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MARK: HIS GOSPEL OF JESUS’ MINISTRY
WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 4
Mark 1:1-13

1 Peter 5:13

 

“…elected together with you,
saluteth you;

and so doth Marcus my son.”

 

MARK: HIS GOSPEL OF JESUS’ MINISTRY
 
Another hero of the faith to consider is Mark. The second Gospel was written anonymously, but early church fathers, such as Papias, quoted by the historian Eusebius, identified Mark as its author. Mark was not one of the Apostles. He was the son of a widow, and at one point was even denied by the Apostle Paul to join the second missionary journey because he had abandoned them during the first. Yet, the Lord still chose him to record for us the Gospel of the servanthood of Jesus Christ.
 
How did Mark know these Gospel accounts? The Lord used the Apostle Peter’s preaching as the foundation of Mark’s writing. Mark faithfully recorded what Peter proclaimed about the words and deeds of Jesus. Before Peter’s death, when he wrote letters to scattered believers, he affectionately referred to Mark as “my son” (1 Pet 5:13). And Paul, who once refused him, later urged Timothy: “Take Mark, and bring him with thee: for he is profitable to me for the ministry” (2 Tim 4:11).
 
Mark’s Gospel highlighted the human side of the Lord Jesus Christ. He drew attention to Christ’s emotions and actions, showing us that though He is fully divine, He came as a servant to His own creation. Jesus is portrayed as the active Servant, the obedient Servant, and the sacrificial Servant.
 
There are times in our lives when we feel useless or discouraged, rejected by others, or convinced that we have no value or purpose. Indeed, none of us deserves to be accepted into God’s ministry; we are weak and sinful. Yet God, in His grace, calls us to serve. When He sends people to encourage us, and gives us opportunities to labour for Him, let us not be lazy or indifferent. Instead, let us be active in service, obedient to His call, and willing to sacrifice for the sake of Christ’s work. In doing so, we share in the sufferings of our Lord and in the blessings of His ministry.
 
THOUGHT: Am I truly living as God’s servant, willing to serve Him with humility and sacrifice?
PRAYER: Father, fill me with the power of Thy Holy Spirit, that I may serve Thee faithfully and wholeheartedly, offering my life as a living sacrifice for Thy glory.

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