This sermon is from the Rev. Charles G. Dennison sermon archive, part of “The Pattern of N.T. Authority” series, and was preached at Grace Orthodox Presbyterian Church in Sewickley, PA, during a worship service on Sunday, September 12, 1993.

We begin our reading tonight in the first chapter of Mark, verse 1. Hear the word of God. The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet, Behold, I send my messenger before your face. who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ready the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’

John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, and all the country of Judea was going out to him and all the people of Jerusalem. They were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. and John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey. And he was preaching and saying, after me comes one who is mightier than I, and I am not even fit to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. And it came about in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee. and was baptized by John in the Jordan, and immediately coming out of the water, he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him.

And a voice came out of the heavens, and said, Thou art my beloved Son, and in thee I am well pleased. Immediately the Spirit impelled him to go out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan, and he was with the wild beasts. and the angels were ministering to him. And after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God and saying, The time is fulfilled.

The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe the gospel. And then, turning over to the sixteenth chapter of Mark, the first eight verses, When the Sabbath was over, Mary Magdalene and Mary, the mother of James and Salome, bought spices that they might come and anoint him.

Very early on the first day of the week, they came to the tomb when the sun had risen. They were saying to one another, Who will rule away the stone for us from the entrance of the tomb? Looking up, they saw that the stone had been rolled away, although it was extremely large. Entering the tomb, they saw a young man sitting at the right wearing a white robe, and they were amazed.

He said to them, Do not be amazed. You are looking for Jesus the Nazarene who has been crucified. He has risen, he is not here. Behold, here is the place where they laid him. But go, tell his disciples and Peter, he is going before you into Galilee. There will you see him, just as he said to you.’ And they went out and fled from the tomb, for trembling and astonishment had gripped them, and they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid.”

Our God, we know that you have given to your church for your church’s benefit those who are to proclaim your word and to teach your people. Lord, we ask that you might give to your children in this time men of integrity who do not draw back from proclaiming the whole counsel of God, whose lives are suited, because of your mercy for that proclamation, lives that will not contradict the message.

And Father, we pray that you will bless your church with those who will rule wisely and encourage your church by such. And may it please you, Lord, to grant such wisdom that will help your church in charting a path in the troubling times in which we live. Lord, we thank you for those who serve, specifically in the office of service. May your church be filled with those who take up this office. We ask, Lord, that their usefulness in that office may be remarkable, and that those in need within your church are cared for and as opportunity rises, those even outside the Church are cared for as well. Bless this congregation, this strength in all of these offices, and may we who serve in these offices be distinguished by an appreciation of your grace and love for the benefit of those whom we serve. We ask it in Jesus’ name, amen. Last Sunday evening we drew a very wide circle for our study of this second chapter of Mark’s Gospel, at least the opening verses of that second chapter.

We did this in an effort to show, to set before ourselves that world of Christian reflection in which we particularly are operating. I have endeavored to share with you my own perspective, and I have endeavored to be honest about that perspective. My perspective is, without apology, biblical theological. That is to say, my perspective is from the vantage point of the Bible’s view of itself, in which we are presented with the historical process of God’s self-revelation in the context of the covenantal bond between God and his people, always keeping in view the end to which that historical process and that covenant press. This is my perspective. This is my perspective on my preaching ministry. I have endeavored to set before this congregation the Bible’s view of itself, in which we are presented the historical process of God’s self-revelation within the context of the covenantal bond between God and his people, always keeping in view the end to which that historical process and that covenant press.

This means for me, this is where the arguments come, this means for me that all categories ordinarily assigned supremacy by certain theologians and within certain theological systems, such as logic, language, including grammar, grammatical analysis, logic, language and even law, must take a place subordinate to the history of revelation and redemption, and be understood in relationship to those realities. The Bible is not merely our final authority It is our first authority, and that is specifically in terms of its own structure and character. We are endeavoring to do justice to the Bible’s structure and character in our preaching and teaching ministry here.

These are not inconsequential points. Well, that was last week. Tonight we want to draw the circle a little tighter and focus more on Mark’s gospel specifically. I have to admit that in some ways I feel like I am wandering into sacred territory, provided over by two of our ruling elders. Both Jim Gidley and Jonathan Stark have done great work in Mark’s gospel, and I know that you, as much as I, have profited greatly from their teaching.

My intention is to cover things that maybe they have not, but also to build upon what My comments this evening, first of all, take us in the direction of considering the structure of Mark’s gospel, and related to that is intention. We are helped greatly in our consideration of this matter by looking at the other gospels first. For instance, we realize that in a very striking, a very remarkable way, the end of the Gospels matches their beginnings. The end of the Gospels matches their beginnings. Look at Matthew’s Gospel, for example.

At the very center of Matthew’s opening is the citation of a prophecy from Isaiah. That prophecy comes from Isaiah’s seventh chapter, the fourteenth verse, and has to do with the virgin conceiving. Matthew quotes that passage in his first chapter, the twenty-third verse. But understand the weight of that quotation. For Matthew, the critical designation for the Messiah is Emmanuel, that is, God with us. Matthew tells us that the things surrounding Jesus conception take place in order that that Isaiahn prophecy might be fulfilled. A virgin shall conceive and bring forth a child, and that child shall be designated Immanuel, being translated God with us.

But keeping that in mind, turn to the gospel’s conclusion. and notice the very last verse, Matthew 28, verse 20. Jesus says in conclusion, and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. You see how these words from Jesus are linked to that earlier text, Matthew 1.23. Jesus saying, I am with you, has within it the echo of the title set out at the beginning of the gospel, the title Immanuel, God with us. And therefore, the gospel ends where it began, or on the note upon which it began. I could go further and say that this structure, this structural observation, is most definitely linked to Matthew’s intention for his gospel throughout.

The reality of God’s presence with us in Christ pertains both to the covenant and to the temple, themes which are central to the gospel throughout. This reality of God’s presence with us in Christ translates into this message. The presence of the glorified Christ makes the Church, despite its poverty and sufferings, the covenant people of God and the fulfillment of that idea coming out of the Old Testament. And even further, it makes that Church the veritable temple of God’s presence in the humble and lowly, though that church may be.

Now, the impact of all of that was to register upon Matthew’s readers. You are the people of God. Despite your condition, despite the pain that you presently endure, Despite your sufferings, there is glory superimposed upon you in your condition, for God is with you. And not only that, you are the temple, the very dwelling place of God.

Now, the same sort of thing can be observed, matching beginning with ending, in the other Gospels. After the introduction is given to us by Luke, he opens up his narrative with the consideration of the temple in Jerusalem and the service of righteous individuals with respect to that temple. Thus we have the figure of Zechariah. But you will note chapter 24, verse 53, That Luke gospel ends in the same place. We are back to the temple in Jerusalem, and here we are considering once more the service of righteous people within that temple. You see, the gospel comes back to the point at which it began. The ending matches the beginning. Now Luke’s gospel is what we might call a setup. It sets us up for the book of Acts and the story of the early church, recorded in that book.

But you will remember that in that book, come to the twenty-first chapter, the thirtieth verse, the gates of this very temple are officially closed against the righteous people and the message that they bear, namely the gospel. so that now the service of those righteous people takes place apart from this temple, and for the sake of those formerly excluded. Thus the end of the Book of Acts. You will recall in Rome, Paul, separated from the temple, brings his message to the Jews. They reject it, and he states that he will now turn to the Gentiles. to consider John’s gospel.

John’s gospel begins with that marvelous prologue. It begins with that prologue that has at its center the eternal Word. It mentions as well John the Baptist’s verbal witness to that Word, that Word which indeed becomes flesh. But note now the ending of the gospel. The gospel ends with that eternal word clearly in view in light of the fulfillment of his mission.

But here we find John the disciple and his written witness with respect to that incarnate word who has himself become glorious. There is a matching, then, of beginning and ending, a sense of completion, of wholeness, as you work your way through each of the Gospels respectively.

But what about Mark? Admittedly, things are a little more complicated here for a number of reasons. One of those reasons is the fact that there is argument as to just how the gospel ends. Do we take the authorized version’s ending, namely an ending that carries us to the conclusion of the twentieth verse of that sixteenth chapter in Mark, or do we take the general consensus prevailing presently that the gospel ends at verse 8 in that 16th chapter. Jim Gidley has given us good reasons for concluding that the gospel ends at verse 8, and with those reasons I agree.

However, regardless of which ending we choose, there is a unifying theme from beginning to end, that is seen in each of the endings. That unifying theme I guess I’m supposed to be done. You will excuse me if I go on. Thank you. Regardless of which ending we truth, whether it be the long or the short, there is a unifying theme, and we see that theme in the messengers spoken of.

At the beginning of the gospel, the messenger is John the Baptist. We have read that portion. He is highlighted for us there by the quote given off from Malachi and also from Isaiah. In Mark 16, taking the long ending, the messengers become the eleven. Notice verses 14 and following, and also verse 20. If we take the short The messenger is seen to be the young man mentioned in verse 5, or the angel, as we have identified him. So we have that commonality as we move from beginning to ending in this gospel. But there may be more. to the match between the beginning and ending of Mark’s gospel, especially if we keep in view that short ending and end the gospel at verse eight.

I want you to notice the topography. At the beginning of the gospel, the topography sets before us the wilderness. Mark’s gospel begins in the wilderness. It ends at the tomb. Both of these settings are less than attractive. But you might want to consider how the two are connected. The wilderness, you see, is not merely a place of testing.

The wilderness is a place of death. The wilderness is itself a tomb. You will recall the charge brought against Moses. by the children of Israel while they were in the wilderness. Moses, you have brought us out here to die. They saw the wilderness as a tomb.

God then subsequently brings them through the wilderness and out of death into life into that life of the inheritance that is theirs in the promised land. But now notice how things have been altered as we move into Mark’s gospel and its opening. The wilderness is not a place outside of the territory of Israel, it is a place within Israel herself has become a wilderness, she has become a tomb. But life comes to this wilderness through one who has indeed died in it for the sake of those whom death has overtaken. Those deserving the death in this wilderness are now rescued by the death of one who gives himself for them. By God’s grace, then, life comes into the wilderness, anticipated by the message of John the Baptist, his presence in that wilderness, anticipated by Jesus’ trial in that wilderness. life itself is coming to the wilderness, the place in which there is no life, or that place in which life itself cannot be sustained.

And further, resurrection from the tomb, as the gospel concludes. Now, this witness is set before those who are to profit from it, that they in their wilderness, they in the face of their tombs, might enjoy life. This witness not only introduces them to that life, which reminds them of the content and the character of that life given to them. The abrupt ending of Mark’s gospel may in fact be for this specific purpose, to provoke As they have set before them the tomb that bears witness to the resurrection, what that means then for them?

What life has been given to them, rising out of the wilderness, out of death itself? Well, the structure of the Gospels, the matching of beginnings and endings, consideration of the Gospels intentions, having these things firmly in place, we might then better deal with the individual texts. appear to us along the way in our reading of each gospel narrative. Let’s pray. Make us better hearers and readers of your word, and may we profit immeasurably discerning the Spirit’s intention and being blessed, as we too might be provoked, considering the empty tomb and what that means for us. O God, let us review our own response. that we might see in it the evidences of that life which you have given to us in the desert and out of the tomb.

The sermon text provided above is derived from the sermon audio recording making use of generative tools. It has not been manually edited. While transcription tools have a high degree of accuracy, the output may include generative textual, punctuation, and/or formatting errors.