“Almighty God,
You have enriched Your Church with the proclamation of the Gospel through the
evangelist Mark. Grant that we may firmly believe these glad tidings and daily
walk according to Your Word; through Jesus Christ, our Lord, who lives and
reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, one God, now and forever. Amen.”
[Collect for The Feast
of St. Mark, Evangelist]
The Feast of St. Mark, Evangelist is celebrated on April 25th. His Gospel is often symbolized as the winged lion for the Lion of the Tribe of Judah whom he proclaims. He lives up to his title, evangelist. He is the good news bearer. But there are (at least) three reasons we should call Mark an apologist in addition to being an evangelist.
We know a few things about Mark: he was from a wealthy family (Acts 12:12); he was brought from Jerusalem by Paul and Barnabas where they set out on the first missionary journey (Acts 12:25ff); he went to Cyprus with Barnabas later on (Acts 15:37ff); after reconciling with Paul, they worked together again (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24; 2 Timothy 4:11); and he was an associate of Peter in Rome (1 Peter 5:13). And though we’d like to know more about him for historical purposes, it’s not the gospel about Mark, but the gospel according to Mark. You see, a good apologist doesn’t waste time talking about himself. There’s far more important things to talk about. An apologist can learn a lot from Mark who spends his entire time talking about Jesus. Almost half of his gospel focuses on holy week alone. That should tell you something. Thus, the apologetic task is to point incessantly to Christ Crucified. Evangelism and Apologetics are a blessed union. In fact, apologetics is evangelism. Rabbit trails must skillfully and swiftly be diverted back to the main point: Christ Crucified and Risen in history for you. It’s both proclamation and defense. Mark is like an Oscar award-winning director: every scene, movement and line plotted carefully, dramatically and climatically, leading to the important conclusion. Immediately. Straightway! To the Jordan. To the wilderness. To the sick, poor and demon possessed. To Jerusalem. To the cross. Because if you only know Jesus the miracle-worker, the healer, the teacher, then you don’t know Jesus at all. Not until Jesus is hanging dead on the cross that he is truly known as the Savior. The Roman centurion gets it: “Truly this man was the Son of God” (Mark 15:39). Mark would’ve also made a great lawyer, always pointing the jury back to the main point of the case: Christ is crucified for you and that’s how you know God and His love.
Although Mark was neither one of the twelve nor an eyewitness, he did his homework. He was an associate of Peter. And Peter did not follow cleverly devised myths, but was an eyewitness from the beginning (2 Peter 1:16-21).
We give thanks to God for the eyewitness. Thank God for Mark and his gospel. For through him we have access to the eyewitnesses and the testimony of history, the true story of salvation. When we hear Mark’s gospel we hear the historical, veracious and reliable record of Jesus’ salvation for us men and for our salvation. Mark is part of a magnificently trustworthy paper trail that leads us right to the cross of Christ.
To God be the Glory,
Pastor Ray
The Feast of St. Mark, Evangelist is celebrated on April 25th. His Gospel is often symbolized as the winged lion for the Lion of the Tribe of Judah whom he proclaims. He lives up to his title, evangelist. He is the good news bearer. But there are (at least) three reasons we should call Mark an apologist in addition to being an evangelist.
We know a few things about Mark: he was from a wealthy family (Acts 12:12); he was brought from Jerusalem by Paul and Barnabas where they set out on the first missionary journey (Acts 12:25ff); he went to Cyprus with Barnabas later on (Acts 15:37ff); after reconciling with Paul, they worked together again (Colossians 4:10; Philemon 24; 2 Timothy 4:11); and he was an associate of Peter in Rome (1 Peter 5:13). And though we’d like to know more about him for historical purposes, it’s not the gospel about Mark, but the gospel according to Mark. You see, a good apologist doesn’t waste time talking about himself. There’s far more important things to talk about. An apologist can learn a lot from Mark who spends his entire time talking about Jesus. Almost half of his gospel focuses on holy week alone. That should tell you something. Thus, the apologetic task is to point incessantly to Christ Crucified. Evangelism and Apologetics are a blessed union. In fact, apologetics is evangelism. Rabbit trails must skillfully and swiftly be diverted back to the main point: Christ Crucified and Risen in history for you. It’s both proclamation and defense. Mark is like an Oscar award-winning director: every scene, movement and line plotted carefully, dramatically and climatically, leading to the important conclusion. Immediately. Straightway! To the Jordan. To the wilderness. To the sick, poor and demon possessed. To Jerusalem. To the cross. Because if you only know Jesus the miracle-worker, the healer, the teacher, then you don’t know Jesus at all. Not until Jesus is hanging dead on the cross that he is truly known as the Savior. The Roman centurion gets it: “Truly this man was the Son of God” (Mark 15:39). Mark would’ve also made a great lawyer, always pointing the jury back to the main point of the case: Christ is crucified for you and that’s how you know God and His love.
Although Mark was neither one of the twelve nor an eyewitness, he did his homework. He was an associate of Peter. And Peter did not follow cleverly devised myths, but was an eyewitness from the beginning (2 Peter 1:16-21).
We give thanks to God for the eyewitness. Thank God for Mark and his gospel. For through him we have access to the eyewitnesses and the testimony of history, the true story of salvation. When we hear Mark’s gospel we hear the historical, veracious and reliable record of Jesus’ salvation for us men and for our salvation. Mark is part of a magnificently trustworthy paper trail that leads us right to the cross of Christ.
To God be the Glory,
Pastor Ray