Two things strike me in this chapter:
1. It's the beginnig of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is very much a tone of repentance and good news - salvation is at hand. We must always keep in focus that Jesus' presence in this Gospel is set to show that Jesus gives hope and salvation to people who are living in repentance. This does not mean that repentance earns us forgiveness, but we are genuinely bothered by our sins and recognize that we have a problem we cannot solve on our own, but Jesus has entered into the world to bring us forgiveness and reconciliation.
2. "Immediately." The ESV translation brings this word out strongly, and in the Greek it repeats over and over like hammer falls. Immediately, immediately, immediately. There is urgent-ness in the gospel. This is life and death. Jesus is moving with purpose driving to his goal - healing sick people, casting out demons, preaching repentance, and, ultimately, dying and rising for us.
Mark has been called, "The Go, Go, Gospel" because of the, "immediates" that punctuate it so frequently. I wonder if we feel that urgent-ness in our lives. (I know I don't always.) I hope the Spirit of God will stir it up in us and give us a fresh sense of the need to help people know, love and follow Jesus.
1. It's the beginnig of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is very much a tone of repentance and good news - salvation is at hand. We must always keep in focus that Jesus' presence in this Gospel is set to show that Jesus gives hope and salvation to people who are living in repentance. This does not mean that repentance earns us forgiveness, but we are genuinely bothered by our sins and recognize that we have a problem we cannot solve on our own, but Jesus has entered into the world to bring us forgiveness and reconciliation.
2. "Immediately." The ESV translation brings this word out strongly, and in the Greek it repeats over and over like hammer falls. Immediately, immediately, immediately. There is urgent-ness in the gospel. This is life and death. Jesus is moving with purpose driving to his goal - healing sick people, casting out demons, preaching repentance, and, ultimately, dying and rising for us.
Mark has been called, "The Go, Go, Gospel" because of the, "immediates" that punctuate it so frequently. I wonder if we feel that urgent-ness in our lives. (I know I don't always.) I hope the Spirit of God will stir it up in us and give us a fresh sense of the need to help people know, love and follow Jesus.
Comments
I like it! Great job on the blog.
I found the "go-go" analogy particularly interesting.
Peace,
Barb