![]() ![]() The same was true of Christ and John.) According to verses 4-5, what was John's ministry all about? And Elisha's ministry didn't begin in fullness until after Elijah passed from the scene. Christ's ministry obviously eclipsed his predecessor's as well. Other parallels to mention if there is time and interest: Elijah passed on authority to his successor, Elisha, who received a double portion of his spirit. John also ministered in the same area as Elijah had – in the desert near the Jordan River! He was obviously making a statement since he and everyone else was familiar with the Old Testament prophesy that Elijah would return before the Messiah came. (That's exactly what Elijah the prophet wore. What do his clothes reveal beyond his lack of fashion sense? What was the brother wearing? (A camel's hair coat and a leather belt.) (The Father will send John ahead of Jesus.) For clues to John the Baptist's role, let's look at his wardrobe. (Jesus) Someone rephrase it for us with names instead of pronouns. How long does it take Mark to get to the central message of his gospel? He skips any mention of Christ's birth or childhood and gets immediately to scenes from His ministry which reveal who He is. Well, Mark wastes no time getting to the "real deal" about Jesus. How would your friends describe you to someone who's never met you? ![]() As to our response, Jesus calls us to "repent and believe the good news" (1:15) and to endure suffering along with Him. The second eight chapters reveal a Jesus with no less authority, but who is determined to take the lowly route of suffering and death, in order to fulfill His saving mission. In the first eight chapters, Mark focuses our attention on the power and authority of "the Son of God" who performs many mighty works. In any case, Mark is anxious to unveil to us who Jesus is, what His mission was, and how we are to respond to Him. ![]() Mark likely wrote from fast-paced Rome, which may account for his condensed and action-packed approach, often employing words like "immediately". Because of their close relationship and many internal clues, we can surmise that the Holy Spirit used Peter's first hand accounts in shaping this gospel. Most biblical scholars agree that the Gospel of Mark was written by John Mark, whom the Apostle Peter affectionately calls "my son" in 1 Peter 5:13. ![]()
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