THE GOSPEL OF MARK "Behold My Servant!"

The assault of the foe                             Chapter 1vv12-13

                        BINDING THE STRONG MAN

Why after the expression of Divine approval did the Spirit "drive Him into the wilderness?   Unlike the gentle words that Matthew and Luke used of simple guidance, Mark uses a very strong word of compulsion....ekballo...ejected cast forth, thrusted, launched(as a ship);   the sense is that immediately on the approbation of heaven, He must face the enemy.   Scripture is it's own interpreter and two scriptures seem relevant;   first to do with His mission, secondly to do with His method.

• His mission;   Isaiah 61v1   "The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek; He hath sent me to bind up the broken-hearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to them that are bound."   (in short to undo the works of the devil).
• His method    Mark 3v27   " No man can enter into a strong man's house and spoil his goods except he will first bind the strong man; and then he will spoil his house."

The gospel of Mark is all about Jesus spoiling the goods of the strong man(the devil); but first He must bind the strong man.   The bible is clear that this world belongs to the devil after the sell-out in Eden (1 John 5v19 "the whole world lieth in the wicked one" R.V.)   Now Christ has been anointed for the task of recovery.   Ever since God announced the way back for mankind in Genesis 3v15, the devil has tracked the coming seed, not knowing quite who it was that would "bruise his head".  The seed of the woman became the seed of Abraham, then the seed of David, and only when the babe was born in the royal city of David, and proclaimed King, did he fully know and, immediately tried to destroy Him.   Having failed he will now try to bring Him down by temptation.   For 40 days the onslaught went on.   Sensitive to the promptings of the Spirit, He obeyed, and confronted the adversary of all mankind.   For 40 days(the period of testing in the bible), He stood against Satan.   Mark gives only the bare facts, not the details of this;   enough to say it took place in an environment reminiscent of the devastation that sin and Satan had wrought in this beautiful creation of God.   The marks of the consequences of sin were all around......the wilderness.......the wild beasts..temptation, Satan.   Mark does not need to state the outcome...it is evident as we proceed through the book.