Let's come and seek the throne of God in prayer, let us pray. Our loving and gracious God and Heavenly Father, how we thank you that we can gather together on this Lord's Day morning. And how we thank you for this best day of the week. We thank you for this resurrection day. We thank you that it is because of our Saviour's completed work upon that cross and his triumphant resurrection and his heavenly accession at your right hand that we can come into your presence rejoicing this morning in so great salvation. We thank you for the great love that has been lavished upon us and Lord we desire from the depths of our being this morning that we might enter your gates with thanksgiving and enter your courts with praise. Lord, we thank you for all your mercies to us. We thank you that you loved us, Lord, before this world began. We thank you that you indeed set that electing love upon us. You chose us, Lord, for salvation, Lord, through faith in Christ Jesus. We thank you, Lord God, that you have called us by your grace and we thank you that you have united us to Christ and brought us into a holy union with him. And we thank you that Christ is in us, the hope of glory, and we are in him. And we do thank you that it is a relationship that nothing can sever. We thank you, Lord God, that we are destined to eternal glory. And we thank you that where he is seated, Lord, there is coming a day when we shall be with him. We thank you that even now we are seated in the heavenly places in Christ Jesus and we've been blessed with every spiritual blessing in him and we pray this morning that Jesus Christ may be truly praised. Lord we desire that we might lift up his wonderful name We thank you for that glorious name. We thank you for that name that, Lord, is the sweetest name on earth, that name that sets the captives free. And we do thank you for that name that drives, Lord God, Lord, demons, Lord, Lord, far away. We thank you for that powerful name. We thank you for that name that has brought us salvation and blessing and full redemption. And we pray, O God, that your son may be honoured and magnified and extolled highly in this service of praise. May the Holy Spirit bear that witness to him. May we lose all sight of our circumstances this morning and all those things that would keep us earthbound and, Lord, those things that, Lord, distress us. We pray that we may indeed look up this morning and see the one who is the brightness of your glory and the express image of your person, the one who is seated at the right hand of the Majesty on high. our great and coming King. Lord we pray that we may extol his name together and so we pray that we may know that burning heart within us. And we pray that we may indeed, Lord, be lifted up into your presence this hour and that we may experience, Lord, something of the powers of the age to come. Lord, we pray that heaven may be in us before we are in heaven and that we may indeed know, Lord, those times of refreshing from the presence of the Lord. Cleanse us from our many sins and receive our worship as we bring it in Jesus' name. Amen. Well, let's turn to The reading of scripture and our reading this morning is found in the Gospel according to Mark and we're reading from the first chapter. 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 path straight. John came baptising in the wilderness and preached a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea and those from Jerusalem went out to him and were all baptised by him in the Jordan River confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist. and he ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached saying, there comes one after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and lose. I indeed baptised you with water, that he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit. came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan and immediately coming up from the water he saw the heavens parting and the spirit descending upon him like a dove then a voice came from heaven you are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased immediately the spirit drove him into the wilderness and he was there in the wilderness forty days tempted by Satan and was with the wild beasts and the angels ministered to him now after John was put in prison Jesus came to Galilee preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying the time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe in the gospel and as he walked by the Sea of Galilee he saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea for they were fishermen then Jesus said to them follow me and I will make you become fishers of men they immediately left their nets and followed him when he had gone a little farther from there he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother who were also in the boat mending their nets and immediately he called them and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and went after him then they went into Capernaum and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and taught and they were astonished at his teaching for he taught them as one having authority and not as the scribes. Now there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit. He cried out saying, let us alone. What have we to do with you, Jesus of Nazareth? Did you come to destroy us? I know who you are, the Holy One of God. But Jesus rebuked him saying, be quiet and come out of him. when the unclean spirits had convulsed him and cried out with a loud voice he came out of him then they were all amazed so that they questioned among themselves saying what is this? what new doctrine is this? for with authority he commands even the unclean spirits and they obey him and immediately his fame spread throughout all the region around Galilee Our precious God and loving Heavenly Father we do thank you that we can worship you as we bring these our offerings Lord we would first give ourselves and Lord commit ourselves into your keeping we thank you that we can Lord realise and acknowledge this morning that we are not our own that we have been bought with a price and we desire to glorify you with our body and with our spirits which are yours Lord we do pray that we may ever live those consecrated lives and Lord that we may be a separated people on this earth set apart from sin and set apart for your service that we might live our lives to your eternal praise and glory Lord we do thank you that we can acknowledge this morning that all that we have and all that we are Lord is your property and possession Lord everything that we have we've received and therefore Lord we cannot boast and glory in it accept glory in our Saviour Jesus Christ. And we pray, O God, that you would be pleased to, Lord, bless the ministry of your word to the ends of the earth today. We thank you, Lord God, that it will be going forth not only to the people gathered here this morning but, Lord, through the website, Lord, it will reach, Lord, to the ends of the earth. We thank you too for many other Gospel preachers and we do thank you, Lord God, for the great company of those whom you have set apart to preach your saving word. We pray this morning that wherever the Gospel is soundly proclaimed, Lord, that Jesus Christ may be praised and extolled and lifted up and that many may be drawn to him, the only one, oh Lord, who can keep your law, the only one who could live that righteous standard on our behalf and the only one who could shed his precious blood, Lord, to forgive, Lord, our lawlessness and to bring us into that right relationship with you and to heaven itself. We pray, O God, that many, O God, may respond to the free offer of the Gospel of salvation in these days, that your kingdom may be extended and that your name will be lifted up and glorified. We do pray, O God, for our nation at this time, Lord, that you would humble us under your mighty hand and pray, O God, that where there is darkness there may be light Lord our God we just thank you that Lord there are still many of your people in this land and though we have Lord forsaken your laws and turned far from you yet we thank you Lord that there is still a witness in this land and we do pray oh God that you would indeed Lord cause that witness Lord to be a bright and a burning light in these days we pray Lord God that many Lord God may see that light We pray that many, Lord God, may realise in that light the darkness of their own sins, and the need, Lord, and the emptiness of their lives, and the Lord Jesus Christ, who is the light of the world and the light of life, and the one who is able to dispel that darkness and to set people free from the works of darkness and the powers of darkness, and to bring them into that light of life. We pray, O God, that you would indeed have mercy upon our government and our Queen and those who rule over us. Lord, we acknowledge that the powers that be are ordained by God. We thank you Lord God that Lord you have indeed given us leaders and law and order and government in our land. We thank you that Lord we are not in a situation Lord where we are dictated to. We thank you Lord for democracy and that freedom that we enjoy. We thank you too Father for the blessings that you have given to this nation and yet Lord God we pray that Lord you would come to us in our spiritual bondage And Lord, in our darkness and in our need that you would indeed, Lord, break forth, Lord God, from heaven itself. And we pray that many, Lord God, may be ushered into your kingdom. In your wrath, remember mercy. Turn thousands, Lord, to yourself. May many, Lord God, in this day of grace, bow the knee to the Lord Jesus Christ and acknowledge his crowned rights. And we pray, Lord God, that they may know the blessings of that life eternal. We pray, O God, that you would indeed visit us here this morning. We thank you for all those who are gathered here and we pray that you would speak to us from the youngest to the eldest. O Lord, we need, Father, Lord, to hear your voice this morning. We pray that we would come, Lord God, to that obedience of faith and that we may seek to follow our Saviour wherever he leads for the rest of our lives. Lord, we pray that we may know him as our living Lord and Saviour, our righteous King, the one who reigns over us. And we pray, O God, that we may live our lives under his Lordship, as citizens of that Kingdom that consists of righteousness, peace and joy in the Holy Spirit. We pray, O God, that we may know the blessings that abound where'er he reigns. And we pray, O God, that many may be set free to serve the Lord Jesus Christ. Lord, hear us in these days. Lord, advance the cause of your kingdom. Lord, open the gates of heaven, we pray, and grant that many, Lord God, may enter in and know the joy of sins forgiven and peace with heaven. we pray Lord too that you would be with those in need this morning we think of that family Lord whose loved one has been murdered Lord in the fellowship there Lord at New Cross Lord God we cannot even begin to imagine Lord God the grief of this family and what they are experiencing at this time Lord have mercy upon them have mercy upon the fellowship there Lord comfort them Lord in this time of shock and Lord Astonishment, we pray, O God, that you would be pleased to appear for them as the God of all grace, the Father of mercy, the Father of comfort. We pray that, Lord, you would indeed pour in that oil and wine and, Lord, heal broken hearts, we pray this morning. Grant, O God, that they may know that comfort that only you can bring. and that they may know Lord that even Lord these circumstances Lord God that cause us such astonishment and amazement Lord you are working together for good to those who love you and accord according to your purpose grant Lord that they may have faith to believe and to Lord be stayed upon Jehovah that they may know that perfect peace and rest We pray, O God, that you would be with those unwell at this time. We commend them to you. We pray that they may know your strengthening and your grace all sufficient for them today. We pray that you would heal the backslider. We pray that you would restore those whose hearts may have grown cold towards you. And those, Lord God, who regularly worshipped in this place and are nowhere to be seen this morning, Lord, have mercy upon them. draw them back Lord we pray and grant O God that they may know that you are able to restore the joy of salvation and to heal the years the locusts have eaten and Lord to bring them back into that place of blessing under your mighty hand. We pray O God that Lord you would Grant that our hearts, Lord God, might burn within us, Lord, in these days that we may serve you with all our hearts in the Gospel of your Son. We pray that we might realise the great privilege that is given to us of being servants of the Lord Jesus Christ, being able, Lord God, to convey that living water to others, to be those channels of mercy and blessing. We pray, O God, that you would use us mightily this new year. We pray, Lord God, for the commencement of the youth work. We think of the children's hour and the mums and toddlers group and the kick club and the FOY. We pray, O God, that as these children return, Lord, so they may return with great numbers and yet also, Lord God, with that preparation of heart and life. to receive your word and to come to embrace a living saviour. We pray that we may see conversions amongst even the youngest. We pray that we may see, Lord, your arm is not short, that it cannot save. Your ear is not heavy, that it cannot hear. And we pray, O God, that you would indeed Come down, Lord God, in saving power. Lord, may we stand still and see the salvation of the Lord, and give all the glory to you, the saving God, the one, O Lord, who is rich in mercy, not willing that any should perish, but that all should come to repentance. We pray, Lord God, that you would speak to us from your word this morning, and we pray, O God, that we may be a people under your word, under its power and authority. May we not just listen, Lord God, and hear with the ears, Lord, may we receive your word into our hearts and minds, and may the word of Christ dwell in us richly in all wisdom. May we be sanctified again by your truth, built up in our faith, and that we may go forth rejoicing that you have met with us again. hear us for these things revive our souls we pray pour out your spirit upon your church in these days and Lord God we pray that we may know yet days of the right hand of God days of your power for we ask all this in Jesus name for the pardon of our many sins Amen I'd like you to turn with me again in your Bibles to the Gospel according to Mark and the first chapter Mark chapter 1 and in the opening verse we read, the beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I intend for our Sunday evening services to commence a series of studies based upon this Gospel according to Saint Mark. And I thought that it would be good and helpful this morning to begin with a general introduction to the book so that we can get actually into the text of Mark this evening. Now we shan't of course be dealing with it verse by verse, you may be pleased to hear, but rather we shall seek to follow it through section by section in order that we might grasp something of the essential glorious message that Mark presents to us of the life and ministry of our blessed Lord and Saviour Jesus Christ. Now it may be that some of you are thinking to yourselves this morning, but why Mark's Gospel? Why not Matthew or Luke or John? Why Mark? Well I believe there are a number of good reasons, apart from him being my namesake, why we should commence the series with Mark's Gospel. And the first reason is because Mark's Gospel is the earliest of the four Gospels. It's generally accepted that when Mark sat down and put pen to paper that he was doing something utterly and altogether unique. He was producing a new kind of book the like of which this world had never seen. Mark's account of the life and teaching of Jesus Christ was the very first to be written. Secondly, I believe we should look at Mark's Gospel because it is the shortest of the four Gospels. There is a remarkable and an amazing brevity in this account before us. Mark is less than two-thirds the length of Luke. Mark, you'll notice, doesn't give us any account of our Saviour's birth and neither is there any mention of his early upbringing and life. You see, everything is condensed and reduced down. Mark hardly wastes a word as he sets before us the good news concerning Jesus Christ. And then thirdly, we should look at Mark's Gospel because Mark's account is the clearest and the simplest of all the Gospels. And the reason being that Mark wasn't writing this for Jews, he was writing for Gentiles. history confirms that Mark was probably writing this in Italy for the Christian believers in the church in Rome and therefore this gospel is the Gentile gospel whenever Mark mentions Jewish customs he goes out of his way to explain them to us Mark's gospel I say is the Gentile gospel and therefore its message is particularly relevant to us today But there is a fourth reason, I think, why we should start with Mark's Gospel. And that is because this Gospel is extremely vivid and fast moving. Now we are living in a very visual age, aren't we? The popular means of communication today is the television, the video, the DVD, the computer screen. And the number of hours that people spend in front of the screen is absolutely phenomenal. There is an increase in the number of people visiting the cinema today. It was a time when it wasn't so popular, but now everybody wants to see the latest films. And I believe that this visual element has had a dramatic effect upon people's powers and levels of concentration. The book is out today and the stream is in. People everywhere want to see. Well, here in this account before us, I believe we have the nearest thing to a DVD presentation in the New Testament. Because Mark's account of the life and ministry of Jesus Christ is so graphic, it's so colourful, that you can almost see the events taking place before our mind's eye. You see Mark's emphasis in this Gospel is not upon our Lord's words but upon his deeds. All of the lengthy discourses recorded in the other Gospels are omitted in Mark's account of the life of Jesus Christ. Mark prefers to focus our attention upon our Lord's miracles. His miracles of healing and his miracles in the realm of nature. Mark's gospel is the action gospel. Here we see the Lord Jesus Christ as the active servant of the Lord. Dr William Hendrickson says, Mark pictures the Christ as an active, energetic, swiftly moving, warring, conquering king. A victor over the destructive forces of nature, over disease, demons and even death. I say the account before us is extremely vivid and colourful. But at the same time it's also fast moving, it's swift. There is an incredible speed in the way that Mark records these incidents. He takes us by the hand and he follows the movements of Jesus from place to place with an amazing rapidity. Mark doesn't stay with anything for too long to enable us to get bored. He switches from one scene to another with great speed and ability. Mark virtually takes our breath away as he takes us by the hand and he leads us from the Jordan River right up to the garden too. I say Mark's gospel is the most thrilling gospel and therefore it is the gospel for our modern age. Now before we proceed to look at something of the contents of this gospel, and we'll certainly be doing that tonight, I want us to focus our thoughts by way of introduction on two very important questions. The first question is who wrote this gospel? And the second question is why did he write it? Now let's begin with the first. Who was the author of this gospel? Now some of you may be thinking to yourselves, well surely the answer is really quite obvious. In my Bible it says, the Gospel according to Mark. Mark was the author of this Gospel. But you see, this title is not original. It's not found in any of the earliest manuscripts of the Greek New Testament. It's a title that was added by Christian believers much later on. In fact, this gospel was written anonymously. However, having said that, there is an unbroken tradition in the Christian church dating back to the earliest of times that this gospel was written by a man whose name was John Mark. Now, we don't know very much about this man. What we do know is that he had a mother whose name was Mary and that they lived in the city of Jerusalem. We can glean from the information we are given that they were a very wealthy family because they lived in a large house, large enough to hold one of the earliest prayer meetings. Because in Acts chapter 12 you remember that when Peter was released from prison by divine intervention by an angel, that he immediately went to the home of Mary, the mother of John, whose surname was Mark, where a prayer meeting was in progress. And when he arrived knocking on the door they were absolutely amazed to discover that Peter was there at the door and that their prayers had been answered so quickly. And clearly then Mark was probably an early disciple of Jesus and that he was acquainted with the Twelve. We know that Mark was also a relative of Barnabas. He was in fact his cousin. And when Paul and Barnabas set out on their first missionary journey they took John Mark along with them but when they arrived at the city of Perga in Pamphylia in southern Turkey something quite unexpected happens we read that Mark left them and he returned back home to Jerusalem now why Mark did that we simply do not know the scriptures do not give us the answer it may well have been that he felt homesick Or it may well have been that he found the hardships and the deprivation too great to take. But whatever the reason, Mark deserted the cause of Christ and the Gospel and he went back home to Jerusalem. Mark was a failure. Later on when Paul and Barnabas were organising their second missionary journey, we read that Barnabas wanted to give Mark a second chance but Paul was unwilling. A bitter quarrel ensued, the contention we read was sharp between them and it resulted in a separation. Paul took Silas and went one way, Barnabas took Mark and went the other. But thank God the rift was eventually healed and reconciliation took place because in Paul's letters to the Colossians and to the Philemon he actually greets Mark and describes him as a fellow worker in the gospel and when Paul was writing his final letter to Timothy right at the very end of his life in 2nd Timothy chapter 4 verse 11 he says only Luke is with me take Mark and bring him with you for he is profitable to me for the ministry. All my friends, let us thank God this morning for the encouragement of this man, John Mark. Because so many of us, like Mark, have failed time and time again. We've fallen short of the glory of God in the Christian life and in Christian service. Or we may not have deserted the cause of Christ like John Mark did. but we've all failed in so many many ways and we've turned back and the devil comes to us and he drives it home to us and he convinces us that we are complete and utter failures that we are utterly useless and that God could never ever use us again and the tragic thing is that we so often believe him he wreaks havoc in our lives and with our mind and with our conscience But friends, the Bible reminds us that the devil is a liar and he is the father of liars. Yes, we may have failed and yes, failure is a sin. But the Bible reminds us that God is a merciful God and he has promised that if we confess to him our sins, he is faithful and just to forgive us our sins and to cleanse us from all unrighteousness. The blood of Jesus Christ, God's Son, cleanses us from all sins. He doesn't hold these things against us. He forgives the past. He cancels these things out. He puts them to the back of his mind. He removes them from us as far as the East is from the West. And he takes us up again and he is willing to use us in his kingdom and for his glory. Yes, John Mark had felled miserably. He was a deserter. But the Lord did not throw him on the scrap heap of human failure, did he? No, no, God took him up again. God sent him a Barnabas. And do you know what the name Barnabas means? It is the son of encouragement. God sent Barnabas to encourage, to strengthen, to comfort, and to help and support Mark. And thus Mark the deserter, the failure, became a faithful servant of Jesus Christ, a fellow worker in the gospel. and was eventually used to pen this glorious account of the life and ministry of our Saviour Jesus Christ. And friends, He's willing to do the same for me and the same for you. The Bible this morning is full of examples of people who failed miserably and yet God specialises in recommissioning failures and using them again in His Kingdom and for His glory. Oh, let us take great encouragement from the life of this man whose name was John Mark. So much then for the author of the gospel. But what about the purpose for which it was written? You say, why did Mark put pen to paper? What was his purpose in view? Why did he write this gospel? And I suggest he did so for a twofold purpose. And in the first place, he had an evangelistic aim in mind. He was writing with an evangelistic aim. You see, Mark wasn't simply setting out to write a biography of Jesus. If that were the case, he would have surely given us some account of his birth, and his early upbringing, and in his life. But he does nothing of the sort. He completely misses out the first years of his life, the 30 years of his upbringing and he commences with his ministry in Galilee at the age of 30. No, no, Mark wasn't writing a biography of Jesus and neither was he simply collating all the information that he had learned about him. Rather Mark was setting out to answer one question. And it is the most important question of all. Who is Jesus of Nazareth? Who is this person called Jesus? The central theme of Mark's Gospel is the identity of Jesus of Nazareth. We have it in the very opening statement of chapter 1. The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. the Son of God. It was asserted by his father at his baptism in the Jordan chapter 1 verse 9. It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptised by John in the Jordan and immediately coming up from the water he saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove then a voice from heaven, thou, you are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased. It was also asserted by the demons whom Jesus sought to drive out. Chapter 3 verse 11, and the unclean spirits when they saw him fell down before him and cried out saying, you are the son of God. It was also asserted by Jesus himself when he was later arrested and put on trial before the Jewish high priest. In chapter 14 verse 61 the high priest turns to Jesus and says, are you the Christ, the son of the blessed? And Jesus answers, I am, I am. And finally it was also asserted by the centurion at the cross when he saw all that had transpired, all that had taken place, he said truly, this man was the son of God. Yes, the central theme that runs right the way through this gospel is the identity of Jesus of Nazareth. It is a question that is raised time and time again and it is the question that Mark wants you to consider and grapple with this morning. Who is this person called Jesus? In chapter 8 when Jesus arrived at Caesarea Philippi he said to his disciples who do men say I am? And you remember how they replied well some say you're John the Baptist others think that you're Jeremiah or one of the other prophets but then Jesus turned to them and said but who do you say I am? You see the question is intensely personal. The spotlight was now focused upon them. And Peter came out with that wonderful confession. He said, you are the Christ, you are the son of the living God. The question is intensely personal and individualistic. My friend let me ask you in this service this morning, have you ever stopped in your life to consider this question, who is Jesus of Nazareth? and have you come to the confession of Peter that he is the son of the living God and have you received him personally as your Saviour and as your King. You see this is what Christian salvation is really all about. The Bible says that if you confess with your mouth Jesus is Lord and believe in your heart that God has raised him from the dead you will be saved. For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation. No, no, Mark is not writing this account merely to inform. He's writing to transform. He wants you, his readers, to believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God, so that believing, you too might have life through his name. Yes John was writing, Mark was writing with an evangelistic aim. But then secondly and finally I believe Mark was writing with a pastoral aim. He was writing with a pastoral aim. You see it's important to keep in mind the very people to whom Mark was writing this Gospel. The ancient Christian historians tell us that Mark was writing this in Italy for the Christian believers in the church in Rome. And Rome at that time in history was at a crisis. It was a most critical moment. The Roman Emperor of that day was a man by the name of Nero, the dreaded Nero, one of the most cruel and malicious and evil dictators of his time. He was a veritable antichrist. And in AD 64, a great fire broke out across the city of Rome, causing immense destruction. Many suspected that it was started by Nero himself. But in order to avoid suspicion, he laid the blame upon the Christian church. And as a result, immense, severe persecution instantly broke out against the Christian believers. Tacitus, the Roman historian, describes the scene as follows. He says, neither human resources, nor imperial munificence, nor appeasement of the gods eliminated sinister suspicions that the fire had been instigated. To suppress this rumour Nero fabricated scapegoats and punished with every refinement the notoriously depraved Christians as they were so called. First, Nero had self-acknowledged Christians arrested. Then, on their information, large numbers of others were condemned, not so much for arson as for their anti-social tendencies. Their deaths were made farcical. Dressed in wild animal skins, they were torn to pieces by dogs, or crucified, or made into human torches to be ignited after dark as substitutes for daylight. Nero provided his gardens for the spectacle and exhibited displays in the circus at which he mingled with the crowd or stood in a chariot dressed as a charioteer. You see friends, such were the conditions prevailing in the Christian church in Rome at that time. And it was against this very background that Mark put pen to paper to write his Gospel in order to strengthen and to comfort the suffering Christians in Rome. And the way he does this is to point them to the Lord Jesus Christ, their Saviour. You see, although Mark presents his portrait of Jesus Christ as the Son of God and as a powerful, warring King, who reigns over demons, disease and even death. Yet he also presents Jesus Christ as the suffering servant. You see there is this great paradox that runs right the way through Mark's account, Mark's Gospel. On the one hand we see Jesus Christ as a conquering, warring king. On the other hand we see him as the suffering servant of the Lord. humbling himself more than any man, becoming obedient to the point of death, even the death of the cross. It has been said of this gospel that it is a passion narrative with an extended introduction. Virtually half of these 16 chapters are taken up with our Lord's final journey to Jerusalem, his sufferings and his crucifixion. and the whole of the Gospel from chapter 1 verse 1 points us forward to that great climatic event. I believe the key word, the key verse of the entire Gospel is Mark chapter 14 and Mark 10 verse 45 where Jesus says the Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many. And friends, what an encouragement, what a comfort this must have been to these suffering Christians in the city of Rome. Because they were following in the footsteps of their Lord and Master. They were sharing in the very fellowship of Christ's sufferings. You see, just as he had been tempted by the devil, so were they. Just as he was despised and rejected by men, so were they. Just as he was falsely accused and condemned, so were they. And this of course is all part of true Christian discipleship. Jesus said, didn't he, if any man will come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross daily and follow me. Christianity It's about self-denial. It's about humility. And it is about suffering. It's about cross-bearing. The Bible tells us that the trials and tribulations of this life are just an inevitable, inescapable experience of life. But they are really nothing more than everyday Christian living. The Bible declares that it is through much tribulation that we shall enter into the Kingdom of God. Jesus said, if they persecuted me, they will also persecute you, for the servant is not above his Lord. In the world, he said, you shall have tribulation, but be of good cheer, for I have overcome the world. Oh, my friends, let us sit down and count the cost before we think of following him. Let us arm ourselves this morning with the same minds. Let us follow closely in the footsteps of our Saviour. Let us nail our colours firmly to the Master's warning. Let us identify ourselves with the Crucified One, with the Suffering Servant of the Lord. Because it is only as we go by way of the Cross that we shall gain the Eternal Crown. Let us pray. Oh, gracious God, how we thank you for this tremendous account that we have been given of the life and ministry of our Lord Jesus Christ. We do thank you that it sets out to answer that one vital question, who is Jesus? And we thank you for this wonderful paradox that we see of a conquering, divine, warring king, and yet the suffering servant of the Lord, the one who came to give his life for us, a ransom for many, We pray, Lord God, that we may indeed, Lord, follow Mark as he takes us by the hand and he leads us from that Jordan River to the Garden Tomb. But we pray most of all that we will be willing to follow in the footsteps of our Saviour himself, to identify ourselves with him, to be willing, Lord God, to deny self and to take up that cross, that we may be true followers and know that fellowship with the crucified one, For we ask this in Jesus' name. Amen. Let's say the grace, shall we? The grace of our Lord Jesus Christ, and the love of God, and the fellowship of the Holy Spirit, be with us all, and evermore. Amen.