So, we have reached the end of Mark and our goal has been to focus on Jesus and what we can learn about Him that would make us love Him more because if we truly, passionately, wholeheartedly love Jesus, the Christian life is a blast - not a chore. It's not that His teaching isn't important - it's not that at all. The thing that distinguishes Christianity from all other religions is that we are following a person not a creed. It is what He did that saved us not what He said. It was His act of deliverance that saved us and because of who He is and what He has done, we follow Him and obey His teachings - not to get to Heaven but because we are already by faith in Him, citizens of Heaven - but out of gratitude and love. Thus, if we love Him more we will follow Him harder and obey Him - and as a result please Him - more completely. A review of the previous words that I have given each chapter (obviously, anyone reading Mark would come up with a completely different list) are the following.
1. Meekness
2. Rescuer
3. Brother
4. With (us)
5. Unaffected
6. Compassionate
7. Piercing
8. Longsuffering/patient
9. Better
10. Servant
11. King
12. Focused
13. Loving
14. Broken
15. Entrusts
Like I previously said, we now reach the end of Mark but the questions are what do we learn about Jesus in Chapter 16 that is so awesome and where is the end of Mark? Let's look at the second question first.
Look up the following verses
Acts 8:37, Matt. 17:21, Mark 15:28, Acts 15:34, and Matt. 23:14.
If you found them, you were probably using the King James version. Why? Because the KJV was translated from later midievil manuscripts whereas the NIV and newer translations go back to third century manuscripts which don't include these verses. It is felt that overly zealous scribes occasionally added passages to the Bible to clarify things. See for example 1John 5:7 in KJV and NIV. Even though the concept of the Trinity is clear throughout the Bible, skeptics would say that the word "trinity" never occurs and you have to infer the concept. Therefore an overly zealous scribe added, "and these three are One" which made it's way into later documents. This is a true statement but wasn't meant to be included and the early codices we have show this. Fortunately, this is a rare occurrence and the Bible we have, compared to the early manuscripts is 99.9% accurate. Why do I say all this?
Read Mark 16. . Does your Bible include any notes, brackets, or asterisks next to verses 9-20? What do the notes say?
Do you think this belongs in the Bible or not? Why or why not?
Read verses 15-18. Name 4 divisive/dangerous doctrines that could spring from these verses
1
2
3
4
If Mark indeed ends at verse 8 why would Mark end so abruptly ? (opinion)
Go back to Mark 1. What does Mark leave out prior to it's starting?
Who was Mark writing to and what was His purpose in writing?
Did leaving off at the resurrection accomplish that goal?
Next, let's look at what is so awesome about Jesus. To do this, let's take a brief trip through Mark. Read the following verses and in one word for each verse describe the people's emotion in response to Jesus' action.
1. Mark 1:22
2. Mark 1:27
3. Mark 2:12
4. Mark 4:40,41
5. Mark 5:15
6. Mark 5:33
7. Mark 5:42
8. Mark 6:51
9. Mark 9:6
10. Mark 9:15
11. Mark 10:24
12. Mark 10:32
13. Mark 11:18
14. Mark 12:17
15.Mark 15:5
16. Mark 16:5
17. Mark 16:8
Notes to teachers and students;
Mark's purpose for writing his gospel was to present the facts about Jesus and prove to especially a Roman audience that Jesus was God. That's why he focused more on His miracles and supernatural works rather than what He taught (although foretelling the future was a supernatural work so teachings on prophecy were included) Andy Stanley often says in his teachings when he is talking for example about Adam and Eve or creation " I tend to believe in these things because according to the gospels Jesus did - and anyone who can predict their death and resurrection I tend to believe. Tim Keller writes the following in Reason for God
"Sometimes people approach me and say, 'I really struggle with this aspect of Christian teaching.I like this part of Christian belief, but I don't think I can accept that part.'I usually respond: 'If Jesus rose from the dead, then you have to accept all he said; if he didn't rise from the dead, then why worry about any of what he said?The issue on which everything hangs is not whether or not you like his teaching but whether or not he rose from the dead.'That is how the first hearers felt who heard reports of the resurrection.They knew that if it was true it meant we can't live our lives any way we want.It also meant we don't have to be afraid of anything, not Roman swords, not cancer, nothing.If Jesus rose from the dead, it changes everything"
He relates the resurrection to diving into the deep end of the pool instead of rejecting Christianity on the basis of trifles such as why did God allow polygamy. Once you accept Christ and the resurrection, the little things will get answered in time.
This is why as Andy once again says, "The early messages of the apostles in Acts were always the same - Jesus is God, you killed Him, God raised Him, we've seen Him, Say you're sorry."
Therefore, for an author like Mark who is short and sweet, he leaves out a lot in the beginning and leaves out a lot at the end but ends with, "Here is Christ's life, Here is the empty tomb. What are you going to do about it?" Now I totally believe that this ending frustrated the early scribes and readers because it just ended up in the air. Because of that, one of them felt the need to add an ending. Why do I feel this way? Here are some reasons and I must give John MacArthur a lot of credit for this lesson;
1. There are 18 different Greek words used in these few verses that never appeared elsewhere in Mark
2. Mary Magdalene is introduced after already appearing several times prior
3. vs. 19 refers to Jesus as "Lord Jesus" which previously that title was never used
4. It has an awkward beginning
5. All the acts of Jesus recorded in these verses happened in Jerusalem and they were told to go to Galilee.
6. It includes dangerous doctrines such as snake handling, poison drinking, regenerative Baptism. sign gifts to all non apostles, etc.
7. Wasn't included in the earliest manuscripts.
Be that as it may, as you went through all the scriptures, you see the response to Jesus was awe and wonder; alarm,fear. When I was in St Lucia a dreadlocked indigent said to me as I got off the boat, "Mon, the most awesomest thing in the world is being awesome" Well, if he could do it I can too. What's so awesome about Jesus? He's awesome! He is God. When you come face to face you can't be indifferent or nonplussed. You either have to reject Him or bow down before Him and worship Him - the other options aren't open to you. What have you done with Jesus?
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