who is Jesus – Be Still…

John 1:1-18 – This is Him!

Was your mind blown just a little bit by this reading? We’re starting the Gospel of John, and right away we meet Jesus. But Jesus’ name is not directly mentioned here. He’s first introduced to us as the “Word.” Before he was known as Jesus, He was the Word. He has always been God.

How fitting that God would choose an earthly relative of Jesus to be the one preparing the way. John the Baptist wasn’t any random person, but Jesus’ own cousin. We’re told this messenger spoke of Jesus as the “light.” Jesus wasn’t just any light coming from a lamp or a lightbulb. Remember, there was no electricity at that time, so the idea of light would have been much different. Continue reading “John 1:1-18 – This is Him!”

Hebrews 1:1-4 – God’s Son

Read Hebrews 1:1-4

Revealing Jesus’ identity as the Son of God, in the opening verses of Hebrews, would have been shocking to his fellow Jews. The book of Hebrews was written as encouragement to Jewish converts to Christianity in the early church. They would have been facing many challenges to stay true and not fall back into their comfortable Jewish traditions.

The same counsel that helped those Jewish Christians can help us today navigate all the mixed messages we encounter in this world. Jesus is God’s Son. Period. Jesus was many things, but being the Son of God was the highest honor and speaks volumes of Jesus’ identity. Continue reading “Hebrews 1:1-4 – God’s Son”

Mark 3:7-12 – Crowd Control

Read Mark 3:7-12

What happens when you hear something great is happening? Many of us will drop everything to see for ourselves if it’s “hype worthy.” Here in Mark’s gospel, we see that crowds of people have heard about Jesus. They want to see for themselves, too. They are attracted to Jesus but have no real understanding of who he is.

The miracles people were talking about were examples of God touching people and meeting their needs. People were being healed. Others had their lives restored when evil spirits finally left them alone. Can you imagine keeping quiet about such life-changing experiences?

Mark 1:1 – Meet My Friend, Jesus

Read Mark 1:1

What a powerful verse to open Mark’s gospel! There is a lot here. Mark wanted to make sure his audience knew who he would be writing about. I like how the ESV (English Standard Version) translation makes it more of like a book title introducing the book’s subject. “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” Let’s unpack that statement as well as what the NLT (New Living Translation), I normally reflect on, says.

The Good News Begins. This tells me that what is to follow is fantastic news. What a contrast to other Bible texts that bring news of doom and gloom! The gospel of Jesus Christ is often referred to as the “good news.” I’ve often said that “I love sharing the good news with others.” The account of Jesus’ life, his love for us, and his ultimate sacrifice is certainly “good news” for those who believe in him, and even for those who don’t believe yet. It’s the kind of news that changes lives.