After His baptism and His time in the wilderness Jesus begins preaching and proclaiming that the Kingdom of God is at hand. It’s a message that many would have considered as confirmation that Jesus was the promised king who had come to defeat all of Israel’s enemies and to establish His throne in Jerusalem. While it’s true that Jesus was and is the promised king, His next move may have shown that His plans and His mission were different than what some may have expected. We have already seen the authority of Jesus revealed at His baptism, in His meeting with Satan in the wilderness and in the message He proclaimed, but we see it demonstrated again as He begins to call men to follow Him. His call and the obedience of those called is yet more evidence that He is the Messiah and the One with all authority. While this passage reveals the One who calls disciples and His authority, it’s also important that we see the response and the actions of those who are called. Through these first disciples of Jesus we begin to understand what it looks like to respond and live as followers of Jesus. We also see that it is through men and women that Jesus will take His message to the world.

Some weeks more than others, seem to serve as reminders of the fallen nature and the corrupting effects of sin on our world. This week there were several events and occurrences that put a spotlight on the condition of our world and the prevalence of evil. It’s in times like these that we need a renewed understanding of the knowledge and the plan of God. As we come to this section of the Gospel of Mark we are introduced to the enemy of God, Satan, as he tests Jesus in the wilderness. This account reminds us of the presence of the enemy, but we are also reminded that Satan has no power over Jesus. In fact, Jesus came to announce and to advance the kingdom of God that will ultimately destroy sin and Satan. Jesus also proclaims that all those who repent and believe in the Gospel will be welcomed into the kingdom of God.

As we read and consider the Gospel of Mark it is important to remember that Mark’s intentions go beyond recording the life and story of Jesus. While there is much we can learn about Jesus’s life from this Gospel, Mark’s writing has a very specific aim: Mark’s aim is that we would see Jesus as the Son of God and submit ourselves to Him as His disciples. As with the other Gospel writers Mark’s specific goal in writing impacts what events and teachings of Jesus he includes and what details are provided. As we come to come to Mark’s account of the baptism of Jesus he is brief compared to other Gospels (Matthew 3:13-17; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:29-34), but Mark is true to focus: He helps us see Jesus clearly for who He is: the Son of God who has come to live and to die in the place of sinful man.

While the four Gospels of the New Testament are at times referred to as biographies or historical narratives, the truth is that they are both less and more than either of these. They are less in that they don’t provide all of the details that would generally be included in a life story; there are lots of things we aren’t told. But the Gospels are more, in that they accomplish a greater purpose: they help us to see who Jesus really is, why He came to live among us, and what He accomplished to make our salvation possible. As we begin a study of the Gospel of Mark it will help to understand his primary aim or purpose: Mark’s purpose, simply stated, is for his readers to see Jesus as the Son of God and to submit to Him as His disciples.

Keith Ingram - Now You are God's People - 1 Peter 2:6-10

Encouragement to live as resident aliens, ambassadors for Christ, with the ministry of reconciliation.

A recitation of the story of Christmas. Includes Luke 1:26-56; Matthew 1:18-25; Luke 2:1-21; 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

Announcements of Hope - A Christmas Sermon

There are certain words that are seemingly ubiquitous this time of year. Christmas songs, decorations and cards all communicate that this is a season for celebrating hope and joy and peace. And while we know that through Jesus these realities are available, we may forget how desperately the people of God longed for these things prior to His first coming. Most of us are familiar with the great promise of ‘a child to come’ in Isaiah 9, but the context of this promise reminds us of its significance. In Isaiah 7 and 8 the prophet describes a dark and desperate time in the history of the people of God. The people were living in sin and in rebellion against God and as a result God allowed them to be ravaged by their enemies. Also, the king that was meant to lead them was wicked and foolish and only compounded their suffering. Isaiah 8 ends with a bleak situation: the people are living in anguish and darkness. But as chapter 9 begins the prophet points forward to a light that is coming; a light that will bring hope. To read Isaiah 7 and 8 is to be reminded of how desperately the people of God were in need of hope, joy and peace, but Isaiah 9 reminds us that Jesus was the One who brought these things in greatest measure.

The Old Testament has many incredible promises of the Messiah that would come. These are passages of Scripture that we know well and read each year, but the context is often ignored. During this season of Advent we are going to consider some of the more well known prophecies from the prophet Isaiah in their context. While the prophecies of Isaiah 9 and the 'light to come' are well known, Isaiah 8 helps us consider the darkness into which this prophecy was spoken.