Mark 1 reminds me of driving in New York City. There is no time for slowing down to gawk at the magnificent images. The entire Gospel of Mark seems to be written by a city boy. It provides a rapid paced series of observations delivered in a ‘take it or leave it’ style. Mark is the shortest of the four gospels, making it the most often translated. It begins with no introduction, “The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God”. All of the questions that statement could generate are left for the reader to decide whether to read further. Next he quotes from Isaiah before introducing John the Baptist, “I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way… so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins”. John must have created a buzz, because “all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River”. What did John tell them? “After me comes the One more powerful… I baptize you withwater, but He will baptize you withthe Holy Spirit”. This is the intersection where many exit. This Holy Spirit business sounds uncomfortable. It is easier to avoid eye contact and just keep walking, right?
The next event turned heads; Jesus was also baptized. “As Jesus was coming up out of the water, He saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are My Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased”. This was the beginning of His public ministry. Christian baptism is not for the forgiveness of sin, it is a public declaration that we are followers of Christ. And note, immediately afterwards, He is tempted by Satan. Is your faith so personal that no one notices? Irrelevance is never tested.
The rest of the chapter is all green lights. John is arrested, while Jesus begins preaching, “The time has come, the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!” What is the good news? Messiah has come to restore a personal intimacy with God the Father. Next Jesus called His first disciples, “Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen… James… and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets… He called them, and they left their father Zebedee… and followed Him”. Fishermen were common in a fishing village, but why would they leave their dad so abruptly? The four biggest motivators to action are love, fear, hate and faith; you decide. Every time Jesus went to a city, He first went to the synagogue to teach. “The people were amazed at His teaching, because He taught them as one who had authority, not as the teachers of the law”. He healed many and I have often wondered why he told them not to tell anyone; I think the chapter includes the answer. “News about him spread quickly over the whole region of Galilee… That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. The whole town gathered at the door”. We read that he had to sneak out early in the morning, while it was still dark, to find “a solitary place, where He prayed”. As He continued to teach and heal, crowds followed Him. “As a result, Jesus could no longer enter a town openly but stayed outside in lonely places. Yet the people still came to Him from everywhere”. Friend, are you in one of those lonely places? Any city dweller will tell you that you can be very alone even in a crowd. Are you ready for some good news? You might be surprised to see the magnificence is right in front of you if you just slow down and look.