Category: Mark

Read Mark 1:21-28

This must have been quite a scene. What strikes me most is how Jesus handled the disruption, yet we can’t overlook what was disrupted. Jesus was teaching. It was not just another ho-hum day at the synagogue. Jesus was preaching with authority.

We hear those words, teaching with authority, and we may want to gloss over them to get to the juicy part of the passage. That would be a mistake. Take a moment to imagine how Jesus would preach. What would it be like to hear a sermon coming directly from God? To hear Jesus preach is to hear the words of Scripture come alive. Jesus was God, and who better to help us understand the meaning and significance of Scripture. It says the people were amazed. This was good stuff!

Have you ever heard a sermon that rocked your world? I don’t know how many times I’ve felt like my husband (a pastor) was speaking right to me. Over the years, I’ve heard many people tell him that very thing. It’s in those instances I am certain God has been using him to pass on the message someone needed to hear. In our reading today, it was God, himself, bringing authority and passion to the people.

I picture the people hanging on to every word that Jesus was teaching. I certainly would be. They didn’t know who they were listening to. But the possessed man did. The evil spirit inside the man was trembling in Jesus’ presence. The encounter did not surprise Jesus. He didn’t skip a beat when he spoke the command, “Be quiet! Come out of the man.” Jesus knew he was speaking to an evil spirit. He was going to use this disruption, and the people witnessed a miracle.

We don’t know how long this man had been afflicted, nor do we know if he was even aware of his possession. Those details aren’t important here. But evil knew that Jesus was the “Holy One of God.” Evil did not win.

This is one passage that really hits home for me when I think about what I believe. Many people say, “I believe in God.” That’s a wonderful thing, but even the evil spirits believe in God. I want my faith to go deeper. I want a relationship with the God who created me, the God who saved me, the God who is living inside me giving me power.

How about you? What do you believe? Are you like the possessed man, recognizing there is a God? Do you want to know that God more intimately, too? What evil spirits are working in you to keep you from this relationship?

Let’s pray. Father God thank you for making me the person  I am. It is such an honor to be your child. Forgive me when I let the distractions of this world keep me separated from you. Spending time with you makes me happy, and I want that blessing for everyone. I know your heart longs for relationship with all your children. Use me to bring that awareness of your love and authority to others. I am listening for your voice. In Jesus’ name. Amen.

Read Mark 1:1

The Gospel of Mark is thought to be the first of the four gospel accounts written. It is also the shortest of the four gospels. Today’s reading is short on purpose. We are going to focus on who Jesus is.

From the start, there is no doubt who Mark knows Jesus to be. Mark affirms this writing is Gospel, which is to declare it is the message of salvation through Jesus Christ. In all of the translations I checked, the message was the same, Jesus is identified as the Son of God.

Why is it important to identify Jesus in this way? Mark knew, without a doubt, who Jesus was and was not afraid to proclaim it. His audience was likely the original Christians in Rome during the time of the mighty Roman Empire under Tiberius Caesar. They were eager to hear the “good news” and spread it quickly.

But who was Mark, and why was he so passionate about the good news? How had he come to know so clearly, when others did not, that Jesus was the Messiah, Son of the living God? That question is not as easy to find an answer to, and I don’t profess that my explanation is going to satisfy either. But as a believer who trusts God with my life, I know that God has carefully selected the authors of his Word, filled them with divine inspiration, and that is good enough for me.

While we know that Mark was not one of the 12 disciples, I have learned that Mark was close to Peter in terms of being his scribe. I imagine Peter, having been up close and personal with Jesus during his ministry years, would have wanted to keep a diary or an account of this great time in his life. Peter went on to write several letters to the early followers later. Mark scribbled down Peter’s recollections and put them together, divinely inspired, so that we can see another angle of the life of Jesus.

Mark doesn’t start at the very beginning of Jesus’ life, but at the beginning of his life of ministry. We will hear (1) a theological message, (2) about traditions of the day, and (3) a narrative of the life of our Savior. This is indeed good news for us today as well as for those in all the years that have passed since written.

As we prepare our hearts for the blog entries to follow, challenge yourself to see Jesus in a new way as we all prepare our hearts for his second coming. Meditate on this question: Who is Jesus to me?

Let’s pray. Father thank you for giving us your Word. It is alive and active in our world today. I pray that you will help me to see the message you want me to share. I thank you that you have given me a passion for writing, and while simple, I pray you will use this to help others know  you deeper or possibly meet you for the first time. Forgive me for all of the years that I was disobedient, for all of the time that I forfeited. Thank you for never giving up on me and redirecting my path each time I stepped in the wrong direction. May everything I do and say be to your glory. Bring peace in this troubled world. I long for the day when your kingdom will reign supreme forevermore. For now, I thank you for the life and assignment you have given me. May you be glorified. In Jesus’ name. Amen.