In Jesus's time, many believed he was a revolutionary, one who would rule by force. This is exactly what we see at the end of Mark's retelling of the feeding of the five thousand in Mark 6:30-44. But Jesus is not who the people desire him to be. Because Jesus is our Good Shepherd, not our radical revolutionist, we can live sacrificially, compassionately, and restfully.

Fascination is not enough to be right with God. The story of Herod in Mark 6:14-29 shows us the story of a man who is overwhelmingly fascinated with the things of God, but his story ends in tragedy. On the other hand, the story of John the Baptist shows us what it looks like to triumph through our confidence in Christ and our conviction about our mission.

Having been rejected by those closest to him (Mark 6:1-6), Jesus sends out the disciples to proclaim the good news of the kingdom (6:7-13). Even in the face of rejection, we are called to faithfully proclaim Jesus.

In the entire New Testament, Jesus was amazed only twice. The first time was with the centurion and his remarkable faith. The second time was in Mark 6 when Jesus returned to his hometown only to find their unbelief so powerful he couldn't perform a miracle there. Unbelief is a powerful force that, if we're not careful, will shipwreck our lives. This is why we must be on guard against the danger of unbelief.

In a Fallen world, sickness and death surround us. Jesus wasn't immune to seeing this as he walked the earth. Yet in this conclusion to the four miraculous stories that began when Jesus calmed the storm, Mark 5:21-43 helps us see a powerful truth: When we face a crisis, it's the direction of our faith, not the depth of our faith, that determines the outcome.

Scary stories have a unique way of drawing people in. They tell of things beyond our understanding and the best stories have evil being overcome. This is the kind of story we find in Mark 5, which is a continuation of Mark 4:35-41. Mark 5:1-20 shows us that Jesus delivers us from the power of evil so we can tell others about what he has done. 

Everyone has to face their fears at one point or another. In Mark 4:35-41, the disciples face their fear of nature when a storm overtakes their ship. But when we face moments of fear, we find transformation in Jesus' presence, power, and purpose.

Jesus came to proclaim the good news of the kingdom (Mark 1:15). This kingdom is the good news of God's rule and reign through the King, Jesus Christ. But after explaining the posture of people's hearts as they receive or reject the kingdom in Mark 4:1-20, Jesus uses multiple parables to explain the importance of paying attention to the kingdom in Mark 4:21-34.

Jesus is controversial. More and more we forget the exclusivity of Jesus. But, he is the only way to God and as we see in Romans 5:1-2, he is the only way we can have peace with God, access to grace, and hope for the future.

Gates are often the first thing you see when you approach a castle or a well-guarded facility. Psalm 118, specifically verses 19-24 tells us that only the righteous will enter the Lord's gate. This gate will be rejected, but will ultimately be rejoiced in (pointing us to Jesus as the true gate). As Advent closes, we'll explore five reasons we can rejoice in the King this Christmas season.