His Story
{GOSPEL ACCOUNTS}
[Click on the title below to open an article]
{BEGINNINGS}
- The Salvation of Yahweh - {PDF Copy} - (‘Jesus’ means ‘Yahweh saves.’ In the man from Nazareth, the salvation promised by the God of Israel arrived in all its glory)
- Beginning of the Good News - {PDF Copy} - (The promised Kingdom of God arrived in the ministry of Jesus the Messiah, commencing with his baptism – Mark 1:1-3)
- Introduction to Mark - {PDF Copy} - (A brief overview of the history and structure of Mark's gospel account)
- The Son of Abraham - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus is the Son of Abraham, heir of the promises, the Anointed King who fulfills and implements the inheritance of his people)
- David's Son - (Jesus is the son of David, the heir to the Messianic Throne, the beloved Son of God, and the Suffering Servant of Yahweh) - {PDF Copy}
- The Royal Servant - (Following his baptism in the Jordan River, the Voice from Heaven identified Jesus as the Son of God and the Servant of the LORD) - {PDF Copy}
- The Voice in the Wilderness - {PDF Copy} - (John the Baptist prepared the way for the Messiah’s arrival, the herald of the Good News of the Kingdom of God – Mark 1:4-8)
- In Spirit and Fire - {PDF Copy} - (The Spirit of God descended on Jesus, equipping him for his Messianic mission. He would baptize his followers in the Holy Spirit and Fire)
- Rend the Heavens! - {PDF Copy} - (The Spirit of God and the voice from heaven confirmed the calling and identity of Jesus – Son, Messiah, and Servant of the LORD)
- The Kingdom Herald - {PDF Copy} - (After his baptism, the Spirit drove Jesus to the Wilderness to be tested by the Devil. But he overcame and succeeded where Israel failed)
- Adversity and Fulfillment - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus began to proclaim the Gospel following the arrest of John, which represented the opposition that came to plague his ministry – Mark 1:14-15)
- Servant or Caesar? - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus rejected Satan’s offer of unlimited political power and instead chose of the way of the Suffering Servant - Matthew 4:8-11)
{IN GALILEE}
- Summoning Disciples - {PDF Copy} - (In Galilee, Jesus summoned four fishermen to leave their livelihoods to follow him and become his disciples – Mark 1:16-20)
- His Authority - {PDF Copy} - (He is the Son of Man foreseen by Daniel, the Messiah who has absolute authority from Yahweh over the Earth)
- Authority over Satan - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus demonstrated his authority over Satan’s domain by driving his forces out of the children of Israel – Mark 1:21-28)
- Authority over Disease - {PDF Copy} - (Neither social conventions nor purity regulations prevented Jesus from ministering to the physical needs of men and women – Mark 1:29-39)
- Authority over Ritual Purity - {PDF Copy} - (The touch of Jesus cleansed a leper, and the forbidden physical contact failed to render him unclean – Mark 1:40-45)
- Discharging Sins - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus healed a paralytic, and by doing so, he demonstrated the authority of the Son of Man to discharge sins – Mark 2:1-12)
- THAT Son of Man - {PDF Copy} - (The one like a Son of Man in Daniel is the source of Christ’s self-designation as the Son of Man and his authority)
- Mercy rather than Sacrifice - {PDF Copy} - (Forgiveness links the call of the tax collector to the healing of the paralytic – Christ’s authority to discharge sins and restore men – Mark 2:13-17)
- Authority over the Sabbath - {PDF Copy} - (In response to the Jewish leaders that opposed him, Jesus demonstrated that he is Lord even of the Sabbath Day - Mark 2:23-3:6)
- Crowds Press, Demons Confess - {PDF Copy} - (Mark 3:7-12 - Jesus silenced demons that professed him to be God's Son)
- Twelve Apostles Appointed - {PDF Copy} - (Mark 3:13-21 - Jesus departs to a mountain to summon his twelve disciples)
- Unpardonable Sin - {PDF Copy} - (A line is crossed when the activities of God’s Spirit in the words and deeds of Jesus are attributed to Satan – Mark 3:22-35)
- The Unwanted Messiah - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus is revealed as the Savior of Mankind in his sufferings and self-sacrificial death for others, including his enemies)
- Sower and Seed - {PDF Copy} - (The Son of Man sows the seed of the Gospel in the world where it grows continually into the Kingdom of God until his return – Mark 4:1-20)
- Kingdom Parables - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus taught several parables concerning the Kingdom of God, its paradoxical growth, and its status in the world - Mark 4:21-34)
- Authority over Sea and Storm - {PDF Copy} - (Despite his tremendous miracle of calming a tempest on the Sea of Galilee, the disciples still did not recognize the Son of Man – Mark 4:35-41)
- Who is this Man? - {PDF Copy} - (No one recognized who Jesus was except the demons cast out by him. Only in his sacrificial death is his identity be understood)
- Jesus and the Demoniac - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus delivered a demonized Gentile while traveling through hostile territory, demonstrating his vast authority over Satan)
- Two Women Restored - {PDF Copy} - (Mark 5:21-43 - Christ restores two afflicted women despite barriers raised by the Levitical purity codes)
- Rejected at Home - {PDF Copy} - (Despite his miraculous deeds, his hometown rejected his ministry and took offense at the humble origins of Jesus – Mark 6:1-6)
- Opposition and Rejection - {PDF Copy} - (To be the disciple of Jesus one must take up the cross and follow in his footsteps, even if it results in rejection, impoverishment, or death - Mark 6:7-30)
- Miraculous Witness to Israel - {PDF Copy} - (Mark 6:31-56 - The feeding of the 5,000 provided Israel with a miraculous witness yet many Jews still rejected Jesus)
- Jesus and Tradition - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus undermined the religious rationale for dietary restrictions. With the Messiah’s arrival, the old rituals lost their relevance)
- Spiritual Dullness - {PDF Copy} - (Mark 8:1-21 - Mark highlights the unbelief behind the inability of the disciples and others to perceive who he was)
- Blind Man Saved - {PDF Copy} - (Mark 8:22-26 - A blind man’s eyes are opened and the man "saved" as Jesus continued on his "way" to Jerusalem)
- On the Way - {PDF Copy} - (On the way to Jerusalem, Jesus explained what it meant to be the Messiah and the destiny of the suffering Son of Man - Mark 8:27-38)
- Rejection and Suffering - {PDF Copy} - (To be the Messiah entailed suffering and death for others, and Jesus summoned his disciples to follow his example – Mark 8:31)
{TO JERUSALEM}
- The Transfiguration - {PDF Copy} - (The Transfiguration confirms his status as the Messiah and the necessity for Jesus to suffer before receiving glory)
- Disciples Stumped by Unbelief - {PDF Copy} - (Unbelief hindered the ability of Jesus to heal some afflicted persons, not the lack of fasting or other ritualistic practices)
- Delivered Up - {PDF Copy} - (To be the disciple of Jesus means living a life of self-sacrificial service to others, especially to the weak and the insignificant)
- Faithful or Saltless - {PDF Copy} - (Faithful disciples will receive great rewards, but those who harm their weaker brethren risk condemnation to Gehenna)
- Question on Divorce - {PDF Copy} - (Opponents question Jesus about divorce to trap him, but he uses the issue to teach the higher ways of the Kingdom of God)
- The Young Rich Man - {PDF Copy} - (To follow Jesus means surrendering one’s entire life and following wherever he leads, no questions asked)
- His Imminent Death - {PDF Copy} - (Jesus was journeying to Jerusalem where he as the Son of Man would be arrested, tried, and executed – Mark 10:32-34)
- Ransom for Many - {PDF Copy} - (His disciple is called to engage in self-sacrificial service for others just as Jesus gave his life as a ransom for many – Mark 10:35-45)
- Blind Bar-Timaeus Saved - {PDF Copy} - (Mark 10:46-52 - Jesus restored the sight of a blind beggar while “on the way” to his death in the city of Jerusalem)
- His Triumphal Arrival - {PDF Copy} - (At the end of his journey, his destination was the Temple in the center of the city – Mark 11:1-11)