Mark's Lesson about faith, sin , repentance and following Christ in faith
Distinctive Lessons from Mark 1:14-20
4 men are called by Jesus into service. Mark's theme is the gospel of the one who came " to minister and to give His life a ransom for many." The 4 men who were called were Simon ( Peter), Andrew, his brother, and James and John . We are called not as Apostles but we are called in the same manner to be His disciples and those who straightway follow Him.
The first is that we are called by God to His Gospel. " Jesus came into Galilee , preaching the gospel of God." " The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand." 1:14 The invitation may be abrupt but these men were probably disciples of John the Baptist, and of course they saw Jesus being baptised by John as a act of John. They knew something new was here. A voice came out of heaven, " This is my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased." 1:11
The call of God is to His Gospel, that is the good news of grace and of the Saviour who came to ransom us from our sin . We are called to believe in the Gospel. That is the difference with John. Not only is there repentance with this gospel as with John's message to the people and religious leaders of the day , but there is something added, " Believe in the gospel." 1:15
I wonder if we understand these things. It is ok to not understand them, but we must believe them. There has to be a repentance, lit, change of the mind, and a following of the Lord by believing in the gospel. This is good news. It is good we are saved by His grace and mercy. We cannot do it ourselves. Mark's message is the same message that is preached throughout the NT. " The kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe in the gospel." 1:15
There are other religious messages out there that say you have to do something to be accounted as worthy, but that is not the good news. Of course there are messages today that leave out repentance . There must be a change.
Secondly just as the early disciples were, we are to as well to " Come after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men." 1:17 It involves sacrifice and separation. These men were called to leave their nets and now follow the Lord. " There is ...the need for the same prompt obedience and the willingness to do what the Master bids, at any cost." Erdman The Gospel of Mark.
The letter to the Corinthians in ch 7 reminds us that " You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men." The proper preface we will read in Holy Communion for this Epiphanytide says it too, " Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who took on our mortal flesh to reveal His glory; that He might bring us out of darkness and into His own glorious light."
I say again it involves separation from the teaching of men to turn to the gospel of God by believing in it. It also involves repentance which is a turning away from sin and a turning to God in faith by believing in the gospel. It also involves sacrifice. We who are called Christians are to follow the Lord, " Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men..." Do not follow men. Do not follow things that are not of the gospel of God. Follow Christ and His grace that call us out of darkness and into His light.
Mark writes to the people to tell them of the marvelous work of the Redeemer, Christ the Lord. He says things to us in short sentences with a lot of the detail that is in the other gospels left out. He is anxious to get us to see the miracles of Jesus, more so than any other gospel. He writes as the eyewitness, a friend of the Apostle Peter who may have been the one who gave Him the good news that his apostleship would yield fruit. At one time according to the apostles Mark was separated from the others and there was a time when he was not active, but He was called by God, and that call was effectual. It led to his own salvation through the witness of others and that word in this precious smaller gospel has been a witness to many through the years that they too may know Him who is the eternal Son of the Living God, the one in whom the Father was well pleased.
In one sense the story of Mark is our story as well. We follow not blindly but because we believe in the gospel and repent. We too are fishers of men, and as we will learn in the book we will study this WED, we too, can " Surprise the World". Because we have been surprised by God in His marvelous light and in His Word which we believe, we are new and follow as fishers of men.
4 men are called by Jesus into service. Mark's theme is the gospel of the one who came " to minister and to give His life a ransom for many." The 4 men who were called were Simon ( Peter), Andrew, his brother, and James and John . We are called not as Apostles but we are called in the same manner to be His disciples and those who straightway follow Him.
The first is that we are called by God to His Gospel. " Jesus came into Galilee , preaching the gospel of God." " The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand." 1:14 The invitation may be abrupt but these men were probably disciples of John the Baptist, and of course they saw Jesus being baptised by John as a act of John. They knew something new was here. A voice came out of heaven, " This is my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased." 1:11
The call of God is to His Gospel, that is the good news of grace and of the Saviour who came to ransom us from our sin . We are called to believe in the Gospel. That is the difference with John. Not only is there repentance with this gospel as with John's message to the people and religious leaders of the day , but there is something added, " Believe in the gospel." 1:15
I wonder if we understand these things. It is ok to not understand them, but we must believe them. There has to be a repentance, lit, change of the mind, and a following of the Lord by believing in the gospel. This is good news. It is good we are saved by His grace and mercy. We cannot do it ourselves. Mark's message is the same message that is preached throughout the NT. " The kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe in the gospel." 1:15
There are other religious messages out there that say you have to do something to be accounted as worthy, but that is not the good news. Of course there are messages today that leave out repentance . There must be a change.
Secondly just as the early disciples were, we are to as well to " Come after me, and I will make you to become fishers of men." 1:17 It involves sacrifice and separation. These men were called to leave their nets and now follow the Lord. " There is ...the need for the same prompt obedience and the willingness to do what the Master bids, at any cost." Erdman The Gospel of Mark.
The letter to the Corinthians in ch 7 reminds us that " You were bought with a price; do not become bondservants of men." The proper preface we will read in Holy Communion for this Epiphanytide says it too, " Through Jesus Christ our Lord, who took on our mortal flesh to reveal His glory; that He might bring us out of darkness and into His own glorious light."
I say again it involves separation from the teaching of men to turn to the gospel of God by believing in it. It also involves repentance which is a turning away from sin and a turning to God in faith by believing in the gospel. It also involves sacrifice. We who are called Christians are to follow the Lord, " Come ye after me, and I will make you fishers of men..." Do not follow men. Do not follow things that are not of the gospel of God. Follow Christ and His grace that call us out of darkness and into His light.
Mark writes to the people to tell them of the marvelous work of the Redeemer, Christ the Lord. He says things to us in short sentences with a lot of the detail that is in the other gospels left out. He is anxious to get us to see the miracles of Jesus, more so than any other gospel. He writes as the eyewitness, a friend of the Apostle Peter who may have been the one who gave Him the good news that his apostleship would yield fruit. At one time according to the apostles Mark was separated from the others and there was a time when he was not active, but He was called by God, and that call was effectual. It led to his own salvation through the witness of others and that word in this precious smaller gospel has been a witness to many through the years that they too may know Him who is the eternal Son of the Living God, the one in whom the Father was well pleased.
In one sense the story of Mark is our story as well. We follow not blindly but because we believe in the gospel and repent. We too are fishers of men, and as we will learn in the book we will study this WED, we too, can " Surprise the World". Because we have been surprised by God in His marvelous light and in His Word which we believe, we are new and follow as fishers of men.
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