Mark 1:1-21 Sermon Notes

Some have requested my notes for the series on Mark, so I’ll post them here. I hav’nt prepared them for publication. You have been warned!

Introducing Jesus

1. Comments on Mark 1-8
2. Big Question: ‘Who is Jesus’
3. This morning:

1. What Marks says
2. What the Prophets said
3. What John Said
4. What the voice from heaven said
5. What Jesus said
   
   
1. We are at a slight disadvantage because we didn’t get a Jewish education. This passages is full of references which people well versed in the OT would have recognized.

   ** nice to see you to see you….

What Mark says v1

1. The gospel, the good news begins – The gospel is an announcement about what God has done in History in Jesus Christ the son of God.
2. The news about Jesus is the gospel because of who Jesus is.
3. A very specific statement. He is Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.

What the prophets said. vs2-3

1. A quote from Isaiah set up by a quote from Malachi.
1. Mal 3:1
2. Isaiah 40:3
2. Why are these verses quoted here? Because they talk about one preparing the way and the passage s about to go on to talk about John the Baptist? I don’t think so.
3. They are here to draw attention to the one for whom the way is prepared. Who is that?
1. The LORD. This is YWHW
2. Both texts refer to The LORD
4. John was the preparer of the way but the one whose way he prepared was God himself. This is what the verses are saying. God is coming.
5. The announcement builds: He is Jesus, the messiah, the son of God, God himself who has come into our world.

What John said 4-8

1. Who is this John anyway? V6 who is that? Now to a reasonably well read Jew, the penny would drop with that description. That’s Elijah. He was one of Israel’s greatest prophets and called people back to God.
2. John has a remarkable ministry preaching a baptism for repentance of sin. God is at work get ready, clean yourselves up for God. Remarkably successful.
3. Work of preparation helping people understand that they are sinners.
4. John also has something remarkable to say about Jesus. His baptism is greater than my baptism. John baptized for repentance with water. Jesus is the Spirit baptizer.
5. The next part of the announcement. The gospel is not say you are sorry and try harder. Anyone who has ever broken a new-years resolution knows how hopeless that would be.
6. Jesus would do more than make people wet on the outside, he would baptize with the the Spirit and God would transform hearts from the inside.
7. The announcement builds: He is Jesus, the messiah, the son of God, God himself who has come into our world, the Spirit baptizer who will ensure that God is with and in his people.

What the voice from heaven says. 9-13

1. Jesus goes to John to be baptized. As this happens, the heaven’s are torn [Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down] And the Spirit descends on Jesus like a dove and then there comes a voice from heaven.
2. You are my son whom I love; with you I am well pleased.
3. To the Jewish hearer, this is reminiscent of two OT passages describing two characters, two distinct identities:
1. The messiah Psalm 2:7

i. To whom does God say ‘You are my son’ To his anointed one, to the king, to the messiah. You are the promised messiah king

ii. The servant Is 42:1 To whom does God say “with you I am well pleased”? To the suffering servant the one who will suffer. It was the Lord’s will to crush him. Bearer of sin Wounded for our transgressions.

1. The announcement builds again: He is Jesus, the messiah, the son of God, God himself who has come into our world, the Spirit baptizer who will ensure that God is with and in his people. He is tested and approved as Messiah King and he is the suffering servant who will lay down his life to satisfy the righteous wrath of God against sin.

What Jesus says 14-15

1. Jesus says about himself “The time has come, the kingdom of heaven is near – or at hand.”
2. Jesus tells people what they should do about it. “Repent and believe the good news.” God’s kingdom has broken into the world and indifference is foolishness.
1. And Jesus calls
2. Repent “Metanoia” to think again, to change your mind and believe the good news.
3. And believe the announcement.

i. Believe that Jesus is God come into the world

ii. Believe that you need a spirit baptizer because your own efforts to please God are simply hopeless.

iii. Believe that you need to repent. You need to start over and in Jesus you have the opportunity to do that

Conclusion What this looks like 16-20

1. Jesus’ invitation:
2. V18 At oncel they left their nets – a complete change of life.
1. A new master. Jesus is now their master.
2. A new task. I will make you fishers of men. Good news must be shared.
3. A new urgency “at once” There is an urgency in the message, and importance the demands attention and action.
4. A new priority they left their nets and followed Jesus. The commercial value of what they left. Now Jesus came first.