Sunday School Session 1

Good morning, everyone. Well, this is the beginning of our Sunday school class the adult Sunday school class study in the book of Mark, and I hope that you will find this a profitable study. I've taught this a number of times overseas and it's just a I Really enjoy this study.

It helps us to come to grips with who Jesus is and and I think it'll be an interesting study for us now. Of course I am doing this. I'm the one who's filming this and so my guess is the the.

The.

There's not going to be a lot of finesse in these recordings. Okay, there's nobody here and I'm talking to you like this. I'm sure you'll find plenty to laugh at in terms of how things turn out, but that's the way it goes.

I film them I give them to Steve. And then Steve puts them up.

So.

I'm sure I'll do things that are silly or or I don't know so. So that's what we're gonna do. We're gonna study the book of Mark and maybe you'll have laughs along the way. We'll see now. Look one of the things that we want to do is to encourage interaction on these things and so what I would Say to you is if you have questions.

So as you watch this and then you may have questions, I want you to email those questions to me. Now, here's where I want you to email them. I hope you can read that. It says Jesus flock at LaRue baptist dot org when you have questions you send those questions to me at that Email address.

Okay, so that way you can ask questions and I can answer them and That might make for a little more interaction with.

With the class.

It's not as good as everybody here and raising the question with you, but we will do what we can do. All right I'm praying that the Lord will Bring it in to all the the stuff that's going on here soon.

So we can get back to normal, but we'll see the Lord will give us that when he thinks we need it. So before we start, why don't we pray and ask God's blessing on this study father. Thank you For the time we can have together to study.

We pray Lord that you would be pleased to Guide our thinking help us to see Jesus here and Lord We just pray that whatever comes from this you would be glorified and we would be helped Lord even in these difficult and Circumstances and the way we're doing this class yet.

I pray it would still be profitable. Thank you again for your grace to us in Jesus. Help us as we study now in Jesus name. Amen.

All right.

The Synoptic Gospels and the Gospel of Mark

In this class we want to gain a basic understanding of the book of Mark and Mark can be a gateway To the rest of the synoptic Gospels. That is to say as we study mark as we look at mark. It might help you understand how to study the other Gospels now.

If we're going to understand mark We need to understand what kind of literature it is and mark is part of what we call the synoptic Gospels. The synoptic Gospels. The synoptic Gospels are the first three Matthew Mark and Luke.

John is not a synoptic gospel. Now these are called synoptic Gospels. Because number one they're Gospels right gospel comes to us from the Greek word Which means good news. The Gospels tell us the good news of Jesus.

They're called synoptic from the the little Greek The little Greek word soon Which means soon or sin which means together and optic which means seeing seeing together. Now these synoptic Gospels differ from the Gospel of John in what they report and how they reported.

These three cover much of the same ground Viewing the ministry of Jesus in much the same light. And in fact, you'll see certain Verbal agreements, you'll see certain things that sound alike. Which is why they're called the synoptic Gospels because their records have so much in common now.

John.

Covers the life of Jesus, but he does it in a different way and his gospel is organized. Differently. And when you read the synoptic Gospels one of the synoptics and then you read John. You can see that there's a world of difference between the two.

John.

Organizes it differently. John just basically organizes his book around seven miracles. Okay from changing water into wine all the way up to Raising Lazarus from the dead. So there are seven miracles.

He organizes it around that and and it's just a different way of Presenting the life of Jesus. The synoptics are different than John. So the first three Matthew Mark and Luke are called the synoptic Gospels and then John stands by himself.

Now no one knows exactly Which gospel was composed first and and there are all kinds of hypotheses. Trying to explain that maybe Mark was written first and Matthew expanded on it or maybe Matthew wrote first and Mark abbreviated, but we don't know those things.

Those are things that scholars like to talk about and try to figure out but regardless of how we explain The similarities and the differences we can be sure that God the Spirit Superintended the work of the gospel writers so that we have an accurate picture of Jesus.

So for example when you read Luke it becomes obvious that he did some Investigations he's interviewed people. He talked to eyewitnesses. He recorded what they heard before he put it all together. Look at look at Luke.

So for example, let's look at Luke chapter 1. Luke chapter 1.

Verses 1.

Through. 4 now listen to what Luke says here In as much as many have undertaken to compile a narrative of the things that have been accomplished Among us just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word Have delivered to us.

It seemed good to me Also having followed all things closely for some time past To write an orderly account for you most excellent theophilus that you may have certainty Concerning the things you have been taught.

Okay.

And so Luke goes and investigates he organizes it. He puts it all together, but this ought to tell us something and that is that in the writing of Scripture God does not just dictate the words to the writers.

God does not interfere with the personal experiences the personal the personalities or even the personal efforts of the writers. However, he super intends them in such a way that they record exactly What he wanted them to say.

Think about that. This is what second Peter chapter 1 Says. So turn to second Peter chapter 1 Verses 19 through 21. Now listen to what Peter says here about the Word of God and.

We have.

The prophetic word more fully confirmed. To which you will do well to pay attention as to a lamp shining in a dark place. Until the day dawns and the morning star rises in your hearts. Knowing this first of all that no prophecy of Scripture comes from someone's own interpretation.

For no prophecy was ever produced by the will of man. But men spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit. So men spoke from God as they're carried along by the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit is Bringing them along carrying them along and so Luke can sit down or travel and talk to Mary the mother of Jesus and Talk to the other apostles and and and can talk to all kinds of people that witness the things of Jesus.

And then he can organize them and write them down in order for his friend or a Government official or someone named Theophilus could have an accurate narrative. But Peter tells us in all that he does there.

He's carried along by the Holy Spirit. So even though God doesn't dictate the words to him. Nevertheless what he writes is In is what God intended to be written? Now, let's try to understand some reasons for the production of the synoptic gospel.

What are some of the reasons for the production of the synoptic gospel? Well, let's just say that you're a Christian living about 35 years After the resurrection of the Lord Jesus and let's just say you live in the city of Antioch.

The Apostles have visited your congregation and told you the stories of Jesus the Apostles the original disciples the truths that they have because they lived with Jesus and they were taught by him and you've been taught by them in your congregational meetings and As their epistles have circulated among all the churches you have been.

You have learned what you ought to believe and how to live as a result of the life and death and resurrection of Jesus. But now something has arrived that's entirely different from anything you've ever heard.

It's a writing that is the complete story of Jesus. It's a book that tells you about his life and how people reacted to him while he was on earth. It tells you who he was and what he did and why he did it.

It tells you all the things you've always wanted to know.

About.

Your Savior the Lord Jesus Christ. Now bring yourself to the 21st century aren't you in the same position? You're in the exact same position as that imaginary believer in Antioch. Here's a book I can tell you about this Jesus that you believe.

Now you need to understand To whom the Gospels were written. Because I think there's some confusion about that. To whom were these addressed? Who were the recipients of? these Gospels. Well, first of all, you know, well what you need to understand is The Gospels were written to the church.

To the church. There are some who want to say well Matthew wrote to Jews and Luke wrote to Gentiles. And so forth. The point is no matter who What particular flavor that gospel is it was written to disciples of Jesus in the church.

It was written to the church so that ought to have a bearing on how we interpret Those Gospels and know as well the synoptic Gospels were written after most of the epistles. Do you hear me? They were written mostly most of them were written after the epistles.

So the Apostles.

Had been going to disciples. The Apostles have been going to to the churches and telling the story of Jesus. Paul's Apostles. Peter epistles. Peter's epistles. They they'd already been circulating in the church.

Okay.

By that time though after the epistles have been in the church by that time though. The church needed an authentic apostolic witness to the life and teachings of Jesus. The Apostles were starting to get old and so the church needed more than just an oral History of Jesus that is as the Apostles came and told the story you'd remember the story.

But the church now needed more than just that oral history more than just what the Apostles had told you. Gentiles all over the world were coming to faith so the facts of Jesus had to be circulated much quicker than merely by an apostle or One of the original disciples visiting many of the churches.

So what you read in the Gospels then are not intended merely for example for a Jewish audience or merely for a Gentile audience. But they are intended to reveal to the church the Lord of the church and the law of the church.

So the Gospels are written. Let me say it again So that everyone would know so to reveal to the church the Lord of the church and the law of the church.

Where did.

All these come from what what did Jesus say that we need that we need to do now again? They've heard these things. But what about the next generation who wouldn't be able to hear the Apostles? And so those Apostles wrote down the Gospels.

Okay, so that the church would know the Lord of the church and the law of the church. Now we need to understand God's intention for the Gospels. The gospel writers does did not intend to give you a mere history or biography of Jesus.

These are not.

Exhaustive.

Biographies of Jesus several years ago. I read David McCullough's Biography of Harry Truman president Harry Truman and it was about that thick. Okay, it was about that thick. There's about a thousand pages it seemed all right.

Same. He also wrote John Adams another biography. I wrote same thing about that thing you say but I look at the Gospels and there are nowheres near that thing. Well, that's because the writers never intended to give you an.

Exhaustive.

Biography of Jesus. You know that other than.

Luke.

Very very very little is said about.

The.

The childhood of Jesus. In fact Luke doesn't even talk about the childhood of Jesus. He talks about the birth of Jesus and some incidents in his life up to the age of 12, but We don't have much about the life of Jesus.

That's because they didn't intend to write an exhaustive biography. This is history with a purpose. This is history with the purpose these men had been radically transformed and they intended to tell everyone About what they desperately needed.

What what these readers desperately needed. They wanted to tell them about this Jesus who was a Transformative figure who had come and changed their lives radically.

No.

This does not mean that the writers play with the facts doesn't mean that they distort that history in order to prove something. For example. A Jewish writer may want to write a book on the Holocaust so that something like that never happens.

Again.

He has a deliberate purpose in mind yet. That does not mean that he lies or Distorts the facts of the matter. He may arrange them in a particular way. He may he may. He's trying to make a point with this history, but that doesn't necessarily mean that he's distorting it.

All right, certain things are gonna receive more emphasis than others. If someone wanted to write about how the political conditions that led to the Holocaust that's a different purpose. Same area, but that writer is going to emphasize other things.

He's gonna look at the political system that allowed it. He's not gonna look so much on What happened in the camps. Let's say and so you can see that both are writing about the same period about writing about the same thing.

But they have different purposes in mind. And so that's what you need to remember with the Gospels. So the gospel writers record an orderly account of Jesus life and ministry for the purpose of communicating to the church.

This life-giving message from the same their Savior it's intended to tell them Exactly what Jesus required and so and and each gospel writer then writes with his own purpose in mind. Each gospel writer even though writing about the same thing writing about the same person.

Each has his own purpose in mind. So you have to remember that as you approach these books. Other scriptures tell us what God intends to do with these books. Okay, other scriptures also weigh in and tell us what God intends to do with these books.

For example, look at Hebrews chapter 1.

Turn to Hebrews chapter 1. In Hebrews 1 we read these words.

Long ago at many times and in many ways God spoke to our fathers by the prophets. But in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son Whom he appointed the heir of all things through whom also he created the world.

All right. So what is what is the writer to the Hebrews say? He says do you want to know what what God is like look at Jesus? So we can look at the Gospels as the revelation of God through Jesus. If you want to know what God is like look at Jesus.

What was Jesus like read the Gospels? Look at first Peter chapter 2 a couple books over first Peter chapter 2.

Verse.

23.

He himself.

I'm sorry. That's 24. When he was reviled, he did not revile in return when he suffered. He did not threaten but continued entrusting himself to him who judges. Justly Jesus is also the perfect man. Do you want to know how to live then follow the example of Jesus you see?

So here's another reason why we can read the Gospels or why we can read the gospel of Mark. It is so that you know how to live you have an example a template of what? Human beings should really be like and you follow Jesus example first.

Timothy chapter 1 gives us another reason as.

To.

The existence of these Gospels, okay. First Timothy chapter 1. First Timothy chapter 1 where in verse 15 the Apostle Paul says. The saying is trustworthy and deserving of full acceptance. That Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners of whom I am the foremost.

But I received mercy for this reason that in me as the foremost Jesus Christ might display his perfect patience as an example to those who are to believe in him for eternal life. To the king of the ages immortal invisible the only God the honor and glory forever and ever.

Amen, Jesus is the Savior. He is the Savior. Do you want to be saved from your sins then look to Jesus the only Savior? Where do you find him? Find him in the Gospels. That is why the Apostle Peter can say that everything you need for life in godliness can be found in our knowledge Of him who called us by his own excellency.

2nd Peter chapter 1 verses 3 and 4. His divine power is given to us through our knowledge of him. So the more, you know, Jesus the more power is available to you to live in a way That pleases God. The Apostle Paul says that the knowledge of Christ is necessary for our trance transformation.

Turn over to 2nd Corinthians. 2nd Corinthians chapter 3 and Let's look at.

Verse.

7 now if the ministry of death Carved in letters on stone came with such glory that the Israelites could not gaze at Moses face because of his glory Which is being brought to an end will not the ministry of the Spirit have even more glory.

For if there was glory in the? ministry of Condemnation the ministry of righteousness must far exceeded in glory indeed in this case in this case Lost it there. What once had glory has come to have no glory at all because of the glory that surpasses it.

That there's this glory that's come with the new covenant that surpasses the glory of the old. And He goes on to talk about how Moses was Saw the glory of God and had to put a veil on his face, but then he goes on to say this.

Verse 16.

But when one turns to the Lord the veil is removed. Now the Lord is the Spirit and where the Spirit of the Lord is there is freedom and we all with unveiled face beholding the glory of the Lord are being Transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another for this comes from the Lord Who is the Spirit.

And so he says there. Then what as we behold Jesus? We're transformed. Knowing Jesus as we find him in the Gospels are going to be part of the trend transforming process. We're transformed from one degree of glory to another.

But how do we get to know Jesus? Well, we get to know him through the scriptures. Through the Gospels. And so here we are we can open up the gospel of Mark and we can see What he's like. All these things we've just talked about the revelation of God.

The perfect example the transforming power the the transformation that happens as we know him all. That happens as we get to know Jesus in the Gospels.

The Gospels as Revelation, Example, and Transformation

Well.

That's kind of a basic introduction next time. What I want to do is to talk to you about the themes of each book each one of the synoptic Gospels. To talk to you about. What's Matthew about? What's Mark about?

What is Luke about. Just give you a flyover view of all the synoptic Gospels? And then we'll start digging into the gospel Mark, all right, so I hope this has been helpful to you.

I'm.

Anticipating a great time as we study this book together I'm hoping that God uses it in your lives to help you be transformed. To have an example to follow to know God all these things. I hope that the book of Mark is going to help us that so next time we meet We'll be looking at the themes of each of the synoptic Gospels just to give you a flyover view of the Gospels.

And then we'll start again, of course in the gospel of Mark. All right, so that's what we have for today now. Do you have any questions? Remember Jesus flock at LaRue Baptist dot org. Okay, you can send me your questions to that email and I will get them.

All right.

Okay.

So.

Let's pray and you can think about this for a little bit. All right father. Thanks again for our time together. Would you help us to really? Enjoy and Understand The book of Mark. We anticipate your blessings as we look into the word and find there the living Lord Jesus Christ.

Thank you now in Jesus name. Amen.