The Pulpit Commentary — Mark — Volume 1 — Section 55

with which we have hie first recorded utterances, "How is it that ye sought me? wist ye not tbat I must be about my Father's business?" St. Mark also omits the lineacre of our Lord, by w?ich _St. Matthew connects him vrith the seed of Abrah_am accorclii~g to the flesh, and likewise that other genealogy, which St. Luke traces st1ll higher up connecting him with Adam and so with humanity itself, including Gentile as well~ Jew. In the whole four Gospels there is only one single verse descriptive of our Lord's childhood, which reads as follows:-" The child grew and waxed strong in spirit, filled with wisdom [or rather, 'waxed strong, becoming filled with wisdom']: and the grace of God was upon him;" while one other verse contains the record of his youth, "Jesus increased [rather, 'advanced'] in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man." All we know for certain of our Lord's life, up to the time of his manifestation to Israel, may be summed up in the few following facts :-Dutifulness to his earthly parents in childhood; diligence in business as a carpenter, like his fellow-men, in youth and early manhood; devotion to his heavenly Father all through his childhood, youth, and rnan- ·hood-from his earliest to his latest breath. St. Mark OVl'rleaps all the preceding period, and makes our Lord's entrance on ministerial life the starting-point of hi,i ·Gospel. It is as though, impatient of delay, he hastened onward to the mighty issue, and acted on the well-known principle- " But to the grand event he speeds his course, And bears his readers with resistless force Into the midst of things." ~. Practical, observations. (1) Long, laborious preparation is needed for the life-work, when that work is to be a noble one, and that life a real success. It was thus with Moses; it was thus with Jesus; it was so with Luther and other reformers; it has been so all down the centuries with the men who have blessed the world and benefited their race. (2) The example of our Lord dignifies honest industry and ennobles daily toil. (3) A spurious sentimentalism, like the apocryphal Gospels, is apt to busy itself more with the childhood and youth than with the manhood and mi.n.istry of the Saviour. II. THE GOSPEL, 1. Meaning of the term. The original word rendered" gos'[lel," or ·" good news," meant in Homeric times a reward given to the bearer of good news, or a sacrifice offered on account of good news; but in gospel days it signified the good news itself, 2. Its embodiment. 'Jhis good news centres in a Saviour whose proper name is "Jesus"-indicating the nature of his work, "for he will save his people from their sins~" •his official title is" Christ "-the Messiah, or Anointed One, promised to the fathers, and thus solemnly inaugurated in the high functions, prophetical, priestly, and kingly, which he was called to discharge; while his designation of" Son of God" implies his two- fold qualification, namely, dignity of nature and possession of power for the accom- plishment of the great redemption, God's remedy for sin. The good news is inseparuhle from the person of the Saviour-at once human and Divine, from the works he did, from the truths he taught, and from the sufferings he endured; and thus it is embodied in him. 3. Its extent. Its range is most extensive, including salvation for the lost, life for the dead, grace for the guilty, pardon for the penitent, bread of life for the hungry, and living water for the thirsty soul. Good news I no woilller the evangelist is in a hurry to make known such good news. 4. lts essence. The essence of the gospel may be expressed in a few seutences; its sum and substance may be compressed into the compass of a few short statements of Scripture; yea, the whole is contained in that single Scripture," It is a faithful saying, and worthy of all accrptation, that Jesus Christ came into the world to save sinners;" or in that other Scripture, "The blood of Jesus Christ his Son cleanseth us from all sin;" or in that third ticripture, "The gift of God is eternal life through Jesus Christ our Lord." 6. Its epithets. The epithets applied to it are instructive, as indicating some of its many features. It is" the g:0s1,el of peace," for its contents proclaim "peace on earth and good will towards men," as well as" glory to God in the highest." It is called" the gospel of salvation,'' because it saves :is well as sanctifies. It is styled "the glorious gospel," from its glorious influonces-enlight- •ening the understanding, purifying the heart, renewin_g the will, rege11eratin,g the soul, .sanctifying the whole man-body, Hou 1, and spirit; while at the same time it elevates iehe mind to God and heaven a.nd eternal things, It ia "the everlasting go,pcl," for it is 62 THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO S'l". MARK.