DAY ONE | MONDAY, FEBRUARY 13
Mark 1: 1-15
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way”—
“a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”
And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
REFLECTION
Can you imagine the harshest way to wake up? Perhaps it would be with a glass of cold water poured on your face. Perhaps it is the sound of someone screaming at you. Maybe you can imagine a time when you were woken from a dead sleep suddenly. This is how the book of Mark begins. Not with the story of Mary or Joseph or a sweet baby being born, but the story of John the Baptist screaming for people to turn around, repent, make a change. He is sounding the alarm in dramatic fashion that Jesus is coming.
If you look at the first and last words from this selection, it begins and ends with the words “Good News.” The wakeup call at the beginning of Mark really is that Jesus is the beginning of the “Good News.” Not only was Jesus’ arrival good news, but so was the message and work that he is about to embark on. God has arrived on the scene in the person of Jesus and has come to bring world-changing and lasting good news and hope.
John the Baptist plays a prominent role preaching and baptizing. There was a large movement of people following John, including some of Jesus’ own disciples who transferred over. But the ultimate act of John was the baptism of Jesus himself. It is at Jesus’ baptism that we see the Bible lay out the Trinity – “the Father bore witness, the Son receives the witness, and the Spirit gave confirmation.” But, no sooner had the Spirit come upon Jesus than it drove him into the wilderness.
Jesus is thrust into the wilderness. Like the Israelites wandering toward the Promise Land, Jesus also experiences the powerful adversary (Satan). The wilderness is not merely a place of testing, but a place of demons. The difference of course is that Jesus passes the test and indeed enters the Promise Land and begins his ministry.
We conclude with what is probably a summary statement, “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Ephesians 5:14 says “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead!” In order to understand this good news of Christ, you have to first wake up and pay attention; next you must turn around, repent, make a change; and finally, you must now face the future in a new way. How are you going to respond to this coming of Jesus?
Mark 1: 1-15
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
“I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way”—
“a voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”
And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
REFLECTION
Can you imagine the harshest way to wake up? Perhaps it would be with a glass of cold water poured on your face. Perhaps it is the sound of someone screaming at you. Maybe you can imagine a time when you were woken from a dead sleep suddenly. This is how the book of Mark begins. Not with the story of Mary or Joseph or a sweet baby being born, but the story of John the Baptist screaming for people to turn around, repent, make a change. He is sounding the alarm in dramatic fashion that Jesus is coming.
If you look at the first and last words from this selection, it begins and ends with the words “Good News.” The wakeup call at the beginning of Mark really is that Jesus is the beginning of the “Good News.” Not only was Jesus’ arrival good news, but so was the message and work that he is about to embark on. God has arrived on the scene in the person of Jesus and has come to bring world-changing and lasting good news and hope.
John the Baptist plays a prominent role preaching and baptizing. There was a large movement of people following John, including some of Jesus’ own disciples who transferred over. But the ultimate act of John was the baptism of Jesus himself. It is at Jesus’ baptism that we see the Bible lay out the Trinity – “the Father bore witness, the Son receives the witness, and the Spirit gave confirmation.” But, no sooner had the Spirit come upon Jesus than it drove him into the wilderness.
Jesus is thrust into the wilderness. Like the Israelites wandering toward the Promise Land, Jesus also experiences the powerful adversary (Satan). The wilderness is not merely a place of testing, but a place of demons. The difference of course is that Jesus passes the test and indeed enters the Promise Land and begins his ministry.
We conclude with what is probably a summary statement, “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” Ephesians 5:14 says “Wake up, sleeper, rise from the dead!” In order to understand this good news of Christ, you have to first wake up and pay attention; next you must turn around, repent, make a change; and finally, you must now face the future in a new way. How are you going to respond to this coming of Jesus?