As we’ve worked our way through the Gospel of Mark we have followed a group of men who are followers of Jesus, but who often struggle with doubts and fears and questions. The disciples were the closest people on earth to Jesus and yet their story is often one of clumsy faith. As followers of Jesus ourselves many of us can relate to the disciples’ struggles. We are often forgetful of who Jesus really is and of how much we can trust Him. One of the benefits of studying the Gospel of Mark is having the chance to see how Jesus continues to reveal Himself to the disciples and to learn about Him in the process. In Mark 9 we are have the privilege of looking and listening in as Jesus reveals Himself to three of His disciples in magnificent way.

As we close out 2020 and look toward the coming year we should be more aware than ever that we don’t know what the future holds. We didn’t know all that we would experience this year and we don’t know what lies ahead. With that in mind, how should we pray for the year to come? While there are many good things we can pray for, there is one prayer that is always appropriate and always needful

A recitation of the story of Christmas. Includes Luke 1:26-56; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-38; Matthew 2:1-12; Hebrews 1:1-3; Colossians 1:19; Philippians 2:6-7; Hebrews 2:17; John 1:14-18; John 3:16-17; 1 John 4:9-10; 1 Corinthians 8:9; Isaiah 9:2, 6-7

In many ways Christmas is about looking back. We look back to Mary and Joseph, to Bethlehem and to the manger. But it’s also important for us to remember that what happened in Bethlehem 2,000 years ago is the reason we can have hope for today and for the days ahead. This is a truth that stands out as we consider that the baby who was born in the manger was in fact a promised King, a King who is coming again to rule and to reign.

In a year when we are well acquainted with uncertainty we should be zealous for the opportunity to dwell on things that are certain. And in a year when things have often been bleak, we should be eager to dwell on what is beautiful. Each year as we move toward Christmas we set aside time to focus very specifically and very purposefully on the coming of Christ into the world. Our goal this year is the same. We desire to behold Christ and to allow our beholding of Him to remind us of our hope. In the three weeks leading up to Christmas we are ‘Beholding Christ’ by considering three different aspects of who He is.

In a year when we are well acquainted with uncertainty we should be zealous for the opportunity to dwell on things that are certain. And in a year when things have often been bleak, we should be eager to dwell on what is beautiful. Each year as we move toward Christmas we set aside time to focus very specifically and very purposefully on the coming of Christ into the world. Our goal this year is the same. We desire to behold Christ and to allow our beholding of Him to remind us of our hope. In the three weeks leading up to Christmas we will ‘Behold Christ’ by considering three different aspects of who He is.

What does it mean to be a follower of Jesus? What should we expect as those who commit our lives to being His disciples? These are important questions, and we live in a time when there are many answers being offered. There are many who draw large crowds by promising that those who come to Jesus will find success and prosperity and even physical health. There are others who promise that if you come to Jesus you can find purpose and meaning and finally learn to love yourself. It is true that the Christian life is a life of meaning and purpose. And it’s also true that those who follow Christ and trust in Him are blessed

In his commentary on the Gospels John Calvin wrote: Pride is so deeply rooted in the hearts of men that we often think wrong is done to us, and complain, if God does not comply with everything we consider to be right. This statement strikes at the heart of a common sinful temptation: we are so prone to believing that we know better than God. And while we may never say it out loud, our complaints, fears and anxieties reveal our hearts. We are prone to believing that God should operate on our terms. And when His plan doesn’t align with ours, we question His intentions. While this is a temptation that many struggle with today, we are not the first to be tempted in this way. We aren’t the first to question God’s ways and His plans. In Mark 8:31-33 we see this same lack of trust in the disciples

So much of the Christian life is devoted, not to learning new things, but to remembering things that we’ve already come to know and believe. And as we come together week after week, much of our time is given to reminding one another what is true and encouraging one another to keep believing. Mark begins his Gospel by announcing that he is writing the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. In the very first verse He makes some bold claims: That Jesus is the promised, anointed One of God and that Jesus is in fact, God in flesh. Mark makes this declaration and then he writes the Gospel to show the evidence of this claim. It’s true: Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. Through the first eight chapters of the Gospel, Mark records miracle after miracle and proof after proof that Jesus is no ordinary man, but that He is in fact the Son of God. And while many come to Jesus and even say positive things about Him, no one up to this point has confessed Jesus as the Christ. In Mark 8:27-30 we come to a significant transition as Peter makes this great confession of faith: You are the Christ.

The Bible often uses the imagery of blindness to describe our spiritual state before salvation. In one of His rebukes of the Pharisees Jesus describes them as blind. And when He questions His disciples’ true understanding of who He is He asks: having eyes do you not see? In Mark 8:22-26 Jesus performs an incredible miracle