Mark

Overview – September 2017 – Grace & Truth Magazine

Mark

“For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many.” –Mark 10:45 NKJV

Mark, meaning “a defense,” gives a brief, energetic account of the service of the Lord Jesus Christ, portraying Him as the perfect Servant of God. The writer’s language is direct and simple, and his description of events is chronological, meaning the order in which they actually happened. None of the other Gospel writers follows this order, but each uses an order that is appropriate to his particular theme.

The lowliness and unwearying service of the Lord Jesus shines out beautifully in Mark, which rapidly passes from one scene to another. The Lord met the need of unnumbered people at the perfect time and in perfect manner. His death, too, was the sacrifice of One perfectly devoted to the will of God, a service to meet the deepest needs of mankind.

The sin-offering character of the Lord’s sacrifice is seen in Mark. It is not simply that He has borne our sins, but that He has taken the full judgment against sin – the dreadful root of sins and the very principle of all that has opposed God. He has served God in absolute devotion in this matter, even to the dreadful necessity of being abandoned by Him in those hours of unalleviated agony.

Observe Mark’s frequent use of the word “immediately.” In this precious character of Servant, the Lord Jesus is to be admired for His devotion and followed as an Example by those who are saved by His grace. GT

By Leslie M. Grant

This column is taken from the book: “The Bible, Its 66 Books In Brief.”
It is available for purchase from Believers Bookshelf USA and Believers Bookshelf Canada.