Tuesday, 21st June 2022
Rev Daniel Xi An Poon
Section One V1-13 The Beginning of the Gospel
V1-3 ‘The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophets: Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You. The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.’ Who is Jesus? He is the messiah and the beginning of the Book of Mark talks about the beginning of people following the Messiah.
V4-5 ‘John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.’ Before Jesus came, John the Baptist prepared the way, but he did not go to the town where most people were, instead, he went to the wilderness, and waited for those who were willing to repent to come forward.
V9-11 ‘It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”’ Jesus did not go around boasting about His power, instead, He waited for God’s timing, when John the Baptise prophesied about the Messiah, He came forward, humbling Himself to be baptised by John. Then God gave Him glory, which everyone can see. We don’t need to boast about who we are or what we can do, but to humble and wait upon God, He will not put us to shame.
V12-13 ‘Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.’ Jesus really lived in the Fregrance of the Tree of Life, His action also restored the Garden of Eden, what Adam and Eve were doing, to live among the wild animals. Do we use the power we were given by the Holy Spirit to deal with the old self within us? Are we willing to work with the Holy Spirit and experience God?
Section Two V14-20 Preach the Gospel of God
V16-18 ‘And as He walked by the Sea of Galilee, He saw Simon and Andrew his brother casting a net into the sea; for they were fishermen. Then Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” They immediately left their nets and followed Him.’ Do we really pray for ourselves to fish for people? The Holy Spirit will talk to us, He will show us where our ‘fishes’ are. Jesus knew where to go, to fish for people; He called them and they answered. The true Gospel is for people to be willing to give up everything to respond and follow God. We must be responsible for the lives we preach the Gospel to, when God bring people to us, do we take this ownership and see what God wants us to do in their lives? He has already prepared us to equip and disciple the nation.
Section Three V21-45 The Power Ministry
V21-22 ‘Then they went into Capernaum, and immediately on the Sabbath He entered the synagogue and taught. And they were astonished at His teaching, for He taught them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.’ The way Jesus preached the Gospel is not like how others teach and talk about the Bible, but to really impact lives with His life. Can we also follow the example of Jesus and preach the true Gospel to people in our lives?
马可福音 1 – 真福音
2022年6月21日 星期二
潘锡安牧师
马可记录了马可福音,他是怎样的人?他并没有在十二门徒当中,而是在使徒保罗和巴拿巴第一次宣教时被带出去,但因受不了过程的艰难而返回了。到第二次宣教时,保罗坚持不带马可,为此跟巴拿巴分道扬镳,于是马可似乎就在使徒行传中消失了。然而后来在提摩太后书中,保罗说马可“在传道的事上于我有益处”(提后4:11)。马可从一开始的半途而废到最后真正跟从神,他被神翻转的生命是真实的,所以马可福音是他所亲身经历的。耶稣基督的福音对马可来说是刚强有力的,对比其他的福音书,马可福音没有太多的细节解释,而是更直接地表明“神的儿子,耶稣基督福音的起头”(V1)。我们所追求的福音是只是一个理论、知识、或一段神迹奇事的经历而已吗,还是真正的福音?
一、v.1-13 福音的起头
V1 福音的起头是耶稣基督 – 也就是“弥赛亚”。马可一开始就认定耶稣是弥赛亚,是好消息的起头。
V2-4 在以赛亚书40章 神说:“在旷野有人声喊着说:‘预备主的道,修直他的路!”在耶稣来之前,神先预备我们。施洗约翰并没有在众人聚集的会堂为人施洗,而是到旷野,给那些愿意付代价悔改、真心寻求神的人施洗。约翰的施洗让我们知罪,也离弃罪。
V5 犹太人因着自己选民的身份是非常骄傲的,但这些骄傲的人愿意出来跑到旷野去找约翰。旷野里有猛兽出没、十分干渴,然而那些人还是愿意放下自己、不怕危险的去到旷野。如今我们的悔改是否太过简单?真正的悔改是要付出代价的。
V7-8 施洗约翰十分谦卑,他承认后来有一位“能力比我更大”的会来。我们很容易说神比我们大,但不愿意看到除神以外,“有一位”比我们更大。在卫星网络教会中,我们是否把自己放到最大,让我们下面所牧养的人只看到我们却看不到我们后面的权柄?要让人与权柄有连结,不要成为那个堵塞水流的人。约翰福音16:8说圣灵“要叫世人为罪、为义、为审判,自己责备自己”,圣灵来就是让我们能知罪认罪,但我们是否只会用“神爱我”来当作自己一次次软弱的借口而轻忽了罪?当圣灵来到我们生命中时,我们所操练的是属灵恩赐,还是愿意认罪悔改、谦卑顺服?
V9-11 耶稣从水里出来的时候,自己先经历圣灵。在场的人都看见“天裂开了,圣灵仿佛鸽子降在他身上”,又听见“有声音从天上来说:‘你是我的爱子,我喜悦你。’”耶稣等候父神的时间,当施洗约翰传讲弥赛亚的信息时,他就谦卑顺服来回应,于是身上带着圣灵的能力,这不用他四处宣传,而是其他人都看得见、听得到的。耶稣的权能在他出来传道前就得到众人的认同。我们的权柄、位份不是靠自己的嘴巴去说的,而应该是让别人可以看见的。
V12-13 有圣灵的能力后,耶稣还要到旷野四十天受试探,“并与野兽同在一处,且有天使来伺候他”。我们的罪是从亚当一人来的,当初他周围也都是野兽,自己也受到魔鬼的试探。耶稣在旷野的经历将大家带回到亚当曾经所在的伊甸园,但他选择用圣经的话来抵挡试探。耶稣不骄傲,不觉得靠自己能够经受身体、身份、地位、权能的试探,而是靠神的话语,活出生命树的气息。圣灵不仅帮助我们经受试探,更帮助我们恢复治理大地的能力。我们时常跌倒,因为我们体贴肉体。圣灵给我们的是能力,让我们能在地如在天。我们进入马可楼的阶段,让我们运用圣灵给我们的能力,不给自己任何妥协的借口。
二、v.14-20 宣传神的福音
V14-15 耶稣提醒犹太人不要只想着推翻罗马、为犹太复国这些虚无的事情,而是要知道“日期满了,神的国近了!你们当悔改,信福音!”我们所相信的福音是否只是让我们和家人很蒙福、赚很多钱、做任何事都很顺利?我们要相信,跟从神才是好消息,而不是跟从世界和自己的欲望。
V16-18 耶稣传福音不是只坐在一个地方祷告,而是走出去呼召人”来跟从我”。
V20 “招呼”原文是叫他们的名字。耶稣知道那些人的名字。我们在传福音的时候是否有为那些人祷告?圣灵会指示我们“鱼”在哪里。真正接受福音的人是会放下一切来跟从耶稣的。我们不要只是让人信了耶稣就丢在一边不理,我们传了福音后也要牧养,要让我们成为别人的师傅,对他们的生命负责任。
三、v.21-45 权能的服事
V22 文士讲的就是道理、知识,但耶稣所讲的神话语却不是这样。我们今天去分享福音,是否像文士一样说教,还是像耶稣一样带着权柄、能力?我们不要追求神学,整天只想要知道得更多一些,但我们的生命若是虚的,我们所传讲的福音都是没有影响力的。求神帮助我们能活出福音的生命、权能!