Servant Discipleship: The Gospel of Mark

We who follow Christ want to be His wholehearted disciples. At the end of our journey we all would like to hear the words of our Lord: “Well done, good and faithful servant!” (Matt. 25:23). But with today’s emphasis on being strong, empowered, visionary, and influencer, the biblical call to live like a servant, may feel out of touch. How do we live as faithful servants?

The Gospel of Mark, our study with Today in the Word this month, will help us find the answer. The theme of the book is Christ the Servant, and Christ Himself shows us who the true servant is and how to become one. As we go through the book chapter by chapter, we’ll see how Christ leads His disciples, teaching them to be true servants by His own example. They “must be the very last” (Mark 9:35); they “must deny themselves and take up their cross” (Mark 8:34); they serve, and shouldn’t expect to be served (Mark 10:45).

We pray our study this month will reveal to us in a new way that discipleship is first of all servanthood. Our prayer is that the message of Mark’s Gospel will take us back to the simple truth of faithfulness and obedience to God’s guidance. Thank you for studying the Bible with us! And thank you for supporting the ministry of Today in the Word.

—Elena Mafter, Senior Editor