Mark 1:1-15, The Beginning of the Gospel
Bible Class with Rob Berghorst begins @1:01:18
Every story has a beginning. Novelists spend hugely disproportionate amounts of time on beginnings, because first impressions matter to a reader. This is as true for good writers of nonfiction as it is for those who write novels, plays, or the lyrics to our favorite songs. The Bible, for example, begins with the unforgettable line, “In the beginning, God created the heavens and the earth” (Gen. 1:1). John the Apostle echoed that great beginning when he opened his gospel account with the words, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (John 1:1). It’s meaningful and memorable and lyrical all at once.
This morning we begin a new series of lessons that will focus on the life and teachings of Jesus recounted for us in the Gospel according to Mark. Mark’s gospel account isn’t as lyrical as John’s, but it contains a striking power through Mark’s quick-hitting style and constant movement. Mark’s account is all about action and brevity almost as if he’s in a hurry to get us to the shocking climax of an empty tomb and a risen-from-the-dead Messiah.
Mark simply starts his account with the words, “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” And with that statement, we already have information about who Jesus is that others in Mark’s presentation take months or years to understand: Jesus is the Son of God.
Again, Jesus is the Son of God. That’s Mark’s testimony, and his gospel account sets out to present evidence for that claim. Why would Mark bother? Why should he care? Or why should we care, for that matter? Well, because if it’s true, we’d be foolish not to sit up and pay attention to what Jesus has to say. Our lives and the reason for our existence hangs in the balance. There’s a lot of story to tell. Today, we’ll start where Mark did: in the beginning.
Mark 1:1-15, The Beginning of the Gospel
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