If we are to glorify the Father, we must glorify the Son because the Father is actively seeking, advancing and enforcing the glory of Jesus who gives us life through his words.

Here Jesus is being challenged in his teaching and the way his disciples are conducting themselves. He responds by establishing himself and his teaching as the new norm and highlights the role of fasting in this new norm.

What a friend we have in Jesus… the friend of sinners who was not ashamed to sit with us, now lets go find his sinners and freshly amazed, sit with them and tell of the One who sat with and for us.

Jesus looks straight in the eyes of the leaders of Israel and tells them that He is the “Son of all Mankind”, holding a position with full divine nature by which he can forgive sins.

As Jesus interacts with the leper, so he does with us. When we humbly come to him, his holiness overpowers our uncleanness and he takes our place as the one put outside of the camp.

At this point in Mark, we have found Jesus to be the incognito Christ whose primary mission from the Father was to preach the truth of the glorious kingdom that even reigns over demons and sickness. And he effortlessly overpowers and expels all demons and sickness he engages, while refueling and re-centering in significant times of prayer with the Father.

Jesus Christ possesses full authority over all.  His teaching and commands over the spiritual realm both describe and demonstrate his divine power.

As Jesus calls the first of his disciples, we see the basics of how he calls all of his followers. He calls. We obey.

The long-awaited King has finally arrived and there is only one rightful response--- to repent and believe.