Mark: A Pentecostal Commentary

Mark

A Pentecostal Commentary

Dr. Matthew N. O. Sadiku

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© Copyright 2014 Dr. Matthew N. O. Sadiku.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the written prior permission of the author.

Unless otherwise stated, scripture quotations are from the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible, used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House.

Scripture quotations marked KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

Scripture quotations marked NKJV are from the New King James Version.

Scripture quotations marked TLB are from The Living Bible.

Scripture quotations marked RSV are from the Revised Standard Version.

isbn: 978-1-4907-2973-2 (sc)

isbn: 978-1-4907-2974-9 (hc)

isbn: 978-1-4907-2975-6 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2014904907

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CONTENTS

Preface

Abbreviations

Introduction

Part 1—Jesus In Galilee

Chapter 1 John Prepares The Way

Chapter 2 Ministry In Galilee Begins

Chapter 3 Miracles Of Healing

Chapter 4 Healing A Paralytic

Chapter 5 Ministry Of Grace

Chapter 6 Jesus Heals Many

Chapter 7 Naming The Twelve

Chapter 8 Teaching In Parables—Part 1

Chapter 9 Teaching By Parables—Part 2

Chapter 10 Jesus’ Authority Over All—Part 1

Chapter 11 Jesus’ Authority Over All—Part 2

Chapter 12 Herod Kills John

Chapter 13 Showing His Compassion

Chapter 14 The Source Of Sin

Chapter 15 The Scope Of Salvation

Chapter 16 Dealing With Signs

Chapter 17 Revealing His Nature—Part 1

Chapter 18 Revealing His Nature—Part 2

Chapter 19 Teaching His Disciples

Chapter 20 Addressing His Soceity

Chapter 21 Personalizing His Purpose

Part 2—Jesus In Jerusalem

Chapter 22 Claiming His Lordship

Chapter 23 Finalizing His Authority

Chapter 24 Controversies In The Temple

Chapter 25 Challenging His Opponents

Chapter 26 The Signs Of The End—Part 1

Chapter 27 The Signs Of The End—Part 2

Chapter 28 The Hour Of Decision

Chapter 29 Betrayal And Arrest

Chapter 30 Jesus And Peter On Trial

Chapter 31 Sentencing Jesus

Chapter 32 The Crucifixion Of Jesus

Chapter 33 Post-Resurrection Appearances

Selected Bibliography

To

Maxwell and Grace Ogundipe

PREFACE

Earnest Christians are hungry for information that makes their Bible come alive. The Christian life can be described as getting to know God better every day. Every Christian should regularly—daily—read the Word of God. We should find time for quiet or personal devotions. The reason we have so many bad days is that we do not spend time with God. We must spend time with God if we want His blessings on our lives and to hear from Him.

For over 20 years I have been using commentaries in my devotions. The blessings derived from the commentaries are overwhelming. I am writing this commentary to share some of those blessings and lessons I have learned over the years.

This commentary provides verse-by-verse exposition and application on the Gospel of Mark. It is different from others in two respects. First, it is brief while some commentaries are wordy and verbose. This commentary does not delve into critical and exegetical details. Therefore, the limits of this commentary forbid that we consider all the views concerning any issue, but an attempt will be made to provide a brief, sound, yet scholarly view. Second, it is Pentecostal in outlook. This implies that we generally adhere to the doctrine of biblical inerrancy and adopt a literalist approach to the interpretation of the Bible. Pentecostal doctrines include speaking in tongues, gifts of the Holy Spirit, signs and wonders, divine inspiration, divine healing, Christian prophets, apostles today, to mention but a few. The early church was basically Pentecostal in nature, i.e. it exercised considerable freedom is using the gifts of the Holy Spirit in her life and worship. Although the book is written from Pentecostal perspective, I draw ideas from scholars from all denominations and hope that the book serve all Christians.

In order to provide a readable text, this commentary is based on the New International Version (NIV) translation. The commentary is for laymen, pastors, teachers, and students of the Word. It is designed to enrich your quiet time or personal study by making the commentary clear and simple. It is my prayer that this commentary brings you both delight and insight in understanding the Word of God.

I owe a great deal to all who have written on the Gospel of Mark before me. It is my pleasure and honor to thank Pastor Adebayo Asogba and Dr. Sunny Nwachukwu, for reviewing the manuscript. I owe special thanks to my wife for her support and prayer.

ABBREVIATIONS

AB Amplified Bible

cf. confer, compare

ibid. ibidem, in the same place

KJV King James Version

LXX Septuagint, the OT in Greek

NASB New American Standard Bible

NIV New International Version

NKJV New King James Version

NLT New Living Translation

NRSV New Revised Standard Version

NT New Testament

OT Old Testament

RSV Revised Standard Version

TLB The Living Bible

v., vs. verse, verses

INTRODUCTION

The Gospel of Mark is the shortest and simplest of the four gospels. In the NIV Bible, Mark has 22 pages as opposed to 36 pages for Matthew, 36 pages for Luke, and 28 pages for John. About 90% of Mark has parallels in Matthew and 50% has parallels in Luke.¹ It has a unique viewpoint and a powerful message. Mark is also the first gospel to be written. The was no existing body of information to aid or guide Mark. Some scholars believe that Matthew and Luke independently used Mark as a source of reference.

Mark gives an action-packed, authentic record of the ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. As a gospel of action, Mark records eighteen miracles of our Lord’s miracles and only four of His parables. He seems to be more interested in His works more than His words. The gospel also has neither birth stories nor accounts of the resurrection appearances.

Before we start on our journey through this exciting gospel, we should first consider some preliminary matters—authorship, the recipient, the occasion, and the message—concerning this gospel.

Authorship

The second gospel in the NT does not mention its author. It contains no internal reference to an author. However, the early church assigns the writing of the gospel to Mark sometime in the second century. Mark is also called John. John is his Hebrew name meaning the grace or mercy of the Lord, while Mark is his Roman name which means hammer.

Mark was a Jew. He was the cousin of Barnabas (Colossians 4:10), who donated all his property to the church (Acts 4:37). Mark’s mother, Mary, possibly did the same thing. Although she was a widow, she was a person of means, who had a house large enough for meetings of the early Christians. Mary’s house contains the upper room where the Last Supper took place (14:15) and where the disciples gathered at Pentecost (Acts 2:1-4).

Mark accompanied Paul and Barnabas during their first missionary journey, but Mark left them at Perga (Acts 13:5, 13). For this reason, Paul refused to take Mark on the second missionary journey (Acts 15:36-41). This led to a sharp dispute between Paul and Barnabas; which led to their deciding to go separate ways. Barnabas sailed to Cypress with his cousin, while Paul took Silas with him (Acts 15:36-40). No further mention is made of either Barnabas or Mark in the book of Acts. Mark later reconciled with Paul. We know this because Paul wrote Timothy shortly before his death, Get Mark and bring him with you, because he is helpful to me in my ministry (2 Timothy 4:11). Mark, whom Paul once considered a quitter, becomes a trusted coworker.

Recipient

Since we do not know for sure who wrote the gospel of Mark, we cannot be sure of the intended audience. Church tradition considers Peter to be responsible for information contained in Mark. The link between Peter and Mark is supported by Peter going to John Mark’s mother’s house after his release from prison (Acts 12:12) and by Peter’s reference to Mark as his son (1 Peter 5:13).

The association of Mark with Peter has led some scholars to assume that, like Peter’s first letter, Mark wrote the gospel primarily for Roman Christians living in Rome. Because Mark writes for mainly Gentiles, he does not assume familiarity with the OT. In fact, he quoted only once from the OT (1:2,3). He explains Jewish terms and customs since Gentile readers need such explanation.

The way Mark prepares his readers for suffering is by presenting to them the passion experience of Christ. The way of discipleship is the way of the Cross.

Occasion

The threat of persecution may have been the reason for writing the gospel of Mark. Mark is a disciple of Simon Peter and he writes his Gospel based on Peter’s preaching in Rome. Mark is regarded not just as Peter’s translator from Aramaic to Greek but as one who explains Peter.

It is difficult to establish a specific date for Mark’s gospel. It is likely written about AD 50. This would make it one of the earliest NT writings. Another line of argument places the writing of Mark between AD 64 and AD 67. This is based on the fact that Mark wrote after the death of Peter, who was martyred in A.D. 64 during the Neronian persecution.

Message

The Gospel of Mark is a vivid account of the ministry, suffering, death, and resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ. Mark’s intention of writing the gospel is to convey the essentials of the good news for new converts. He intends to tell the story of Jesus from His baptism to His death and resurrection to deepen the understanding of his readers. He presents Jesus as Servant of the Lord. He includes no genealogy because servants do not parade their pedigrees.

The inspired story of Mark portrays Jesus Christ as the complete and final revelation of God to His creation. In Mark, Jesus’ expressed aim is to preach the good news as widely as possible. Jesus heals, exorcizes, feeds thousands as signs of the kingdom.

The key verse for the entire Gospel of Mark is: For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). This verse summarized the dual theme of the book—Christ’s service and Christ’s sacrifice.

NOTES

1. R. Alan Cole, Tyndale New Testament Commentaries: Mark (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 1989), p. 33.

Map locating the Palestinian area in the time of Christ.

Source: http://www.ccel.org/bible/phillips/CN092MAPS1.htm

PART 1—

JESUS IN GALILEE

Mark 1-10

CHAPTER 1

JOHN PREPARES THE WAY

Mark 1:1-13

The Beginning of the Gospel

Verses 1-3: The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, ² as 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 wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’"

1 The four evangelists begin their gospels at different points in the gospel story. Matthew begins with the genealogy and birth of Jesus. Luke starts with the birth of John the Baptist. John begins with the preincarnate existence of the Word. Mark begins with the ministry of John the Baptist. What Matthew and Luke take about four chapters to do, Mark does in thirteen verses—he introduces Christ and the beginning of His ministry.

As God did in Genesis, He is about to begin a new work. The Gospel of Mark is a summary of the beginning of that creative work. God has invaded the planet and things will never remain the same.

The word gospel translates the Greel word euangelion and it means the good news or good tidings. The gospel is the good news about the redemptive work of God. The Jews badly needed the good news because for centuries, God did not send a prophet to speak to them. The subject of the good news is Jesus. Jesus is the Greek form of the Hebrew Joshua and it means Yahweh or God is salvation (Matthew 1:21). This then is not the gospel of Mark but the gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.

Mark gives Jesus two titles: Christ and Son of God. Jesus is the long-awaited Christ or the Messiah, which means Anointed. Jesus is also the Son of God in a unique way. This title expresses Jesus’ special relation to God.

2 The phrase it is written is the standard formula for introducing a quotation. Mark quotes verse 2 from Malachi 3:1 and verse 3 from Isaiah 40:3. He uses the quotation to show that the coming of Jesus was planned and prepared by God; it was foretold by the prophets. Although Mark mentions only Isaiah, his quotation includes phrases from Malachi. These two prophets predicted the coming of John the Baptist who will prepare the way for Jesus Christ. Malachi prophesied that a messenger would prepare the way for the Lord and identified the messenger with Elijah (Malachi 3:1,23). Clearly, then, the speaker (I) is God; the messenger is John the Baptist; and your way alludes to Jesus’ entrance into ministry.

3 This verse is a quote from Isaiah 40:3. Isaiah prophesied about the coming of the Messiah and the person who would announce His coming. Being guided by the Holy Spirit, Mark applies the prophecy to the ministry of John the Baptist. John is the voice calling the people to repentance. His call to make the paths straight is the same as preparing the way.

Why did the voice come from the desert or wilderness? John chose to live in the wilderness for at least four reasons:¹ (1) to get away from distractions so that he could hear from God; (2) to capture the undivided attention of the people, (3) to symbolize a sharp break with the hypocrisy of the religious leaders who preferred luxurious homes over doing God’s work; and (4) to fulfill OT prophecies.

Preparing the Way

Verses 4-8: And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 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. ⁶ John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷ And this was his message: After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. ⁸ I baptize you with[e] water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

4 We notice that Mark’s story begins in the wilderness, not in Jerusalem, the holy city, where the temple was located. John is introduced to us in an abrupt manner. He is a miracle child, born to Zachariah and Elizabeth (Luke 1). He suddenly appears in Israel, where there has been no prophets for more than four hundred years. The locale of his ministry was the wilderness or dessert. John’s ministry involves preaching, which is focused on baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

John is not looking for proselytes; he wants penitents. He makes it clear that repentance, forgiveness, and baptism belong together. To repent means to to turn; it involves turning from sin to God. Forgiveness takes place in heaven where the pardoning power is. Baptism is a symbol of repentance. It is literally plunging people into water. By the time of Paul, baptism has become the Christian sacrament of initiation into the body of Christ.

5 Those who wish to obtain forgiveness come to John in droves. Mark’s statement that the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went to John is hyperbolic. However, it indicates that John is popular and successful in preparing the way for the one who is to come after him.

His base of operation is at the Jordan River, where there is plenty of water to baptize penitents. The Jordan River is about seventy miles long and it stretches between the Sea of Galilee and the Dead Sea. It is at least twenty miles away from Jerusalem. (See map in the Introduction.) John tells people to repent in preparing for the Messiah. Those who repent confess their sins and are baptized by John in River Jordan.

6 We note the simplicity of John’s lifestyle—his dress and diet. He puts on clothing made of camel’s hair and puts on a leather belt. His appearance reminds one of the OT prophet Elijah the Tishbite (2 Kings 1:8), who called the people to national repentance. He eats locusts (similar to grasshoppers) and wild honey. He lives like an ascetic eating no meat nor drinking wine. His food speaks of rigor and austerity. His lifestyle indicates how a prophet is supposed to dress, eat, and preach. It is a direct protest against the self-indulgent materialism of his contemporaries. It reflects on the single-minded of man totally committed to the Lord. John is in full control of his lifestyle. As Kent Hughes well said, John’s life, John’s message, and John’s passion made him the greatest witness of history.²

7 John the Baptist was six months older than Jesus (Luke 1:26, 36). John and Jesus began their ministries at the age of thirty years. They are relatives (Luke 1:36).

In Mark’s account John’s message is brief and focused on the mysterious One coming after him. He preaches that Jesus is more powerful. He declares that he is not fit to stoop down and untie the sandals of the coming One. John accepts his role as a forerunner of Christ. He is only a preparer of the way. He saw himself as the friend of the bridegroom and concluded by saying: He must become greater; I must become less (John 3:30) As Michael Card said, John is all that is old and everything that is new. He stands with one foot in the Old Testament and the other firmly planted in the New.³

8 John further exalts the coming One by contrasting his baptism with that of the Messiah. While John baptizes with water, Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit. To baptize in the Holy Spirit reminds us of the biblical promise that in the last days God would pour out His Spirit on all people (Joel 2:28, 29; Acts 2:17). When Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit, the whole person is transformed by the power of the Spirit. This implies that the person is brought under the influence and control of the Spirit.

Mark draws a line between the time of John and that of Jesus. John is the precursor, while Jesus is the fulfillment. What John started, Jesus completed. John did no sign, but everything that John said about this man was true (John 10:41, RSV).

John Baptizes Jesus

Verses 9-11: At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. ¹¹ And a voice came from heaven: You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.

9 Jesus came all the way from Nazareth in Galilee to be baptized by John in the Jordan River—a journey that would have taken 10 to 14 days on feet. Galilee was the name of the northern region of Palestine; the other two regions were Samaria (central) and Judea (southern).⁴ Nazareth was the hometown of Jesus, where He grew up and worked as a carpenter. He did not mind being called a Galilean or Jesus of Nazareth. In fact, many of His miracles and much of His teaching were done in Galilee.

Since Jesus was sinless, he needed no water baptism required for repentance. Then why was Jesus baptized? John had the same question in mind when he asked: ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then John consented (Matthew 3:14, 15). So He was baptized to share our common humanity. This solidarity with sinful humanity will lead Him eventually to the cross.

10 After the baptism of Jesus, two significant events happened. The first event was a vision (v. 10), while the second one was a voice (v. 11). First, Jesus saw the heavens tearing apart and the Holy Spirit descending on Him like a dove. The dove from heaven affirms Jesus’ identity and shows the uniqueness of His baptism. Jesus was being empowered by the Holy Spirit. The tearing apart of the heavens marks the beginning of a new era in God’s redemptive plan. With Jesus baptism, some change in the universe begins.

11 Second, there was a voice from heaven saying, You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased. This voice confirms Mark’s earlier declaration that Jesus is the Son of God (1:1). God declares that He is pleased with His Son, Jesus Christ. In Isaiah, God speaks of a servant who will carry out His will (Isaiah 42:1). The Father’s pleasure in the Son expressed itself in His choice of the Son for human redemption. Like Isaac, another beloved Son is destined to be sacrificed.

The vision and the voice both depict the cooperation within the Godhead—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit working together. As Edmond Hiebert said, The Father spoke His approval from heaven; the incarnate Son stood ready to begin His mission; the Spirit descended to empower Him. All three persons of the Trinity were involved in the accomplishment of human redemption.⁵ The divine vision and the divine voice are to be followed by a divine victory.

The Temptation of Jesus

Verses 12, 13: At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, ¹³ and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

12 Immediately after His public baptism, Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Spirit. The same Holy Spirit who descended on Jesus at baptism now drives Him into the wilderness. The wilderness is the place where the OT prophets received their commission and revelation. It is isolated and far from human habitation. It is the dwelling place of beings hostile to God. However, the wilderness experience of Jesus is according to God’s plan. As C. E. W. Dorris right said, It is a part of the order of God that every servant of God shall be tried and tested… . The testing, the proving of persons, is temptation in the better sense of that word.⁶

13 Jesus is all alone in the wilderness for 40 days with only wild beasts for company. The number 40 signifies a time of testing, as Israel was tested when Moses was 40 days on Mount Sinai (Exodus 24:18). As David McKenna said, Character is tested when a person is all alone. Each of us wears public masks—a serious mask for our daily work, a smiling mask for our moments with friends, and a pious mask when we enter the House of God. When we are all alone, these masks come off and our true character is the face we see in the mirror of our privacy.⁷.

Matthew 4 gives a fuller account of the temptation. Satan is derived from a Hebrew word which means adversary. He is a supernatural opponent of God and His people. Jesus is tempted by Satan in the wilderness (not in the temple), where Jesus is alone, tired, and hungry. To be tempted is not sin, but yielding to temptation is sin.

Although Jesus has to dwell among beasts as a man, the angels attend to Him as God. The wild beasts do not harm Jesus because they know who He is. (Just as lions would not harm Daniel.) Adam was tested in a perfect garden and failed, but Jesus was tempted in a unsafe desert and won.

NOTES

1. Bruce B. Barton et al., Life Application Bible Commentary: Mark (Wheaton, IL: Tyndale House Publishers, 1994), p. 6.

2. R.