The Gospel According To Mark (Part 3)

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The Gospel According to Mark

(Part 3)

Good morning and Welcome to Jesus Church

We are in week 3 of our journey through the ministry life of Jesus

• Walking through the Gospel according to Mark
  • Again Mark is presenting a case for Jesus through what he did
  • Mark believes that as you get to know the ministry of Jesus
  • You will – like him – believe Jesus is who he says he is
    • Did what he said he would do
• Last week we were again looking through Mark 1
  • Mark starts of focusing us on the Gospel (good news of Jesus)
  • And then goes into this 10k foot view of the story of God
  • So that we can see how Jesus fits into God’s plan for his creation
• And Mark brings us to this idea of a “NEW EXODUS”
  • And he parallels the story of God’s people delivered from Egypt
  • With Jesus coming to do the same thing for all of his people (us)

Power behind the Exodus story is salvation came through blood of a lamb

• If the doorpost of your household was covered by the blood
  • You and your family would be saved… and deliverance followed
  • But Mark wants us to understand that’s the beginning of story
  • After the lambs blood covered you and brought freedom
    • That’s when the story of Israel really began
    • Learning who God is (Literally didn’t know God – plagues)
    • Learning to trust God
    • Learning to listen to God
• Reason that’s important to us… if Jesus brings us thru a 2^nd Exodus
  • Accepting Jesus sacrifice in and over your life
  • Is not the end of the story… it’s the beginning
  • We focus so much on a prayer – but that isn’t the end of the story
    • It’s the beginning
    • And what follows is learning who God is and how he is

Today we pick up where we left off last week

Talk through the story of Jesus Baptism

Mark 1:9-11

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, who I love, with you I am well pleased.”

[PRAY]

For Christmas this year we got a new Coffee Machine

She was super excited about it – 3 returns before one worked

• But I was hesitant… not a real big coffee drinker
  • But he said it was better than our Kurieg
  • And she was really excited that it made crema
  • What is that? I asked the same thing – Foam on top of coffee
• Crema to me wasn’t exciting because… well it tastes like coffee
  • And I don’t like the taste of coffee – I need my French Vanilla
  • Many like straight coffee taste & something is wrong with you
  • You say you like it strong – I say you like it disgusting
• But as I tried new coffee… I’m sorta getting obsessed with the taste
  • Like I’m excited to wake up in the morning from some Crema
  • Strong… concentrated… packed with caffeine coffee

I shouldn’t be surprised: I love things in concentrate / hate watered down

• Like is there anything worse that watered down lemonade
  • Like give me as much flavor as humanly possible
  • Which is why I love salt as well
  • Its why I drink pickle juice
• As a kid I would buy the Hawaiian punch concentrate
  • And drink it just like that
  • Even with books… give me the straight content
  • I don’t need to know why you wrote it or who endorses it

Mark as a whole is packed full beginning to end

• But these 3 verses are like the crema on my French Vanilla coffee
  • Its only 53 words long
  • But packed full of theology, history, imagery and information
  • All in the very first story Mark tells about Jesus
• And imagery given is this idea of Son / Heaven ripped open / Dove
  • Each of these would have had huge significance
  • Each would have captivated the readers attention
  • And each would have set the tone for who Jesus is

1^st: Imagery of this phrase “Like a dove”

Review for some (if remember… gold star) – Where else is this imagery

Gen. 1:2

Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters.

• The reading of this scripture when Mark was writing his gospel
  • The spirit was hovering over the waters like a dove
  • And what was he hovering over… darkness (chaos – Heb)
• Now what is the imagery Mark has given us so far to where Jesus is
  • Wilderness… where is Jesus about to go next… wilderness
  • To do what – Tempted by the Devil & Human nature (next week)
• And we know the Gospel is that the Kingdom of God has come again
  • To bring back what God had originally created in what… Gen. 1
• And John further explains in the beginning – Earth made thru Jesus
  • Jesus has now come to the Earth with His Kingdom
  • To initiate the recreation of His “GOOD” world
  • Mark ties Jesus Baptism of the creation story to show this to us
    • And remember… “In the beginning” means “Initiation”
    • This is the initiation of God’s plan to redeem his creation

2^nd: We have the imagery of a Son

What is the key word that’s now been used 2 times in first 11 verses

• It’s the title of “SON”
  • Mark 1:1 – Mark titles Jesus as the “Son of God”
  • Mark 1:11 – God titles Jesus with “This is my Son”
• So this is definitely a term Mark wants us to understand with Jesus
  • But what does it mean for Jesus to be the Son of God
  • If been in church awhile… you just go with it – But its an odd title
  • Because in my world – A son is subservatory to a father
    • Son might disagree… who has power to send who to room
• But again even this fulfills another prophecy from the full story

Is 42:1 (God speaking)

This is my servant, whom I strengthen. He is my chosen one, I am pleased with him. I have put my Spirit upon him, and he will bring justice to the nations.

But there’s 1 difference here – he doesn’t call Jesus my servant… but son

• That’s not what anyone anticipated… they expected another Moses
  • Remember they actually rejected God as their king
  • God let them try their way… human king // total failure (like us)
  • Now God is bringing a servant… who is a king… who is God
    • See how packed full this is???
    • Three verses backing this up…

Mark 10:45

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve and to give His life a ransom for many.

Rev. 19:16

On his robe and on his thigh he has this name written: King of Kings and Lord of Lords.

Matt. 1:23

“Behold, the virgin shall be with child, and bear a Son, and they shall call His name Immanuel, “Which is translated, ‘God with us’”.

To understand why Jesus needed to be Son – is to understand Gods grace

• Already rejected God as King… Jesus came in a way we could accept
  • And even with that many rejected him
  • Because humans always screw everything up
• But what God shows us here is so important to how we relate to Him
  • Because Jesus is the Son
  • He refers to God as the Father
  • And who else shows up in the midst…
• You have God the Father
  • Speaking a word over God the Son
  • And who is communicating the love and words… The Spirit

[DIAGRAM] – Father loves the Son… love communicated via Spirit

• Now good luck explaining that to your kids after church
  • But we believe it because of how Jesus talked about Father/Spirit

Jn 10:30

I and the Father are one

Jn 14:26

But the advocate, the Holy Spirit, whom the Father will send in my name, will teach you all things and will remind you of everything I have said to you.

• And remember what we talked about last week with New Exodus
  • Jesus represents the Passover lamb from the first Exodus
  • But the sacrifice of that lamb happened at the beginning of story
  • And after that God shows who he is to his people
• Gods entire story – Him showing us who He is (This no different)
  • God shows himself as the Triune God
  • In this beautiful balance of love/authority/relationship
• What is the strongest shape in existences
  • It’s the triangle

[DIAGRAM]

God shows us the balance and the beauty of who he is (3 persons/1 God)

• And the significance of what Mark is telling us of the idea of Son
  • Is that Jesus is who we identify with in this community of God
  • And in this relationship Jesus has with the rest of the trinity
• And what’s the core element that ties the Father/Son/Spirit together
  • Love… unconditional… unending love
  • This is what is at the core of the universe (not cold/steral/chaos)
  • We believe at the center of existence is a God of love
• We get adopted into this family as well… if we accept the invitation
  • And although it in no way makes your life perfect
  • As you learn the family dynamics
    • Trusting the Father
    • Identifying with the Son
    • Listening to the Spirit

You will have a peace that surpasses all understanding

• Because you have been brought into this family of God

Gal. 4:4-6

But when the set time had fully come, God sent his Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to redeem those under the law, that we might receive adoption to sonship.

Rom. 8:14-16

For those who are led by the Spirit of God are the children of God. The Spirit you received doesn’t make you slaves, so that you live in fear again, rather the Spirit you received brought about your adoption to sonship. And by him we cry “Abba, Father.” The Spirit himself testifies with our spirit that we are God’s children.

3^rd: We see Heaven torn open

All I want you to see here is the passion of a Father to get to his children

• Because this is a violent word that Mark uses
  • And when you tear something… its usually messy
  • Because your objective is clear – it’s a rescue mission at all costs
• And this word used this way: Is only used in two stories
  • This one being the first as Jesus starts his mission
  • The second being when Jesus completes his mission

Matthew 27:50-51

And when Jesus had cried out again in a loud voice, he gave up his spirit. At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split.

The temple curtain was what separated God from man

• It was 20×60 and 4 inches think
  • And in the same way God torn heaven to get to his son
  • God to the curtain to get to us
  • Notice it was 20’ tall and was torn from top to bottom
• All so God can show us exactly how passionate he is about you & me
  • And how much he wants us to be a part of His family
  • Remember John tells Jesus that he doesn’t need his baptism
• But Jesus does what he does so we could know who he is
  • And who the father is
  • And who the spirit is

And in that family that God – We have an invitation to be a part of it

[PRAY]