In order to comfort an exiled people, the prophet Isaiah speaks of God’s immeasurable greatness and majestic holiness. There is no one and no thing like God. Nothing and no one can compare. The prophet wants the exiled community to know that God has not forgotten them because God can’t and won’t forget them. God is greater than we can imagine and…
The religious leaders attempt to trap Jesus using “human bait” but Jesus refuses to play their game. The relevance of the whole event is best captured in Carl Sandburg’s quote, “The single clenched fist lifted and ready, Or the open asking hand held out and waiting. Choose: For we meet by one or the other.” Opening Hymn: Fairest Lord Jesus Closing Doxology:…
The dominant action of Jesus’ public ministry is the proclamation of the gospel, which Mark summarizes in this way: “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand.” The appropriate response to this good news is repentance and belief. Opening Hymn: Be Thou My Vision Closing Doxology: Now Thank We All Our God
After his baptism, the Spirit leads Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted. Unlike the first parents who failed in the fullness of Paradise, Jesus resists temptation in the barren wilderness. By trusting in and obeying God’s word, Jesus succeeds where all others had previously failed. He is thus the new Adam and the truly faithful Israelite – the Beloved Son in…
Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark hits the ground running – ignoring the details concerning Jesus’ birth and heading straight into Jesus’ baptism. Perhaps the most unique aspect of Mark’s account is that “the heavens are town apart and the Spirit descends like a dove on Jesus.” The rending of heaven language draws attention God’s “invasion” of our world in the person of…