MARK'S GOSPEL PART II

 MARK 1:1-13 DEALS WITH PREPARATION FOR JESUS MINISTRY. THE LONG SECTION THAT FOLLOWS (V1:14-8:26) DESCRIBES JESUS' ACTUAL MINISTRY IN AND AROUND GALILEE. HE FULFILLED THE ISAIANIC SIGNS, DEMONSTRATED HIS POWER OVER NATURE, PUT THE DEMONIC WORLD IN ITS PLACE AND RAISED THE DEAD. DURING THIS MINISTRY JESUS MADE NO CLAIMS IN WORDS ABOUT WHO HE WAS. HE PROCLAIMED THAT THE KINGDOM OF GOD HAD COME, PERFORMED MIRACLES, DEMONSTRATED BY PERSONAL EXAMPLE THE NATURE OF LIFE IN THE KINGDOM OF GOD, AND TAUGHT-BUT HE LEFT IT TO HIS AUDIENCE TO WORK OUT WHO HE WAS. STRANGELY ENOUGH, THOUGH THE DEMONS RECOGNIZED HIM, EVERY ONE ELSE REMAINED STRANGELY SILENT. DURING THIS PERIOD, JESUS DID NOT REFER TO HIS APPROACHING PASSION AND CRUCIFIXION. HE HAD REASONS FOR THIS. NOT ONLY DID HE WANT TO DEMONSTRATE THAT HE WAS THE MESSIAH, BUT HE ALSO WANTED TO CLARIFY WHAT KIND OF MESSIAH HE HAD COME TO BE, NAMELY A "SERVANT MESSIAH."  AT THIS TIME (PART ONE OF MARK) OF JESUS MINISTRY WAS DEVOTED TO TEACHING, AND DOING ISAINIC SIGNS, AND DEMONSTRATING HIS POWER AND AUTHORITY OVER NATURE. THEN JESUS ASKED HIS DISCIPLES WHO THEY THOUGHT HE WAS. THOUGH THEY HAD CONCLUDED THAT HE WAS THE MESSIAH, THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT KIND OF A MESSIAH HE HAD COME TO BE. JESUS PREDICTED HIS APPROACHING PASSION THREE TIMES; EACH PREDICTION  FOLLOWED AN IMPORTANT EVENT IN HIS LIFE. WHEN HE WAS CRUCIFIED, THE ONLY PERSON WHO SEEMED TO UNDERSTAND WHO HE WAS, A ROMAN CENTURION. WHEN JESUS BEGAN HIS MINISTRY, HE WAS "ISRAEL REDUCED TO ONE.." AS HIS MINISTRY PROGRESSED, THE CROWDS GATHERED AROUND HIM. HOWEVER, WHEN THEY BEGAN TO UNDERSTAND HIS MESSAGE, THEY DESERTED HIM. AT THE CROSS, ONLY ONE PERSON CONFESSED WHO HE WAS. DURING HIS FINAL WEEK IN JERUSALEM, JESUS FOUND HIMSELF LOCKED IN CONTROVERSY WITH THE AUTHORITIES ABOUT PAYING TAXES TO CAESAR, LIFE AFTER DEATH., THE LAW, HIS AUTHORITY AND MESSIAHSHIP ( MARK 12:13-37). SOMETHING REMARKABLE FOLLOWED. JESUS FOR THE FIRST TIME SPOKE ABOUT HIS EXPECTED PASSION, DEATH, RESURRECTION. HIS COMMENTS AMOUNTED TO THIS: " YOU HAVE ANSWERED CORRECTLY. I AM THE MESSIAH. TO BE MESSIAH MEANS I MUST SUFFER MANY THINGS AT THE HANDS OF THE ELDERS, CHIEF PRIEST, AND SCRIBES. THEY WILL PUT ME TO DEATH. BUT AFTER THREE DAYS I SHALL RISE FROM THE GRAVE.