We are starting this new series for 3 weeks on Easter. This sermon looks at the Last supper where Jesus announces that finally the time has come for God to rescue His people from the power of sin and death, that we are forgiven through Jesus' sacrificial death.

Today our journey through Mark’s gospel brings us to aclimactic point where the religious leaders express a lack of faith, the disciples seem slow to understand and are distracted by worldly worries, but in His grace God reveals to Peter the truth that Jesus is the Messiah. The crucial question for us is ‘who do you say Jesus is?’ and how are you responding to God’s revelation in him?

Today we see Jesus' ministry extending beyond the borders of Israel. In the healing of a foreigner and the feeding of the gentiles, we see the mercy of God reaching the lost, reminding us that we are undeserving recipients of God's kindness and opening our eyes to his worldwide mission.

Today we read of Jesus' confrontation with the Pharisees as they question him about his observance of their traditions. In response, Jesus exposes their hard-halfheartedness and hypocrisy , he also exposes our hearts as he speaks of the depth of the human problem. Jesus has come near as the one who can wash us clean of our sin and give us new hearts that love God and are willing to obey.

Why does Jesus walk on water? We all know he did it, but what was the point? More to the point, why would this event fill the disciples with fear? The heart of the matter is the heart of the matter as we will see.

As we continue in Mark's gospel, we are presented with two Kings who reign over two kingdoms. Mark invites us to compare them, and consider which will we belong to, and which will bring us true satisfaction and meet our deepest needs.

As we continue in our series in Mark's gospel, the focus now turns onto Jesus' missions as he and his disciples spread the good news that the Kingdom of God has come near. As we see how Jesus and his disciples are received, we'll consider what mission looks like for us, and what we should expect as we take the good news to the world around us.

As we continue in Mark's gospel, we see Jesus come face to face with the enemies that most fill us with fear, sickness, and death. Yet, like before the storm and the strong man, Jesus' power prevails , and he restores the sick and raises the dead. We see that Jesus is our only hope in life and death, and we are called to place our faith in him.

Jesus actions show he has defeated all the forces of evil in our world, this frees us to serve him and declare the good news of belonging to Jesus and his Kingdom.

In this sermon, we consider the event of Jesus calming a storm, and where Jesus questions his disciples "why are you afraid?" which raises their question "who is the man?"