Category Archives: Gospel of Mark

The Heavens Torn Open

Posted on October 12, 2008 | Leave a comment

“And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove” (Mark 1:10, ESV).

“And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit descending on him like a dove” (Mark 1:10, ESV).

The first version uses the phrase, “being torn open,” which is a more accurate translation of the Greek. The verse in my ESV Reformation Study Bible is shown second. It, as you can see, says “he saw the heavens opening.” I thought it strange that out of the versions I had consulted, the NIV was the only one that used the word torn, but I was delighted to find the phrase in the ESV version from their website. Apparently the ESV has been updated (which means I need a new one.)

What is the significance of the phrase, “torn open?” We are reminded of Isaiah’s cry in 64:1: “Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence…”

Perhaps we are seeing that the Lord has indeed come down. Not only did Jesus the Lord walk among us, but He also broke the barrier between us and the Father. The Greek word translated as torn in this verse is used again in Mark 15:38: “And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” In both places we may be seeing the work of the Son as our mediator. Through Him, our great High Priest, all barriers between man and heaven are abolished, or torn. There is no more need for a priest to enter the Holy of Holies for us; we can, through Christ, go directly to our Father—the eternal Mercy Seat.

Also, more immediately, those present were seeing that there was no barrier between the Father and the Son. There was always open and direct communication between the two, and the Son was continually empowered from heaven. This was further seen in the descending of the Spirit onto Jesus.

All of this fulfilled prophecy and served to show us that Jesus was truly the Son of God. It was also the encouragement He needed to begin His earthly ministry. And it is an example of what we might miss by not paying attention to the simplest details.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Gospel of Mark, Jesus

A Man Among the Tombs

Posted on October 5, 2008 | Leave a comment
“They came to the other side of the sea, to the country of the Gerasenes” (Mark 5:1).

The work that Jesus did in the country of the Gerasenes (Mark 5:1-20) was much like what He does for sinners today.

1. He frees us from the dominion of sin and Satan. “For He was saying to him, ‘Come out of the man, you unclean spirit!’” (Mark 5:8). It’s a comfort to know that when the Lord commands, even the demons obey Him. They left the man, and for the first time in years he was free from their bondage. When we are converted by the grace of God, we too are freed from the bondage of sin (Romans 6:14) for the first time in our lives.

2. Jesus clothes us. “And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind” (Mark 5:15). This man had been wandering naked among the tombs for a long time (Luke 8:27). After Jesus frees Him we find him clothed and sitting at the Lord’s feet.

We, in our sins, are naked before God. In Genesis 3:7 Adam and Eve realized that they were naked. They tried to cover themselves with fig leaves, but God wasn’t fooled. This is the same that we do when we try to cover our sin with our own (imagined) righteousness. But only God can clothe a sinner, and it takes the shedding of blood. In Genesis 3:21, God clothed our parents with skins. Blood was shed. And by the blood of Christ we are clothed in His righteousness. “He is clothed in a robe dipped in blood, and the name by which he is called is the Word of God. And the armies of heaven, arrayed in fine linen, white and pure, were following him on white horses” (Revelation 19:13-14).

3. Jesus takes us out of the land of the dead and puts us in the land of the living. This man had been living among the tombs and had little or no contact with the people of the country. We too, without Christ, are among the dead (Ephesians 2:1, Romans 5:12). But the Lord makes us alive and adopts us into His family. “Now therefore ye are no more strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints, and of the household of God” (Ephesians 2:19, KJV).

4. Jesus puts us in our right mind. “And they came to Jesus and saw the demon-possessed man, the one who had had the legion, sitting there, clothed and in his right mind” (vs. 15). Sin and Satan cloud and confuse. Only with a new heart and cleansed mind can we think clearly about anything.

Just notice the change in the man. He was breaking chains and cutting himself with rocks (vs. 5). Now he is sitting at the feet of Jesus in total submission. If the Lord has put us in our right mind, we should respond in the same way: by sitting at the feet of Jesus, wanting to follow Him (vs. 18), being obedient to Him, and telling others about Him (vs. 20).

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Gospel of Mark, Jesus, regeneration, sin

How Should a Leper Approach a King?

Posted on September 10, 2008 | Leave a comment

“And a leper came to him, imploring him, and kneeling said to him, ‘If you will, you can make me clean’” (Mark 1:40, ESV).

The leper came begging, and kneeling. “Imploring.” “Beseeching.” (KJV) Luke says that he “fell on his face.” (Luke 5:12) He recognized that he was in the presence of the Holy God who would only heal if it was His will. The leper did not come presumptuously. We hear many presumptuous prayers today, but this is not how the leper approached the Lord. The leper did not make any demands, nor did he “claim promises.” He said, “If you are willing.” He recognized that the Lord is sovereign, all-knowing and all-wise. “See now that I, even I, am He, and there is no god with me: I kill, and I make alive; I wound, and I heal” (Deut. 32:38). Who is a leper to command such a God?

Is this the way we see people coming to Christ today? If we were affected with a true sense of our guilt and our danger, we might have this earnestness, this hungering for forgiveness, and this begging for mercy. A few years ago I saw a young man go to the front of a church to make a profession. He wanted to be saved he said, and wanted to be a Christian. Yet throughout the process he was smacking his gum and looking bored. And while the church members welcomed him, he seemed insulted to have to speak or shake hands. Did he understand his condition? What a contrast he was to this leper. Yet he was just as leprous. The leper only faced a few more years of physical torment. Yet the sinner faces an eternity in hell. We should have earnestness and urgency in coming to the throne of grace.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Gospel of Mark, Jesus, sin

Through the Storm to Save One Soul

Posted on August 11, 2008 | Leave a comment

Picture courtesy of Biblical Art on the WWW

On that day, when evening had come, he said to them, “Let us go across to the other side.” And leaving the crowd, they took him with them in the boat, just as he was.(Mark 4:35-36)This was the same day that began in Mark chapter 4 verse 1, when Jesus was teaching “a great multitude” that was gathered on the shore. It seems that He taught all day. Regardless, He was tired enough to sleep in the ship, even during a storm.Jesus left a crowded shore to travel to a less populated area, which makes the always practical John MacArthur say that He was going for rest. That is probably partially true; He did at least sleep in the boat. Yet He also had a divine appointment. The Lord is all knowing, and there is a reason for everything He does. So He was not surprised when He reached the other shore and immediately was met by a demon possessed man coming out of the tombs. After casting out the spirits and returning the man to His right mind, what did Jesus do? “He got into the boat and returned” (Luke 8:37).

We see here not that the Lord needed rest, but that His love for souls overpowered His need for rest. He was tired, yet He traveled at night through a storm to save one lost sheep. The gospel was more important to Christ than His own comfort or health. Can we say that about ourselves? What are we willing to go through to share the love of Christ with just one person?

→ Leave a comment

Posted in evangelism, Gospel of Mark, Jesus

From a Seed to a Tree

Posted on August 8, 2008 | Leave a comment

30 And he said, “With what can we compare the kingdom of God, or what parable shall we use for it? 31 It is like a grain of mustard seed, which, when sown on the ground, is the smallest of all the seeds on earth, 32 yet when it is sown it grows up and becomes larger than all the garden plants and puts out large branches, so that the birds of the air can make nests in its shade” (Mark 4:30-32).

The work of grace in the heart begins quietly, and sometimes with little evidence. When Saul was converted, the Lord gave Ananias this evidence: “He prays.” It was a small yet sure sign of life. And we know the spiritual giant that Paul grew to become. Once life begins in the heart, it will continue to grow and sanctify, until it produces a complete and glorified saint.

Christianity itself began with an unknown and despised man who was insignificant in the eyes of the world, yet it has become as a tree that is “greater than all herbs” (KJV). It far exceeds all the religions of the world and all of the philosophies of man. And it will continue to grow, despite the efforts of enemies, until the Lord returns. “And the seventh angel sounded; and there were great voices in heaven, saying, ‘the kingdoms of this world are become the Kingdom of our Lord, and of His Christ; and He shall reign forever and ever.’” (Rev. 11:15).

Don’t be discouraged because of small beginnings or slow growth. An oak tree does not grow in a day, nor does a mature Christian. The Lord works in His own time, whether it is converting one sinner or an entire nation. Be encouraged with the tiniest sign of life and growth, knowing that what is truly alive will grow to completeness (Phil. 1:6).

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Gospel of Mark

The Harvest

Posted on August 1, 2008 | Leave a comment
But when the fruit is brought forth, immediately he putteth in the sickle, because the harvest is come. (Mark 4:29, KJV)The previous verse gives us the stages of growth. Once the plant has reached maturity, it is time for harvest. But what is the Lord referring to when He speaks of the harvest? There are as many interpretations as there are commentaries. Let’s consider a few, and I’ll give you the one that I believe is most likely. I don’t say that it is the correct one, but the one I believe to be the most faithful to the text.

Some see the reaping as God’s act of saving the sinner – the work of regeneration itself. You can find this view in the MacArthur Study Bible. But this seems to put things out of order. The fruit was produced in verse 28, and fruit cannot be produced before life is given.

Others believe that the harvest represents the end of the world when God gathers all people from all over the earth. The good wheat is gathered for the barn. The tares are gathered for the fire. The reapers represent Christ, His angels, and the ministers of the gospel. Matthew Henry and John Gill explain this view.

Still others see the harvest as representing the end of each individual believer’s life. The ripening shows God’s purpose of their life being fulfilled. Once their work is accomplished, God gathers them home. I really appreciate this interpretation as it points us to God’s sovereignty over life and death. There is a comforting implication: “Let us rest satisfied, that there is no chance, no accident, no mistake about the decease of any of God’s children. They are all ‘God’s field,’ and God knows best when they are ready for the harvest” – J.C. Ryle.

The last explanation I’ll give comes from Charles Spurgeon. It seems to be most faithful to the text at hand, even though something in me prefers the previous interpretation.

Our parable speaks of one man. He casts seed, and he also puts in the sickle. The sower here cannot be the Lord. God doesn’t sleep, and He does know how the seeds grow. So we’re talking about the minister, it seems, in both places. This is the most plain and simple rendering of the text.

Ministers do have the privilege of reaping. The Lord himself tells His followers to “Lift up your eyes, and look on the fields; for they are white already to harvest” (John 4:35). “One soweth, and another reapeth. I sent you to reap whereon ye bestowed no labor” (John 4:37-38).

The harvest Spurgeon is explaining is not salvation itself. He did not go along with those who “invited men to be saved.” In fact, he opposed this belief and practice. Instead, this is how he describes the harvest: “He comes with the word of promise and the smile of brotherly love at once, and he says to the new believer, ‘Have you confessed your faith? Is not the time come for an open confession? Hath not Jesus bidden the believer to be baptized? If you love Him, keep His commandments.” Men are not invited to be saved. Believers are encouraged to confess their faith, be baptized, and be a part of the local church.

Spurgeon has a word of caution to today’s evangelists. Rather than press the new believer, he tells us to be patient. “Certain preachers are in such a hurry that they will allow no time for thought, no space for counting the cost, no opportunity for men to consider their ways and then turn to the Lord with full purpose of heart.

“All other seeds take time to grow, but the seed of the word must grow before the speaker’s eyes like magic, or he thinks nothing has been done. Such good brethren are so eager to produce blade and ear there and then, that they roast their seed in the fire of fanaticism, and it perishes” – C.H. Spurgeon, Sermon on Mark 4:26-29.

Whatever the correct interpretation and application, we know this: there will be a harvest, and the Lord is Sovereign over that harvest. We cannot influence it in any way. Yet He does choose to use us as instruments. We must be faithful and obedient to do what He has commanded us, and at the same time trust in Him alone for the results.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in evangelism, Gospel of Mark

Sow, then Sleep

Posted on July 31, 2008 | Leave a comment
And he said, “The kingdom of God is as if a man should scatter seed on the ground. He sleeps and rises night and day, and the seed sprouts and grows; he knows not how. The earth produces by itself, first the blade, then the ear, then the full grain in the ear.(Mark 4:26-28)Our Lord says that after the farmer has completed his sowing, he can rest. He doesn’t even know how the seeds grow; much less can he make them grow. So is the work of grace in the hearts of men.

“I planted, Apollos watered, but God gave the growth. So neither he who plants nor he who waters is anything, but only God who gives the growth.” (1 Corinthians 3:6-7).

Note that this is God’s kingdom. Thus, it is God who is in control. The Spirit is working quietly, yet He is working. As the seed germinates under the soil while we sleep, so the kingdom grows and advances in the hearts of men, even while we cannot see it.

“This clearly defines the realm of our responsibility. We must sow. We must reap. There our operations cease. The mightiest work is Divine. The soil in which we sow is the realm in which God alone can work. But it is for us to know that He is working there, even through the long wintry days when the results of our toil are not yet visible. Happy indeed are we if we learn to work in our appointed place, and then to wait in double assurance of our limitation and of His power” – G. Campbell Morgan.

Once the seed is sown, aside from watering the farmer can contribute nothing. We also contribute nothing to the work of grace. The Spirit causes life in the heart. Ephesians 2:1 says that it is God who quickens, or makes alive.

There is a great application to this – a great comfort to those who sow. Once you have planted your seeds, the outcome is not in your hands. This doesn’t mean to stop sowing or watering. But it does mean to take your rest and wait patiently on Him. “He sleeps and rises night and day.” Plant your seeds and rest. “The farmer waits for the precious produce of the soil, being patient about it” (James 5:7, NASB). There may or may not be a harvest, but God will not hold you accountable for that as long as you have sown the good seed of the Word of God. And remember, the harvest may not come until you are gone.

“Take the sweet sleep which God gives to his beloved, the sleep of perfect confidence, such as Jesus slept in the hinder part of the ship when it was tossed with tempest. The cause of God never was in jeopardy, and never will be; the seed sown is insured by omnipotence, and must produce its harvest. In patience possess your soul, and wait till the harvest comes” – C. H. Spurgeon.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in evangelism, Gospel of Mark, regeneration

Use What You’re Given

Posted on July 18, 2008 | Leave a comment

And he said to them, “Is a lamp brought in to be put under a basket, or under a bed, and not on a stand? For nothing is hidden except to be made manifest; nor is anything secret except to come to light. If anyone has ears to hear, let him hear.” And he said to them, “Pay attention to what you hear: with the measure you use, it will be measured to you, and still more will be added to you. For to the one who has, more will be given, and from the one who has not, even what he has will be taken away” (Mark 4:21-25).

The point to this entire passage is that we are to use what we are given. God blesses diligence. God blesses knowledge that is being shared. God blesses talents that are used for His glory and not buried in the sand. A gift that is not used, however, is a betrayal of trust.

If we have any spiritual light, it comes from Jesus Christ, the true light. He is the light, we are merely lamps. But if through Him we have light, we are to let it shine in this dark world. That is the purpose of His giving it and our receiving it.

“The essential characteristic of light is that it is light, and gives light, and it really has no other function whatsoever. In other words, the moment it ceases to act as light it has no value. Its essential quality is its only quality, and once it loses that, it becomes entirely useless” – Martyn Lloyd-Jones.

In the immediate context Jesus seems to be telling the disciples that although He disguised the meaning of His previous discourse in a parable (see Mark 4:1-20), He didn’t intend for it to stay hidden forever. He has supplied them with the meaning, or the “light,” and so now they are to teach others.

In verses 23 and 24 we are encouraged to be diligent in hearing. Why? Again, so that we can grow in order to teach. “Religious light is not given to a man for himself alone, but for the benefit of others” – J. C. Ryle. So pay attention to the word. Be diligent so that you grow in faith and grace. Lay up knowledge and wisdom in your heart so that you will be a benefit to the body of believers.

The Lord ends with a warning: He that doesn’t use his gift will lose it. He that hears only, without producing any fruit, will wither. He whose candle is hidden will have his candle taken away (Rev. 2:5). Or perhaps He’s merely stating a fact: Where there is no true grace, there will be no growing in grace.

This reinforces a teaching found throughout the New Testament. We are to be doers, not merely hearers of the word. A tree is known by its fruit. Faith without works is dead*. So how do we make our calling and election sure? By using what we’ve been given for His glory. It does, after all, come from and belong to Him, the “Father of lights.”

*James 1:22, Matt. 7:16, James 2:26;

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Gospel of Mark

Sowing in Rocky Ground

Posted on July 12, 2008 | Leave a comment

Other seed fell on rocky ground, where it did not have much soil, and immediately it sprang up, since it had no depth of soil. And when the sun rose, it was scorched, and since it had no root, it withered away(Mark 4:5-6).And these are the ones sown on rocky ground: the ones who, when they hear the word, immediately receive it with joy. And they have no root in themselves, but endure for a while; then, when tribulation or persecution arises on account of the word, immediately they fall away (Mark 4:16-17, ESV).

The people Jesus refers to here seem to receive the gospel; they are not like the seeds sown along the wayside, never hearing or understanding the word. They do hear it, and as He says, they “receive it with joy.”

Because they have no depth about them, but are shallow people, they make a hasty profession of faith. Perhaps they walk the isle the first time they hear an evangelist. They agree with the message, and confess that it is good, and their emotion is stirred, either by the words spoken, the music, or the pleading and begging of the preacher. Yet they are not convicted of sin. They are not pierced. Their hearts are not broken or contrite. They know nothing of repentance, and they eventually fall away, proving that their profession was false all along.

Persecution purges the church of this type of “Christian;” you won’t find them in China or Iraq. They are unique to prosperous and peaceful places like the United States. Because they don’t have the “root” of true faith, “when tribulation or persecution arises” they fall away.

“Many that keep their profession in fair days lose it in a storm”–Matthew Henry.

John Bunyan gives us an illustration of this truth in The Pilgrim’s Progress. Two characters, Pliable and Obstinate, set out to convince Christian to return to the City of Destruction. But upon hearing a little about the joys of the Celestial City, Pliable decides that he will join Christian rather than hinder him. Not very far along their way, they both fall into the Slough of Despond, which represents the despair and trouble experienced by a Christian’s struggle with and conviction from sin.

“At this Pliable began to be offended, and angrily said to his fellow, ‘Is this the happiness you have told me all this while of? If we have such ill speed at our first setting out, what may we expect between this and our journey’s end? May I get out again with my life, you shall possess the brave country alone for me.’ And with that, he gave a desperate struggle or two, and got out of the mire on that side of the slough which was next to his own house: so away he went, and Christian saw him no more.”

In the case of Christian and Pliable, there was no fault in Christian. Today, however, there is a gospel that produces this type of professor. While leaving out any mention of sin and judgment, it promises everything in this life and the next. Christ never promised us anything other than persecution and trouble on this side of Heaven. Here is the danger in the popular preaching that takes away from and adds to the gospel of Christ: when tragedy strikes, these people who have no root of faith think that the gospel has failed them. And their gospel does fail them, but the true gospel never does.

From this we are reminded to “make our calling and election sure.” Have we experienced true conviction and repentance? Have we really seen ourselves as unworthy sinners? And are we seeking Christ, and only Christ, for our treasure? If so, when we meet with trouble, persecution, loss of health, and wealth, and friends, and family, we won’t lose heart and fall away.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in Gospel of Mark

Sowing Seed

Posted on July 11, 2008 | Leave a comment

Again he began to teach beside the sea. And a very large crowd gathered about him, so that he got into a boat and sat in it on the sea, and the whole crowd was beside the sea on the land. And he was teaching them many things in parables, and in his teaching he said to them: “Listen! A sower went out to sow…(Mark 4:1-3).The third chapter of Mark began with Jesus going into the synagogue. This day He goes out to the sea. Not everyone could go–or would go– to the house of God, so the Lord brings the word to them. He was not bound to a building. From a ship, or a rock, or beside a well, Christ could preach to people.

This is an example for us. George Whitefield, by preaching in the open air, reached thousands of people at a time. He never could have done that had he confined himself to a church. Open air preaching is not the point, but bringing the gospel to the people is. Those who need it most may be the ones who are least likely to come into your church. So, whoever you are, and wherever you are, follow the Lord’s example—bring the gospel to the people. Don’t expect them to come to you.

To those who do endeavor to teach, the Lord has a word for you. Whether you preach in a church or on the street corner, there will be relatively few who will be changed by your words. Jesus compares himself to a farmer broadcasting seed among all types of ground. Only some will take root and produce fruit. Much of it, for one reason or another, will not yield any result.

So it was with the crowds He preached to. Many never heard what He said. Others heard it gladly yet quickly went back to their old ways. Some were just too busy; others had too much worldly care. But some received the word, and like seed in good ground, it produced life.

This parable was not meant as a discouragement to the disciples, but an encouragement, and so it should be to us. Our job is to sow the seed—to take the message of Christ to others. Like a faithful farmer, we then leave the results to God. Only He can send the rain, only He can cause the seed to germinate, and only by His blessing will the seed produce life and fruit. The sowing is our business, the results and reasons are His.

→ Leave a comment

Posted in evangelism, Gospel of Mark, Jesus