Understanding Mark's Gospel

By Malcolm Hedding

Malcolm Heddings commentary on Marks Gospel captures the fast moving pace of Jesuss ministry in the Galilee before He ascended to Jerusalem for His final and fateful celebration of the Passover. Jesus is truly about His Fathers business as He calls His Disciples, proclaims the good news of the Gospel to the poor, heals the sick and casts out demons and embarks on a preaching circuit designed to reach the region with the message of Gods love.

Most important of all is the fact that Hedding demonstrates how Jesuss teaching and deliverance ministry is relevant to every Christian today. This is not just a commentary that gives background information and the meaning of words in the original language; no it is a devotional study of the life of Christ, as we know it, thus enriching the reader and encouraging him or her to be a fully devoted follower of Jesus.

If ever a book is a must read it is this one by Malcolm Hedding. In it he gives an in-depth, concise and clear understanding of Marks Gospel for meditation on Jesuss ministry, which will inspire the reader.

Eira Goldsworthy

Eira Goldsworthy is an author, artist and illustrator working freelance for many international publishing houses.

Anyone who knows Malcolm Hedding knows that he loves the Bible and the Gospel message is the foundation of his work as a biblical expositor. Furthermore, Heddings many years spent in Israel have enriched his grasp of the Evangelist Marks historical record. For these reasons and many more, Understanding Marks Gospel is a treasure.

Lela Gilbert

Lela Gilbert is the author of Saturday People, Sunday People: Israel through the Eyes of a Christian Sojourner. She is an Adjunct Fellow at the Hudson Institute and an international journalist.

• Language: English
• Publisher: WestBow Press
• Release date: May 23, 2016
• ISBN: 9781512739428

Malcolm Hedding

Malcolm Hedding is an ordained Minister of the Assemblies of God of Southern Africa. Through the years he has served as a church planter in South Africa, as an international speaker in many Christian forums, as the Executive Director of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem, as a commentator on Middle Eastern issues and as an author. Malcolm presently serves on the ministry team of World Outreach Church in Murfreesboro, Tennessee and he continues to hold positions of authority within the structures of the International Christian Embassy Jerusalem. As an author Malcolm has published a number of books the most recent of which has being, “Understanding Revelation.” Many of his books have been published worldwide and in different languages. This volume is a devotional exposition of Mark’s Gospel; meaning that, while it is faithful to the text, it extrapolates lessons from it that can be used in sermons, small groups and bible studies. It is this component that makes this exposition compelling and helpful to the reader.

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Understanding Mark’s Gospel

MALCOLM HEDDING

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Copyright © 2016 Malcolm Hedding.

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be used or reproduced by any means, graphic, electronic, or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, taping or by any information storage retrieval system without the written permission of the author except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles and reviews.

WestBow Press

A Division of Thomas Nelson & Zondervan

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Bloomington, IN 47403

www.westbowpress.com

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Because of the dynamic nature of the Internet, any web addresses or links contained in this book may have changed since publication and may no longer be valid. The views expressed in this work are solely those of the author and do not necessarily reflect the views of the publisher, and the publisher hereby disclaims any responsibility for them.

Any people depicted in stock imagery provided by Thinkstock are models, and such images are being used for illustrative purposes only.

Certain stock imagery © Thinkstock.

Scripture taken from the New King James Version. Copyright © 1979, 1980, 1982 by Thomas Nelson, Inc. Used by permission. All rights reserved.

ISBN: 978-1-5127-3943-5 (sc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-3944-2 (hc)

ISBN: 978-1-5127-3942-8 (e)

Library of Congress Control Number: 2016906610

WestBow Press rev. date: 05/23/2016

Contents

Foreword

Preface: Setting the Context

A Composite Picture of Our Lord’s Ministry

1    Preparation and Beginning of our Lord’s Ministry

The Herald

The Savior

2    Our Lord’s Brief Galilean Ministry

The Call

3    Our Lord’s Second Tour of Ministry to the Galilee

The Synagogue Ministry

The Healing Ministry

The Controversial Ministry

4    Our Lord’s Extended and Regional Tour of Ministry in the Galilee and Beyond

The Three Spheres of Activity

The Challenge

The Parables

The Calming of the Wind and Waves

The Gerasene Demoniac

The Ways of Faith

The Road of Rejection and Unbelief

The Ministry

The Feeding of the Five Thousand

The Spiritual Application

The Pathway of Service

The Dangers of Tradition

The Ministry of Compassion

The Ministry of Patience

The Caesarea Philippi Crisis

The Transfiguration

Our Dark and Demonized World

The Cardinal Sin

5    Our Lord’s Final Judean Ministry Tour

The Christian Family

The Way of Salvation

The Mission of Messiah

The Peril of Rejection

Questions

Declarations and Affirmations

The Olivet Discourse

The Final Passover and Crucifixion

The Persons in Conflict

The New Covenant

The Unfolding Drama

The Events of Good Friday

The Resurrection and Ascension

This book is

dedicated to my dear

friend David Pawson who has

preached more powerfully with

his life than with his words.

Foreword

Those who have sat under the teaching of Malcolm Hedding will know that his exposition of scripture is in the manner and style of that Prince of Expositors, Campbell Morgan. Both emphasize the need for contextual interpretation of passages in the Bible.

I was privileged to attend a study of the Gospel of Mark based on this book. Week after week, I sat enthralled as Malcolm employed the skill of a playwright to dissect that narrative and highlight the plots and emotions at play behind the story of Jesus’s ministry. Mark’s record breathes with vitality, for it portrays primarily the actions of Jesus. That vitality is ably conveyed by Malcolm in his incisive commentary. His division of passages into topical sections helps to give practical insights into the events recorded in the Gospel. We are fortunate in Malcolm to have one who rightly divides the word of truth.

Although easy to read, this work will repay thoughtful study and meditation. The unhurried student will be rewarded with a rich appreciation of the profound truths and lessons that Mark condensed into his story and that are so clearly elucidated by Malcolm. The result will be to love Him more—He who loved us first.

Mark’s Gospel is based largely on the eyewitness reports of the Apostle Peter, who wrote in his epistle, we did not follow cunningly devised fables when we made known to you the power and coming of our Lord Jesus Christ, but were eyewitnesses of His majesty. A study of this Gospel coupled with Malcolm’s commentary provides a clear focus on the person and work of Jesus.

It is an honor to commend and recommend this book as a means not only to enhance our knowledge of the Gospel teachings but also to enrich and enliven our daily walk with Him.

Roger Green

Roger Green is a recognized scholar and Lawyer of great repute in South Africa. He is the senior partner at Cox Yeats and Associates, a law firm based in the city of Durban that has been recognized as the best legal firm of its size in the country. Roger has served on the South African Law Society Council and as chair of the Property Law Committee, and he has been in practice for forty years. Most of all, he is a dedicated Christian who has served in leadership positions in the Church of Jesus Christ.

Preface

Setting the Context

Of all the four Gospels contained in the New Testament, Mark is the shortest and yet perhaps the easiest one to read. It abounds with activity, for one frequently comes across the words, and immediately or and they immediately (1:10, 12, 18, 20–21, 28–29, 42). However, for all of this our Lord does not appear as one distracted or irritated but rather He is seen as one calmly going about His work and ministry.

Moreover, it is generally accepted that Mark was written round about A.D. 57–63 and of course the author is none other than John Mark, frequently referred to in the pages of the New Testament. John Mark was himself converted under the ministry of Peter (1 Peter 5:13) and he accompanied Paul and Barnabas on their first missionary journey that set out from Antioch. However, for reasons not known, he turned back for home when they arrived at Perga (Acts 12:25, Acts 13:5, and Acts 13:13). Mark’s close association with Barnabas was due to the fact that they were family; in fact, they were cousins (Colossians 4:10; Acts 15:36–41). In addition, his mother played an important role in the life of the Jerusalem Church for it was at her home that the Church frequently gathered together for meetings (Acts 12:12).

As to the manner that Mark wrote his Gospel, it is generally accepted that he got much of his material from the Apostle Peter himself. We know this because Papias, an early church writer and a man who personally knew the Apostle John, wrote, . . . Mark became the interpreter of Peter and wrote down what Peter preached about our Lord’s life. Elsewhere, speaking of Mark, Papias states, …he was neither a hearer or companion of the Lord, but afterwards, as I said, he accompanied Peter and adapted his teachings as necessity required, not as though he were making a compilation of the Lord’s sayings. So then Mark made no mistake writing down in this way some things as he, Peter, mentioned them. For he paid attention to this one thing, not to omit anything that he had heard and nor to include any false statements among them…

Eusebius (270–340) the famous church historian confirms that above facts by writing, Though Peter did not undertake to write a Gospel yet it all along being currently reported that Mark who had become his familiar acquaintance and attendant made memoirs of the discourses of Peter concerning the doings of Jesus… So then, though Mark wrote down the doings of Jesus he in no way attempted to write a chronological history of the life of Jesus. That is, his Gospel must not be seen as a biography for he omits large sections of our Lord’s Judean ministry and concentrates chiefly upon His northern Galilean ministry. This fact will be made clear by looking at the chart at the end of this introduction to the book.

I have written this exposition of the Gospel according to Mark in a direct devotional style in the hope that this will inspire the reader and encourage him or her to further examine the remarkable story about Jesus of Nazareth. It is not without good reason that this story about the last three years of Jesus’s life and ministry has been called, The Greatest Story Ever Told. Those who approach the Gospel according to Mark with a desire to know more about the Savior will not be disappointed. This was indeed my experience and I sincerely hope that it will be yours.

Malcolm Hedding

A Composite Picture of Our Lord’s Ministry

This simple chart demonstrates to us the emphasis that Mark places on Jesus’s ministry, and it reveals the field of our study and exposition. Mark therefore calls or invites us to study the following events:

1. Preparation and beginning of our Lord’s ministry (1:1–13)

2. Brief Galilean ministry where our Lord called His twelve Disciples (1:14–20)

3. Our Lord’s second tour of ministry to the Galilee (1:21–2:28)

4. Our Lord’s extended regional tour of ministry to the Galilee and beyond (3–9)

5. Our Lord’s final Judean ministry (10–13)

6. The final Passover and crucifixion (14–15)

7. The resurrection and ascension (16)

Chapter One

Preparation and Beginning of our Lord’s Ministry

Mark 1:1–13

The Herald—1:1–8

"Behold, I send my Messenger before Your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You."

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight. (Mark 1:2-3)

Mark’s Gospel opens by introducing us to the Herald who is called forth by God to prepare the way of the Lord. This reminds us that even the Son of God needed a ministry of preparation to go before Him. The people of the Lord had to be made ready. Herein lies a great spiritual lesson: before Jesus can come into our hearts and lives, the Holy Spirit has to accomplish a work of preparation by the faithfulness of those who are willing to share God’s good news with us (Romans 10:13-15). It also begs the question, Having been saved are we willing to be heralds of God’s love.

So here in this passage, we are introduced to a willing herald in the person of John the Baptist. John the Baptist came as the last representative of the old order, with the express purpose of introducing the key personality of the new. And thus as we look at this man, we see the marks of a true herald of the Lord Jesus Christ. We should note the following: a true herald has a particular identification, in that his message has chiefly to do with Jesus Christ the Son of God. In other words, John’s work was to proclaim the coming of God in the flesh! Only one who proclaims this message is to be identified as a true man of God (Romans 1:1–7). Moreover, it is important to note that the Gospel of Jesus Christ isn’t merely confined to the death, burial, and resurrection of our Lord but actually begins with the coming of John. This serves to remind us that everything to do with Jesus is good news.

Also, a true herald has a certain confirmation. The basis of John’s ministry was not some charismatic sign or vision, but rather the boundaries and limitations of the word of God. John’s ministry had biblical credentials, thus reminding us that God’s work done God’s way will always enjoy God’s blessing. To do things contrary to God’s word is to invite disaster and failure, and many would-be preachers have traveled this road. In short, a true herald of Jesus will have a biblical basis for all that he does.

Finally, a true herald of the Gospel will have a place of proclamation. For John, it was in the wilderness—the most unlikely place to begin a ministry and a work for God. The fact that multitudes went out to hear him preach is proof that the work was of God and God alone. John didn’t seek the people—the people sought him. The lesson is simple: if a person says he has a ministry, then put him in the wilderness to prove it! A God-given ministry that attracts people will have at its heart a message of repentance and forgiveness of sins—in other words, a ministry of wounding and healing (Acts 17:30–31). Preaching that doesn’t wound will never heal, and we hear very little wounding preaching from pulpits nowadays. John teaches us that we must never be afraid to use the two-edged sword of the word of God (Luke 3:7–9).

John was also a man of dedication. We know this because of four things about him. Firstly, he was clothed with camel’s hair and a leather belt, and he ate locust fruit and wild honey from the locust tree (Matthew 3:4). Everything about John pointed away from himself. He was not a self-projecting preacher and wanted to point his congregation to God in Christ. Can we say the same of ourselves? So much of Christianity today is flashy and self-promoting, and yet it lacks the power of God. Secondly, John was sacrificial. The camel hair that a prophet wore was usually worn in such a way that the bristles were turned inward, thus rubbing up against the body continually. In John, therefore, we have a picture of one given to self-denial. Now this does not mean that we have to be as John was. His calling was unique in context and style. But it does mean that we have to learn the principle of being sacrificial. To stand in a place of anointing, we have to give up legitimate things and pursue God with all our hearts. There is no shortcut to this, and so, if we would hold the prophet’s staff of power and authority, we must first be willing to wear his raiment of sacrifice and denial.

Thirdly, John was a man of humility. He enjoyed great success and no doubt great public acclaim; after all, all of Judea and beyond went out to hear him preach (Matthew 3:5). Nevertheless, he revealed the great quality of humility that is the guardian and protector of a man of God’s ministry. Throw humility to the wind, and it won’t be long until we ourselves are thrown to the wind like chaff! John was just a voice crying in the wilderness. He was merely called to be