The Vision (5.22.26): The Beginning of the Gospel (Mark 1:1)

 

Image: British Museum: Lullington (England) Chi Rho, wall plaster painting, 4th century.

Note: Devotion based on last Sunday's sermon on Mark 1:1-8.

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Mark 1:1).

It is said that the most important part of any book, including Biblical ones, is the way they begin and end. The opening verse to the Gospel of Mark serves as an overall title.

It starts, “The beginning….” This echoes the start to Genesis, the first book in the Bible: “In the beginning God created the heaven and the earth.” It also echoes the start of John’s Gospel: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God” (John 1:1).

Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark does not begin with an account of our Lord’s miraculous conception by a virgin and his birth in Bethlehem. This is not to say that Mark is unaware of Christ’s virgin birth (implied in Mark 6:3: “Is this not the carpenter, the son Mary…?”).

He commences, however, by noting that Christ’s coming was the beginning of the Gospel. The word “gospel,” at root, means “good news.” When word came from the battlefield, all hoped the messenger would bring the “gospel (good news)” of victory.

In 1 Corinthians 15:3-5, Paul described the “gospel” as containing four key facts: (1) Christ died for our sins, according to the Scriptures; (2) Christ was buried; (3) Christ rose again on the third day according to the Scriptures; (4) Christ appeared to his disciples (To Cephas and the twelve and others). This was the core “good news” of his victory.

In the very last chapter of this book, the risen Christ will tell his disciples, “Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature” (Mark 16:15). Thus, it begins and ends with reference to the good news.

The title extends in v. 1. This is good news about “Jesus.” This is the Greek form of the Hebrew name Joshua. It means “Jehovah saves.” The name “Jesus” tells us he came as a true man.

He is next given two titles:

First, he is the Christ, the anointed one, the Messiah, coming from the line of King David.

Second, he is the Son of God. He is from all eternity the only begotten Son of God. This tells us of his true divinity. As John puts it, “No man hath seen God at any time, the only begotten Son, which is in the bosom of the Father, he hath declared him” (John 1:18).

The Father is, from eternity, unbegotten. The Son is eternally begotten. The Spirit proceeds eternally from the Father and the Son.

A lot is said in this opening verse. It provides us an orthodox doctrine of God, the Trinity. The one God is Father, Son and Holy Ghost from everlasting to everlasting. It also provides an orthodox doctrine of Christ. He is one person with two natures, true man and true God.

Grace and peace, Pastor Jeff Riddle