In the Gospel of Mark we see Peter, John, James, and other faithful ones following the Lord Jesus. From their point of view, they were following the Lord. But from the Lord’s point of view, He was preparing them to be brought into His death and resurrection. By the time they came to Jericho, they were fully prepared for this.
By entering into the Lord’s death and resurrection, the disciples could have the enjoyment of the Lord and experience Him as their replacement. As a result, on the day of Pentecost the one hundred twenty were those who had been replaced by the Lord and who were enjoying Him. They all had been brought into the Lord’s death and resurrection. Through His death and resurrection they were participating in Him, a living, all-inclusive Person, as their replacement.
Through the death and resurrection of the Lord Jesus, the disciples also had a rich entrance into the kingdom of God. Hence, on the day of Pentecost we see a picture of the kingdom of God. With Peter and the one hundred twenty on the day of Pentecost, we have a manifestation of the kingdom of God. This manifestation includes the full enjoyment of Christ as the universal, all-inclusive replacement through His death and resurrection. How was it possible for the one hundred twenty to be in the kingdom of God on the day of Pentecost? This was possible only through their entering into the death and resurrection of Christ.
According to chapter one of Acts, the one hundred twenty were Galileans. Although they were from Galilee, the Lord Jesus brought them through many things to Jerusalem, where they entered into His death and resurrection. When the Lord was crucified, these Galileans were there and witnessed His death. Actually, they passed through crucifixion with Him. Eventually, they were brought into the Lord’s resurrection and saw His ascension. Then on the day of Pentecost the Lord as the Spirit was poured upon them. All that they had seen and passed through became a reality to them. They had seen the Lord’s death, they had entered into His resurrection, and they had witnessed His ascension. But when the Lord as the Spirit was poured upon them, all these matters became a reality to them. This means that they were in the Lord’s death, resurrection, and ascension. They were participating in the full enjoyment of the all-inclusive Christ as the universal replacement.
We all need to have such a vision when we read the Gospel of Mark. If we do not have this vision, we shall not be able to get into the depths of this book.
Apparently, Mark is a book of stories. Actually, it is not a book of stories but a book containing a wonderful vision. As we read the chapters of this Gospel, it is as if we are watching a heavenly television, and scene after scene is “telecast” into our spirit. Praise the Lord for such a vision!
We thank the Lord for showing us how His intimate followers are qualified, perfected, equipped, and made ready to enter into His death and resurrection. The lengthy section from 4:35 through 10:52 presents a clear picture of how Galileans who once were very natural could be prepared to enter into the death and resurrection of Christ. At the end of chapter ten, they are fully made ready to come to Jerusalem, that is, to enter into the death and resurrection of Christ.
Next to Christ Himself, the death and resurrection of Christ are the two greatest matters in the universe. Only the Person of Christ Himself is greater than these. Apart from Christ Himself, nothing is as great as His death and resurrection.
We have seen that actually the Lord Jesus in going toward Jerusalem was proceeding toward His death. Then through His death He entered into His resurrection. The Lord Jesus walked boldly from Capernaum to Jerusalem in order to enter into death. God and the entire creation were waiting for this. Jesus knew that He was going to Jerusalem to carry out a great, all-inclusive death. Knowing the appointed time, the date of His death, He walked boldly to Jerusalem.
We may say that the greatest miracle in the universe was the Lord’s entering into and accomplishing His all-inclusive death. According to Hebrews 12, the Lord was happy with what lay before Him (v. 2). He knew that there was a joy set before Him. Therefore, He went up to Jerusalem that He might accomplish God’s purpose through His death. What a great step that was in God’s economy!
It is a very significant matter that in carrying out His all-inclusive death, the Lord brought all of us into death with Him. If we see this, we shall not regard the Gospel of Mark merely as a book of stories. Instead, we shall see that this book conveys a great revelation.