Jesus is the Suffering Servant
Jesus as the Suffering Servant
The Gospel of Mark
Bill woke up with his head pounding again. As he sat on the edge of his bed, his mind filled with regret and shame. He had spent another night drinking at home alone even though he had promised his friends he would give up alcohol because it isolated him and brought on his depression. He sat there filled with shame wondering, “How could God ever forgive me?”
Shelly pulled the car over on her way home from dropping off her kids. She had lost her cool again that morning as the kids were getting ready for school. Everyone had woken up late, and the stress of packing lunches and preparing for after-school sports was just too much. She had raised her voice at her oldest daughter, putting too much blame on her. She pulled the car over and wept, asking herself, “Why can’t I be the mother God wants me to be?”
Kent did it again. He typed those words into the search bar yet again. He was so ashamed of his behavior. He wanted to talk about it with his accountability partner and his pastor, but he was too afraid of what people would think. They had already extended so much grace to him. He hung his head and stared blankly at the floor thinking, “How could God love someone so unclean?”
Jackie sat in her car staring at the front door of her friend’s house. Instead of getting out of the car, she reached for her phone and texted, “I can’t make it to the party. Something came up.” Fear had consumed her again. She was sure she would say something awkward, and people would stare. Or, worse, no one would talk to her at all. She just didn’t know if she could have true friends. She drove off, heading home to be alone again and thinking, “How can God put up with me anymore?”
Have you ever felt like a failure to God? Have you ever wondered if, one day, God would have enough of your behavior and cast you aside? Do you think of yourself as a poor disciple of Jesus? Maybe one who just doesn’t get it? If you have ever felt like a failure as you followed Jesus, the Gospel of Mark is for you. In fact, it was written by someone just like you.
The Gospel of Mark was written by John Mark. John Mark was Barnabas’ cousin, who caused the rift between Paul and Barnabas and caused them to end their missionary partnership. Mark couldn’t really cut it on the mission field, and so he abandoned the team to head home. Mark understood failure. Although Mark wrote the gospel, most scholars believe that Mark got his information from the Apostle Peter. The loud, charging, act-first-think-second leader of the Apostles. Mark reads like Peter thinks: quick, fast-paced, full of action, and to the point. Mark’s favorite word is the word, “immediately”, and he uses it often, which contributes to the speed of the narrative. As we consider Mark’s gospel, we will see Peter’s fingerprints throughout its pages. It bears the marks of the fast paced, quick-speaking, hard-charging disciple who led boldly and, often, badly.
Each of the Gospel accounts were written by men carried along by the Holy Spirit to communicate not only the life and works of Jesus, but to prove His identity and His heart for His people. More specifically, Mark communicates the identity of Jesus Christ and His heart toward suffering disciples like you and me.
Of the synoptic gospels, most modern scholars believe that Mark was written first because Matthew and Luke seem to develop and use Mark’s gospel as a foundation. Mark only has seven parables while the other synoptic gospels, Matthew and Luke, each have more than twenty. Peter died in 64 AD, so Mark was most likely written somewhere between the mid 50s to early 60s AD. He wrote to a mixed audience of Jews and Gentiles about the universal call of discipleship. According to Mark, to be a disciple of Jesus, one had to, primarily, understand Jesus for who He is and what He came to do. It was more about a relationship than a list of rules. Yet, a disciple of Jesus will always follow His ways and will be willing to suffer like He did.
I want you to grasp four main things from Mark’s gospel. First, Jesus is the Son of God.
Jesus is the Son of God
If you sit down and read Mark’s gospel, it will take you about an hour and, as you read, you will notice that Mark highlights Jesus’ identity as the Son of God at key points through the book. In the very first verse, Mark writes,
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Mark 1:1
Mark comes out swinging: Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He does not mince words; he is clear and direct. Matthew and Luke both begin with genealogies and information about Jesus' birth and early years. Mark starts with John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus, which may be because John the Baptist and the baptism were so close to the calling of Peter.
In the opening chapter, Mark clearly states that Jesus is the Son of God because He is one that has authority in His teaching and ministry. Jesus’ teaching ministry can be summarized in two verses,
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:14–15
Jesus came to inaugurate, or establish, the Kingdom of God, and since the Kingdom of God has arrived, everyone must repent and believe in the Gospel. Repentance and belief are the two wings of the “Gospel plane”. We must repent, or turn from, our sin, but then we must believe on and in Jesus Christ. We must do both if we are going to enter the Kingdom of God. Because God has established baptism as a public profession and sign of our official entrance into the Kingdom of God, it is fitting that Mark begins with John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus. This is not a coincidence!
Not only does Mark begin with the authority of Jesus' teaching ministry, he also explains why we should submit to Jesus' authority. He has authority over the hearts of men, including Peter, who is called early in the gospel and is an eyewitness to these events,
Passing alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew the brother of Simon casting a net into the sea, for they were fishermen. And Jesus said to them, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” And immediately they left their nets and followed him. And going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and John his brother, who were in their boat mending the nets. And immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired servants and followed him. Mark 1:16–20
Jesus has authority over the hearts of men and over of the spiritual realm.
And they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was teaching. And they were astonished at his teaching, for he taught them as one who had authority, and not as the scribes. And immediately there was in their synagogue a man with an unclean spirit. And he cried out, “What have you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth? Have you come to destroy us? I know who you are—the Holy One of God.” But Jesus rebuked him, saying, “Be silent, and come out of him!” And the unclean spirit, convulsing him and crying out with a loud voice, came out of him. And they were all amazed, so that they questioned among themselves, saying, “What is this? A new teaching with authority! He commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.” And at once his fame spread everywhere throughout all the surrounding region of Galilee. Mark 1:21–28
He has authority over sickness.
And immediately he left the synagogue and entered the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and John.Now Simon’s mother-in-law lay ill with a fever, and immediately they told him about her. And he came and took her by the hand and lifted her up, and the fever left her, and she began to serve them.
That evening at sundown they brought to him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. [And the whole city was gathered together at the door. And he healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast out many demons. And he would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew him. Mark 1:29–34
For Mark, Jesus’ visible authority over sickness and evil spirits confirmed the authority of His teaching. Notice how Mark illustrates this after these three fast-paced, action-packed accounts.
And rising very early in the morning, while it was still dark, he departed and went out to a desolate place, and there he prayed. And Simon and those who were with him searched for him, and they found him and said to him, “Everyone is looking for you.” And he said to them, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” And he went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons. Mark 1:35–39
Jesus' ministry in Galilee could be summarized in that last verse, “preaching in their synagogues and casting out demons.”
Jesus had authority because he was the Son of God. Mark establishes his thesis in the first verse and then, throughout the first chapter, gives us a sampling of why he believes this. Throughout the rest of the gospel, Mark strategically reminds the reader of his thesis.
And whenever the unclean spirits saw him, they fell down before him and cried out, “You are the Son of God.” Mark 3:11
And crying out with a loud voice, he said, “What have you to do with me, Jesus, Son of the Most High God? I adjure you by God, do not torment me.” Mark 5:7
In this passage, two unclean spirits identify Jesus as the Son of God, but we do not see this again until the end of the gospel, when the centurion, a Roman soldier and a Gentile, looks on at the end of Jesus life.
And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” Mark 15:39
Mark 1:1 and Mark 15:39 are bookends to Mark’s gospel, proving his main argument. Jesus Christ is the Son of God. But key to Mark’s argument is not only that Jesus is the Son of God, but He is also the Son of Man.
Jesus is the Son of Man
Throughout his earthly ministry, Jesus most frequently referred to himself as the Son of Man. It was a very important title because it connected His divinity with His humanity. Jesus Christ is the God-man. He is the Son of God and the Son of Man. In Mark 2, a paralytic man is dropped down from a roof. Jesus was moved with compassion and when seeing the paralytic and the faith of his friends, He said, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” Mark provides the details of what happened.
Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? [Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!” Mark 2:6–12
The Son of Man has authority to forgive sins. He has this authority because He is the divine Son of Man who was promised by the prophets. When He was questioned by the head priest during His sham trial, the high priest asked Him directly, “Are you the Christ, the Son of the Blessed?” Jesus responded,
And Jesus said, “I am, and you will see the Son of Man seated at the right hand of Power, and coming with the clouds of heaven.” And the high priest tore his garments and said, “What further witnesses do we need? You have heard his blasphemy. What is your decision?” And they all condemned him as deserving death. Mark 14:62–66
Jesus identified Himself very specifically, and the high priest understood exactly what He meant. Any Jew would have known what He was saying because the language Jesus used is very similar to Daniel 7,
“I saw in the night visions,
and behold, with the clouds of heaven
there came one like a son of man,
and he came to the Ancient of Days
and was presented before him.
And to him was given dominion
and glory and a kingdom,
that all peoples, nations, and languages
should serve him;
his dominion is an everlasting dominion,
which shall not pass away,
and his kingdom one
that shall not be destroyed. Daniel 7:13–14
The Son of Man was given dominion or authority. Remember what Jesus said before He healed the paralytic, “So you may know that the Son of Man has authority to forgive sins, pick up your mat and walk.” The Son of Man has been given authority and dominion. Jesus was identifying himself as the Son of Man, but the Pharisees and even the disciples did not understand what that meant.
Jesus is the Suffering Servant
The Son of Man is divine, but He must also suffer. This is a key point throughout Mark’s gospel. As in Matthew, Peter’s confession of Jesus as the Christ is the turning point of the book. Mark sets up this confession beautifully,
And they came to Bethsaida. And some people brought to him a blind man and begged him to touch him. And he took the blind man by the hand and led him out of the village, and when he had spit on his eyes and laid his hands on him, he asked him, “Do you see anything?” And he looked up and said, “I see people, but they look like trees, walking.” Then Jesus laid his hands on his eyes again; and he opened his eyes, his sight was restored, and he saw everything clearly. Mark 8:22–25
This man needed a two-part healing of his blindness. Jesus could have healed him immediately, but He didn’t. Why? He teaches His disciples that they will go through the same process. They will see His identity in part before they see it clearly.
And Jesus went on with his disciples to the villages of Caesarea Philippi. And on the way he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that I am?” And they told him, “John the Baptist; and others say, Elijah; and others, one of the prophets.” And he asked them, “But who do you say that I am?” Peter answered him, “You are the Christ.” And he strictly charged them to tell no one about him. Mark 8:27–30
Jesus knew the people were not ready to understand what that meant, so He asked His disciples to keep it to themselves. This is known in Mark as the “Messianic Secret”, and you will see that even Jesus’ own disciples see with blurred vision. After the confession of who Jesus is, He then teaches that the Son of Man must suffer.
And he began to teach them that the Son of Man must suffer many things and be rejected by the elders and the chief priests and the scribes and be killed, and after three days rise again. And he said this plainly.
Mark 8:31–32
Notice the opening words of verse 32, “And he said this plainly.” Jesus would say it plainly two more times.
for he was teaching his disciples, saying to them, “The Son of Man is going to be delivered into the hands of men, and they will kill him. And when he is killed, after three days he will rise.” Mark 9:31–32
And once more, Jesus spoke only to the twelve disciples,
saying, “See, we are going up to Jerusalem, and the Son of Man will be delivered over to the chief priests and the scribes, and they will condemn him to death and deliver him over to the Gentiles. And they will mock him and spit on him, and flog him and kill him. And after three days he will rise.” Mark 10:33–34
The Son of Man must suffer. He must be delivered into the hands of men and be killed. Each time Jesus communicates this, there is confusion and misunderstanding.
And he said this plainly. And Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him. But turning and seeing his disciples, he rebuked Peter and said, “Get behind me, Satan! For you are not setting your mind on the things of God, but on the things of man.” Mark 8:32–33
Peter did not understand that the Son of Man must suffer. He could not comprehend it because he was thinking with an earthly mindset.
But they did not understand the saying, and were afraid to ask him.
Mark 9:32
They saw like the blind man, who saw trees walking, but it was blurry. The disciples could only see the glory, not the cross. They did not understand the way of Christ and the way of discipleship.
And calling the crowd to him with his disciples, he said to them, “If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. For whoever would save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for my sake and the gospel’s will save it. For what does it profit a man to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? Mark 8:34–36
The way of Jesus is the way of suffering. Mark takes the Son of Man imagery and gives us one more verse to drive it home,
For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45
The Son of Man came to save by suffering, which is just what Isaiah prophesied in Isaiah 53,
Surely he has borne our griefs
and carried our sorrows;
yet we esteemed him stricken,
smitten by God, and afflicted.
But he was pierced for our transgressions;
he was crushed for our iniquities;
upon him was the chastisement that brought us peace,
and with his wounds we are healed.
All we like sheep have gone astray;
we have turned—every one—to his own way;
and the LORD has laid on him
the iniquity of us all.
Yet it was the will of the LORD to crush him;
he has put him to grief;
when his soul makes an offering for guilt,
he shall see his offspring; he shall prolong his days;
the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand.
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities. Isaiah 53:4–6; 10–11
Jesus Christ is the Son of Man who came to suffer on the cross for the forgiveness of sin. He offered His life as a ransom for all who believe. Isaiah 53:11 says “the righteous one shall make many righteous”. Mark 10:45 says “the Son of Man gives his life as a ransom for many.” Jesus came to save all who repent and believe. All are invited, but not everyone will follow. Some will be like Peter when he first heard the gospel, and say, “Never Lord.” Others will think the cost of discipleship is too high. What about you? Will you be part of the many? Will you repent and believe?
Jesus would suffer. He would be beaten and mocked by those he came to save.
And when the sixth hour had come, there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried with a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lema sabachthani?” which means, “My God, my God, why have you forsaken me?” And some of the bystanders hearing it said, “Behold, he is calling Elijah.” And someone ran and filled a sponge with sour wine, put it on a reed and gave it to him to drink, saying, “Wait, let us see whether Elijah will come to take him down.” And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
Mark 15:33–39
Because Jesus was willing to suffer, we are able to say, “Truly this man was the Son of God.” His death proves that He came not to be served, but to serve and give His life as a ransom for many. Beloved, this is why we know He will be patient with the failings of His disciples. He knows we will fail; that is why He came.
Jesus is for Suffering Disciples
If you have an hour in the next few days, read the Gospel of Mark again and note how many times the disciples just didn’t get it. In Mark 4, they yelled at Jesus during the storm, “Teacher, do you not care that we are perishing?” They were terrified when they saw Jesus walking on the water right after He had fed the multitude with a few loaves of bread,
And he saw that they were making headway painfully, for the wind was against them. And about the fourth watch of the night he came to them, walking on the sea. He meant to pass by them, but when they saw him walking on the sea they thought it was a ghost, and cried out, for they all saw him and were terrified. But immediately he spoke to them and said, “Take heart; it is I. Do not be afraid.” And he got into the boat with them, and the wind ceased. And they were utterly astounded, for they did not understand about the loaves, but their hearts were hardened. Mark 6:48–52
The disciples' hearts were hardened.
Mark gives many other examples, and I think the reason there are so many is because this gospel is the account of Peter, and Peter knew failure. On the night Jesus was betrayed, they took the Passover meal together, went to the Mount of Olives, sang a hymn, and waited.
And Jesus said to them, “You will all fall away, for it is written, ‘I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep will be scattered.’ But after I am raised up, I will go before you to Galilee.” Peter said to him, “Even though they all fall away, I will not.” And Jesus said to him, “Truly, I tell you, this very night, before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” But he said emphatically, “If I must die with you, I will not deny you.” And they all said the same. Mark 14:27–31
Then Peter, even with his bold claim of devotion to Jesus, is found sleeping just a few verses later.
And he came and found them sleeping, and he said to Peter, “Simon, are you asleep? Could you not watch one hour? Watch and pray that you may not enter into temptation. The spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.” And again he went away and prayed, saying the same words. And again he came and found them sleeping, for their eyes were very heavy, and they did not know what to answer him. Mark 14:37–40
I can almost see Peter telling Mark, “Mark, I couldn’t even stay awake with him. I remember his eyes, I can hear his voice, ‘Simon, are you asleep?’.”
One of the reasons that we can trust the Gospel of Mark is because it does not make the disciples look like heroes. It makes them look like failures. Jesus was met by his betrayer, Judas, with the Roman soldiers.
And Jesus said to them, “Have you come out as against a robber, with swords and clubs to capture me? Day after day I was with you in the temple teaching, and you did not seize me. But let the Scriptures be fulfilled.” And they all left him and fled. Mark 14:48–50
They all left Him and fled. All of them, including Peter, left Him and ran. Then we read Mark’s signature in the book,
And a young man followed him, with nothing but a linen cloth about his body. And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth and ran away naked. Mark 14:51–52
As a young man, Mark ran away from Jesus naked. Later, as a grown man, Mark would run away from Paul and Barnabas, the servants of Jesus.
The next few verses in Mark 14 recount the darkest night of Peter’s life. Peter had denied Jesus’ request three times when he fell asleep, and now he would deny Jesus three times again,
And as Peter was below in the courtyard, one of the servant girls of the high priest came, and seeing Peter warming himself, she looked at him and said, “You also were with the Nazarene, Jesus.” But he denied it, saying, “I neither know nor understand what you mean.” And he went out into the gateway and the rooster crowed. And the servant girl saw him and began again to say to the bystanders, “This man is one of them.” But again he denied it. And after a little while the bystanders again said to Peter, “Certainly you are one of them, for you are a Galilean.” But he began to invoke a curse on himself and to swear, “I do not know this man of whom you speak.” And immediately the rooster crowed a second time. And Peter remembered how Jesus had said to him, “Before the rooster crows twice, you will deny me three times.” And he broke down and wept. Mark 14:66–72
Maybe you can relate to those tears? Have you wept over your betrayal of Jesus? Peter did. Through Mark’s pen, Peter tells us about his failure as a disciple. He isn’t doing it to showcase his utter failure; he is doing it so that we will have hope. Those tears streaming down his face and those shoulders shaking with grief were the signs of a repentant heart as he confessed his betrayal. Peter’s godly grief led him to repentance which ultimately led to eternal life.
All three of the predictions about Jesus’ suffering and death, also include the promise of a resurrection. Jesus said, “The Son of Man must suffer and die, and after three days, rise again.” Beloved, the Gospel is not merely about suffering, it is about glory. We confess our failures and our sins as we look and hope for the resurrection. Jesus is so patient with us.
And very early on the first day of the week, when the sun had risen, they went to the tomb. And they were saying to one another, “Who will roll away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb?” And looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled back—it was very large. And entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting on the right side, dressed in a white robe, and they were alarmed. And he said to them, “Do not be alarmed. You seek Jesus of Nazareth, who was crucified. He has risen; he is not here. See the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter that he is going before you to Galilee. There you will see him, just as he told you.” Mark 16:2–7
Did you hear that last verse? Go and tell Peter. The Lord is going to turn tears of grief to tears of joy. Our failures are not the final word on our lives. The resurrection of Jesus Christ is the final word.
So all the Peters and Marks and Bills and Kents, and Shellys and Jackies who only focus on their failures, need to remember the third day. Remember that Jesus came to give His life as a ransom for many, for all who would repent and believe, for all who would weep over their failures and turn with hope to Jesus Christ the Son of God. Mark’s gospel, more than any other, reminds us that the way of salvation is the way of the cross. True discipleship is recognizing your failures and turning to Jesus Christ, who alone can save. The young man sitting by the tomb said, “Go, tell Peter.” The Gospel ends in victory for Christ and failure for his disciples,
And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had seized them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid. Mark 16:8
We know that Peter got the message of the resurrection and would lead the church, not in silence and fear, but with power and sacrifice. Jesus suffered and died but rose on the third day. Peter would suffer and die, but he also would be raised. Friends, the hope of Mark’s gospel is that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He is the Son of Man. He is the Suffering Servant, and He is for suffering disciples. Jesus is for you just as he was for Peter. So, brothers and sisters, on the dark night of your soul, when you ask, “How could God love me a sinner?”, all you need to do is look to the Son of Man who came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for you.
We want to be like that young man sitting at the tomb, and not just say, “Go and tell Peter,” but “Go and tell Bill, and Kent. Go and tell Shelly and Jackie.” Go and tell all to repent and believe. Go and tell them that the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for all who would repent and believe. Beloved, let Mark’s message be our message now. Let us go and tell, because people who recognize their failures need the hope of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.