Over the last six chapters of Mark we walked through the Passion Week with Him.  We saw Jesus clean out the temple as He alone had the right to do.  We watched Him teach on faith, prayer, and giving.  We stood in awe as He faced the tests and questioning of the religious leaders, who if anyone should have recognized who He really was.  Thankfully we know that later a number of the priests came to faith in Jesus (Acts 6:7), but most rejected Him.  We saw Jesus describe not only the coming destruction of Jerusalem and the things that the Jews had trusted in, but also the ultimate end times in which God will work to bring the Jews to a true knowledge of Christ.  We grieved when we saw our Lord illegally tried, condemned, mistreated by Jew and Gentile alike, cruelly scourged, and dying upon the cross.  We saw that our sin was borne by Him during that time to bring us atonement with God.  He was raised from the dead in power, and we found out along with His men that a great power is available for us to live for and serve Him because He rose again and ascended to the Father.  He truly brought us into the New Covenant which God made on His terms, and we are the blessed beneficiaries of it.

THE HEART OF MARK'S GOSPEL

The theme of Mark's Gospel can be seen in Mark10:44-45:  "And whoever of you desires to be first shall be slave of all.   For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many." (nkjv).  He lived that out to the death, and we too need to die to ourselves and serve one another.  Warren Wiersbe closed his commentary on Mark in the following way, and with that we close our brief tour back through this wonderful Gospel:

He came as a Servant (Philippians 2:1-7)—Mark 1-13

He died on a cross (Philippians 2:8)—Mark 14-15

He was exalted to glory (Philippians 2:9)—Mark 16

The apostles and prophets laid the foundation for the church (Ephesians 2:20), so their work is finished and the apostolic signs have ceased. But the Lord's working has not ceased, and He is still working in and through His people to save a lost world. His Servant-Son Jesus returned to heaven, but He still has His people on earth who can be His servants, if they will.

What a privilege to have the Lord working with us!

What an opportunity and obligation we have to carry the Gospel to the whole world!