of Peter. The opening sentence of his Gospel is brief, striking, and full of meaning and of Divine truth. J. Observe the BIONIFI0ANOE OF THE BEGINNING OJI THE GOSPEL. Matthew and Luk8 begin their narratives with a relation of the circumstances of the birth of our Lord; John commences with the pre-existence of the Word; Mark, whose treatise is th6 shortest, opens with the inauguration of our Lord's ministry. Thie second Gospel begins with Christ's baptism, and closes with his ascension. "The beginning" suggests the time when the gospel was not. Before the gospel wa.s the Law. "The Law and the prophetB," said Jesus, "were until John; since that time the kingdom of God is preached." What a different world it must have been to live in when there was no gospel I-at least in the full, the Christian, meaning of that term. "The beginning " 1iuggests aforetol,d and appointed time. It was in the fulness of the time that the pro- mised Messiah appeared, at the conjunction of national and of universal history foreseen by the Omniscient and indicated in prophecy. Accordingly the sacred historian at once appeals to the writings of Malachi and Isaiah to show the real cottinuity of sacred history. Nothing of God's appointment occurs haphazard; he sees the end from th6 beginning. "The beginning" points on to the completion. " Better," says the wise man, "is the end of a thing than the beginning;" yet the beginning is necessary to the end. It was so with the earthly ministry of Christ. It grew in solemnity and spiritual powel!' as it approached its period; yet the earlier stages were preparatory for those which followed, and indispensable. That Christ's ministry dated-according to apostolic teaching-from the baptism of John, is apparent from Pater's language upon the occa- sion of the choice of a twelfth apostle, from his discourse before Cornelius, and from Paul's discourse at Antioch of Pisidia. II. Observe the SIGNIFICANCE OF THE GOSPEL-the term by which the substance of the Christian record is here designated. The meaning, generally speaking, of the term is "good news," "glad, welcome tidings." But the Christian use of the term-which ha3 absorbed all the meaning attaching to this glorious word-is speciaL The gospel is the designation of the facts and doctrines of Uhristianity. We look for these facts and doctrines in the writings of Mark and of the other three evan;!elists. The gospel was spoken in words, e.g. as here. The gospel was embodied in deeds and sufferings, e.g. in this record of Mark, the gospel of power. The go1pel came from God, who alone was able to impart the blessings it promised. The gospel came to men-sinful, needy, helpless; who, without a gospel, must have remained in wretchedness. The gospel. proclaimed pardon for sin, peace for the conscience, renewal for the whole nature, guid- ance and strength for the spiritual career, salvation, and life etemaL III. Observe the SIGNIFICANCE OF TIIE APPELLATIONS HERE Al'PLIED TO Hlll who ;,s the Author, the Theme, the Substance of the gospel 1. He is denominated Jesus- the name he bore as a human being, suggestive, therefore, of his humanity, yet in itself implying that he was the Salvation, the Help, of Jehovah. 2. He is denomi- nated Ohrist-an official name, denoting his anointing and appointment by God to the discharge of the Messianic offices, as the Prophet, Priest, and King of men. (Note that the combined name, Jesus Christ, does not occur elsewhere in the first three Gospels.) 3. He is denominated the Son of God-a designation which impresses upon us his divinity and authority. Whereas Matthew opens his Gospel by showing that Jesus 1s the Son of David, a fact of special interest to the Hebrews, Mark takes a higher flight. These three appellations together present us with a full, delightful, instructive, and in- Bpiritiug representation of our Saviour's nature and mediatorial work and qualifications. APPLICATION. 1. You need this gospel. 2. This gospel is sufficient for you. 3. Th'is gospel is adapted to you. 4. This gospel alone can bless you. li. This gospel is offered to you.
Vers. 2-8.-T7ie ministry of the forerunner. This evangelist enters upon hls treatise with no further preface than is to be found in the first verse. He has to tell the good news concerning Jesus Christ, the Son of God. And he begins his narrative at oucc, with an account of the ministry of that grand, heroic prophet, whose great distinction it was to be the herald of the Messiah, and whose greatness was in nothing more apparent than in this-he was willing to be superseded by his Lord, and to be lost in him: "He must increase, but I must decrease." In these verses we have- 10 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST. MARK. [ou. r. 1-48 .