Jesus is challenged on his disciples behaviour on the Sabbath and responds with some strong claims about who he is and how we should behave one day in seven. What does that mean for Christians today?

Jesus gets some simple questions about fasting and responses, in typical fashion, with parables that upend our understanding of the world. We explore together questions like, 'what time is it?', 'how should you store wine?' and 'how should you behave at a wedding?'

In these verses we meet two kinds of people. Firstly we see Jesus calling Levi, a tax collector who is a sinner and knows he is. Secondly, Jesus challenges the scribes of the pharisees who are sinful people but believe they are righteous. Jesus shows both these groups that He is the great physician, the one who came to die for sinners like Levi, the scribes and us to be made spiritually well by Him. For anyone who recognises their need of Him, He is our great saviour!

Ben unpacks the famous passage where we're told nothing can separate us from God's love. We also explore what it means for us to be more than conquerors in Jesus.

Such a familiar passage - the healing of the paralytic. But when we rip the roof from the story and look at all there is to discover about Jesus, we find ourselves amazed by his authority and his tender love.

In these broad description of Jesus ministry and then Mark's zoomed in example of it, we encounter two very different ways to approach Jesus. The ones with all the access do it wrong, and the one who wasn't allowed to approach gets it right.

In a little fishing town called Capernaum, Jesus shows his authority. Many gathered are left astonished by His authority demonstrated by His teaching, His authority over demons and His over his authority to heal physically. Here we meet Jesus who has the same authority today to set people free, to heal the sick and ultimately He authority over our greatest problem of our sin. He is our saviour and has all authority in heaven on earth!

Jesus’ message is that by repentance and belief in him we can be a part of the kingdom of God. Jesus called Simon, Andrew, James and John to follow him. His call and gift to us is even greater - that he lives in us by his Holy Spirit. Such a call demands that we leave behind everything that stands in the way to live for him.

The baptism of Jesus launches his public ministry. Known just as an ordinary man, he displays his humility and identification with sinful humanity by undergoing John's baptism which, like a ritual washing, signifying repentance. But his baptism is different because the heavens are ripped open and God descends. The Father's voice picks up on OT scriptures which affirm his sonship and his kingship. The Spirit's descent like a dove picks up on the Spirit's role in creation and the renewed creation in Noah's time. A new age is beginning. Then, astonishingly, the spirit drives Jesus into the unclean wilderness to meet his adversary, Satan. Here he demonstrates his victory over all evil.

Only with the Old and New Testaments together can we get a full picture of God's character and human nature and why we need Jesus. With the Old Testament alone we miss the 'rest of the story' and with the New Testament alone, we miss the 'back story' for why Jesus had to come.