The document discusses the Gospel of Mark, focusing on its fast-paced narrative style and emphasis on Jesus' actions and emotions. It summarizes Mark's background and themes, including that he wrote primarily for a Roman audience. A key section analyzes the story of John the Baptist's murder, noting Mark spends significant time on it to illustrate standing up for one's faith despite risks. The takeaways encourage readers to speak truth courageously like John the Baptist and pray for strength to do what is right for God despite pressures to compromise.

1. The Essential Jesus as
Revealed in the Gospel of Mark

2. Gettysburg

4. The Essential Jesus as
Revealed in the Gospel of Mark
Today through June 30th

6. Mark: A Quick Recap
▪ The author - “John Mark”
- Mentioned 8 times in the NT
-Was Roman (Marcus)
- Close associate of Apostle Peter

7. Mark: A Quick Recap
▪ The recipients – From evidence from
within the book, it appears that Mark
was writing his gospel primarily for a
Roman audience.

8. Mark: A Quick Recap
▪ “Signature” word: Mark uses a certain
word 42 times in his gospel (a word used
only 7 times in Matthew, twice in John and
once in Luke)
- “eutheos” = immediately, straightway

9. Mark: A Quick Recap
Mark’s emphasis in his gospel account is
not so much on what Jesus taught as it is
on what Jesus did!
The Gospel of Mark contains :
- Only 18 of the 70 parables of Jesus
- Over half of the 35 miracles of Jesus

10. Mark: A Quick Recap
The Gospel of Mark is a fast-flowing
narrative. Among the gospels it is the
Gospel of Action!

11. Gospel of Mark: Gospel of
Action
Who was his target audience?
Romans!

12. Gospel of Mark: Signature
Word
The Gospel of Mark is a fast-flowing
narrative. Among the gospels it is the
Gospel of Action!
The Gospel of Mark is also the
Gospel of Passion!

13. Gospel of Mark: The
Emotional Side of Jesus
References to the emotions of Jesus:
Matthew – 6 references
Luke – 7 references
John – 4 references
Mark – 16 references to Jesus’
emotions!

14. Gospel of Mark: Background
The Gospel of Mark is the Gospel of
Action and the Gospel of Passion!
Very relevant to us in 21st century
America as we tend to be both
pragmatic and passionate!

15. Gospel of Mark: Theme
Verse and Structure
Mark 10:45
“For even the Son of Man came not to be
served but to serve, and to give his life as
a ransom for many.”

16. Mark
1:15-10:52
Mark
11:1-15:47
Mark
16:1-20
Mark
1:1-14
An
informative
PROLOGUE
The
Servant’s
revelation
to the world
ACT 1
“Even the
Son of Man
did not
come to be
served, but
to serve. . .
ACT 2
and to give
His life a
ransom for
many.”
(10:45)
The
Servant’s
serving
The
Servant’s
sacrifice
An
incredible
CONCLUSION
The
Servant’s
resurrection
from the tomb(3 ½ years) (8 months)

17. Yr of Obscurity
(Early Judean)
Yr of Popularity
(Early and
Middle Galilean)
Yr of Opposition
(Later Galilean,
Later Judean,
Perean)

18. The HEARTBEAT of Jesus’
ministry . . . the GOSPEL!
Mark 1:14-15
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came
into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of
God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled,
and the kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the gospel.”

19. The HEARTBEAT of Jesus’
ministry . . . the GOSPEL!
Mark 1:14-15
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came
into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of
God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled,
and the kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the gospel.”

20. The FOCUS of Jesus’
ministry . . . PEOPLE!
“near”
“far”
-The disciples (apostles)
-The Crowd

21. Chapters 2-5: We see Jesus . . .
- performing miracles
- casting out demons
- healing the sick
- stilling a storm
- even raising a girl from the dead
- choosing theTwelve
- teaching in parables

22. Chapter 6
- vv. 1-6 – Jesus rejected by his home
town
- vv. 7-12 – Jesus sending out of the
Twelve

23. Mark 6:14-29
The Murder of Messiah’s Forerunner
(a.k.a. “Set Up Man”)

24. The Murder of Messiah’s
Forerunner
Mark 6:14a
King Herod heard of it, for Jesus' name
had become known.

25. The Murder of Messiah’s
Forerunner
Mark 6:14b-15
Some said, “John the Baptist has been
raised from the dead.That is why these
miraculous powers are at work in
him.” But others said, “He is Elijah.” And
others said, “He is a prophet, like one
of the prophets of old.”

26. The Murder of Messiah’s
Forerunner
Mark 6:16
But when Herod heard of it, he said,
“John, whom I beheaded, has been
raised.”

27. The Murder of Messiah’s
Forerunner
Mark 6:17-18
For it was Herod who had sent and
seized John and bound him in prison for
the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's
wife, because he had married her. For
John had been saying to Herod, “It is not
lawful for you to have your brother's
wife.”

28. The Herod Family NTTree

29. The Herod Family NTTree

30. The Herod Family NTTree

31. The Herod
FamilyTree
Talk about one
VERY twisted
family tree!

32. The Murder of Messiah’s
Forerunner
Mark 6:18
For John had been saying to
Herod, “It is not lawful for you to
have your brother's wife.”

33. The Murder of Messiah’s
Forerunner
Mark 6:19-20
And Herodias had a grudge against him
and wanted to put him to death. But she
could not,for Herod feared John,
knowing that he was a righteous and
holy man, and he kept him safe.When he
heard him, he was greatly perplexed,
and yet he heard him gladly.

34. The Murder of Messiah’s
Forerunner
Mark 6:21
But an opportunity came when Herod
on his birthday gave a banquet for his
nobles and military commanders and
the leading men of Galilee.

35. The Murder of Messiah’s
Forerunner
Mark 6:22-23
For when Herodias's daughter came in
and danced, she pleased Herod and his
guests. And the king said to the girl, “Ask
me for whatever you wish, and I will give
it to you.” And he vowed to her,
“Whatever you ask me, I will give you, up
to half of my kingdom.”

36. The Murder of Messiah’s
Forerunner
Mark 6:24-25
And she went out and said to her
mother, “For what should I ask?” And she
said, “The head of John the Baptist.” And
she came in immediately with haste to
the king and asked, saying, “I want you
to give me at once the head of John
the Baptist on a platter.”

37. The Murder of Messiah’s
Forerunner
Mark 6:26a
And the king was exceedingly sorry . . .

38. The Murder of Messiah’s
Forerunner
Mark 6:26-28
And the king was exceedingly sorry, but
because of his oaths and his guests he did
not want to break his word to her. And
immediately the king sent an executioner
with orders to bring John'shead. He went
and beheaded him in the prison and
brought his head on a platter and gave it to
the girl, and the girl gave it to her mother.

39. The Murder of Messiah’s
Forerunner
Mark 6:29
When his disciples heard of it, they came
and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

40. Today’sTakeaways
WHY did Mark, who for the most part is
so economical with his words, spend 15
verses in developing a story that had so
little to do with Jesus?

41. Today’sTakeaways
“It is well worth the time
(for Mark) to tell the story
of someone who
sacrificed his life because
of his faithfulness. Many
of Mark’s readers would
be called to do the same.”
(Michael Card)

42. Today’sTakeaways
1. As John the Baptist lived and spoke
God’s truth to his generation - so we
must do the same, no matter what the
cost might be!

43. Today’sTakeaways
2. Since the pressure to compromise
our faith is relentless, we must pray for
the courage to say and to do what is
right before God!

44. Herod could have said . . .
- “I promised you a gift … I did not promise
to commit a crime . . . ”
- “I promised to favorYOU, not your
mother . . . ”
-“I was wrong to make such a vow to
murder a prophet of God let alone anyone
for that matter . . . ”
“. . . so ask me for something else!”

45. Today’sTakeaways
2. Since the pressure to compromise
our faith is relentless, we must pray for
the courage to say and to do what is
right before God!