THE GOSPEL OF MARK " Behold My Servant!"

Overview of the service of the perfect servant of the Lord            Mark 1v14-16v20

He went about doing good, healing all that were oppressed by the devil, for God was with Him

The discourse by Peter in Acts 10vv34-38 to the Roman centurion and friends gives a fair summary of the gospel of Mark.   It is thought that Peter was the eyewitness source of the details recorded by Mark.   In that discourse, the apostle Peter tabulates the following:
 

• The gospel is the preaching of peace through Jesus Christ;   Acts 10vv34-36 with Mar 1v1.
• The one through whom the gospel comes is Lord of all.   This links with Mark 1v1 that the gospel comes through Jesus Christ, the Son of God.   This would be particularly relevant to Cornelius the centurion, as he was used to receiving commandments from an emperor.
• The preaching began from Galilee (Mark 1v1 with Mark 1v14-15).
• It began after the preaching of the baptism of John (Mark 1vv14-15). 
• God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power(Acts 10v38 &Mark 1v10)
• He went about doing good, healing all that were oppressed by the devil for God was with Him (Acts 10v38 with Mark 1v21-12v44).
• The apostles witnessed that He did this in the land of the Jews and Jerusalem Acts 10v39.
• The Jews slew Him and hanged Him on a tree (Acts 10v39& Mark 13-15).
• God raised Him from the dead and shewed Him openly (Acts 10v40 & Mark16).

The Gospel of Mark provides a number outstanding features of the perfect servant, more of which will emerge in the study.   We see His anointing in chapter 1, he was the right person for the task.   God has many servants, but none like Him;   only He could contain the full flow of the power of the Spirit.   Throughout the narrative we are struck with His activity, as already seen in the multiple occurrences of  straightway and immediately etc. This activity was seen in Hs appearances in many different places, covering the length and breadth of the land, engaging in tireless service.   Outstanding is His accessibility at all times and to all people.   Phrases like "by the sea";   "in the synagogue";   "in the house";   "at the door";   "on the mountain";   "in the ship";   "in the desert";   suggest He was accessible wherever He found Himself in all places and to all people.  He spoke with the pharisees, the scribes, the sadducees, the priests, the rulers, the soldiers, the lawyers as well as the common people  Then there is His adaptability He was able to provide help to the demon possessed, to the fevered, to the leper, to the paralytic, to the old, to the lame, to the blind, even to the dead!   Finally to the fore was His availability as indicated by the time lines stated;   "...at even when the sun did set";   "in the morning....... a great while before day";   "on the Sabbath day";   "the day...far spent".  

The Son of God came to serve in the interests of humanity.   He gave His life in active service, then He laid down His life as a ransom for many, that is those who will receive Him.   We follow Him, beginning at Capernaum, then the country of the Gadarenes, then Nazareth, then Bethsaida, then Genneserat, then the borders of Tyre and Sidon, then the borders of Decapolis, then Dalmanutha, then Bethsaida, then the towns of Caesarea Philippi, then the borders of Judea, then Jericho, then Jerusalem.   He encompassed the land with His mercy, just as He encompasses the world with His mercy.   Every detail of this magnificent journey is full of truth for us and we dare not miss even a phrase.