Sermon Series: The "Good News" Is Why He Came! 

The Beginning of the Good News 

Mark 1:1-8 

PSBC 11/25/01 AM

In a nutshell: The beginning of the "good news" has three parts: repentance, forgiveness, and simplicity. But even in that, it is incomplete. It lacks the power of God found in Jesus Christ. But you have to start at the beginning.

I. Introduction

A. Dorothy Sayers Quote

Dorothy Sayers, a close friend of the great Christian writer, C. S. Lewis, and a very fine Christian author in her own right, wrote the words that are on the front of your Weekly Information Guides this morning…

The Christian faith is the most exciting drama that ever staggered the imagination of man…. That drama is summarized quite clearly in the creeds of the Church. And if we think those creeds dull it is because we either have never really read those amazing documents or have recited them so often and so mechanically as to have lost all sense of their meaning. The plot pivots upon a single character, and the whole action is the answer to a single central problem: What think ye of Christ? (-Dorothy Sayers in Dorothy L. Sayers: A Careless Rage for Life. Christianity Today, Vol. 42, no. 2).

B. The Christ of Christmas

Well, at this time of year, this is a very good question for us to have an answer… What do you think about Christ? -God humbled Himself by taking human form. -He was born a baby in a cattle stall outside an inn in Bethlehem. -His mother named Him, Jesus. -This baby was The Christ-God's Messiah-The Promised One. …And He came with a specific mission…

Matthew 9:35 35 Jesus went through all the towns and villages, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom ….

The heart of Jesus' mission was the Gospel-that's what Gospel means…"good news".

And from now until Christmas Eve eve, I want to spend each Sunday examining this "good news" with you, so you all have a firm grasp on your answer to Dorothy Sayer's guiding question… What do you think about Christ?

II. Mark's Gospel

A. The situation of the day

The situation around 60 A.D. was bleak for Christians. Nero was the emperor of Rome. And the pagan world didn't understand this new Jewish sect, called Christianity. Their motives were suspected and their forms of worship completely misunderstood. Plus the religious leaders of the Jews, hated Christians because Jesus had exposed them as self-serving hypocrites.

So, Nero, looking for scapegoats for his blundering leadership, blamed Christians for many of the ills in the Roman empire. And Jewish leaders were looking to imprison and persecute Christians out of existence, so they wouldn't have to face the reality of their hypocrisy. So, it was tough to be a Christian during this time. Martyrdom was not unusual. Bodily harm was a fact of life. So Christians needed… …strength to face persecution; …hope for the future; …and perseverance to continue despite the threat of losing one's life. But how do you get strength, hope and perseverance in tough times?

Well, God in His wisdom, prepared a young man, by the name of John Mark to deliver this needed message. John Mark was the son of wealthy parents who lived in Jerusalem. We know his mother's name was Mary, and it was at her house that the early church in Jerusalem gathered. Mark was a young man when Jesus traveled the roads of Palestine. And most biblical scholars feel that he was the young man who ran off naked in the night, when Jesus was betrayed and arrested. Other people even think that he was the rich young ruler who went away reluctantly when Jesus told him to sell all he had and follow Him.

Later in his life, John Mark was a companion on the first missionary journey with Paul and Barnabas. But he got cold feet and abruptly left as the trip turned toward Asia. When the second missionary journey was planned, Paul and Barnabas had a huge argument over whether or not to take John Mark-Paul didn't want to, and Barnabas did. Over this young man, Paul and Barnabas, being good Baptists (sic), split from each other and Paul teamed up with Silas, and Barnabas with Mark.

We don't hear much of Mark until Peter's letters. There we find out that Peter had taken John Mark under his wing and discipled him to be a leader in the church. And finally we learn that John Mark and Paul reconciled their differences, because Paul wrote…

2 Timothy 4:11 11 Only Luke is with me. Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry.

Now, one of the reasons I'm telling you these things is to encourage you. Isn't it great that God chooses to use imperfect people to accomplish what He wants done? You don't have to be perfect, or even great to be useful in God's economy. None of us are useless We all have something to offer-Just like John Mark did

So, let's look at what Mark wrote and use that over the next five weeks, leading up to Christmas, to answer this important question posed by Dorothy Sayers, "What do you think about Christ?". Turn with me to Mark, chapter 1.

B. The Beginning

Mark 1:1 1 The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

This first sentence is one of the three great "beginning" verses in the Bible.

1. One of the other ones is, John 1:1

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.

This verse tells us that at the very beginning, the Word, or Jesus…, was there in the beginning. But the beginning of what? The beginning of time? Well, yes, that's what this verse is saying. What about before time? How about a thousand years before the beginning of time? John 1:1 tells us, "Yep, He was there!" In fact, this great "beginning verse" tells us that matter what point you pick-before time, during time, whenever, Jesus always was. In other words, He is eternal. And since only God is eternal, Jesus is God.

2. Genesis 1:1 is a second great beginning verse. It says…

In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.

This "beginning verse" tells us two very important things. First, at the beginning of time, God was the One who was behind the creative forces that made the heavens and the earth out of nothing.

But it also tells us who was involved in that creative process. Because the Hebrew word for God-Elohim is used. This name of God is in the Hebrew plural. Let me explain the significance of that. You see, the Hebrew language in which the Old Testament was written, has three noun forms, as opposed to English, which has only two. English has either a singular form (meaning one), or a plural form (meaning two or more). But Hebrew has singular (meaning one), dual (meaning two), and plural (meaning three or more). So, in this "great beginning" passage, we have God-in the plural form, meaning three or more-involved in creation. God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, were all involved in the creation process-at the very BEGINNING.

3. Then we have Mark 1:1-the third "great beginning" verse.

This verse also tells us some important things. First, there is something called "The Gospel", or good news. Second, this Gospel is intricately tied to a person. That person is identified as Jesus, the One whom God sent-the Christ. Plus, this Jesus whom God sent, is none other than the Son of God. And third, this verse tells us that in what we are about to read, we are going to be told how the Gospel-or "good news"-got it's start.

C. The Prophecy

Then Mark says, "This 'good news' was predicted." Mark 1:2-3 2 It is written in Isaiah the prophet: "I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"- 3 "a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'"

1. First quotes Malachi

Now, Mark states that this is a quote from Isaiah. Well, that's partly accurate. Verse 3 is, but verse 2 isn't . Verse two is a quote from the Old Testament prophet, Malachi-written about 100 years after the Israelites returned to Palestine from their Babylonian captivity. So, what's going on? Is Mark confused? Is he lying? Or hasn't he done his homework?

Well let me tell you. The quote in verse two is there to put Isaiah's quote into proper perspective. The persecution that Christians were facing from the Jewish religious leaders in 60 A.D. was coming because those leaders were ignoring God's Word and God's Commands … just like their ancestors had done during the time of Malachi.

You see, in Malachi's day, the priests were failing to lead God's people, God's way. -They were keeping the best part of the animal sacrifices for themselves and giving the second rate stuff to God. -They viewed their Temple duties as burdens. -They were not teaching purity and righteousness. -They had become tolerant of sin. - And they accepted mediocre commitment from the people. Listen to the verses right after verse one of Malachi 3, that Mark quotes…

Malachi 3:1-4 1 "See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come," says the LORD Almighty. 2 But who can endure the day of his coming? Who can stand when he appears? For he will be like a refiner's fire or a launderer's soap. 3 He will sit as a refiner and purifier of silver; he will purify the Levites and refine them like gold and silver. Then the LORD will have men who will bring offerings in righteousness, 4 and the offerings of Judah and Jerusalem will be acceptable to the LORD, as in days gone by, as in former years.

John Mark is prefacing the quote from Isaiah with a quote from Malachi to emphasize the need for cleansing and purity. Cleansing and purity were needed in Malachi's day because of corrupt leaders and an evil society, and it was needed in the first century, because Jewish leaders were practicing unrighteousness, and Rome, as one ancient writer put it, "was a cesspool of iniquity".

It was into this society of the first century that the gospel of Jesus Christ came in order to change things. And friends, that's why a clear understanding of the gospel is so important to us, today. We must recognize what God recognizes-the only way to change and purify the sinful condition of human beings is the good news of Jesus Christ.

One of my favorite book series is the one written by Charles Nordhoff about the events surrounding the Mutiny on the Bounty.

Illustration: One of the books in the series is Pitcairn's Island. It tells what happened to the crew who mutinied on the ship known as the Bounty. The mutineers put ashore on Pitcairn Island. There nine mutineers, six native men, ten native women and a 15 year old girl started a life together. One of the crew men succeeded in making crude alcohol. And a terrible situation ensued after many of them got drunk. A fight broke out and all the mutineers killed each other, except one man by the name of Alexander Smith. After all this happened, Smith found a Bible among some of the things they had rescued from the Bounty. He started to read it. And he made up his mind that he was going to build a society on that island based directly on the Word of God.

Twenty years later, an American sailing ship discovered the island. What they found was very interesting. They found a completely Christian community. There was no jail, because there was no crime. There was no hospital because there was no disease. There was no illiteracy because they were all taught to read God's Word. And there was complete harmony between all the people. The message of the Gospel had literally cleansed a society.

Friends, that's the power of the good news of Jesus Christ! That's the power of the gospel which Mark is going to tell us about in the next few weeks. And that's why he quotes Malachi before Isaiah-Malachi sets up the practical reason why this good news is needed.

2. Second, quotes Isaiah

So, when Mark finally quotes Isaiah, the prophet, from Isaiah 40:3, things begin to make sense…

Isaiah 40:3 3 A voice of one calling: "In the desert prepare the way for the LORD; make straight in the wilderness a highway for our God.

I would put this prophecy in modern language like this… "God is going to send a bulldozer to the desert and plow a road on which He can walk."

The desert in Palestine is similar to Palm Springs, in a lot of ways. It has rugged mountains, thick desert plants and rough terrain.

And if you think about it, metaphorically, that's the kind of desert that exists in the human heart of a corrupt society. There are mountains of pride, thick defenses, and rough sins. And these have to be bulldozed flat in order for us to be ready to accept the new paradigm of the gospel-where Jesus rules human hearts and humans submit to that leadership.

So, Mark tells us, that into that 1st century world came a man named John-we know him as John the Baptist. And into our 21st century world comes this man's message. It is the message that God intentionally positioned right at the beginning of the "good news" of Christmas. It is a message that is central to understanding the full implication and the full impact of the Gospel Look at verse 4…

III. John's message has three parts

And John's message has three parts. Look at verse 4 and 5 for the first part of John's message…

A. Repentance

Mark 1:4 4 And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Friends, this is the beginning point of the "good news", or Gospel of Jesus Christ. It starts with repentance. Literally the word repent means to stop in your tracks, turn 180 degrees and go in another direction.

Mark 1:5 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

This verse tells us that 100's, maybe even thousands of people were making a 20-30 mile trip on foot into the rugged desert to confess their sins and repent. We would call this a revival. They were getting clean inside, through confession of their sins. So, to signify what was taking place in their lives all of these people were coming to John in the desert for a common ritual.

Illustration: You see, if a Gentile wanted to convert to Judaism he or she had to do 3 things: First, if the convert was a male, he had to be circumcised. Second, a sacrifice had to be made-a blood atonement had to be made. That signified a payment was being made for that person's sins, and they could then be associated with Yaweh-the Holy God. Third, that person had to be baptized. This symbolized a cleansing from all the pollution of sin in their life, and that they were starting their relationship with God, cleaned from sin. In fact, this was literally a full bath in which the whole body was bathed.

Now this baptism is different that the sacrament of baptism that was practiced by the early church and passed down to us. What we do symbolizes a commitment to and an identification with the death, burial and resurrection of Jesus. But the Jews and John the Baptist were using it to symbolize cleansing and forgiveness from sin. And this all leads to the second part of John's message--FORGIVENESS…

B. Forgiveness

You see, God's direct response to true repentance is ALWAYS forgiveness.

My favorite quote from Dutch author and Nazi Concentration Camp survivor, Corrie Ten Boom, has to do with God's forgiveness. "Its like He takes our sins to the deepest part of the sea and throws them overboard, then hangs a sign for all to see that says, "No Fishing Allowed!"

That's one of the most special aspects of the Gospel for me, friends. Guilt is removed, and in its place, FORGIVENESS is given.

C. Simplicity

The third part of John's message in the wilderness is not found in the exact words that Mark writes, but in how he describes John… Mark 1:6 6 John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. (and he rode a Harley! Just kidding)

But really, embodied in this man who was doing the work of God, was something uncomplicated by the trappings of the world, and the complications of religion. This man's message was simple, like the life he lived. He ate the simplest foods. He wore the simplest of clothing. And his message was so simple that anyone who came to hear it could understand it-repent of your sins and receive forgiveness.

IV. Conclusion

But saying all that, friends, you have to understand one more thing about the "good news". Even though John's message included repentance. Even though it included forgiveness. And even though it was so simple that a child could understand it. It was still incomplete. Look at the next two verses…

A. John's Message Was Incomplete

Mark 1:7-8 7 And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

Repentance is good. Forgiveness is great. Simplicity is wonderful. That's the beginning. But without the One John said was more powerful than he was, the good news is incomplete.

To keep from returning to sin, to have a life of abundance and meaning, and to make a permanent change in your life, you need a power outside yourself to come in and take over and keep you from returning to sin, and keep you focused on righteousness.

That power is identified as God's Holy Spirit. And that Holy Spirit only comes when you immerse yourself in the person that John the Baptist looked forward to seeing-the one who was greater than he was-Jesus, God's Promised Messiah.

B. Have you started at the beginning

So, what do you think of Christ? An old Greek proverb says, "The beginning is half the whole". We've given you the beginning this morning. Are you at least at that point? Because you need grasp the first half of the gospel before you can have the second half.

I think I can accurately say….Either you are here this morning …because you have a relationship with God that you are trusting will put your life into perspective; …or you're searching for a relationship with God that you hope will help put your life into perspective. Either way…, for you to have a relationship with God that makes sense out of life, you have to start at the beginning-with the basics from these first 8 verses in Mark, chapter 1.

1. When you sin, repent. Swallow your pride and admit to God that you have violated what He wants from your life. Then stop whatever it is that you're doing that's wrong. 2. Accept His forgiveness. There is not a person who has ever lived whom God has turned away, when they've asked Him for forgiveness.

1 John 1:9 9 If we confess our sins, he is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness.

3. Don't try to complicate things with religion. Religion is man-made, a relationship is God-made. Don't complicate the "good news". It is designed to be simple. -Repent and -accept God's forgiveness. -And then, as we'll see next week, follow the One John looked forward to seeing-follow Jesus. 

Amen.