In his epistle written around A.D. 66, John Mark began his letter by introducing John The Baptist, God’s messenger by describing how his role was to announce the coming of the Messiah, and baptize Him in the Jordan River so Jesus could fulfill all righteousness, and be identify with those He came to redeem.
After He was baptized, Christ was tested by Satan in the wilderness for forty days but the Messiah persevered and resisted temptation as He prepared for His ministry, which He started in Galilee while John The Baptist was imprisoned for rebuking Herod Antipas.
The Lord’s ministry began along the Sea of Galilee where He recruited His first four apostles, Simon, Andrew, James and John, who were all fishermen from Capernaum, a small fishing village located on the northern shore of the lake. This was the location where Jesus performed His first recorded miracle when He healed a possessed man, delivering him from a demon. Jesus followed His first miracle with another when He miraculously healed Simon’s mother in law who was gravely ill, then as word spread about these healings, the entire population of the city gathered outside the house door where Jesus answered the call to heal the sick.
Then, Jesus embarked on a missionary journey through the region which eventually lead him back to Capernaum where He furthered His ministry through preaching and healing the sick. But, when He healed a man on the Sabbath, the Pharisees and Herodians began plotting to kill Him.
Before they could get to Him, Jesus chose His twelve apostles. The first was Simon, whom Jesus renamed Peter. Next came James, one of the “Sons of Thunder” who accepted the call to follow Jesus along with his brother John, Andrew, the dean of His apostolic corps Philip, the curious, Bartholomew, the honest one, then Matthew, the “money-getter” for the ministry, Thomas, the doubter as well as the twins, James and Thaddaeus Alphaeus, the group’s chief ushers, Simon, the Zealot and lastly, Judas, the traitor.
After they returned to Capernaum, Jesus and His apostles walked into a house where the Messiah confronted scribes who were out to get Him arrested, claiming He was possessed. But, Jesus rebuked them, then He continued to exhort them while He enlightened the others present, eventually warning those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit, that their spiritual destiny involved suffering and agony, forever.
While He was teaching, Jesus’ mother and brothers came for Him claiming He was not of right mind, in hope this would dissuade the Scribes and stop the plot to arrest the Messiah. When He heard His family was outside the house, Jesus revealed His plan for His church, that all those who believe would become part of a family, a spiritual body.
Next, for the second time at Capernaum, Jesus resorted to the sea to further His ministry. This time, the Messiah leveraged the natural ability for water to carry sound, as He continued to teach the multitude using parables, starting with the parable of the sower, which He followed by a statement meant for those who reject Him, that parables could only be understood by seekers and believers alike.
Later, when He was alone with the twelve, Jesus continued to enlighten His apostles by revealing the mystery found in the parable of the sower, that, among those who hear the word of God, only a few will receive the word, believe and be saved from the wages of sin which is death and agony, forever.
Jesus followed His exhortation with the parable of the light under a basket, calling on His followers to spread His love throughout the world, then He carried on with more parables, including the parable of the mustard seed in which the divine Teacher compared the evolution of the kingdom of God to the greatest of miracles among its kind, that the smallest of all seeds would grow to be the largest plant of its kind.
Next, Jesus revealed how He used parables to enlighten seekers and believers alike, and the same parables to obscure the minds of those who deny the truth or reject His deity.
After this, Jesus performed a miracle as He rebuked the wind and the waves while He was crossing the sea of Galilee, onto Gersa, located directly across the Sea from Capernaum where the Lord miraculously healed a possessed man by casting out his demons.
Because they were afraid of Him, those at Gersa requested Jesus leave their Land, and upon His return to Capernaum, He performed two more miracles. The first happened when Jesus healed a woman who touched His garment, and also brought a prominent Jewish man’s child back to life.
However, when He came to Nazareth, the town where He grew up, Jesus was not well received by those who knew Him as a child or were acquainted with members of His family. The journey throughout Galilee continued until the day when Jesus called the twelve and sent them out two by two, giving each one power over unclean spirits.
When they returned from their first missionary journey, the apostles retreated to a remote place where they could rest and recharge. Since they were with Jesus, a multitude tagged along and when they arrived at their destination, the size of the crowd and timing for the gathering presented Jesus with a perfect opportunity to showcase His divine power as 10,000 people were fed and twelve baskets of food were left over after God multiplied five loaves of bread and two fish so all could eat.
Next, to reinforce their faith in Him, Jesus put His disciples in harm’s way when He sent them onto Bethsaida, a small fishing village located across the Sea of Galilee where He later rescued them as He walked on the water to the boat where He calmed the wind and water.
When they reached the shore, the wind had carried the boat to Gennesaret where a healing journey began during which many were given new life, both physically and spiritually, and news of this miraculous Healer prompted Jewish leaders in Jerusalem to send a group of men to further inquire about this man named “Yeshua.” It would not take long for Jesus to rebuke the Jewish spies, after which He continued His journey throughout the region, closely followed by Pharisees sent from Jerusalem who witnessed Jesus miraculously feed thousands once again, and heal those in need, spreading hope every where He went.
But, in spite of all the miracles He performed, Jesus’ frustration continued to grow as His disciples did not understand the warnings He shared in His parables. He would use another miracle to reinforce His message, and eventually they started to believe, but Jesus commanded they tell no one about who He was because He had to endure the path to the cross that would lead to His death, and resurrection.
However, His disciples did not respond well to this announcement, in which Jesus revealed the great sacrifice required of believers, that whoever values this life more than the next life will lose both, and suffer eternal consequences.
Then, Jesus took the apostles Peter, James, and John to a mountain top where He was transfigured before them, as both Elijah and Moses appeared and gave witness to the divinity of Yeshua, the begotten Son of God.
Soon after He was transfigured, Jesus healed a boy who had been possessed and tormented since birth by a demon after his father placed his trust and faith in the Savior. After the miraculous healing that took place at Caesarea Philippi, Jesus and his disciples traveled to Capernaum where the Lord rebuked His apostles by teaching them about the Kingdom of God, where those who seek to be first will be last while the meek who are driven to serve those in need will be blessed abundantly.
However, the Lord’s promise of blessings came with a warning when He called on each one of His disciples to arm ourselves, and be ready to pay such a sacrifice as He did so those who believe may have hope, and the gift of eternal life. Jesus also warned us about unrepented sin, that grave danger awaited those who sin and choose to deny Him in such a way that he or she knows they are transgressing the One who loves them, yet sin in spite of this.
Next, Jesus called on believers to purposely complete the work He gave us to do and spread His love, grace and mercy, just like salt is used in cooking, as an enhancement to life, for His glory.
“10 Then He arose from there and came to the region of Judea by the other side of the Jordan. And multitudes gathered to Him again, and as He was accustomed, He taught them again.” (Mark 10:1)
Jesus and His entourage traveled over 100 miles from Capernaum, located in the north at the edge of the Sea of Galilee, to Judea, in the south along the Dead Sea. Just as He did before, the Christ used the gathering as an opportunity to teach and minister to those in need.
“2 The Pharisees came and asked Him, “Is it lawful for a man to divorce his wife?” testing Him.” (Mark 10:2)
The Pharisees knew about Jesus, and sought to discredit Him. They confronted Christ with a conflicting man made law in hope to bait Him into making a public statement against the existing Jewish and Roman laws.
Note that Jesus was now in Judea, ruled by Herod Antipas who was married to his brother’s wife, Herodias, the same “Herod” who beheaded John the Baptist for his views on divorce…
“3 And He answered and said to them, “What did Moses command you?” (Mark 10:3)
But, Jesus instead focused His answer on the divinity of God’s will, and His desire for us to bring Him glory. Because He knew their hearts, and their desire to entrap Him, Jesus answered the Pharisees with a question of His own.
“4 They said, “Moses permitted a man to write a certificate of divorce, and to dismiss her.” (Mark 10:4)
The Pharisees replied with the legality of the matter at hand, divorce, and prompted Jesus answer them about divorce so He would be called out, like John the Baptist and His fate would likely meat the same end as His cousin.
“5 And Jesus answered and said to them, “Because of the hardness of your heart he wrote you this precept.” (Mark 10:5)
Here, Jesus addresses sexual immorality, and the desire of the people to fornicate and for the law to let them do so through divorce, a precept that’s not of God but instead, of man and of the enemy.
“6 But from the beginning of the creation, God ‘made them male and female.’ 7 ‘For this reason a man shall leave his father and mother and be joined to his wife, 8 and the two shall become one flesh’; so then they are no longer two, but one flesh.” (Mark 10:6-8)
Next, Jesus used scripture to illustrate God’s plan for His creation, that a man should take a wife and together they should become one flesh, an entity made of two people who are willing to be recognized as one before their Creator.
“9 Therefore what God has joined together, let not man separate.” (Mark 10:9)
Jesus furthers His exhortation by pointing out the fundamental, divine truth about marriage. That it is sacred and that no man has the right to cancel such a contract made with, and before God.
“10 In the house His disciples also asked Him again about the same matter. 11 So He said to them, “Whoever divorces his wife and marries another commits adultery against her.” (Mark 10:10-11)
When He was alone with His disciples, they queried Jesus again about the matter. And He made God’s will be known about men who choose divorce over commitment, that any man who failed Him in one marriage will be considered an adulterer in a second, or third marriage.
“12 And if a woman divorces her husband and marries another, she commits adultery.” (Mark 10:12)
Likewise, Jesus addresses women who choose divorce over commitment, that those who re-marry commit adultery against their new spouse, and in doing so, both men and women who go down this road eventually realize how such defiance of God’s word only deepens the chasm that separates all of us from truly glorifying the Lord with our lives.
Let’s pray!
Father God;
We thank you for your blessings in our lives,
We praise you Lord for the wisdom found through the gospel of Mark,
We ask you Lord to inspire us to use these verses in our lives
As we continue to learn more about you through your word.
Lord we ask you to strengthen us each day as we endure through battles,
Allow us to praise and love each other through faith in you Jesus,
Shield us from evil through truth, the gospel, salvation and prayer,
Guide us to abide by your word as we spread your gospel to one and all
Becoming examples of faith through our character as we walk the narrow path.
God we pray that you will continue to bless us, to bless our lives and fill us with hope
We ask you Lord to guide our footsteps and lead us to the way everlasting,
Through faith in you Lord we seek salvation and a place with you in heaven
According to your ways, your everlasting wisdom and strength.
May your will be done
In our lives, for your life.
We thank you for your love and all you bless us with each day.
Praise God,
Amen!
This message was written by Daniel St.Pierre
Email: danielstpierre@thrivethroughchrist.com
