Through the Bible: MarkSample
A Mark of the Serving Ox
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. Mark 1:1 (ESV)
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 Mark 1:35 (ESV)
The gospels portray Jesus as four different symbols – the lion, the ox, the Son of Man, and the eagle (Ez. 1:10, Rev. 4:7). The Gospel of Mark was perhaps written first, but it is still concise and raw, documenting Jesus serving others like an ox (Mark 10:45).
Mark’s trademark was to use “immediately” to describe what was going on. Chapter 1 goes from the baptism of Jesus to His temptation in the wilderness to the calling of disciples. We see Jesus going from healing and delivering people to evangelizing and teaching. The Creator came to earth to be with His loved ones and labored tirelessly for all to experience Him.
Crowds flocked to Jesus to the point of nearly crushing Him. He was often ministering to others to the point of having no time to eat. Yet He set aside time to draw near to the Father in prayer. Mark made it a point to note down these important moments.
Prayer
Thank You, Jesus, for coming to earth and spending time with us to experience true life and Your presence so that we can have true free will to know and love You. Thank You for never ceasing to ‘serve’ us because You love and treasure us. With this time given to us by You, we choose to spend it with You. In Jesus' name, Amen.
About this Plan
Mark uses the Greek word euthus, often translated to “immediately,” 41 times to emphasize Jesus taking prompt actions to rescue anyone who believes in Him. The book is beautifully composed of two main sessions, summarised in this key verse in Mark 10:45, “The Son of Man did not come to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.”
More