Christ in Mark -- The Suffering Servant

It is generally agreed that Gospel of Mark was written by a young man named John Mark.  He was not one of the original 12 disciples, but he studied under the tutelage of Peter, one of Jesus closest disciples.  It was probably at Peter’s instruction and under his supervision that the book was written.  Or it is possible that Mark began writing his book soon after the martyrdom of Peter which would have most certainly influenced his writing.

It is also agreed that Mark’s gospel was the first of the four gospel books to be written, in about 50 – 60 A.D., probably in Rome.  The church was growing rapidly.  In the twenty to thirty years since Jesus Christ’s crucifixion and resurrection, the Good News (the Gospel) had been spread by word of mouth throughout the known world.  With that rapid spread of the Gospel, came errors in the telling of it.  There also came persecution of those who accepted Christ and His teachings, especially in Rome.  It was important, therefore, that an account of Jesus life and work be written:  first of all to insure the accuracy of His teachings and of the events surrounding them; and secondly to encourage those who were being persecuted.  Mark’s book served those two purposes perfectly.

It was important for Mark to tell that Jesus was Christ, the Son of God.  We see that declaration as “bookends” in this book:

The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God (Mark 1:1)

And when the centurion, who stood there in front of Jesus, saw how he died, he said, “Surely this man was the Son of God!” (Mark 15:39)

Between these two “bookends,” Mark explains to his readers what it means to be the Son of God.  Mark knew that it is of vital, eternal importance that we understand exactly who Jesus is.  When Peter tried to impose his own view or his own understanding of what it meant to be Messiah, Son of God, Jesus rebuked him, even calling his idea satanic:

But when Jesus turned and looked at his disciples, he rebuked Peter. “Get behind me, Satan!” he said. “You do not have in mind the concerns of God, but merely human concerns.” (Mark 8:33)

Jesus will not allow us to re-make Him into an image that we might have of Him.  We must know Him for who He came to be, who He is, if we are to know Him at all.  That is why God gave us four different gospel writers, each seeing Jesus from a different perspective, focusing on His different attributes, but all seeing the same God-Man, Jesus, The Messiah, King of Kings, The Suffering Servant, Son of Man, and Son of God.  In these different perspectives, there is no conflict and no contradiction, only expanded, deeper exposition of who He is.

By placing the book of Mark immediately following the book of Matthew, we can see the contrast between Matthew’s King of the Jews and Mark’s Suffering Servant, like two sides of the same coin.  Where Matthew emphasized His Jewish heritage, Mark did not include a genealogy.  He was writing to an audience that was primarily Gentile, not Jewish.  Where Matthew used more references to the Old Testament than any other gospel writer (about 128), Mark used only about 63.  Mark’s focus was primarily on what Jesus did, rather than what He said – he recorded more miracles than parables.  And although He was and is a King, even the Old Testament prophets wrote that the Messiah would suffer and that He would be a servant:

 

He grew up before him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground. He had no beauty or majesty to attract us to him, nothing in his appearance that we should desire him. He was despised and rejected by mankind, a man of suffering, and familiar with pain. Like one from whom people hide their faces he was despised, and we held him in low esteem. Surely he took up our pain and bore our suffering, yet we considered him punished by God, stricken by him, and afflicted. But he was pierced for our transgressions, he was crushed for our iniquities; the punishment that brought us peace was on him, and by his wounds we are healed. (Isaiah 53:2-5)

This is the Suffering Servant that Mark presents to us in his gospel.

For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:45)

And who did the Son of Man serve?  Not only the rich and powerful, but primarily the poor, the sick, the downtrodden, the weak, the deaf, the blind – people who had nothing to offer to Him but their devotion, their love, their very lives.  He did not overlook the rich and powerful – He loved them, too – but He looked with compassion upon those that society would call outcasts.

Just then a man in their synagogue who was possessed by an impure spirit cried out . . . “Be quiet!” said Jesus sternly. “Come out of him!” The impure spirit shook the man violently and came out of him with a shriek. (Mark 1:23, 25-26)

Simon’s mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they immediately told Jesus about her. So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them. (Mark 1:30-31)

And Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons. (Mark 1:34a)

And a leper came to Jesus, beseeching Him and falling on his knees before Him, and saying, “If You are willing, You can make me clean.” Moved with compassion, Jesus stretched out His hand and touched him, and said to him, “I am willing; be cleansed.” (Mark 1:40-41, New American Standard Bible)

Another time Jesus went into the synagogue, and a man with a shriveled hand was there . . . He looked around at them in anger and, deeply distressed at their stubborn hearts, said to the man, “Stretch out your hand.” He stretched it out, and his hand was completely restored. (Mark 3:1, 5)

Then one of the synagogue leaders, named Jairus, came, and when he saw Jesus, he fell at his feet. He pleaded earnestly with him, “My little daughter is dying. Please come and put your hands on her so that she will be healed and live.” . . . He took her by the hand and said to her, “Talitha koum!” (which means “Little girl, I say to you, get up!”).  Immediately the girl stood up and began to walk around (Mark 5:22-23, 41-42a)

In addition to recording many of the miracles of Jesus, Mark also recorded His betrayal and His suffering.  He could have performed miracles to avoid these coming events to benefit Himself, but that was not why He came.  He came as a servant, and that service included His betrayal by those closest to him, His suffering, and His death on the cross, through which we are healed of our sin, cleansed of our unrighteousness, and brought into His royal family, by His grace, through faith.

Then Judas Iscariot, one of the Twelve, went to the chief priests to betray Jesus to them. (Mark 14:10)

Going a little farther, he fell to the ground and prayed that if possible the hour might pass from him. “Abba, Father,” he said, “everything is possible for you. Take this cup from me. Yet not what I will, but what you will.” (Mark 14:35-36)

Then everyone deserted him and fled. (Mark 14:50)

He had Jesus flogged, and handed him over to be crucified. (Mark 15:15b)

They put a purple robe on him, then twisted together a crown of thorns and set it on him. (Mark 15:17)
 

Again and again they struck him on the head with a staff and spit on him. (Mark 15:19a)

At noon, darkness came over the whole land until three in the afternoon. And at three in the afternoon Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” (which means “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?”). (Mark 15:33-34)

Mark was speaking not only to the Gentiles of Rome and others in his day, but he was also speaking to us today.  It is vitally important that we know the REAL Jesus – the Jesus who was the Suffering Servant that Mark told us about, and at the same time the King that Matthew wrote about.  Jesus Himself told us that false prophets would come, telling us about a false Jesus:

Jesus said to them: “Watch out that no one deceives you. Many will come in my name, claiming, ‘I am he,’ and will deceive many. (Mark 13:5-6)

For false messiahs and false prophets will appear and perform signs and wonders to deceive, if possible, even the elect. So be on your guard; I have told you everything ahead of time. (Mark 13:22-23)

Jesus also warned against preachers who would enrich themselves at the expense of those who can least afford it, gaining wealth rather than serving in the name of Jesus:

As he taught, Jesus said, “Watch out for the teachers of the law. They like to walk around in flowing robes and be greeted with respect in the marketplaces, and have the most important seats in the synagogues and the places of honor at banquets. They devour widows’ houses and for a show make lengthy prayers. These men will be punished most severely.” (Mark 12:38-40)

We need to be sure that we know what Jesus had to say about Himself so that we are not deceived.  Jesus never promised us a life of bliss and bounty.  On the contrary, He said that we would face all kinds of difficulty in this world:

Now if we are children, then we are heirs—heirs of God and co-heirs with Christ, if indeed we share in his sufferings in order that we may also share in his glory. (Romans 8:17)

And we need to remember that Jesus called us to lives of service, just as His was a life of service:

Instead, whoever wants to become great among you must be your servant, and whoever wants to be first must be slave of all. (Mark 10:43b-44)

My prayer for you and for me this week is adapted from the words of Jesus in Mark 10:27 and following:

Dear Jesus,
With (me) this is impossible, but not with God; all things are possible with God. When I feel like I am suffering or in need, help me to be thankful for Your promises.  Help me to remember to put myself last and others first.