The Books Of Mark & Luke Series

THE BOOKS OF MARK AND LUKE--Sermon 3

Introduction: In the last lesson we studied the book of Matthew. We found that Christ was presented as the King of Kings in Matthew. In this lesson I want to give an overview of the Second and third Gospels, Mark and Luke.

MARK

I. SURVEY

A. Writer: John Mark, nephew of Barnabas. Mark was his latin surname; John was his Hebrew name. This is he

who failed on his first missionary journey with Paul and Barnabas. This gospel proves that God can use a

failure, even to write his inspired word. John Mark later proved beneficial to the Apostle Paul.

B. Date: Mark is thought to be the first of the gospels written between 60 and 63 A.D.

C. Key Verse: “For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister and to give his life a

ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

D. Theme: The Gospel of Mark presents Christ as the servant of Jehovah. Mark was written epecially to the

Romans. We find in the Gospel of Mark that he explained many Hebrew customs. Mark 3:17; 5:41; 7:3, 4, 11,

34, 36; 14:12; 15:42.

E. The Gospel of Mark is the best of the four to use with businessmen; it has an appeal which suits men of this

category

F. Matthew dealt mainly with the teachings of Jesus while Mark deals with the works of Jesus.

G. Interesting Passages in Mark

1. The healing of blind Bartimaeus: Mark 10:46; Luke 18:35.

a. Mark said Christ healed him when he “went out of Jericho” and Luke said He did it when He “was come nigh unto Jericho.” Liberals will suggest a contradiction here.

b. Excavations have brought to light that in the time of Jesus, Jericho was a double city. There was the old

Jewish city, and then the newer Roman city. it was while leaving one and entering the other that he healed

Bartimaeus.

2. The Men as Trees Walking: Mark 8:24

a. When the grassy weeds are full grown, women go out into the fields and gather it. They dry it out and use it for firewood or fuel. They form huge bundles (like a bale of hay) and they place it on their heads and carry back to their homes.

b. When Jesus healed the blind man at Bethsaida, and he said that he saw men as trees walking, in the distance

he probably saw a group of women carrying bundles of grassy weeds on their heads and to him it looked like trees walking.

3. The Cursing of the Fig Tree: Mark 11:12-14, 20-21

a. One thing about the Eastern fig tree is that the fruit appears before the leaves. Anyone seeing a fig tree

having leaves would naturally expect to find fruit on it.

b. This is what Jesus and his diciples expected to find. But finding none, Christ cursed or condemned the barren tree

c. This is a picture of the professing Christian, giving the appearance of productiveness, but bearing no fruit.

4. The Casting away of a Garment: Mark 10:50

a. There are two classes of beggars in the East. The true beggar who is poor and physically handicapped and in need. The other class was made up of some who are incurables such as lepers, lame, blind that have been told by their physicians that there only hope is God.

b. There are three places where they could go to be healed

1. The Temple Gate -- Peter healed a lame man there in Acts 3:1-8

2. The Pool of Bethesda -- An impotent man was made whole by the Lord in John 5:2-9

3. The other place was by the roadside.

a. Those sick beggars would wear robes to identify them as beggars. The robes stand for two things

1. The robe could identify them as one in need of Physical help.

2. The robe could stand for family prestige, and wealth. Many times the beggar of a wealthy family would be taken to the roadside in the morning and picked up in the evening.

b. When Jesus came by and called to him the Bible says that he “casting away his garment, rose and came to Jesus”

c. In the casting away of his garment, he turned his back on his sickness, but he also turned his back on his family, fortune, prestige, houses and lands.

d. What it is speaking of is Repentance. For a man to ever be healed of the disease called sin, he will have to let go and take Jesus. That is repentance. Forsaking all, I take Jesus.

5. A man bearing a Pitcher of Water: Mark 14:13

a. Whe Jesus had need of an upper room for the feast of the Passover, He told two of His disciples to find a “man bearing a pitcher” and follow him.