Posts with the tag “mark”

This exploration of Mark 1:1 invites us to rediscover the gospel with fresh eyes, challenging us to move beyond mere familiarity with the word 'gospel' to truly understanding its transformative power. We begin a journey through Mark's account—not primarily as an evangelistic tool for non-believers, but as a message of encouragement for suffering, persecuted believers who needed to be strengthened in their faith. The opening verse—'The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God'—is far more than a throwaway introduction. It frames everything that follows, calling us to see the gospel as a message of good tidings, an announcement of military victory, and a royal proclamation. The word 'euangelion' carried weight in the ancient world, used to announce Caesar's birth or military conquests. But Mark uses it to proclaim something infinitely greater: that Jesus has come to defeat sin, Satan, and death so that all who repent and believe can be saved. This message asks us three penetrating questions: Why focus so closely on the gospel when we're already 'gospel people'? What exactly is the gospel? And is it really worth all this attention? The answers challenge our complacency and call us to be moved once again by the stunning reality that God thought the gospel was worth sending His Son, Jesus thought it was worth dying for, and Mark thought it was worth preserving through immense difficulty. The question remains: do we think it's worth our full attention, our complete surrender, and our entire lives?  Read More