Prophecy (Mark 1:1-3)
key words or phrases.
why those words and phrases seemed significant.
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you;
he will prepare your way.
3 A voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
Prepare the way for the Lord;
make his paths straight!
Outline:
significance of these words:
- beginning (the starting point of Jesus s work);
- gospel (good news, used by the Romans to describe a great announcement); and
- Son of God (emphasizes Christ s deity).
-(1:1) There are three distinct beginnings in the Bible. Genesis 1:1 points us to the initiation of all creation. John s Gospel (1:1) emphasizes the pre-existence and deity of the Word (Jesus). And in Mark 1:1, readers find the beginning of the gospel, the opening act in the life and ministry of God s Son.
(1:1) The word gospel comes from the Greek good news. Mark laid the foundation for what his Gospel was about the good news that Jesus Christ would bring redemption and salvation for all humanity. The term originally meant any good news, but ultimately it came to represent the story of Christ s ministry and sacrifice as He provided salvation to the world.
-->
Explain:
Mark did not mince words in establishing the gospel.
A great event took place when the Messiah, the Son of God, came to earth.
Ask:
- If Mark s audience was primarily Gentile, why did he refer to an Old Testament prophecy to introduce John the Baptist?
Discuss:
while Mark s original readers weren t Jewish,
seeing Jesus as the promised Messiah could bolster their faith
and help them embrace Him as the Savior of the world.