In this series of sermons, Pastor Karabo expounds the New Testament Gospel of Mark under the title “Seeing the Son of God.”
Many interpreters believe that the content of Mark’s Gospel was given to John Mark largely by the apostle Peter, so that this Gospel is, in essence, a record of Peter’s apostolic testimony. Writing likely in the mid-to-late 50s, Mark appears to be addressing an audience largely unfamiliar with Jewish customs. He goes to great lengths to explain these customs and how they were fulfilled in Jesus, the promised Messiah and the Son of God.
The ESV Study Bible’s introduction reads:
The ultimate purpose and theme of Mark’s Gospel is to present and defend Jesus’ universal call to discipleship. Mark returns often to this theme, categorizing his main audience as either followers or opponents of Jesus. Mark presents and supports this call to discipleship by narrating the identity and teaching of Jesus. For Mark, discipleship is essentially a relationship with Jesus, not merely following a certain code of conduct. Fellowship with Jesus marks the heart of the disciple’s life, and this fellowship includes trusting Jesus, confessing him, observing his conduct, following his teaching, and being shaped by a relationship with him. Discipleship also means being prepared to face the kind of rejection that Jesus faced.
Mark is set almost entirely within Palestine, which was ruled in the first century by the Roman Empire. Unlike Matthew and Luke, who record Jesus’ birth narrative, and John, who speaks of Jesus as the pre-existent Son of God, Mark begins his account from Jesus’ baptism, and keeps a fast-paced narrative leading to Christ’s death and resurrection three years later.
At Central Baptist Church, we are committed to the Bible as God’s inerrant and infallible word—our final authority for all matters of faith and practice.
We believe that the faithful preaching and teaching of the Bible is essential to growth in the Christian life.
“I charge you in the presence of God and of Christ Jesus, who is to judge the living and the dead, and by his appearing and his kingdom: preach the word; be ready in season and out of season; reprove, rebuke, and exhort, with complete patience and teaching” (2 Timothy 4:1–2).
