MARK'S GOSPEL (1)
MARK’S GOSPEL (1)
JT What is proposed for these five readings is the gospel of Mark, the early chapters. The first chapter at this time.
It is understood that Mark is the servant’s gospel. The character of it is to aid the servants in setting out the glad tidings. The word commences, “Beginning of the glad tidings”, beginning of them! What a vast thing is ahead of us therefore. This book is the beginning of them, “Beginning of the glad tidings of Jesus Christ, Son of God”. The opening verses are to introduce that the Son of God should be spoken of as glad tidings, and spoken of briefly and clearly so that all should hear. It is to be understood, of course, that this meeting is not a discourse but a Bible reading. The way is open for every brother to speak who has anything to say that would be profitable to the brethren.
AEM In alluding to the word “Beginning”, is it in your mind that there is a glorious unfolding and fullness of the glad tidings as Paul’s ministry comes in, in the light of the assembly?
JT Quite so. The word comes to one now that we should speak as we ought to speak, and everybody should have in his mind that if he has anything to say it should be said as he ought to say it. We will have to take the whole of this [p. 2] reading to cover the detail of this chapter, to be engaged with the first chapter of Mark, and we will seek to bring out what is available to the servants, those who are serving the Lord in any way in the ministry.
JWD What particular feature do you see in the first chapter?
JT What have you to say? I have said quite a little.
JWD Well, one was impressed with the greatness of the Person as the scripture was being read, the greatness of this Person.
JT Quite so. That is just what is said, “Beginning of the glad tidings of Jesus Christ”.
It goes on that He is the Son of God, He is the Son of God. I think it would be well for the brothers to take part, that each should be free to say what he should say.
Ques Is it of interest that as soon as the Person is identified clearly as the Son of God that the prophetic word comes in, as though it is available to those who would serve in the glad tidings?
JT That is just the idea at this time.
AEM Is the great thought of service elevated to sonship?
JT Well, I should think so. I would like to say, myself, that it is a question of sonship; not simply Jesus Christ, but the Son of God, “Beginning of the glad tidings of Jesus Christ, Son of God”. Of course, John’s gospel brings that out fully, but Mark is dealing with [p. 3] the servants,
those who are to serve, and how they should serve.
JAP The apostle Paul preached straightway that He is the Son of God.
AAT Why did not Peter bring out the truth of the Son of God?
JT He did not have the commission to do it. Paul had the commission to do it. Of course, Peter was an apostle and Paul was an apostle and Peter was an apostle before Paul was, but Paul was the apostle of the assembly; the matter of the assembly is with Paul, Peter was a general apostle; the general truth of the assembly was in his mind.
AEM Does it not seem to be a matter of sovereign selection as to who should bring out this great truth, and was it not needed to dignify Paul’s commission?
JT Well, compare the introduction of the Son of God here with Paul’s commission. The idea is the truth, the truth purely of Christianity -the power given to them to minister it, the power given to them by the Holy Spirit. For that is in mind in Mark. It is the beginning of the gospel, but it is the gospel not only of Jesus Christ but also of the Son of God.
JWF Is that why the two features of baptism are spoken of by John here immediately? Baptism by water and “he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit?” I thought the first baptism would be the setting aside of the man that was the opposite of the Son of God, and [p. 4] the second would be what was positive.
JT Just so. Well, I think we have a good start.
GHMacP Would Paul’s remark about John Mark help “... for he is serviceable to me for ministry”, 2 Timothy 4:11? And I was wondering if the Holy Spirit would help us to support those who minister by taking on the ministry and speaking about it?
JT Just so. That is the idea in this gospel. It is the brevity of it and the consciousness of it that is in mind. If we have something to say, we want to say it quickly and concisely. Whatever we say, we say it rightly and concisely. It is wonderful that God comes in, in such a gospel as this, coming in from heaven to say things about the Lord Jesus. He is the Son of God, He is the Father’s Son. “The Father has sent the Son”, 1 John 4:14. “Thou art my beloved Son”, Mark 1:11.
AAT Peter speaks of Marcus my son. Is this the same Mark?
JT That is right, John Mark. Mark is the name he is known by.
AEM Are there two great thoughts to keep in mind in this chapter? The greatness of the Person who is serving and the pleasure of the Father in Him as such, “Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I have found my delight”.
JT Beautiful, the pleasure of the Father!
PA Does the title, Jesus Christ, suggest the man of God’s will and pleasure?
JT [p. 5] Not Christ Jesus, you mean; it is not Christ Jesus, but Jesus Christ. It is the man that is in mind.
ACSP Does the emphatic “I”, “Behold, I send my messenger”, have a bearing on the ability to serve? And I wondered whether the recognition of authority in sending a servant enters into the pleasure God had in his service?
JT Yes, quite so. “Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way”. God is the One who is speaking. God is entering into the matter, and we see what He has to say. God used the twelve apostles to say things. John the baptist comes in himself, “There came John baptizing”, that is before the Lord Jesus enters into His service, John the baptist is His herald.
JAP He is called “my messenger” here.
JT That is right, he is the forerunner, the one that leads in the whole matter, the one that leads is under Christ. And “there came John baptizing”, not simply came but he is baptizing. He is doing the work, baptizing in the wilderness, that is where he is doing the work. It is a difficult place to do the work, but he is doing it.
GHMacP This raises inquiry about the glad tidings; for the one who serves, is he sent to serve or just asked to serve?
JT Well, what it says here first is “There came John baptizing”. The enlargement is in the first of John’s gospel that John the baptist [p. 6] was sent. He came before the Lord Jesus. He is the messenger. “Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, who shall prepare thy way”.
Then it goes on to say, “Voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight”. That is the opening of Mark, remarkable opening, showing that the thing is very urgent and has to be done quickly but done well; that is, the ministry of the gospel, and whatever other ministry it may be, because the truth of the gospel unfolded has the assembly in mind. The assembly is the vessel, the vessel of the Holy Spirit.
W McK. Paul refers to his preaching saying, “I ... have fully preached the glad tidings of the Christ”, Romans 15:19; his service was well done.
JT Quite so, fully preached, it was done fully. I think that is excellent to bring forward, that things should be done fully.
Ques Would you say a word more about this matter of brevity?
JT Well, I think if we are going to do anything for the Lord, it ought to be done at once but done in faith, not done at the expense of the truth. It should be done at once, but done well and briefly.
Ques After the Spirit came at Pentecost, Peter stood up (Acts 2) and covered the whole matter and three thousand souls were the result. Is that God putting the stamp of approval on ministry marked by brevity and power?
JT Quite so. So that Peter did the work at [p. 7] first, but the Lord called on Paul to do it also, and the assembly was in mind especially. Paul is the minister of the assembly.
AEM Will you say something about the two words used here, “I send” and the “voice?” Immediately there is a reference to the voice. If there is no sending, there would not be the voice. There must be the element of sending if there is to be the voice.
JT Very good. If someone is going to say something, has he been sent to say it?
JWF Would the voice represent a prophetic word, the word coming from God, the speaking?
JT Well, I would think so, the voice is very clear. We would say in a general way that there should be a voice. The voice is really the voice of God, it is a prophetic voice.
WC Is there a suggestion of that in the apostle’s word when he says in 1 Corinthians, “I desire to speak five words with my understanding, that I may instruct others also”, 1 Corinthians 14:19.
JT Now, that is just what we have been talking about, that the voice should be distinct and it should be in clarity.
GHMacP Peter caught on quickly to the thought of the voice. He speaks of “this voice we heard uttered from heaven, being with him on the holy mountain”, 2 Peter 1:18? Do the glad tidings come from that kind of environment?
JT Very good. Just as this environment [p. 8] here today, there should be in it something about the assembly, something profitable. The environment is good; it is not the same environment as we might have in our houses, it is an assembly environment, the Spirit of God is here.
AEM It needs a divine Person for the proclamation of the glad tidings, the Lord Himself first and now the Spirit sent from heaven.
GHMacP Peter speaks of “this voice we heard uttered from heaven, being with him on the holy mountain”. And then not only the glory, but “by the excellent glory” so we would love the company of Peter in our Bible readings and our gospel preachings.
JT Hence the present moment is an environment in which we might hear something definite from the gospel of Mark.
RRT Is there a principle for us here in regard to preparation on the part of God going before in the servants? You were referring to Mark’s gospel as particularly helpful to these who serve.
JT Now there are many who are in the service, many brothers who are actually in the service, and of course these meetings are intended to help us all, that we might do the work better than we have been doing it.
RRT I was thinking, as an example, of Peter going down to Cornelius. What marvellous preparation of God entered into that before ever Peter came there. Would that be on this line in principle?
JT [p. 9] Very good, clearly he was exercised before God as to what he was doing.
LHB Is the matter of the wilderness a good starting point? John did not start from Jerusalem, but from the wilderness.
JT Quite so, very good. It is remarkable that that is stressed here. John was baptizing in the wilderness, and then his preaching is in the wilderness. The Lord was in the wilderness but did not continue there, because the gospel brings in other things as well.
WT Why does baptizing come in before the preaching in verse 4?
JT Because the idea of death has to enter into it. It is the idea of death for the household, that the world is not to be allowed in it.
JAP Is there a suggestion in the wilderness that there is no show in the preaching or the like, nothing to minister to the flesh there?
JT Exactly, there is nothing for the flesh at all. You have to suffer, to work at a disadvantage if necessary. It is not that you have a big job and a good salary, but you are suffering in it, you are ready for suffering. “Because to you has been given, as regards Christ, not only the believing on him, but the suffering for him also”, Philippians 1:29. That is the word of God, “to suffer”. You enlarge on it.
JAP Well, I cannot say that I do very much suffering, I am glad for the word you give us.
JT Yes, you have been down in the Argentine, and did work there, did you not? That is a [p. 10] long way. You had to go down, and suffered in the travelling, did you not? Our brother went down in the Argentine; he was not expected to go there, and the brethren asked him to take the meetings and he did, and was helped in it. It is a very important matter for a young man to go down to the Argentine and without expectation take a meeting like this, and be used in it. Very good encouragement for all of us, especially young men.
AEM Well, now perhaps you would confirm something I said to the brethren here this morning, that it would be well to let the young men take the addresses.
JT Well, Mr. MacP. is a young man, you know, but he has spoken pretty well here. Now Mr. MacP., just say what you have to say to Mr. M.
GHMacP I was thinking, Mr. M., that this exercise is very appropriate; it needs to be worked out in our local settings amongst those who serve in the glad tidings that there may be assembly material, less stories told in the gospel, and the communication of divine Persons more understood. Mark here makes known the Son of God, Paul came to Athens to make God known in Athens, and the Spirit, as someone suggested, has come from heaven to preach the gospel.
JT The introduction of the Son of God here is particularly noticeable. The phrase “Son of God” must enter into the whole of the gospel of Mark. The whole of the gospel of Mark must be governed somewhat by the presence of the term “Son of God” because the Lord Jesus Christ is a divine Person, He is the Father’s Son, He is the Son of God. Of no one else could that be said but the Son of God, the Lord Jesus.
WC I would like to ask about verse 8. You are speaking about the distinctiveness of the Person of the Lord Himself as the Son of God. It says, “I indeed have baptized you with water, but he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit”.
JT Quite so. Verse 8, “I indeed”, the emphatic I, “I indeed have baptized you with water, but he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit”, that is the Lord Jesus. These are important matters, that the Lord Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit. No one else can baptize with the Holy Spirit, but One who is God. God gives the Holy Spirit.
JWF Why is the change in verse 9 in the way that the Lord is presented? It seems to link on with the side of humiliation. “Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee”.
JT “And was baptized”, so the Lord Himself was baptized. “He came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John at the Jordan”. It is very important that the Lord submitted to that, He submitted Himself to be baptized.
JWF That would present the suitable attitude in serving, is that the thought?
JT Quite so, to be in service, that is, by accepting baptism. The Lord did not need it in Himself personally, but [p. 12] He was going to serve and He submitted to what was right to do.
PA Baptism in the Jordan is first, then the Spirit descending as a dove upon Him!
JT Quite so. That point is made here, “And it came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John at the Jordan”. A wonderful fact, that He did that, that He submitted to that.
PA f was thinking of another point that the Lord recognized John as a true servant when He allowed Him to baptize Him. In Matthew, John objected, did he not?
JT Very good. It said by the Lord later, “thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness”, Matthew 3:15.
PA That is very fitting, and is that not the very point of Matthew’s gospel - righteousness?
JT Just so, “fulfil all righteousness”, “all righteousness”.
JWL There seems something distinctive in what it says about the heavens here. In Luke it says, “the heaven was opened”, but here it says, “the heavens parting asunder”. Is that connected with public service? Would it be an evidence of power?
JT Well, quite so, I would say that too, evident power.
PA Isaiah prays in chapter 64, “Oh, that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, - that the mountains might flow down at thy presence”, verse 1.
JT Quite so, someone there asking God [p. 13] to rend the heavens and come down to earth, marvellous thing that that should be said. “Oh, that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down”.
PA And is not Isaiah 40 right on through to the end, the background of Mark’s gospel?
JT Well, I would say that too, the background of Mark’s gospel, quite so. Mark’s gospel is 16 chapters, the others are much longer, so it is very urgent because there is not much time, but things have to be done and done well, done immediately.
AEM Would you say something about verses 10 and 11, especially the fact that it was the Lord who saw “the heavens parting asunder”, and the voice is, “thou”, “thou art my beloved Son”. It seems to have been for Him. “Thou art my beloved Son”.
JT Wonderful! “Straightway going up from the water, he saw the heavens parting asunder, and the Spirit, as a dove, descending upon him”. That is a marvellous statement that the Lord saw that, He saw that and heard the voice. Showing that the matter of baptism fulfilled now as man implies that He is ready for service, that His service is before Him; not simply to die but His service, the idea of service in Mark’s gospel. He did die, was expected to die, but at the same time before Him He saw the heavens parting asunder, which I think is wonderful, which everyone here should have in his mind as we are talking together of these [p. 14] matters. What a great transaction all this is, the gospel of Mark.
GHMacP As in the place of servant is it right to think of the Lord in this passage as coming in for divine approval in service?
JT Well, that is the idea, divine approval in service, that divine approval is by the power of the Spirit. There is indication of what is to be done in those who serve and how they are to do it. Have they got ability, have they got ability to do it?
GHMacP There was this great transaction at the banks of the Jordan.
W McK. Would another prophetic word from Isaiah link on with this matter of the parting of the heavens and the Father’s voice? I was thinking of chapter 42:1, “Behold my servant whom I uphold, mine elect in whom my soul delighteth!” And I was thinking of the Father’s delight in the Son as taking up service, and I wondered if the prophetic word does not reinforce what we have in the gospel.
JT Just so, the prophetic word.
JAP Can the Lord’s servants count on anything like this now; help from heaven?
JT Well, of course, all these events refer to the Lord Himself, and not to ourselves, although there may be something that corresponds in our lives and histories and services. But the Lord Himself entered into this peculiarly and what is implied is that He is leading in it, He is obviously [p. 15] affording a lead for us.
ACSP Paul says in 1 Corinthians, “And I was with you in weakness and in fear and in much trembling; and my word and my preaching, not in persuasive words of wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power”, chapter 2:3,4. Is that the thing seen in a servant? You were speaking about the outstanding power and confirmation of it that was seen in the Lord, whether it was seen in Paul in the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. There was evidence that a divine Person was standing by.
JT Quite so. And then your thought is that in those who serve there is to be the demonstration of the Spirit and of power. And the Lord is indicating that here. Verse 12 says, “Immediately the Spirit drives him”, notice that, “And immediately the Spirit drives him out into the wilderness”. So we have already had much on the wilderness, but we might as well have this added too, because it is here. The Lord was driven, it is wonderful, that the Lord was driven out into the wilderness; we wonder about that, that the Lord Himself submitted to being driven out into the wilderness, to be tempted of the devil too, a marvellous thing.
PA Why does the Spirit drive Him into the wilderness?
JT “And immediately the Spirit drives him”, that is the third Person so to speak of the three Persons of the Deity, the third Person has [p. 16] to do with driving as it were, as it says here, driving the Lord Jesus into the wilderness. I think that is one of the most wonderful things in the Scriptures, that the Lord submitted to this. It is most affecting that the Lord submitted to it. It says just what we are saying, “immediately”, notice that, “And immediately the Spirit drives him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him”. I think this is one of the most remarkable things that we get in the way of scriptural statements, that the Lord submitted to all this, and we are to learn from it if we are to be in the service, in the service of God in any way, the Lord is leading in how we should serve.
GHMacP So that if we are serving as taking character from the Servant, should we not be leading in the way of suffering?
JT Quite so, leading in the way of suffering. We should read that verse again.
“And immediately the Spirit drives him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him”. Beautiful that the angels came in to succour the Lord and He submitted to that. We might well say the Lord could do anything, He is God, but He submitted to being ministered to by the angels.
AAT I notice Luke says He was led into [p. 17] the wilderness.
JT Well, Mark brings in the severest type of service.
GHMacP Showing that service is not optional.
JT Just so, not optional. One must be sent to serve, at least this chapter indicates that it is so.
PA Paul speaks in 2 Corinthians 5, verse 11, “Knowing therefore the terror of the Lord, we persuade men”. But then later on he is led and constrained by the love of Christ in verse 14.
JT Very good. “The love of the Christ constrains us”, he says, verse 14.
PA It is remarkable how flexible Paul was, he could meet both ends of the situation.
JT Quite so. How flexible he was.
Ques Is there not something wonderful in the word “immediately” as though at the very moment when the Father’s choice delight in the Son was being given expression to, He was never more ready to face the onslaughts of the enemy?
JT Quite so. At meetings like these, young men especially ought to be ready to learn, to take on the truth as it is given out, but we should be all ready to learn at these meetings. In fact, they are intended for that. Because there is certain pressure, certain indication of spiritual activities that are open to us, only that we should be ready to take them on.
Rem You said recently that the character of [p. 18] these meetings is such in the Spirit’s speaking that we should learn as we are sitting in our seats.
JT Quite so. It is a learning time, all the time we are here is a learning time, but especially at these meetings when we come together from different parts of the world t learn from the Scriptures, so that we all ought t learn, learn to read, learn to understand, and to give out what we have learned to help others. In 2 Timothy 2:2, it says, “such as shall be competent to instruct others also”.
LHB Would you say that the circumstances to which the Lord submits here are to bring out the character of manhood that was here before us in the perfect Servant?
JT Just so, because that was in mind, the place of the Servant, it is not His manhood as in Luke, it is the Servant that is in mind here in Mark, the Servant. And if we are here at all, we should be here to learn, and to hear what is said, to learn, to take it in, and to take character from it.
JC It says here that He was with the wild beasts in the wilderness. Is that certain elements of opposition that He had to face?
JT Specific opposition, wild beasts, why should they be there? They are there; the enemy inciting them to attack the Lord Jesus. But then He has accepted it, He was with them, it says.
He was with the wild beasts.
JWD Did you say we are to learn as we sit?
[p. 19] What do you think we should learn from verses 12 and 13? Is it to enhance the uniqueness of this Person?
JT We just spoke of that. “And immediately the Spirit drives him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to him”. What do you have in mind?
JWD Is it the distinctiveness of His Person that is in mind or whether we should think that there should be something like it corresponding in ourselves?
JT Well surely it is to be worked out with us; He is the example, the Lord is pleased to be exemplary in what He is doing here.
JAP The apostle Paul went to Arabia, he says. Did he learn from this?
JT Well exactly. The same thing would be there, I suppose, as we see here. Is that your thought?
JAP Yes, the passage reads; Galatians 1:17: “Immediately I took not counsel with flesh and blood, nor went I up to Jerusalem to those who were apostles before me; but I went to Arabia, and again returned to Damascus”.
JT Well, all that is most instructive, and most affecting too.
GHMacP Do you think that when he speaks of “After the manner of man I have fought with beasts in Ephesus”, 1 Corinthians 15:32, that the thing was worked out with Paul?
JT [p. 20] Quite so, here the Lord was with the wild beasts, it was literal. But there when Paul said, “I have fought with beasts”, that would be men, I suppose.
DMH What would you say about “drives him out into the wilderness”, then about “tempted by Satan” and “with the wild beasts?” I had in mind that some of the saints in this world standing for the rights of God would face these elements and the Lord would help us to be faithful in it?
JT Quite so, very good.
PA In Psalm 22 it is related how the wild beasts surrounded the Lord, prophetically speaking - the bulls and the dogs.
JT Just so. “For dogs have encompassed me”, showing I suppose, that the Lord was speaking figuratively. It is all prophetic and for us to learn from. Because we are getting on to the dispensation’s end and we have not got much time to spare, you know; of course we have not much time because we are toward the end, everything indicates that we are drawing near to the end. “Then the end”, 1 Corinthians 15:24, it says.
Now verse 14 affords much. “But after John was delivered up, Jesus came into Galilee preaching the glad tidings of the kingdom of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God has drawn nigh; repent and believe in the glad tidings”. So that the point is, the time is fulfilled so that we should be ready [p. 21] for any event, any emergency, in the service of God; the expression, “The time is fulfilled”, is a very appealing word to us. “The kingdom of God has drawn nigh”, it is time for the kingdom of God, it is a time of privilege so that we get the benefit of the kingdom of God. The word “kingdom of God” has been often spoken of as affecting Christianity, and the truth of the gospel, and the truth of the assembly. So that “repent” it says here. “Repent and believe in the glad tidings;” that is, there is no time to spare, but see to it that you believe in the right thing, and that is “in the glad tidings”, not simply believe the glad tidings, but believe in them.
PA Paul charges Timothy in chapter 4 of the second epistle, saying, “Proclaim the word; be urgent in season and out of season”, verse 2. That is a word for our young men.
JT Just so. So we get here, in verse 16, “And walking by the sea of Galilee, he saw Simon, and Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting out a net in the sea, for they were fishers. And Jesus said to them, Come after me, and I will make you become fishers of men; and straightway, leaving their trawl-nets they followed him”. Now that is a wonderful statement, that they immediately followed him, they left their trawl-nets and immediately followed him. They did not allow any ordinary earthly matter or tradition to interfere with the things before them. So that if you want to get into the truth or the ministry, do not let anything interfere. Let [p. 22] the thing happen,
do the thing, and do it well, do it rightly.
RRT Is that in line with the “immediately” that we get in verse 12? Divine Persons are acting without delay here, are They not? And is it not characteristic of Mark - “immediately” and “the time is fulfilled” and “straightway?”
JT One has often noticed that, because it is the characteristic feature of Mark’s gospel, that things are to be done well and done immediately.
RRT And we are to take that on now in the service. Is that your thought?
JT Exactly.. Everybody here today, it is a question now of us taking on the instruction that we have here, exactly, from no less a Person than the Lord Himself and by John the baptist. And then later as we come to it by Paul himself.
Rem Of the four gospels two are written by two of the apostles, Matthew and John; and two are written by those who had been with Paul; Mark being one of them.
JWF Would that fit in with the Scripture that tells us that the things that were written beforehand were written for us, for our help and admonition?
JT Very good, so that the point now in what we are engaged in is that we do not miss anything that is coming to us, by whomsoever it is coming, to take it in and retain it in our souls. That is what is in mind in this first chapter of Mark.
LHB There seems to be an impelling and irresistible power in what the Lord said to the disciples, “Come after me”. Do you think that that should enter into and characterize the ministry?
JT Irresistible power, wonderful thing that that is so. And I think we are being affected by it. It is a remarkable thing that each one of us is capable of being affected by the power shown here.
WC They leave the trawl-nets. I was thinking of the brevity and the clarity of the service of a servant. It is not a dragging operation like a trawl-net; today is a hook and line time.