“But Jesus called them to Himself and said to them, “You know that those who are considered rulers over the Gentiles lord it over them, and their great ones exercise authority over them. Yet it shall not be so among you; but whoever desires to become great among you shall be your servant. 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.”
Mark 10:42-45
I recently read a story which took place back in the late 1800s. Many Christian leaders worldwide would attend the Northfield Bible Conference in Massachusetts, hosted by the well-known evangelist, D.L. Moody. In one of those conferences, a large group of European pastors decided to attend, and following the European custom of the time, each guest set their shoes outside their room to be cleaned by the hall servants overnight. But of course, this was North America, and there were no hall servants.
Walking the halls that night, Moody saw the shoes and was determined not to embarrass his brothers. He mentioned the need to some ministerial students there but was met with only silence or pious excuses. Finally, Moody returned to the dorm, gathered up the shoes, and, alone in his room, the world’s famous evangelist began to clean and polish the shoes. When he was almost done cleaning those shoes, a friend unexpectedly came to his room and discovered what he had done.
When the foreign visitors opened their doors the following day, their shoes were shined. They never knew who did it, and Moody told no one. But his friend told a few people, and a few men volunteered to shine the shoes in secret during the rest of the conference. This might be one of the reasons the Lord used D. L. Moody as He did. He was a man with a servant’s heart, which is the foundation of all true service for the Glory of God.
We understand that each of the gospels presents the Lord Jesus in a different light.
Matthew – Jesus is the King of the Jews
Mark – Jesus is the Servant Messiah
Luke – Jesus is the Son of Man
John – Jesus is the Son of God
These four books complement each other and give us a more comprehensive perspective on the life of the Lord Jesus Christ.
Before we dive deeper into this theme, let’s look at the author of this gospel.
The author of the book is John Mark.
He is first mentioned in Acts 12:12 when Peter appears at his mother’s home after the Lord delivered him from prison. Then he accompanied Paul and Barnabas during their first missionary journey. But for some reason, he turned back, leaving them high and dry (Acts 13:13). Later in Acts 15, Barnabas wanted to take him on their second missionary journey, but Paul refused because he dropped out last time. The contention was so strong that they had to go their separate ways. Paul picked up Timothy, and Barnabas took John Mark. In 1 Peter 5:13, Peter considered Mark his son in the faith. He was restored to serving the Lord, so much so that this man who once failed is now considered by the apostle Paul as useful and needed (2 Timothy 4:11). This servant who had experienced failure in his life was used by the Spirit of God to write about the perfect and true servant who never failed. No doubt Peter shared many stories about the life of the Perfect Servant, which would have helped John Mark as he wrote this gospel.
The book is the shortest and the earliest among the four Gospels.
Compared to the other three Gospels, the book of Mark is the shortest, with only 16 chapters. Many date the Gospel of Mark around 57-60 AD, making it the first among the four Gospels. Some believe that Matthew and Luke used the Gospel of Mark as one of their primary sources for their gospels.
Mark wrote the book primarily to the Romans.
There is a lack of references to the Law, Holy Days, fulfilled prophecies, and genealogies. Mark uses at least 12 Latin words. Matthew wrote with the Jews in mind; Luke wrote to the Greeks; John had the world in mind, but Mark focused on a Roman audience.
Outline of the Book of Mark
1:1-13 The Servant’s Identity
1:14-8:21 The Servant’s Activity
8:22-10:52 The Servant’s Itinerary
11:1-16:20 The Servant’s Destiny
We could also say our Lord’s ministry in Galilee is seen in 1:14-9:50, and His ministry in Judea is found in 10:1-16:20. Some have looked at Mark 10:45 as an overview of the entire book. Chapters 1-10 are summarized in the first half of verse 45, and chapters 11-16 are summarized in the last half of verse 45. In this one verse, we see the Sovereignty of Christ, the Submission of Christ, and the Sacrifice of Christ.
So, now, let’s begin looking at this Perfect Servant of God as He is revealed to us in the Gospel of Mark in the Gospel of Mark.
As you begin to read the Gospel of Mark, you will immediately notice that the True Servant is identified for us in Mark 1:1-3:
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You. “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’ ”
While both Matthew and Luke begin with the birth of the Lord Jesus, the gospel of Mark begins with the baptism of Jesus Christ, which signals the inauguration of His earthly ministry. The birth of servants was not as important as the beginning of their service.
Mark gives us a seven-fold witness to the greatness of this perfect Servant of God. First, Mark’s own testimony of who the Lord Jesus is in v 1, then prophets (Isaiah and Malachi) in v 2-3. Then John the Baptizer in v 4-8, followed by the voice of God Himself in v 9-11. Next, the temptation in v 12-13 testifies to who this servant is, followed by creation and the angels in v 13.
From verses 14- 45, we read of at least seven features that mark this Perfect Servant.
His authority was evident to all (1:14-22)
This is seen in two ways: the Calling and the Commanding. First, the Lord Jesus calls four fishermen to be His disciples (1:14-20). They immediately drop everything and follow Him. Secondly, His authority was displayed in the way He taught (1:21-22, 27). His teaching stood out. Why? Isaiah 50:4-5 has the answer: as the perfect dependent Servant, His ears were open daily to know how He ought to speak. In John 14:24, the Lord Jesus said, “The word which you hear is not Mine but the Father’s who sent Me.” This was His authority!
He displayed awesome power (1:23-28)
You can see from these verses that whenever the Lord Jesus confronted demonic spirits, they always recognized His identity and were terrified of Him. Therefore, there is no doubt that He is the Mighty Son of God. We don’t have time to look at all the passages in the Gospel of Mark that demonstrated His authority. However, when you have time, you can read the book and find occasions where Ele cured diseases, commanded nature, or condemned sinners to display His authority as the Son of God.
He was accessible to everyone (1:29-34)
He was ever the dependent Man (1:35)
He didn’t seek popularity (1:36-39)
He displayed grace (1:40-42)
He didn’t seek His own glory (1:43-45)
As you read through this gospel, you learn of many more features of the Perfect Servant of God. His Obedience is seen throughout the book. His readiness to serve is displayed in the word “immediately” or “straightway.” It is used 36 times in the gospel and about 8 times in the first chapter. He was not only ready and willing, but He was able to serve, as seen in 5:29 and 7:35.
We come back to our opening verse in Mark 10:45: “For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” In chapters 8:31 and 9:31, the Lord Jesus began to teach His disciples the “WHAT” of His death. In 10:33, we read of the “WHERE” of His death (Jerusalem). Here in verse 45, we have the “WHY” of His death: “to give His life a ransom for many.” This perfect Servant’s service was not about Himself. It wasn’t for show or popularity; it was genuinely for the glory of God and the good of those He came to serve.
In chapter 15 we have the crucifixion and death of the Servant, and in chapter 16 His resurrection. After His resurrection, He appears to His own and gives them the great commission. But what I would like to focus on is the last two verses of the chapter (v19-20).
Both Mark and Luke end with the ascension of Jesus Christ. However, Mark goes beyond the ascension. He mentions the exaltation of the Servant, “sat down at the right hand of God.” This is a place of honor and authority for this perfect Servant of God. This truth is consistent with the words of the apostle Paul:
“Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus who, being in the form of God, did not consider robbery to be equal with God, but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men. And being found in appearance as a man, He humbled Himself and became obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. Therefore God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.” Philippians 2:5-11
We can connect verse 7, “He humbled Himself and took upon Him the form of a servant,” with verses 9-11 and be reminded that the Father exalted the Son to a place where ALL would worship Him because of His willingness to serve and die on the cross.
Back to Mark 16:20, it is especially encouraging to see the expression, “And they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them and confirming the word through the accompanying signs.” Luke ends with the Lord Jesus’s hands outstretched as He blesses them. Here in our text, “they went out and preached everywhere, the Lord working with them.” This reminds us that we are co-laborers with Christ. It is not our work; it is His. It is not our power; it is His. He is working in us (Phil. 2:12-13). He is working for us (Rom. 8:28). He is working with us (Mark 16:20).
As we serve the Lord, our desire is for some of the wonderful characteristics of this Perfect Servant of God to be displayed in and through us for His glory!