Adult Quarterly SUNDAY SCHOOL FALL QUARTER, The Preaching of God s Servant. Studies in Mark 1 8. Written by David Robinson SEPTEMBER OCTOBER

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1 Adult Quarterly SUNDAY SCHOOL FALL QUARTER, 2013 The Preaching of God s Servant Studies in Mark 1 8 Written by David Robinson EDITOR IN CHIEF: Larry E. Clements larryclements@bogardpress.org BUSINESS MANAGER: Wayne Sewell wsewell@bogardpress.org PRODUCTION EDITOR: Sally McInvale ADULT EDITOR: Jim Jones CHILDREN S EDITOR: Libby Gill ILLUSTRATOR: Connie Spears GRAPHIC ARTISTS: Shawn Blase Jeff Allen Greg Hilterbrand Ashley Carozza Blake Tilton LAYOUT DESIGNERS: Kyle Elkins Cindy Butler Ashley Elkins CONTENT EDITORS: Terry McKellar Deby Turrentine Carolyn Burks Joni Curtis Becky Bazar Cordell PRINT PRODUCTION: Charles Easley Cover Design: Jeff Allen Copyright 2013 Vol. 100, No 1 Bogard Press 4605 N. State Line Ave. Texarkana, TX QUARTERLY AIM: The student will study the min istry of Christ and its impact on the ancient and modern world. SEPTEMBER 1 The Presentation of God s Servant Baptized by John The Preaching of God s Servant Repent, Believe and Follow The Purpose of God s Servant Preaching the Gospel The Pardon of God s Servant Forgiving Sin The Passion of God s Servant Reaching the Lost OCTOBER 6 The Popularity of God s Servant Abused, Loved and Hated The Parables of God s Servant Field, Fruit and Light The Power of God s Servant Forgiving, Cleansing and Sending The Plan of God s Servant Sending Messengers NOVEMBER 3 The Patience of God s Servant Teaching, Feeding and Healing The Persistence of God s Servant Tolerating Enemies and Disciples The Pain of God s Servant Enduring Unbelief The Person of God s Servant He Is the Christ

2 About the Writer Dr. David Robinson was born in Greenville, Mississippi, and grew up in Hot Springs, Arkansas. He was saved in 1956 and was baptized by Cones Road Missionary Baptist Church. He graduated from Hot Springs High School, attended the University of Mississippi, and graduated from the Missionary Baptist Seminary in Little Rock, Arkansas, in 1966 earning the Master in Bible Languages and Doctor in Bible Languages Degrees. He surrendered to preach in 1960 and was ordained to the gospel ministry in December of He has pastored churches in central and southern Arkansas. From 1967 to 1999 he served as an instructor in the Missionary Baptist Seminary. He served as Registrar at the school from 1978 to 1988, and as Chancellor and Editor of the Missionary Baptist Searchlight from 1988 to He served as Chaplain for the Pulaski County Sheriff s Office from 1992 until He served on the Sunday School Committee of the ABA from 1987 to 1998 and as President of the ABA in 1999 and He has served a Parliamentarian for the ABA since Presently he is pastor of Landmark Missionary Baptist Church in Little Rock, Arkansas, where he has served since He has written Young People s Sunday School literature, the BTC Adult Quarterly, and he currently writes the Adult Sunday School literature used in the churches of the American Baptist Association. He can be contacted at dcrobinson@aristotle.net.

3 American Baptist Association Through-the-Bible Series Sunday School Lessons Winter Spring Summer Fall 2013 Acts 1 14 Acts Samuel 2 Samuel Chronicles 1 10 Mark Mark 9 16 Psalms Proverbs Ecclesiastes Song of Solomon 2 Corinthians Ephesians 2 Samuel Chronicles Kings 1; 2 James 1 Thessalonians 2 Thessalonians Psalms 1 72 Galatians 1 Kings Chronicles Kings 1 13 Joel, Obadiah 1 Corinthians Hosea, Amos, Luke 1 13:21 Luke 13:22 24 Micah, Jonah, 2 Kings Chronicles Isaiah Chronicles Kings Nahum 1 Timothy 2 Timothy Titus Isaiah Kings Chronicles Zephaniah Jeremiah Lamentations 2 Kings 24; 25 2 Chronicles 36 Philemon Philippians Colossians John John Ezra, Nehemiah Habakkuk, Haggai Malachi, Esther 1 Peter 2 Peter 1, 2, 3 John Jude 2020 Daniel Ezekiel Zechariah Revelation 1 11 Revelation Genesis 1 11 Job 2021 Genesis Matthew 1 13 Matthew Exodus 2022 Romans Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy Hebrews Joshua Judges Ruth

4 1 The Presentation of God s Servant Baptized by John Text: Mark 1:1-13 Focus: Mark 1:1-13 September 1, 2013 Key Verses: And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: and there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Mark 1: 10, 11 Sunday Devotional: Son of God God the Son, Luke 1:31-33 Application: Christ s public life began with the testimony of a godly man, the declaration of baptism and the endurance of temptation. Today, you should follow the same path to service. A FIRST LOOK Today we begin a study of the book of Mark. Each of the gospels reveals a different aspect of the character of Jesus, and in Mark, Jesus is presented as the Servant of God. Mark 10:45 tells us, For even the Son of man came not to be ministered unto, but to minister, and to give his life a ransom for many. Mark writes a gospel of action, not adornment. It is written in a simple easy to read style. This book concentrates on the activities of Jesus and moves swiftly from one event to another. Mark often uses the term immediately. Mark gives us vivid details of the ministry of Jesus. He speaks of looks, actions and gestures more than any other writer of the gospels. Mark was one of the first books of the New Testament ever written. It was probably written around 63 AD. Mark, whose full name was John Mark, lived in Jerusalem with his mother, Mary, and was the nephew of Barnabas Daily Devotionals M. Son Messiah King, Psalm 2:1-12. T. From a Donkey to a Throne, Zechariah 9:9, 10. W. Declaration of the Voice, Isaiah 40:3-5. T. God s Messenger, Malachi 3:1. F. Last Old Testament Prophet, Luke 7: S. Suffering Equipped the Savior, Hebrews 5:8, 9. 4

5 Text: Mark 1: and a close associate of the apostle Peter; however, Mark was not an apostle. One theory states that the gospel of Mark was strongly influenced by the experiences of Peter. Some say Mark got his facts from Peter and his explanations from the apostle Paul. We must realize that although some of the men who wrote the New Testament knew each other and, evidently, learned from each other, the actual writing was inspired by God. God used Mark to pen the words of this book, but the message is divinely inspired and comes from God in Heaven. A CLOSER LOOK I. John the Baptist Introduced Jesus Mark 1: The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; 2. As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 3. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. 4. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5. And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. 6. And John was clothed with camel s hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; 7. And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. 8. I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost. Mark begins by simply stating he is presenting the gospel, or the good news, of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Mark tells us two wonderful things about the gospel. First, he tells us it is about Jesus. This is not a gospel of philosophy or ideas, it is a gospel of a person, and that person is Jesus. We can never be right with God unless we have a proper and personal relationship with Jesus (John 14:6, 1 Tim. 2:5). Jesus is not one of many; He is unique in the universe. There are not many roads which lead to Heaven nor many paths which

6 6 The Presentation of God s Servant Baptized by John lead to God. There is one God and one way to be right with Him, and that is through His only begotten Son. Jesus is the author of the gospel, and He is also the subject of the gospel. John is introduced as one crying, or preaching, in the wilderness. Through the ages, it has pleased God to reveal His truth through the preaching of the Word. Above all, John the Baptist was a preacher. There is no more noble calling than to preach the truth of God to a lost world. This is how God chose to introduce His Son. The message of John was simple and easy to understand. He told men to prepare a way for the Lord and to make a straight path for God to come into their lives. There is a tendency for all of us to make simple things complicated and complicated things simple. God wants us to accept Jesus for what He is and make it as easy as possible for Him to come into our lives and be our Savior. John s message included three wonderful elements. He preached baptism, repentance and remission of sins. There is no evidence that these were three separate processes; it was one process involving three things. Those who truly repent of their sins will find forgiveness and remission from sin. Once they are saved, they will follow the leadership of the Holy Spirit to the waters of baptism to make a public declaration of the private faith they have found in Jesus. We must remember that John was preaching from the Old Testament. Jesus had not begun His ministry to the world when John began to preach about Him. John s message was successful. John was the first prophet to appear to Israel for hundreds of years, but his popularity was not due to his unique position. John was preaching the truth and it was the truth which resonated in the hearts of the people of Israel. Lost men and women need to hear the gospel. John s message was not an appeal to reason or intellect; it was a spiritual message which made a spiritual change in those who heard it. These people were willing to make a spiritual as well as physical change. First, they solved the problem of unforgiven sins by confessing their sins to God. Then, they took the wonderful step of baptism. John introduced this spiritual picture to the world. Baptism pictures the death, burial and resurrection Jesus would experience. For any saved individual it shows his own death to

7 Text: Mark 1: sin through repentance and faith, his burial or separation from the world and his resurrection to walk in newness of life. John was not only unique in his message, but he was also unique in his personal habits. He wore a leather girdle and camel hair clothes. This indicates that John had been living in the wilderness and had adopted wilderness ways. He wore the clothes he had available, and he ate the food that was there for him. John was not concerned about the comforts of this world. His attention was on the ministry God had given him. John pointed others to Jesus, even before he publicly announced Jesus to the world. John s message included the one who would come after him. He told the crowds to look for the one who should come and to place their confidence in Him. John preached the authority and power of Jesus. The gospel was not the gospel of John the Baptist. It was not the gospel of John Mark. It was the gospel of Jesus Christ. II. God Endorsed the Ministry of Jesus Mark 1: And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. 10. And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: 11. And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. In a way, Mark is presenting witnesses to the authenticity of Jesus, proving that Jesus of Nazareth was indeed the Messiah of Israel. Of course, Mark himself was a witness to this fact. Mark was an eyewitness to many of the things he wrote about. The second witness was the prophets of the Old Testament. Jesus fulfilled hundreds of Old Testament prophecies in His life, ministry, death and resurrection. As we have seen, John the Baptist was also a direct witness that Jesus was the Messiah. John made a clear statement when he saw Jesus coming and declared, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world (John 1:29). It was Jewish law that everything be confirmed in the mouths of two or three witnesses. Mark presents the final unimpeachable witness, God Himself.

8 8 The Presentation of God s Servant Baptized by John The occasion was the baptism of Jesus. Jesus came from Nazareth, about sixty miles away, to be baptized by John. The baptism experience of Jesus was unique. In many ways it was like our baptism. For instance, Jesus obviously was not baptized to become the Son of God. He had been born the Son of God. Baptism declared this but did not create this condition. We must be born again first, or baptism is an empty ritual which will make no change at all in our spiritual condition. However, the baptism of Jesus was also different from any other. Jesus was not baptized as a picture showing He had died to sin, but that He would die for sin. Jesus did not die for His own sins but for the sins of a lost world. Death was involved, but the picture presented here was unique. This was a unique moment in history. Jesus would never be baptized again. To show how special and precious this moment was, two wonderful witnesses were also presented here. There was the witness of the Holy Spirit which descended on Jesus like a dove. This speaks of a gentle and beautiful appearance of the Holy Ghost. This is not the awe-inspiring wrath of a mighty God. This is the loving approval of a Father for His Son. It was not a physical dove that descended; it was the Spirit descending like a dove. Then, there was a voice from Heaven which presented the final and overwhelming testimony to the authenticity of the claims of John and Jesus. The voice of God declared a threefold message. First, this is my Son. This is identification; Jesus is the only begotten Son of the living God. All saved people are children of God, but only Jesus is the Son of God in the way God used the term here. The second thing God said was that He loved Jesus. Jesus is the beloved Son of God. In a way our fleshly limitations can never reconcile, Jesus was completely God, yet He was also completely human. The third point was that God was pleased with Jesus, with the life He had lived, and with the work He was about to do. This heavenly announcement was not for Jesus; it was for the people who were witnessing this event. Jesus already knew all three of these truths. In this way, the gospel began, not with doubt, but with assurance from the prophets of the Old Testament, the eyewitnesses to the life of Jesus and with approval from Heaven itself. Jesus Christ is not a figment of someone s imagination. He actually

9 Text: Mark 1: lived. He moved among men and His life and ministry are well documented. God is not asking us to believe in a fairy tale; He is asking us to believe in the truth of the gospel. III. Jesus Was Proven in Temptation Mark 1:12, And immediately the spirit driveth him into the wilderness. 13. And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him. We read a fuller account of the temptation of Jesus in Matthew 4:1-11; yet, Mark gives us a summary of this necessary step in the ministry of Jesus. We can never truly trust the things we cannot test. If the ministry of Jesus was to succeed, this time of testing was necessary. Note that the Holy Spirit insisted on it. He drove Jesus into the wilderness where for forty days Satan had three chances to tempt and test Jesus. Some have speculated about whether or not Jesus could have failed these tests. This is like asking whether God could make a rock so big that He could not move it. Such questions quickly strain the limits of human reasoning. We do know that Jesus was tempted in three ways, and that He used the Scriptures to resist the temptations of Satan. God sent angels to minister to Jesus and the wild creatures also helped Him during this time. This shows us that we do not truly know the resources God has available to help us when we must endure times of trouble and temptation. In a way, Satan was the final witness to the authenticity of Jesus. Satan could not tempt Him, and this can be offered as another evidence that Jesus was indeed the Messiah of Israel and the Savior of the world. A FINAL WORD There are three people noted in this lesson. First, John Mark, who was the author of this book, says nothing about himself. He does not even mention his own name. Second, John the Baptist, who was popular. He could easily have used his popularity to become wealthy or have a life of ease,

10 10 The Presentation of God s Servant Baptized by John but he was not on earth for that purpose. He came to be the messenger who prepared a way for Jesus. John the Baptist was characterized by his humble lifestyle and honest message. When the time came, he faded away and Jesus came to prominence. Third, we see Jesus. There was a great deal that could be said about the birth and early life of Jesus, but Mark does not record it. A king needs a genealogy; a servant does not. No one expects a slave to have a pedigree. Mark records what Jesus did and shows us who Jesus was by the kind of life He lived, and what He did was truly magnificent. The gospel is still the good news about Jesus Christ, the Son of God, and it is the centerpiece of Christianity. Unless we hear and believe the gospel, baptism is an empty ritual. Unless we accept the testimony of the many witnesses to the ministry of Jesus and truly believe in Him in our hearts, we will never know the spiritual blessings God has for those who love Him and follow Him. If not for Jesus, we would never know about Mark and John the Baptist. FOR CLASS DISCUSSION 1. Why was the ministry of John the Baptist necessary? 2. Since Jesus was already the Son of God, why did He submit to baptism? If you are a child of God by faith, why should you be baptized? 3. What does God s announcement at Christ s baptism (Mark 1:11) say to you about its importance? 4. What was the value of Christ s temptations? What is the value of your temptations?