believe in the gospelโ: A call to take an active part in the covenant, by accepting forgiveness through faith in Jesus.
โข Our current message also includes these three aspects: The time has been fulfilled; Jesus is coming; and we must repent and believe so we can go with Him.
๐๐ฉ๐ฉ๐ฅ๐ข๐๐๐ญ๐ข๐จ๐ง:
In this present time many Christians were deceived by โa different gospelโ or a distorted one, but the beginning of the Gospel of Mark reminds us that the gospel is both the Word of God and the acts of Jesus during His earthly ministry. May we enjoy the blessing of studying this gospel in the book of Mark.
7 ะฐะฒะณ 2024
