Jesus Christ: Yesterday, Today, and Forever-Part 2

We saw in Part 1 that the gospel of Matthew shows Jesus as a shepherd king who brought God’s kingdom to earth. In Part 2: we will look at the gospel of Mark: where Jesus is a Servant humbled below all. We will also see how we can give our lives in service today in the body of Christ. And we will see God’s faithfulness to remember our service done in love.

During a very challenging time in my life, I moved to a new city for a fresh start. When I got there, I found a loving Christian couple who taught me the Bible in their home. But it wasn’t just their words that made an impact on me. When I first arrived, Brenda showed up at my front door with a mop and bucket and started cleaning my bathroom. I didn’t even ask; she just showed up and began to serve me. And that inspired me to want to help others.

Mark: Jesus Christ Yesterday

Jesus Christ yesterday in Mark shows Jesus’ earthly ministry as a Servant humbled below all.

One unique feature in each gospel is the background, or genealogy, of Jesus Christ. Mark doesn’t mention Jesus’ background, because a slave has no claim to any. People call Jesus “lord” nearly 75 times in the other three gospels, but Mark only has a Gentile woman calling him “sir” one time. Mark’s focus is on Jesus making himself of no reputation, and taking on the form of a servant [a bonded slave], and humbling himself to be obedient unto death, even the death of the cross, as Philippians 2 says.

Philippians 2:7,8:
But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:
And being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, and became obedient unto death, even the death of the cross.

Mark is a gospel that shows lots of action. It is the gospel that has the most encounters between Jesus and evil spirits. He cast them out and told them not to speak.

Mark 1:34:
And he healed many that were sick of different diseases, and cast out many devils; and suffered not the devils to speak, because they knew him.

Mark 3:15 says he gave the twelve power to heal sicknesses, and to cast out devils.  Mark ends with Jesus telling us that we can do the same.

Mark 16:17,18:
And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues…they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover.

Mark shows Jesus telling his disciples on two different occasions what life is really about.

Mark 9:35:
And he sat down, and called the twelve, and saith unto them, If any man desire to be first, the same shall be last of all, and servant of all.

Mark 10:44:
And whosoever of you will be the chiefest, shall be servant of all.

Mark: Jesus Christ today

Jesus Christ serves today as our intercessor at God’s right hand. He is our advocate, our defense attorney, when the Devil accuses us with his lies and slander. We are on earth and have “Christ in” us [as Colossians 1:27 says], so we too can serve others.

When we are born again by believing Romans 10:9 and 10, we are raised to new life in Christ that allows us to serve by the spirit of God that dwells in us. Romans 7:6 says that we should serve in newness of spirit. God’s love is shed abroad in our hearts by the holy spirit in us [Romans 5:5]. It’s that love that motivates us to serve like Jesus Christ, who had “compassion on the multitudes.”

Galatians 5:13:
For, brethren, ye have been called unto liberty; only use not liberty for an occasion to the flesh, but by love serve one another.

That’s how we follow Jesus’ example of a servant. He is our only lord [I Corinthians 8:6]. Whatever we do in life, we want to serve our risen lord by obeying God’s will.

Mark: Jesus Christ forever

Colossians 3:24:
Knowing that of the Lord ye shall receive the reward of the inheritance: for ye serve the Lord Christ.

That verse says that Jesus Christ forever is faithful to reward us for our loving service. We will stand before his reward stand someday.

II Corinthians 5:10:
For we must all appear before the [Greek bema, reward stand] of Christ; that every one may receive the things done in his body, according to that he hath done, whether it be good or worthless [Greek phaulos, unproductive].

People serve lots of gods of their own making: pride, ego, lust, anxiety, depression, gluttony, drugs and alcohol. But these are all dead idols, pushed by a fallen angel named Lucifier. Our heavenly Father is a living God! The English term “living God” is used 30 times in the King James Version of the Bible, and always sets the true God in contrast to idols, which have no life in themselves.  Here are its uses:

Deuteronomy 5:26:
For who is there of all flesh, that hath heard the voice of the living God speaking out of the midst of the fire, as we have, and lived?

Joshua 3:10:
And Joshua said, Hereby ye shall know that the living God is among you….

I Samuel 17:26,36:
… the armies of the living God…seeing he hath defied the armies of the living God.

II Kings 19:4,16:
…hath sent to reproach the living God…which hath sent him to reproach the living God.

Psalms 42:2
My soul thirsteth for God, for the living God: when shall I come and appear before God?

Psalms 84:2:
My soul longeth, yea, even fainteth for the courts of the Lord: my heart and my flesh crieth out for the living God.

Isaiah 37:4,17:
It may be the Lord thy God will hear the words of Rabshakeh, whom the king of Assyria his master hath sent to reproach the living God… which hath sent to reproach the living God.

Jeremiah 10:10:
But the Lord is the true God, he is the living God, and an everlasting king….

Jeremiah 23:26:
And the burden of the Lord shall ye mention no more: for every man’s word shall be his burden; for ye have perverted the words of the living God, of the Lord of hosts our God.

Daniel 6:20,26:
…O Daniel, servant of the living God, is thy God, whom thou servest continually, able to deliver thee from the lions? I make a decree, That in every dominion of my kingdom men tremble and fear before the God of Daniel: for he is the living God.

Hosea 1:10:
…in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people, there it shall be said unto them, Ye are the sons of the living God.

Matthew 16:16:
…Thou art the Christ, the Son of the living God.Matthew 26:63:

…I adjure thee by the living God, that thou tell us whether thou be the Christ, the Son of God.

John 6:69:
And we believe and are sure that thou art that Christ, the Son of the living God.

Acts 14:15:
And saying, Sirs, why do ye these things? We also are men of like passions with you, and preach unto you that ye should turn from these vanities unto the living God, which made heaven, and earth, and the sea, and all things that are therein.

Romans 9:26:
And it shall come to pass, that in the place where it was said unto them, Ye are not my people; there shall they be called the children of the living God.

II Corinthians 3:3:
Forasmuch as ye are manifestly declared to be the epistle of Christ ministered by us, written not with ink, but with the Spirit of the living God; not in tables of stone, but in fleshy tables of the heart.

II Corinthians 6:16:
And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God….

I Timothy 3:15:
But if I tarry long, that thou mayest know how thou oughtest to behave thyself in the house of God, which is the church of the living God, the pillar and ground of the truth.

I Timothy 4:10:
For therefore we both labour and suffer reproach, because we trust in the living God, who is the Saviour of all men, specially of those that believe.

I Timothy 6:17:
Charge them that are rich in this world, that they be not highminded, nor trust in uncertain riches, but in the living God, who giveth us richly all things to enjoy.

Hebrews 3:12:
Take heed, brethren, lest there be in any of you an evil heart of unbelief, in departing from the living God.

Hebrews 9:14:
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

Hebrews 10:31:
It is a fearful thing to fall into the hands of the living God.

Hebrews 12:22:
But ye are come unto mount Sion, and unto the city of the living God, the heavenly Jerusalem, and to an innumerable company of angels.

Revelation 7:2:
And I saw another angel ascending from the east, having the seal of the living God: and he cried with a loud voice to the four angels, to whom it was given to hurt the earth and the sea.

That’s Who we serve. And we can only do it because Jesus died for us and cleaned us up on the inside [I Corinthians 6:11]. We are made able servants through his blood [II Corinthians 3:6].

Hebrews 9:14:
How much more shall the blood of Christ, who through the eternal Spirit offered himself without spot to God, purge your conscience from dead works to serve the living God?

So, is God unfair? Is He unrighteous? Will He forget the good things of service that we do in this life? No way!

Hebrews 6:10:
For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.

Let’s serve others, especially our brothers and sisters in the body of Christ. Jesus said that when we lose our lives in service, we really find them. Have a wonderful time serving in love and gaining blessings now and in the future. God bless you.