Mark 1, continued:

• Mark 1:14-15 – Compare the message of John the Baptist in Matthew 3:2; 4:17; 10:7.

The kingdom promised and prophesied

• Daniel 2 – Prophesied the rule of Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome, and then the kingdom of God.
• Daniel 7 – Four beasts: Babylon, Medo-Persia, Greece, Rome. Then the kingdom of God would come and saints would prevail despite persecution.
• Daniel 7:14 – See Acts 2:14-47; Ephesians 1:18-23.
• What is the kingdom that is at hand?
  • The word “kingdom” is used in different ways:
    • The universal dominion of God – Psalms 145:13
    • Heaven – II Peter 1:10-11 (see also I Peter 1:3-4)
    • Inhabitants or population subject to a king Individuals who’ve been “translated into the kingdom” by being “born again” (baptized) – Colossians 1:13; John 3:3, 5
  • The kingdom is the saved!
    • Colossians 1:13-14
    • Acts 2:22-36
    • Matthew 7:21
    • John 3:3-5
    • I Peter 3:15
  • The church is the saved!
    • The church is the “called out.”
    • II Thessalonians 2:14
    • Romans 6:3-11
    • I Corinthians 12:13 (Ephesians 5:26)
    • Ephesians 5:23
    • Ephesians 5:24
  • The house of God is the saved!
    • I Timothy 3:15
    • Galatians 3:26-27
    • Ephesians 2:16-22 – church, kingdom, and family
  • Kingdom, church, and house of God – three different terms identifying the same group of people.
• Acts 2 – Fulfillment of all
  • Daniel 2; Daniel 7; Matthew 16:18; Isaiah 10:22; Romans 9:27
  • This is what was at hand.
• Luke 1:32-33
• The kingdom coming with power!
  • Mark 9:1
  • Acts 1:6-8
  • Acts 2:1-36
  • The kingdom came with power when the Holy Spirit came with power on Pentecost in Acts 2.
• In the church, in the kingdom.
  • Colossians 1:12-14
  • Revelation 1:4, 9
  • Churches:
    • Baptized into – I Corinthians 12:3
    • Member of body – I Corinthians 12:14-26
    • A house / body of stones – I Peter 2:5-9
  • Kingdom:
    • Baptized into – John 3:3-5
    • Citizen of kingdom – John 3; Ephesians 2; Hebrews 8
    • A kingdom of priests – Exodus 19:6; I Peter 2:6-9; Revelation 5:10
• Jesus came to preach!
  • Mark 1:38
  • Salvation is at hand!

Introduction

• I Samuel 18:1

A good friend helps others see the truth.

• Proverbs 27:6, 9
• A true friend is willing to tell you the cold, hard truth.
• A good friend is not someone who always agrees with you.
• Esther 5:9-14 – What should Haman’s friends have said? They should have encouraged him to let this go. Instead, they encouraged him in his foolishness.
• If you have a friend that will tell you the truth, count your blessings! If you don’t have this kind of friend, is it because you are too intimidating?
• Proverbs 15:2 – The tongue of the wise makes knowledge acceptable.

A good friend brings out the best in others.

• Proverbs 13:20; 27:17
• Proverbs 22:24 – Bad friends bring out the worst in you!
  • What if my friend always uses bad words at red lights?
  • What if my friend is always complaining?
  • Will we not tend to start doing the same things?
• Proverbs 16:28; 17:9
• Luke 15:6, 9 – Good friends rejoice together in spiritual things!
• Acts 10:24 – Cornelius called his friends and relatives to hear the gospel. That’s being a good friend!
• I Corinthians 13:6
• How have your friends influenced you? Do you think about spiritual things more? How do you dress and act? What kind of friend are you to them?

A good friend helps when it counts.

• Ecclesiastes 4:9-12 – Friends make us stronger when trouble comes.
• Proverbs 19:4, 6
• Job 2:11-13 – Before they started speaking bad advice, Job’s friends were good friends.
• Proverbs 17:17
• John 11:19, 31-36 – In grief, good friends come to grieve with you.
• Romans 12:15
• Am I this type of friend?
• Are my friends true friends like this?
• II Timothy 4:16
• John 15:13

Mark 1

• Mark 1:1-8 – See Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3. Compare Matthew 11:10-15. John was to come in the spirit and power of Elijah.
• Mark 1:9-11 – See Matthew 3:16-17; Luke 3:21-22. Luke reports there was a bodily form for the Holy Spirit. It is not clear from the grammar if the form was like a dove or the form just descended like a dove. What is remarkable here is that all three persons of God are seen at the same time!
• Mark 1:12-13 – Jesus is tempted in the wilderness.
  • Tradition says the location was somewhere near Jericho.
  • Mark 1:13 – Compare I John 2:15-16; Genesis 3:6; Matthew 4:1-11. Satan is given several names in Revelation 20:2.
  • The temptations Jesus faced:
    • Lust of the flesh – Matthew 4:4. He answered from Deuteronomy 8:1-3.
    • Pride of life – Matthew 4:7. He answered from Deuteronomy 6:10-16. See also Exodus 17:3-7.
    • Lust of the eye – Matthew 4:10. He answered from Deuteronomy 6:10-16.
  • Temptation itself is not a sin (see Hebrews 4:15). Jesus was tempted but never sinned. Temptation only becomes a sin when we give in to it. James 1:12-15.
  • I John 1:7-9; 5:18 – God will cleanse us of our sins if we are baptized and continue to repent and confess our sins.
  • I Corinthians 10:13 – The faithful promise of God concerning temptation. The way of escape is God’s word (see Psalms 119:11). But in order to use God’s word to escape temptation, we must know God’s word!
• Jesus’ travels
  • Mark only records part of Jesus’ travels during his public ministry. We know from the gospel of John that Jesus traveled much more than this. He records that Jesus attended four Passovers in Jerusalem:
    • 30 AD – John 2:13
    • 31 AD – John 5:1
    • 32 AD – John 6:4
    • 33 AD – John 11:55; 13:1
  • Jesus would also have come to Jerusalem for three feasts every year.