God is Good

“Good” is kinda of a “blah” word, isn’t it? We use it when something is good but not great. We use it to describe a pleasant day, a nice meal, or a book we’d recommend. When we talk about “good” people, we usually mean someone who does the right thing...most of the time. But, every good role model we’ve looked up to or friend or family member we’ve relied on has let us down and fallen short. And we all know, too well, the darkness that hides in our own hearts. Our sinful natures spill out through our words and actions every day. But, God is not like us. God’s character is so beyond our usual standard of goodness, we can hardly begin to comprehend it. The goodness of God is completely different from anything we’ve ever experienced.

Over the next few months, we’re going to be looking at what Isaiah 40 has to say about God’s character, starting with his goodness. This chapter of Isaiah was written at a time when God’s people had long been split into a northern kingdom, called Israel, and a southern kingdom, called Judah. Israel had endured many wicked kings who had led them to worship idols. Finally, God had allowed Israel to be taken into captivity as punishment for their unfaithfulness. The people of the Judah had seen this happen. They had had more more of a mixture of wicked kings and a few godly ones, so, up to that point, they had remained safe, even though Judah was filled with corruption and idolatry too. But, in chapter 39, Isaiah shared a prophecy with the King of Judah. Because of the sins of the people, Jerusalem was also going fall to foreign invaders. Within just a few generations, their capital, Jerusalem, would be overtaken by the Babylonians. God’s temple--the place where his glorious presence had descended like a cloud and dwelled with his people--it would be plundered and burned to the ground. The people of Judah would be taken captive and dragged away to a foreign land, just as the people of Israel had been. No doubt, they were devastated and afraid. They probably felt like God had abandoned them. Have you ever felt that way too? Isaiah 40 is God’s message of hope to his people, then and now. Through the prophet, Isaiah, God assured them, and he assures us now, that deliverance will come. He began by telling the people of his goodness, painting a picture of himself as a mighty, yet loving king who would faithfully rescue his people and lead them home. In this passage, his goodness is shown as perfect justice, mercy, and compassion. Let’s look at Isaiah 40: 1-11

1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.

2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,

and cry to her

that her warfare is ended,

that her iniquity is pardoned,

that she has received from the Lord's hand

double for all her sins.

3 A voice cries:

“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;

make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

4 Every valley shall be lifted up,

and every mountain and hill be made low;

the uneven ground shall become level,

and the rough places a plain.

5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed,

and all flesh shall see it together,

for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”

6 A voice says, “Cry!”

And I said, “What shall I cry?”

All flesh is grass,

and all its beauty is like the flower of the field.

7 The grass withers, the flower fades

when the breath of the Lord blows on it;

surely the people are grass.

8 The grass withers, the flower fades,

but the word of our God will stand forever.

9 Go on up to a high mountain,

O Zion, herald of good news;

lift up your voice with strength,

O Jerusalem, herald of good news;

lift it up, fear not;

say to the cities of Judah,

“Behold your God!”

10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might,

and his arm rules for him;

behold, his reward is with him,

and his recompense before him.

11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd;

he will gather the lambs in his arms;

he will carry them in his bosom,

and gently lead those that are with young.

Beginning in verse one, God tells Isaiah to give his people a message of comfort. Even though the message was first given about a century before the exile, it’s addressed as though God is speaking to the future exiles as they return home to Jerusalem. “1 Comfort, comfort my people, says your God.” Notice the language here: the word, “comfort” is repeated to emphasize God’s loving concern for his people in their distress. He also calls them “my people” and describes himself as “your God”--a reminder of the covenant promise God had made with them to be their God and to claim them as his own people, with whom he would dwell forever.

The message continues: “2 Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins.” By God’s hand--through his power and authority--the Israelites received a just punishment for their sins by being taken from their homes to a foreign land. God displayed his goodness to his people by justly disciplining them when they refused to turn from their sin.

Through Isaiah and the many prophets before and after him, God had warned the people. He had pleaded with them to change their ways: to turn from their sins and worship God alone. But they did not listen. They loved their sin more than they loved God. So, he finally put an end to their rebellion, using the Babylonians to punish them as they deserved. Proverbs 3:11-12 says,

“11 My son, do not despise the Lord's discipline

or be weary of his reproof,

12 for the Lord reproves him whom he loves,

as a father the son in whom he delights.”

Just as parents earnestly discipline their children to teach them right from wrong, God lovingly corrects his wayward people. Hebrews 12: 10-11 also reminds us that “...[God] disciplines us for our good, that we may share his holiness. 11 For the moment all discipline seems painful rather than pleasant, but later it yields the peaceful fruit of righteousness to those who have been trained by it.” Although the punishment the Jews received for their rebellion was painful, it was necessary to turn their hearts back to God. It may seem like an extreme punishment to us, but God’s standard of justice is not like ours, it’s better. It’s perfect. It is never too harsh, or too lenient. “Double for all her sins” is not intended to mean that God punished them too much (that would be unjust). Instead, it’s hyperbole, or an exaggeration, that’s meant to show that the extent of their punishment was perfectly full and complete. This perfect justice applies to us as well. God does not turn a blind eye to evil in this world. Every sin will be answered for, because It would be wrong for God to ignore sin and allow it to continue without consequence. For that reason, he allowed his people to be taken into exile in Isaiah, but, he also provided the means by which they would return. He made a path, for them and for us, to be reconciled to himself, because God’s goodness is also merciful.

God does not break his promises. He remains faithful to his people, even when they are unfaithful to him. Here in Isaiah, God told the Jews in exile that the time of their punishment would come to an end. God would mercifully pardon his people for their sins and receive them with forgiveness. He would ransom his people back, and lead them home safely as a triumphant king. Let’s look at verses 3 and 4: “3 A voice cries: ’In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain.’” An announcement is made: “Get ready! Clear the way! God’s glory is coming back to Jerusalem!” Jerusalem is actually settled in a mountain range and the terrain around it is really rough, with lots of deep valleys and steep hills. So, God is going to cause those valleys to rise up and the mountains to flatten out to make a smooth, level path to Jerusalem. Obviously, the Israelites couldn’t change the terrain to clear this kind of path. Even today, with modern construction equipment, it would be crazy! No, this is a metaphor for how God himself is going to clear a way and make a path for his people to return to the place where he had promised to make his home with them forever.

With power and authority, God would make a way for the Jews to return from their exile in Babylon, but, even more, he was going to make a path for all people to return from the exile of sin, overcome the wilderness of temptation, and dwell in God’s presence forever. This act of abundant mercy and goodness would reveal God’s glory to a watching world: “5 And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord has spoken.” Hundreds of years later, a man named John would call himself “‘...the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, “Make straight the way of the Lord”’” (John 1:22) as he preached to the people to repent of their sins and be baptized. He was preparing the way for Jesus to begin his ministry. Jesus, through whom God’s glory was revealed to us, and to the whole world. Through his perfectly sinless life, his death on the cross, and his resurrection, he made a way to forgiveness and eternal life for all people. He carved out a path to righteousness and relationship with God that we could not have attained for ourselves any more than we could flatten Mt. Hood out into a perfectly level plain. TItus 3:4-7 puts it this way, “4 But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, 5 he saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, 6 whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior, 7 so that being justified by his grace we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life.” Jesus is the perfect expression of God’s merciful goodness to us. He is merciful in saving us, and he leads us with compassion for our trials and weaknesses.

We’re actually going to skip over verses 6-8 here, but, don’t worry, we’ll be coming back for them next month when we discuss what it means for God to be unchanging.

Continuing in verse 9, “9 Go on up to a high mountain, O Zion, herald of good news; lift up your voice with strength, O Jerusalem, herald of good news; lift it up, fear not; say to the cities of Judah, “‘Behold your God!’ 10 Behold, the Lord God comes with might, and his arm rules for him; behold, his reward is with him, and his recompense before him.” This is really good news! So good, everyone needs to hear it! “Shout it from the rooftops! Tell everyone! God is leading his people back to Jerusalem!” This is a picture of God returning to Jerusalem as a mighty, conquering king, and we’re reminded again that he is just. He’s bringing with him payment for the righteous and for the wicked, parading it ahead of himself like the spoils of war. But, there’s no reason to be afraid of his coming, because he is as gentle as he is powerful: “11 He will tend his flock like a shepherd; he will gather the lambs in his arms; he will carry them in his bosom, and gently lead those that are with young.” Remember, the shepherd was not a weak, baby-faced Precious Moments figurine snuggled up next to a cute lamb. A good shepherd was tender and gentle with his sheep, but was also fierce in defending them against robbers and wild animals. When he was a shepherd, David killed a lion and a bear that tried to go after the lambs in his father’s flock. In the same way, God is fierce with his enemies but tender with his people. God will lovingly care for his people, guiding them home to safety with kindness and compassion. He carries the weak and guides the weary along safe paths. God’s son, Jesus, is a perfectly compassionate shepherd. John 10 describes Jesus as the “good shepherd, who lays down his life for his sheep.” Jesus gave his life for our good, taking the punishment we deserved to give us new life in him. Through him, we have hope for eternity, and for this life as well. He is a Psalm 23 kind of shepherd, who provides for his sheep, guiding them through treacherous valleys and leading them to food and rest in lush meadows near quiet streams. Whether we are experiencing a season of rich joy and security, or of deep pain and uncertainty, we can rest in the knowledge that he is with us, and he will lead us safely home. We have hope, just as God’s people did here in Isaiah, because we know that God is good.

Now, you might be sitting there thinking that it’s too simple, obvious, or inadequate to describe God as “good.” Or maybe you’re in a season where God doesn’t seem very good to you at all. And I get that, because I’ve been there too.

For my part, I guess I used to think that God’s “goodness” meant that, as long as I did the right “Christian” things, God would bless me with a comfortable, happy life, just the way I’d always imagined it. So, that’s what I tried to do. That’s what I put my hope in. But then, I was laid off from my two part-time jobs in two months and I didn’t know how we were going to pay our bills; I wondered if God really was good. Later, as all my friends started having children, and, meanwhile, months turned into years and the little strips never turned pink for me; I wondered why God’s goodness was for other people, and not for me? And, when 12 moms decided that, no, we weren’t the right parents to adopt her child; I wondered how God’s goodness fit with my breaking heart.

Maybe you’ve asked questions like this too. Don’t we all, at times? Maybe not in so many words, but our fears and insecurities all seem to boil down to these same questions. Is God really good? Is he good to me? Is he good, even when I can’t make sense of my circumstances? Not the kind of good that is indifferent and impartial, like a judge sitting high up on a bench in a courtroom. I need the kind of good that gets down in the dirt with me in my sin and sorrow and knows every tear that I have shed. How can I “taste and see that the Lord is good” when all I taste is the bitterness of heartache? And how do I keep the reality of his goodness steadfastly at the forefront of my mind when seasons of contentment threaten to draw me into spiritual indifference? Isaiah 40 points us in the right direction: we must behold our God.

If you’re going to really “behold” something, you have to observe and consider it. It’s not a quick glance. It’s a long, thoughtful gaze. To behold God, we contemplate his character, consider the things he has done, and hear what he has to say to us through his Word.

When we are tempted to doubt or become disinterested in God’s goodness we must meditate on who he is and allow that knowledge to permeate our hearts. You can fill your home or even your car with beautiful artwork or even little Post-It notes that remind you of the different attributes of God. Read and reread them as you wash dishes, brush your teeth, or drive around running errands. You can even memorize them! There are so many attributes of God to meditate on to give us hope for each day. The study we’re doing on God’s character is only going to cover three of them, but there are so many more! I’d encourage you to learn more about them on your own. Books like Knowing God by J.I. Packer, The Knowledge of the Holy by A.W. Tozer, and None Like Him by Jen Wilkin are all excellent resources for learning more about God’s character. And, if you don’t have much time to sit and read, I can help direct you to an app where you can listen to audio versions of all three books for free! These books have inspired and encouraged me, and deepened my understanding of the scripture, so I’d definitely encourage you to check them out.

We can also behold God by remembering what he has done. The whole Bible is filled stories of God’s faithfulness to his people, and those should be a great encouragement to us, but there’s also plenty of evidence of God’s goodness right in front of us. We can see it in our lives and the lives of our fellow believers. Pray and ask God to open your eyes to how he is at work here and now. Seek out fellow believers and encourage one another with reminders of God’s goodness in hard and in joyful seasons. His abundant goodness is evident in ordinary blessings that we often take for granted: like the perfect peace of holding a sleeping child in your arms, or the beauty of a sunny day in January, or the comfort of an unexpected note of encouragement from a friend. Take time to thank God for his everyday goodness.

Most of all, meditate on God’s Word regularly to see the abundant evidence of his goodness. Trace the story of his justice, mercy, and compassion toward his people, to us, that spills out on every page and reaches its culmination in Jesus. In times of joy or trial, we can look to Christ and know that we are secure because of his sacrifice on our behalf. Dive into God’s Word for yourself and see the story of God’s goodness unfold. A great way to do this would be to join one of the James study groups that is starting next week. The author of the study, Jen Wilkin, is an excellent Bible teacher. She is all about giving women the tools needed to understanding the Bible rightly for themselves, regardless of their level of education or church background. If you join one of the studies, I’m sure you’ll come away from it with a greater understanding of God’s message to us through James, and be better equipped to understand the rest of the Bible as well.

I can tell you from personal experience that learning to behold God’s goodness day-by-day is not an easy process or a quick fix. It’s a life-long journey that I’m just beginning. It doesn’t solve all your problems or make you perfectly happy and kind at all times. What it offers is hope: hope like God’s people needed back in Isaiah’s day, and like you and I need right now. Hope that is built on God’s perfect goodness, which is just, merciful, and compassionate, richly poured out on us through Christ. Through him, God has blessed us immensely, far beyond what we deserve, and beyond what we could ever fully comprehend.

Mark Session 2

Jesus // Healer

We all crave healing, don’t we? You don’t need to have a chronic medical condition or some sort of serious illness to feel it. The whole-body weariness that accompanies even a mild case of the flu or the persistent aches and pains that come along with aging are reminders that our bodies are fragile and imperfect. When the Fall happened in Genesis 3, sin entered the world and brought a curse on the whole earth: including our bodies. Humans became vulnerable to pain, illness, and death. Since then, we’ve been longing--consciously and unconsciously--to be healed, body and soul.

The passage we’re looking at this month, Mark 2:1-12, teaches us that Jesus has the power and authority to heal us from effects of the curse. Through his death on the cross, he heals us of our sins and gives us hope for resurrected bodies that will be eternally healthy and whole. Let’s look at Mark 2:

1 And when he returned to Capernaum after some days, it was reported that he was at home. 2 And many were gathered together, so that there was no more room, not even at the door. And he was preaching the word to them. 3 And they came, bringing to him a paralytic carried by four men. 4 And when they could not get near him because of the crowd, they removed the roof above him, and when they had made an opening, they let down the bed on which the paralytic lay. 5 And when Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralytic, “Son, your sins are forgiven.” 6 Now some of the scribes were sitting there, questioning in their hearts, 7 “Why does this man speak like that? He is blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” 8 And immediately Jesus, perceiving in his spirit that they thus questioned within themselves, said to them, “Why do you question these things in your hearts? 9 Which is easier, to say to the paralytic, ‘Your sins are forgiven,’ or to say, ‘Rise, take up your bed and walk’? 10 But that you may know that the Son of Man has authority on earth to forgive sins”—he said to the paralytic— 11 “I say to you, rise, pick up your bed, and go home.” 12 And he rose and immediately picked up his bed and went out before them all, so that they were all amazed and glorified God, saying, “We never saw anything like this!”

At this point in Jesus’ life, he had been baptized by John the Baptist, tempted in the wilderness, and called his first disciples. His ministry had officially begun. He had been traveling around the region of Galilee, teaching and healing the people, and casting out demons. Large crowds were drawn to him because of this, to the point that Jesus could not openly enter towns without being mobbed. The beginning of this passage tells us that, once again, a large crowd had sought Jesus out to hear him teach, this time at his home in Capernaum. The crowd was so large, that, when a group of four men brought a paralyzed man to be healed, the door to the house was totally blocked. The men had to make a hole in the roof to lower the paralyzed man down to where Jesus was so he could be healed. Jesus saw their faith and declared to the paralyzed man that...his sins were forgiven?

I can just imagine the looks on people’s faces when Jesus announced this: surprise, confusion, astonishment, and maybe even anger. Why would Jesus forgive a man’s sins when he needed to be healed? How could Jesus even have the authority to forgive sins? The scribes, in particular, weren’t happy with what Jesus said.

The scribes knew that only God can forgive sins. They believed that by claiming the ability to do so, Jesus was committing blasphemy.  According to Old Testament law, blasphemy was a very serious sin that was punishable by death. It’s interesting that the scribes believed Jesus had committed blasphemy here. They clearly understood the implications of what Jesus was teaching: he was claiming divine authority equal with God, albeit indirectly. However, because of their lack of faith, they didn’t understand that Jesus was speaking the truth, and simply believed that he was committing an egregious sin.

Before these religious leaders even said anything, Jesus perceived their thoughts and confronted the scribes about them. He challenged their thinking, stating that it would be easier to say that the man’s sins were forgiven than it would be to actually heal him. Referring to himself as the Son of Man, he told them that he would heal the man’s paralysis in order to prove that he had the divine authority to forgive sins as well.

Verse 10 is Mark’s first use of “Son of Man,” which is an important title Jesus uses for himself throughout the book. The phrase “Son of Man” alludes to a passage in Daniel, and is a title of authority over creation. Daniel 7:13-14 says:  “I saw in the night visions, and behold, with the clouds of heaven there came one like a son of man, and he came to the Ancient of Days and was presented before him. And to him was given dominion and glory and a kingdom, that all peoples, nations, and languages should serve him; his dominion is an everlasting dominion, which shall not pass away, and his kingdom one that shall not be destroyed.” The religious leaders didn’t seem to understand the meaning of this Old Testament reference, however, probably thinking Jesus simply meant that he was the son of a man.  Notably, the second occurrence of the phrase “Son of Man” occurs in 2:28, where Jesus declares himself “lord even of the Sabbath” just before he heals a man with a disfigured hand. This is another teaching/miracle that affirms Jesus’ divine authority. Afterward, Jesus’ conflict with the Jewish religious leaders escalates, and they begin plotting to kill him. In today’s text, however, we don’t get specific insight into the scribes’ reaction to Jesus’ words.

After addressing the scribes, Jesus healed the man’s paralysis. He told him to pick up his bed and return home, which the man stood up and did. The crowd was completely amazed by the miracle. They said to one another that they’d never seen anything like it and they glorified God.

Sometimes, I don’t really know how to respond to stories of miraculous healings in the Bible. I know that they still happen today. I have believing friends who’ve amazed their doctors and beating all the odds by conceiving, walking again, or surviving when they “shouldn’t have.” I also know believers who haven’t:  faithful Christians who continue to struggle with chronic illnesses or life-changing injuries that they prayed to be healed from. My ongoing struggle with infertility makes me a part of the latter group. How does Mark 2 ask believers to respond, whatever their experience with miraculous healing is?

I think that we are called to worship God in faith.

We must worship, because, through Christ, God has given us the healing we need. He has made a way to salvation and provided for perfect, bodily healing that will never be taken away from us.

Mark 2 demonstrates to us that Jesus’ miracles had a clear purpose: to bring glory to God by revealing Jesus as his Son. As the Son of Man, he has the authority to forgive sins.  On the cross, Jesus became the blameless sacrifice, taking on the punishment sinful humanity deserves to create a path to spiritual healing for God’s people, setting us free from our slavery to sin. Although Jesus had not died and risen yet in Mark 2, his forgiveness of the paralyzed man was still based on his sacrifice, as it is now for all believers. And, no matter how well or ill our bodies are faring today, we know that Jesus has secured for us the promise of perfectly healed bodies when we are resurrected to live with him for eternity.  

I want to close us with Revelation 21:3-4. It’s a familiar verse for many, but I think it’s a necessary reminder of the promise we can trust when we feel our need for healing: “And I heard a loud voice from the throne saying, ‘Behold, the dwelling place of God is with man. He will dwell with them, and they will be his people, and God himself will be with them as their God. He will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning, nor crying, nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away.’” This is a promise we can rely on. Because of Christ, we have a secure future: free from pain, fear, and sadness and free to enjoy God forever.

Mark Session 1

Introduction // The Son of God

A year ago, if you’d asked me to put together and lead a Bible study on Mark, I’m absolutely certain I would’ve just laughed. Mark has always been the gospel I struggled with the most because I really didn’t understand its structure and themes. To me, it seemed like a jumble of stories about Jesus that didn’t really fit together. Then, last fall I signed up to attend a women’s Bible teaching workshop, not knowing what book of the Bible we’d be studying. Of course, it turned out to be….Mark. I was nervous and intimidated at first, but, as I prepared for the workshop in the weeks leading up to the event, the book seemed to unfold in a new way. It blossomed with beautiful truth and depth that I had never seen in it before: truth about who Jesus is and what it means to follow him. Mark and I have come a long way! I'm excited to have the opportunity share what I learned with you, and for us all to learn more as we study it together.

To start, we need to get an idea of where this book came from and what its original purpose was. Even though the Bible teaches and speaks to us today, every book of the Bible had a different audience before us. We need to pay attention to the history of the book so that we can understand it better. Otherwise, we might try to squeeze ideas out of it that it could never have communicated to its original audience, which would be false. 

Everything we know about the author and purpose of Mark is based on scholarly research and tradition going back to the earliest part of church history. Some of what we know is based on the written testimony of an early church bishop named Papias, who got his information from two of the disciples of apostle John. Papias’ record tells us that the gospel was written by a man named Mark who was an interpreter and assistant to the apostle Peter during his ministry in Rome. Although it can’t be proven conclusively, it is widely accepted that this Mark is the man called John Mark in several places throughout the New Testament. The book of Acts tells us that John Mark traveled with Barnabas and Paul off and on during their missionary journeys. 1 Peter also corroborates the story that Mark assisted Peter in his work in Rome (1 Pet. 5:13).

Tradition holds that the book was written to make an account of the apostle Peter’s recollections of Jesus’ life and ministry that could be shared with all believers, but particularly with the gentile believers in Rome. This is why Mark often describes Jewish customs in a lot of detail, like he is explaining them to an outsider.

For some time, Biblical scholars didn’t think much of Mark. They assumed it was one of the last gospels written and was just a shorter, less detailed, imitation of Matthew. This all changed in the 1800s. Most Bible scholars now believe that Mark was actually the first gospel to be written, and that the other gospel authors (especially Matthew and Luke) used Mark as a reference and expanded on it. The book was most likely written toward the end of Peter’s life, or shortly after he died: sometime in the 60s A.D, about 30 years after Jesus’ death and resurrection. 

It’s important to know that this book isn’t written as a chronological narrative of Jesus’ life: it’s more like a collection of stories that are grouped together topically to show the reader who Jesus was and what he taught. 

Chapters 1-8 features Jesus’ miracles and teaching that point us to who Jesus is: the Messiah, the Son of God. Chapters 8-10 focus on conversations between Jesus and his disciples about what it means for him to be the Messiah, and how they are to follow him. Mainly, that Jesus would suffer and die for sin, but then rise again in victory, and that his disciples would also pay a heavy price in persecution by following him. Chapters 11-16 detail how Jesus became the Messiah: they describe his time in Jerusalem in the week of his betrayal, death, and resurrection. 

During our meetings together, we’re going to spend a lot of our time in the first half of the book, looking at different aspects of what Jesus told us about who he is. We’ll also cover his teachings on discipleship, and his betrayal and then death and resurrection. 

Today, we’re going to look at the aspect of Jesus’ identity that is the most central to everything Mark wants to teach us about Jesus: the fact that he is the Son of God. Everything in this book (and really, everything in the Bible) falls apart if we don’t understand and believe that Jesus is God’s son: fully man and fully divine. This idea is so important that Mark opens the book with it. Let’s take a look at today’s passage:

Mark 1:1-15
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,

“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
    who will prepare your way,
3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
    ‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
    make his paths straight,’”

4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Mark starts out clear and to the point in verse 1: this book contains the gospel (or “good news”) about Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God. It is the continuation of a story that began in the Old Testament: the story of how God is keeping his promise to send the Messiah to save his people and all of creation from the deadly, destructive consequences of sin. 

Beginning in verse 2, Mark points us to a passage to Isaiah, which tells of a “messenger” who would prepare the way for the Messiah. John the Baptist was that messenger. He called people to be cleansed of their sins through repentance and baptism. Luke 3:15-16 tells us that the power of John’s ministry caused some people to even wonder if John was the Messiah himself. John knew that he wasn’t even worthy to be a lowly servant of the Messiah. He told them plainly that he was just the messenger who was preparing them for the coming of someone who was more than just a prophet: he was their Lord. This Messiah was coming to completely wash their sins away forever: giving them new life and filling them with the Holy Spirit. 

In verse 9, Jesus comes to John to be baptized. Matthew 3:14-15 tells us that John initially objected to this, saying to Jesus, “‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ 15 But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’” and then John agreed and baptized him. 

Jesus was baptized to “fulfill all righteousness” not for himself (because he had no sin), but to be a righteous example for future believers. Christians are baptized in obedience to God as an outward symbol of the inward change that happened in them through Christ when they repented of sin and believed in him. 

Jesus’ baptism is rich with symbol and deep theological meaning. Let’s look at that section again: “when (Jesus) came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’” Here, we clearly see the presence of all three members of the trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, and they’re present at the same time. They are distinct, yet unified. The Holy Spirit dwells with the Son. God the Father authoritatively testifies that Jesus is his righteous son. He says, “‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’” God the Father repeats this statement again at the transfiguration in Mark 9, when he says, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.” Mark wants us to see that this isn’t rumor or speculation: God himself told us that Jesus is his Son.  Jesus himself also confirmed it when he was on trial before the High Priest. Throughout the rest of the book, we see, too, that even demons cannot help but tremble and proclaim that Jesus is the Son of God. When Jesus died on the cross, even one of the Roman centurions, who were his enemies, could not help but see the Son of God for who he really was. 

After his baptism, in verses 12-13, Jesus responds to the prompting of the Spirit, who drives him out into the wilderness among wild beasts where he is tempted by Satan and tended by angels through his trial.  The paradox of Jesus’ complete humanity and divinity is on display. God cannot be tempted (James 1:13), so God became a human man who could be. Yet he had to be fully God too, because only God, being perfect in righteousness, could endure temptation without sin. God could not die to pay the penalty of blood for sin, so Jesus became a man so he could die on our behalf. Yet, his full divinity could not be contained by the grave, so he rose again on the third day, giving us victory over sin and death with him. Jesus is the sinless, obedient son that we cannot be. His death on the cross allows us to receive the righteousness we could never attain on our own.

Finally, in verses 14-15, Jesus’ ministry begins. He starts to travel around Galilee preaching the gospel, saying, “‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.’” His message is this: “The time has come! God keeps his promises. His kingdom is here! Believe in the Messiah. Turn away from sin and turn toward the Son of God.“

I think there are three takeaways for us from this passage. First, God keeps his promises. Jesus coming was the fulfillment of God’s promises going all the way back to the Garden of Eden. In Genesis 3, Adam and Eve sinned and their relationship with God was broken: marred by their sinful rebellion. Yet, even as God told them about the curse they had brought upon the world, and the fatal price that their sin required, he also gave them a promise of future hope. There would be a seed, a son, who would come to destroy evil, though he would be wounded in the process.

In Genesis 12, 18, and 22, God repeatedly promised to Abraham that the single child God enabled him and Sarah to conceive would become a nation of descendants as numerous as the stars. All of the nations of the earth would be blessed through Abraham’s seed.

In 2 Samuel 7, God told David that his house, kingdom, and throne would be established forever through his offspring, who would be God’s beloved son. Jesus was the “son” of Abraham and of David: the perfect fulfillment of God’s promises. As you saw in your study guide, Jesus was David’s son, yet also his Lord.

Also, throughout the old testament prophets, including some passages you read on your own, God promised that the Lord, the Messiah, would come to reconcile his sinful people to himself and reveal his glory to the world. God has always kept his promises to his people in the past, and he continues to do so today. He hasn’t promised us an easy life, but he has promised to be with us, and to work all circumstances for our good and his glory, always.

The second takeaway is this: because Christ was God’s son, we are able to become God’s sons. Even as women, we receive Jesus’ righteousness and become like firstborn sons along with him: co-heirs of God with Christ. We have an inheritance of eternal life on the new earth, which will be recreated in perfection for God’s people, where we will enjoy him forever. This is a treasure that can never be taken away from us. 

Third, Jesus’ mission is now our mission. We need to bring glory and honor to God by sharing the gospel with others. We are called to go and make disciples in our homes, workplaces, and communities. It is our duty and our joy to share the good news of God with others: to tell them of his unending faithfulness, and his rich mercy in sending his son to die for our sins even though we have rebelled against him. We should be praying for opportunities to show others God’s love through our actions and to tell them how they can be set free from their slavery to sin and be welcomed into God’s family through belief in his Son. 

I think a lot of Christians, myself included, become numb to the absolute miracle of the incarnation. God took his infinite power and his glory and wrapped it up in finite flesh. He did it all to glorify himself by faithfully redeeming sinful, rebellious people and restoring his creation to perfection. We are those rebellious people. Through Christ, we have become a part of God’s family through no goodness of our own. We are given new life and a new purpose: to glorify God by telling others about his justice and his mercy.