Knights Of The Cross

Call To Worship - Job 37:1-17 Scripture Reading - 1 Corinthians 10:1-13 - Bethany Sexton

Knights of the Cross

Mark 1:1-15

Introduction: Factual Data/Scriptural Analysis

1. Speaker/speakers:

Mark

John the Baptist

Certification of His Sonship - God the Father

Jesus

2. Addressees: Seekers and Believers

3. Time: The Beginning of the Gospel (circa 30 A.D.)

4. Setting:

Jordan River

5. Occasion:

Jesus baptism

The theme of baptism with its link to cleansing, renewal, restoration, and the Spirit allude to promises of renewal found in such places as Ezekiel 36 and 37. These links with the prophecies of Ezekiel are heightened by similarities between the appointment of Jesus here and the call of Ezekiel in Ezekiel 1-3.

6. Aim: To develop an understanding the transition between the old and new testament and the change necessary for it to come to pass.

7. Theme: The entrance of Jesus into our world requires a change in the way men look at God..

8. Scriptural Analysis: Mark 1:1-15

Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Mark is the earliest (and shortest) of the Gospels includes nothing at all about the birth of Jesus. If you run your "grammar check," you’ll find that this isn’t even a complete sentence - it’s just a fragment. If the only gospel we had was Mark we would no nothing about Christmas: no Mary and Joseph in a donkey ride Bethlehem, no crowded inn with no room, no angels or shepherds; no Wise Men, no murderous Herod, or flight to Egypt - just: "The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God."

Mark 1:2-4 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "behold, i send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; 3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ’make ready the way of the lord, make his paths straight. 4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins."

Mark does not record the first 30 years of Jesus’ life, and begins his story with a clarion call for His readers to recognize that a prophecy of Isaiah was fulfilled in the coming of John the Baptist preaching a baptism of repentance and announcing the coming of the Messiah.

Mark 1:5,6 " And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6 John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey."

Mark tells us that masses of people were responding to this call to repentance in spite of the peculiar dress and diet of this prophet of God.

Mark1:7,8 "And he was preaching, and saying, "After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. 8 "I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

He was also announcing to the world that the Messiah was coming after him and would baptize, not with water as he, John the Baptist, was doing, but with the Holy Spirit.

Mark 1:9-11 "In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; 11 and a voice came out of the heavens: "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased."

Without further comment, Mark simply announces that Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized of John. Matthew (3:15) informs us that Jesus’ purpose in being baptized was to fulfill all righteousness not to confess sins because He had none. The announcement by the man John, was followed by an announcement from God the Father informing the world that Jesus is not only the Messiah but His Son.

Mark 1:12,13 "Immediately the Spirit impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. 13 And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him."

Following His baptism Jesus struggled with the battle that men have had and still have with the evil one. Being a disciple is more than being baptized and church attendance... It is a call to service in a battle against evil.

Mark 1:14,15 "Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."

Sometimes people say, "Wouldn’t it be wonderful if we could have walked with Jesus while He was here among us?" If we did then we would have to devote our time to calling people to repentance instead of celebrating the church year with pageants and parties. His first disciples didn’t have Christmas. As a matter of fact, you might be surprised to learn that none of the Gospel records or the writing of early Christianity have any mention of Christmas and Easter at all.