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| Mark 1:1-3 |
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Lesson # Mark 1:1-3 Study Material - Mark 1:1-3 You must be in fellowship prior to your Bible study, so that the spiritual information you receive can become a source, of blessing to your soul and produce spiritual growth. Mark 1:1-3 1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, 'Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way; 3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, 'Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight.' Rev. 19:9, tells us that these words, the words in the Bible, are the true words of God. Mark opens up with the statement that this is the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. No if, ands, or buts about it, but a flat statement of truth. Matthew began with the generations of Jesus Christ, but Mark starts with the announcement of Christ by John the Baptist. Quoting from Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3, Mark announces the arrival of Christ. He quotes from the Old Testament prophets who lived 400 and 700 years earlier. Malachi spoke of the one who would be sent in advance of the Savior as he closed out the Old Testament writings. Isaiah spoke of the announcement of the Savior as a voice crying in the wilderness. From the wilderness of sin, from no-mans land will come a cry of truth and hope. The messenger is sent from God not from any other source. Man does not invent his own salvation. Man cannot accomplish his own salvation. Mankind is lost in the wilderness of this world and of sin, and therefore God very appropriately sends a messenger and a voice out from the wilderness to get our attention and to announce that the focal point of history is about to occur. In College, I had a professor of history who was writing a research paper on the key to history. There were a lot of theories such as economic theories, great man theories, geographical theories and so forth, but there was never any consideration for the spiritual impact on history, its influence and so forth. Yet we know that Jesus Christ controls history. He determines when everyone will be born. He appoints leaders and followers. He removes leaders and followers. He molds the dispensations around the first advent of Himself, the calling out of the Royal Family, His second advent and the final judgment and everything in between. Israel and the world for that matter has had the scriptures for many, many centuries. The world has had the many prophecies of Isaiah, and the specific prophecies of Daniel as to the time of Christ's birth and death. Yet his arrival went virtually unnoticed. Most people were not interested. So from out in the desert a voice was appointed. Not in the city. If you want customers you go to where the people are, but not so with doctrine. God can make His announcements anywhere and the word will get around to everyone who is interested. Likewise in your life. No matter if you are raised in depressed conditions or with silver spoons all around, your opportunities for spiritual growth are exactly the same. No one has an advantage in this world, where the spiritual life is concerned. Your only barrier is usually your own attitude of being negative. Jesus has been living among the people for 30 years now, and there were no long lines at his home. Not many even searching for Him. But a little revival was about to occur, then it would sputter and be 'back to business as usual' for the people in general. In each of us, there is the saturation of the sin nature in our bodies. Apart from doctrine we have strong influence from our sin natures. Actually there is no other influence available for us to turn to except Bible doctrine. So our souls are in effect that wilderness of nothingness. Then there comes the gospel of Christ. The gospel which is announced to make way for the real Christ, the Word of God, doctrine for our spiritual growth subsequent to our salvation. This gospel is the paving of the way for our spiritual lives. Gospel first, which is believing in Jesus Christ, and as a result of that belief we become saved. This belief occurs in a split second of time, just as your physical birth occurred in a split second of time. You came into this world and breathed for your first time, as God imputed the spark of human life into your soul. So also, God creates a human spirit in you at the moment of your belief in Christ. It only takes one time in your life for this to happen, and once it happens it is permanent. You cannot lose your salvation. God seals it with His eternal promise and faithfulness. So the gospel is announced by Mark. The one who is crying in the desert is identified, or will be in verse 4. Before you can take in Gods Word, you have to have your soul prepared, and that preparation is salvation. Apart from salvation, doctrine is meaningless to you. The unbeliever cannot understand spiritual things because they have not been prepared for them. No human spirit, no means of assimilating Gods Word. Doctrine is communicated from Spirit to spirit. From Gods Spirit, the Holy Spirit, to and through mans spirit, mans human spirit which you receive at the moment of your salvation, that moment when you believed in Christ. 
Now is the time to post a prayer. End Of Lesson Study to show thyself approved (mature) unto God, a workman that needs not to be ashamed, rightly dividing (studying/discerning), the Word of truth. |
