The Gospel According to Mark / Mark 1:1
Mark opens this Gospel with a simple one-line truth:
“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.”
This feels like a warm welcome into the life of our Redeemer. I imagine Mark sitting me down and saying, “Let me tell you about Jesus. Let me tell you what I know about Him.”
Knowing that Mark was closely associated with Peter, who walked and talked with Jesus and witnessed His ministry up close and personal, makes these opening words meaningful to me. Every time I read them, I feel as though there is something new to uncover about Jesus all over again.
Mark is letting us know something is about to begin. He will take us through Jesus’s ministry, death, and resurrection. He moves quickly through it, but there will be much to discover when we take time to meditate on what he has given us!
Mark begins with a powerful word to keep close to our hearts: Gospel. The word Gospel literally means “good news.” Mark tells us about the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
John 1:1 (NKJV) gives us an even deeper revelation:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.”
Jesus is woven throughout all of Scripture, from Genesis to Revelation. John reveals that Jesus is the eternal Word, the Word who was with God and who was God.
Mark also reveals that Jesus is the Son of God. This is important to remember as we journey through the Gospel According to Mark. Jesus was sent to be an offering for our sins. We could not purchase for ourselves what Jesus freely gave us through His sacrifice on the cross.
1 John 4:10 (NKJV) confirms this for us:
“In this is love, not that we loved God, but that He loved us and sent His Son to be the propitiation for our sins.”
Jesus was sent for us to be free from guilt, shame, disease, and hopelessness. He paid the full price for our redemption. What I love about Mark 1:1 is how it draws my attention back to Genesis 1:1 (NKJV):
“In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”
God is always creating beginnings. He created the heavens and the earth. He sent His Son, Jesus, to redeem us so we could have a new beginning through Him.
Reflect
- What “new beginning” are you hoping for?
- Have you invited Jesus into this “new beginning”?
- If not, would you be willing to ask the Holy Spirit to reveal Jesus as you walk through your new beginning?
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