In Mark, Jesus first appears when he is baptized by John the Baptist. The passage identifies him with his hometown, Nazareth, a small village of no consequence, though its very insignificance plays a part in the larger narrative.
Jesus is the Messiah who does not fit popular expectations even as he is anointed Messiah at the Jordan River in fulfillment of Scripture.
Continue readingJesus is the only true light in the world, a light that shines all the brighter in the darkness, and this light means life for men and women.
According to the apostle John, “life” is found in the “word,” and that life is the “light of men.” And at present, it is “shining in the darkness,” and the darkness “cannot seize” or suppress it. This same “word” has been “made flesh” in Jesus – In him, the glory and life of God have been truly and fully manifested. Moreover, his disciples are summoned to “testify” of the light in this dark world.
Continue readingTo follow Jesus “wherever he goes” necessitates a lifetime of self-denial and sacrificial service for others.
When Jesus dispatched his disciples to announce the “good news” to the “lost sheep of Israel,” he warned that they would find themselves as “sheep among wolves.” Hostile men would haul them before “councils and whip them in their synagogues,” and his followers would be hated “by all men for my sake.”
Continue readingJesus declared that the “end” will not come until this gospel of the kingdom is proclaimed to all nations.
When the future return of Jesus is discussed, the question naturally arises – What “signs” will precede it? Will its proximity be marked by wars, earthquakes, and other catastrophes? Fortunately, Jesus provided a definitive answer to this question – The completion of the church’s mission to testify to the whole earth.
Continue readingPaul presents the gospel beginning from humanity’s plight due to sin until the resurrection of the dead through Jesus Christ.
In his letter to the churches in Rome, Paul presents his most detailed explanation of the gospel. He touches on its key subjects, including death, redemption, the Law, the resurrection, and the New Creation. He begins by describing the plight of humanity caused by sin, then he describes the solution provided by God through Jesus Christ.
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