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Matthew 2:1-23; Luke 2:41-52; Mark 1:2-8; Matthew 3:1-12; Luke 3:1-18; Mark 1:9-11; Matthew 3:13-17; Luke 3:21-22<\/strong><\/span> Two days ago, we began the New Testament! I\u2019ll highlight each of the 4 Gospels overviews these first 4 days, with Mark today.<\/span> ~Mark~<\/strong> You\u2019ll notice in Mark chapter 1 today that there is no nativity narrative \u2013 Mark and John\u2019s Gospels do not have the nativity narrative.\u00a0 Verse 1 (which we read 2 days ago) starts off powerfully with: \u201cHere begins the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.\u201d\u00a0 <\/em>(Good News = Gospel.\u00a0 Gospel comes from the Old English word godspel, which means \u201cgood story\u201d\u00a0 or \u201cgood tidings\u201d or \u201cgood news\u201d and accurately translates the original Greek word: evangelion.)\u00a0 And what is the Good News?\u00a0 It is that God has provided salvation through the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.\u00a0 This is very Good News indeed!<\/span> Matthew Chapter 2 verse 6 is very powerful in that the 2010 One Year Bible crew recently read about the prophet Micah\u2019s prophesying of Jesus being born in Bethlehem: \u201cO Bethlehem of Judah, you are not just a lowly village in Judah, for a ruler will come from you who will be the shepherd for my people Israel.\u201d <\/em>Here again you can see Matthew writing for his Jewish audience \u2013 quoting an Old Testament prophet and also focusing in on the town of \u201cBethlehem of Judah\u201d \u2013 the City of David.\u00a0 This was to demonstrate again that Jesus was from the lineage of King David.<\/span><\/p>\n Matthew 2:10 is a brief verse showing us the reaction of the magi in being led to Jesus: \u201cWhen they saw the star, they were filled with joy!\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 \u00a0The magi were also Gentiles and likely astrologers \u2013 following a star might lead one to think this\u2026 \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 But no matter where they were from and what they believed prior, they were filled with joy at being led to the Messiah, Jesus.\u00a0 And they gave him gifts and worshipped him.\u00a0 And for us today \u2013 are we filled with joy in reading about the birth of Jesus?\u00a0 Do we realize what this meant back then \u2013 and still means today?\u00a0 That Immanuel was born \u2013 that God came to be with us.\u00a0 (Note that some Biblical scholars say that contrary to popular tradition, it is believed that the magi did not visit Jesus at the manger on the night of his birth, as did the shepherds, but that the magi came months later and visited him as \u201cchild\u201d in his \u201chouse\u201d \u2013 see verse 11.)<\/span><\/p>\n In Matthew today we read about The Escape to Egypt.\u00a0 Two things stood out to me in Joseph\u2019s behavior in today\u2019s readings.\u00a0 In verse 13 an angel tells Joseph to \u201cget up and flee to Egypt\u201d<\/em> \u2013 and Joseph responds by leaving THAT NIGHT with the family, as we see in verse 14.\u00a0 That\u2019s beautiful obedience.\u00a0 Then, in verse 21 we see Joseph respond similarly when he is told by an angel to return to Israel \u2013 he leaves with the family \u201cimmediately.\u201d\u00a0 I like this \u2013 Joseph is acting obediently to God\u2019s will in his life \u2013 and he is acting pronto!\u00a0 He\u2019s not sitting around worrying or fretting or thinking that he\u2019ll get to it tomorrow.\u00a0 He goes that night!\u00a0 He returns immediately!\u00a0 Can we learn from Joseph\u2019s amazing obedience in these readings? Is God calling you to do something in your life that you are hemming and hawing about? Is God calling you to forgive someone? To love someone? To serve someone? To encourage someone? Will you be like Joseph and obey God\u2019s call for your life immediately? Since we\u2019ve turned the new year, I hope you don\u2019t mind if I post up my favorite image demonstrating obedience below\u2026 \ud83d\ude42\u00a0 Do you have obedience like this when it comes to God\u2019s will for your life?<\/span><\/p>\n Today in Matthew chapter 3 we are introduced to John the Baptist!\u00a0 I don\u2019t know exactly what it is about John the Baptist \u2013 but I love reading about him and his life.\u00a0 He is just on fire for God and Jesus and he is encouraging others to get on fire too!\u00a0 I guess I like that in a person. \ud83d\ude42 Another thing about John is that he is so focused on his mission to call others to repentance and to baptize them, that he really does not care about worldly things \u2013 like how he looks or what he wears or what he eats.\u00a0 None of that really matters to him.\u00a0 It is the message of the coming of Jesus that matters to him.\u00a0 Maybe it is verse 4 that really stands out to me about John:\u00a0 \u201cJohn\u2019s clothes were woven from camel hair, and he wore a leather belt; his food was locusts and wild honey.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 I think this is really saying that John lived a simple life.\u00a0 He did not \u201cmajor in minor things\u201d \u2013 he \u201cmajored in the major thing\u201d \u2013 Jesus!\u00a0 Is there something we can learn from John the Baptist in our lives today?\u00a0 Are you perhaps focusing too much on things of this world and not enough on God and Jesus? Are you truly loving God and loving people like John did? Or are you spending your life \u201cmajoring in minor things\u201d? Will you instead \u201cmajor on the major thing\u201d that John is calling you to even today \u2013 complete passion and love for God: the Father, Jesus the Son, the Holy Spirit; and other people?<\/span><\/p>\n Bible.org\u2019s commentary on our readings today in Matthew titled \u201cThe Slaughter of the Infants and Innocent Suffering\u201d<\/strong> is <\/span>at this link<\/span> and \u201cJohn the Baptist and Jesus\u201d<\/strong> is <\/span>at this link<\/span>.<\/span><\/p>\n Today\u2019s Matthew readings are incredible on so many levels.\u00a0 We begin by reading about John the Baptist scolding the Pharisees and Sadducees!\u00a0 John is not joking around here\u2026\u00a0 I think one verse that really stood out to me was verse 8: \u201cProve by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to God.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 and verse 10: \u201cYes, every tree that does not produce good fruit will be chopped down and thrown into the fire.\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 I think what I hear John saying here is that we are called to truly repent and change our ways.\u00a0 Not just to say some nice words or just show up to church on Sundays \u2013 but to be transformed.\u00a0 Our lives should be visibly different from our past if we have really turned from our sins and turned to God.\u00a0 And this change will be evident by our lives producing \u201cgood fruit\u201d \u2013 examples of which can certainly be seen in any of the Ten Commandments or loving our neighbor as ourselves and above all loving God with all our hearts, minds, soul and strength.\u00a0 Our lives should look very different from our past.\u00a0 Do they?\u00a0 Does yours? <\/span>Below is a stained glass image of John the Baptist used by permission and copyright held by cambridge2000.com\/gallery: Verses 16 & 17 are phenomenal as we see the three persons of the Trinity interacting with each other! God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit: \u201cAfter his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. And a voice from heaven said, \u201cThis is my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with him.\u201d\u201d<\/em>\u00a0 Jesus\u2019 baptism is very significant because it is the act that opens up the public ministry phase of Jesus\u2019 life.<\/span> In Luke chapter 2 today we read about Jesus\u2019 wisdom at the young age of 12.\u00a0 How\u2019s this for a profound statement from Jesus to Mary & Joseph when they found him in the Temple in verse 49 \u2013 \u201cBut why did you need to search?\u201d he asked. \u201cYou should have known that I would be in my Father\u2019s house.\u201d <\/em>I like that!\u00a0 And I like that Jesus was paying such respect for the Temple as well \u2013 essentially calling it the house of God.\u00a0 I do believe this can be carried forward today to Jesus\u2019 love for his body, the church.\u00a0 I often think to myself, when I\u2019m on my way to church, that \u201cI\u2019m going to the house of God.\u201d\u00a0 Do you believe that we can find Jesus today in his Father\u2019s house?\u00a0 Or are you searching elsewhere?\u00a0 I do believe of course Jesus can be found outside of church\u2026 but I also know that I oftentimes experience his presence so profoundly at church \u2013 and Communion in church clearly being one such a time & place where I cannot help but find Jesus in a profound way. Below is <\/span><\/span>\u201cJesus in the Temple at Twelve\u201d by Duccio di Buoninsegna from the early 14th century: <\/span><\/span><\/span> Bible.org\u2019s commentary on today\u2019s readings in Luke titled \u201cThe Day Jesus went AWOL\u201d <\/strong>\ud83d\ude42 is <\/span>at this link.<\/span>.<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n I always love reading about John the Baptizer! John is sometimes referred to as the \u201clast Old Testament prohet.\u201d Jesus said this about John in Luke 16:16 \u2013 \u201cThe Law and the Prophets were proclaimed until John.\u201d Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophets, priests and kings. I find it very helpful to know Jesus is my Prophet, Priest and King. Prophets in the Old Testament typically preached repentance from sins, and John was no exception to this rule in our readings in Luke chapter 3 today. John preached repentance! Have you repented from your sins? Is your life showing the fruits of your repentance?<\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Commentary from Bible.org on Luke chapter 3\u2019s readings today titled \u201cJohn the Baptizer\u201d<\/strong> is <\/span>at this link<\/span>. <\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n Worship Video:<\/strong> Today\u2019s readings in Luke today reminded me of Josh Wilson\u2019s song \u201cI Refuse:\u201d<\/span><\/span><\/span><\/p>\n \n
~ Click here to read today\u2019s Scripture on Bible Gateway ~<\/span><\/em>
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Author<\/span>: Mark
Place<\/span>: Rome
Date<\/span>: A.D. 60-65
Content<\/span>: John Mark was a companion of the apostle Paul. He finally settled in Rome where he wrote down the remembrances of the apostle Peter. Thus Mark\u2019s Gospel reflects the words of an eyewitness of the events he describes. Mark\u2019s purpose was to put together an expanded Gospel message. Hence it centers upon the acts of Jesus rather than his words and devotes a disproportionately large amount of material to the last week of Jesus\u2019 life. Mark\u2019s Gospel begins with Jesus\u2019 public ministry and preaching of the gospel of the Kingdom of God. Several explicit predictions of his coming death are made (Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:33-34, 45) and then Jesus goes to the cross to die for the sins of the world.
Theme<\/span>: Mark depicts Jesus as the Servant of God who came to do God\u2019s will. The miracles, healings, victory over demons, and personal power show the world that Jesus was no ordinary servant, but was truly the Son of God (Mark 15:39). Jesus\u2019 resurrection authenticated all that he did, and now we await his return in glory from heaven. Mark also wrote to encourage the Roman Christians in a time of persecution.\u00a0 (Above commentary is from Tyndale Publishers \u201cThe One Year Bible Companion\u201d pages 21-22)\u00a0 <\/em>Excellent commentary on the Gospel of Mark is <\/span>at this link<\/span>.<\/span>