They Call Him The Streak

And They Call Him the

StreakMk 14:51-52

Spokane,

Washington

January 2004

Why would anyone

want to streak?

Is this man Mark? Many believe this is Mark‟s way of saying that he

was at Jesus‟ arrest.



Some go further.



Some go further.

The Last Supper occurred at John Mark‟s house (cf

Acts 12).



Some go further.


Acts 12).

Judas leads his posse to John Mark‟s home and

then to Gethsemane.



Some go further.


Acts 12).


then to Gethsemane.

John Mark quickly gets out of bed, throws on

some clothes, and follows.



Some go further.


Acts 12).


then to Gethsemane.

John Mark quickly gets out of bed, throws on

some clothes, and follows.

But, it‟s JUST a theory!

What are we to learn

from this text?

And They Call Him the Streak

FOLLOWED IN HASTE.

FLED IN HASTE.

Followed in Haste “A young man followed him, with nothing but a

linen cloth about his body” (v 51, ESV).

Just a Linen Cloth Jews abhorred nakedness.


Undergarment or night clothes?



He jumped up and didn‟t bother to get dressed.




Chilly night: “Peter had followed him at a

distance, right into the courtyard of the high priest.

And he was sitting with the guard and warming

himself at the fire” (Mk 14:54, ESV).








He gave no thought to modesty.








He gave no thought to modesty. If we heard

commotion in the middle of the night, would we

care about modesty?

Why was he in a hurry? “A young man followed him.”


Why was he following Jesus?



Did he expect Jesus to do some great miracle?




Did he have plans to rescue Jesus?





Did he follow out of admiration?





Did he follow out of admiration?

Did he understand what was about to transpire?

Swiftness in Mark‟s First Chapter “When he came up out of the water, immediately

he saw the heavens opening and the Spirit

descending on him like a dove” (10, ESV).




“The Spirit immediately drove him out into the

wilderness” (12, ESV).






“They went into Capernaum, and immediately on

the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was

teaching” (21, ESV).






“They went into Capernaum, and immediately on

the Sabbath he entered the synagogue and was

teaching” (21, ESV).

“Immediately he left the synagogue and entered

the house of Simon and Andrew, with James and

John” (29, ESV).

The Disciples‟ Call “And immediately they left their nets and

followed him” (Mk 1:18, ESV).

The Disciples‟ Call “And immediately they left their nets and

followed him” (Mk 1:18, ESV).

“And immediately he called them, and they left

their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired

servants and followed him” (Mk 1:20, ESV).

What is Mark's point?

What is Mark‟s Point? Life is short! Don‟t sit around and think about

what to do with Jesus!



Throughout Mark‟s Gospel, he urges us to act

swiftly.




swiftly.

The young man doesn‟t have time to think about

modesty—he has to follow Jesus.




swiftly.



The disciples follow Jesus without delay.




swiftly.



The disciples follow Jesus without delay:

Simon & Andrew don‟t contemplate the economic

impact of following Jesus. They follow!




swiftly.



The disciples follow Jesus without delay:

Simon & Andrew don‟t contemplate the economic

impact of following Jesus. They follow!

James & John don‟t wave good-bye to Zebedee. They

follow!

Are we delaying in

following Jesus?

Are we giving

everything we have to

follow Jesus?

Jesus wants us to give up all “If anyone would come after me, let him deny

himself and take up his cross and follow me. For

whoever would save his life will lose it, but

whoever loses his life for my sake and the

gospel‟s will save it. For what does it profit a man

to gain the whole world and forfeit his soul? For

what can a man give in return for his soul?” (Mk

8:34-37, ESV).

Jesus wants us to give up all “Behold, now is the favorable time; behold, now

is the day of salvation” (2 Cor 6:2).



NOW is the favorable time to give Jesus all that we

are!



NOW is the favorable time to give Jesus all that we

are!

Are you ready to follow Jesus completely NOW?

Fled in Haste “And they seized him, but he left the linen cloth

and ran away naked” (vv 51b-52, ESV).



It seems this posse was only interested in Jesus.

They believed if they could get Jesus, the disciples

would disperse.

Gamaliel‟s Advice “Before these days Theudas rose up, claiming to

be somebody, and a number of men, about four

hundred, joined him. He was killed, and all who

followed him were dispersed and came to

nothing. After him Judas the Galilean rose up in

the days of the census and drew away some of the

people after him. He too perished, and all who

followed him were scattered” (Acts 5:36-37,

ESV).



It seems this posse was only interested in Jesus.

They believed if they could get Jesus, the disciples

would disperse.

The precedent: kill the leader and the rest will flee.

Leaving the Linen Cloth The young man is more concerned with getting

away than with his modesty.

Leaving the Linen Cloth The young man is more concerned with getting

away than with his modesty.

He doesn‟t want to be arrested, and he‟s willing to

do whatever it takes to flee.

Jesus‟ Total Abandonment Jesus had predicted this.

Jesus‟ Total Abandonment Jesus had predicted this:

“Jesus said to them, „You will all fall away, for it is

written, “I will strike the shepherd, and the sheep

will be scattered”‟” (Mk 14:27, ESV).





Behold, the hour is coming, indeed it has come,

when you will be scattered, each to his own home,

and will leave me alone. Yet I am not alone, for

the Father is with me” (Jn 16:32, ESV).









Fulfillment: “And they all left him and fled” (Mk

14:50, ESV).









Fulfillment: “And they all left him and fled” (Mk

14:50, ESV).

Not only do the Twelve flee, but so does this

young man.

Why Would the Spirit Want this

Recorded?

Sure, it happened as it‟s recorded.


Recorded?

Sure, it happened as it‟s recorded. But, many

things aren‟t recorded. Why is this?


Recorded?



Mark urges us not to abandon Jesus.


Recorded?




“These are the ones sown on rocky ground: the

ones who, when they hear the word, immediately

receive it with joy. And they have no root in

themselves, but endure for a while; then, when

tribulation or persecution arises on account of the

word, immediately they fall away” (4:16-17,

ESV).


Recorded?




4:16-17.

“They went out and fled from the tomb, for

trembling and astonishment had seized them, and

they said nothing to anyone, for they were afraid”

(16:8, ESV).

Do we forsake Jesus

when things get

difficult?

He Fled Naked It seems odd that Mark would record this.


It‟s really odd if this young man was Mark!



Would we want to record our most embarrassing

moments for everyone to know?!





Why would the Spirit prompt Mark to record this

detail? Why not just say that he fled?







It seems this is Mark‟s way of mentioning the

shamefulness of forsaking Jesus.







It seems this is Mark‟s way of mentioning the

shamefulness of forsaking Jesus.

The Jews—as well as we—abhorred public nudity.

Why abhor public

nudity?

Why abhor public

nudity?

Scripture!

Scripture & Nudity “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was

afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself”

(Gn 3:10, ESV).

Scripture & Nudity “I heard the sound of you in the garden, and I was

afraid, because I was naked, and I hid myself”

(Gn 3:10, ESV).

“As my servant Isaiah has walked naked and

barefoot for three years as a sign and a portent

against Egypt and Cush, so shall the king of

Assyria lead away the Egyptians captives and the

Cushite exiles, both the young and the old, naked

and barefoot, with buttocks uncovered, the

nakedness of Egypt. Then they shall be dismayed

and ashamed because of Cush their hope and of

Egypt their boast” (Is 20:3-5, ESV).

Shameful to Leave Jesus “No one who puts his hand to the plow and looks

back is fit for the kingdom of God” (Lk 9:62,

ESV).

Shameful to Leave Jesus “If after they have escaped the defilement of the

world through the knowledge of our Lord and

Savior Jesus Christ, they are again entangled in

them and overcome, the last state has become

worse for them than the first. For it would have

been better for them never to have known the way

of righteousness than after knowing it to turn

back from the holy commandment delivered to

them. What the true proverb says has happened

to them: „The dog returns to its own vomit, and

the sow, after washing herself, returns to wallow

in the mire‟” (2 Pt 2:20-22, ESV).

Shall we forsake Jesus,

or shall we be faithful?

Shall we retreat when

our Leader has given

his body?

They Call Him The Streak

Spiritual

Transcript of They Call Him The Streak