Sunday, February 4, 2024

Mark 1:29-39
Jesus Came to Preach the Gospel of Salvation

Beloved,

What does it take for a man to give up everything and obey God—having a devotional life from
early on, and deciding from early on to wire himself not to himself but for his almighty God? The
pleasures of this world are a distraction to him. So how is your heart wired? If your heart is wired
for this world, every time this world disappoints you, you will cry and be distraught. If you wire
your heart to God, it may hurt when this world kicks you, but you will not be shattered. Jesus
showed us His priorities and His heart in preaching the gospel. I welcome you to enjoy with me
your spiritual nourishment on the theme, Jesus Came to Preach the Gospel of Salvation, on the
basis of Mark 1:29-39.

Jesus also showed the relationship He had with His Father in heaven. What kind of relationship
do you have with Jesus Christ? Simon and the other disciples searched for Jesus, and when they
found Him said, “Everyone is looking for you” (v.9). Simon was thinking of people and their
problems that Jesus could solve, when Jesus had already done many healing. “That evening at
sundown they brought to Him all who were sick or oppressed by demons. And the whole city was
gathered together at the door. And He healed many who were sick with various diseases, and cast
out many demons. And He would not permit the demons to speak, because they knew Him” (vs.
32-34).

Jesus’ response to His disciples was, “Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also,
for that is why I came out” (v.38). Jesus had different expectations and priorities from Simon.
Where Simon’s expectation was small and limited, that of Jesus was larger. Do you think that the
heart of Jesus is as small as we might imagine it to be? Jesus is not thinking about healing the sick
or casting out demons. Now on the basis of our passage, we know that Jesus came to this world
to preach. He came to preach the gospel of salvation.

His priority was not what He could achieve with hands. Our mindset must be Christo-centric,
Christ-centered, but it must also be about the soul. It must just be about preaching. We see that
right at the beginning, Jesus made it His priority to be in the synagogue. After all, faith comes by
hearing and hearing comes by the Word. It is not different for us today. The Gospel of salvation
has to be preached always.

Jesus’ priority is clear. “And He went throughout all Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and
casting out demons” (v.39). In the Scripture according to St Mark following, we see Jesus’
teachings drawing attention to Himself and getting Himself arrested and eventually tried and
executed by crucifixion on the cross. This isn’t surprising because right from the beginning, Jesus
came with the message of good news, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God
is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel” (Mark 1:15). It is the message of good news that
changes our heart.
On the cross, Jesus proclaimed the Gospel of salvation fully and completely. He knew that those
who are healed of their sicknesses and had demons cast out of them will still die. Only the gospel
preached and believed in, by faith, will lead to life everlasting. What is your priority in life? Your
life pursuit will one day end. All the pleasures sought and enjoyed will one day end—only the
Gospel of salvation preached and believed in by faith will lead to life eternal.

Is the preaching of the Gospel of salvation to you like your delightful passion? Do people hear or
see from you this Gospel of salvation? You may not be a pastor, apostle or Bishop. But the Great
Commission of Jesus Christ is for everyone. “Go therefore and make disciples of all nations,
baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to
observe all that have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always,to the end of age”
(Matthew 28:19-20).

Often, distractions set in to the church through resource allocation as it happened in the early
church (Acts 6). The preaching of the Gospel of salvation is to be our priority in the church.
However, deacons are elected to administer the mundane things so that pastors, apostles and
Bishops focus on prayer and the Word.

Is the Gospel of salvation in Jesus Christ your priority in life? It shouldn’t be a matter of sharing
the Gospel only in evangelism outreach program, but in regular preaching and teaching. Jesus
came to preach and teach the good news. As we long to hear and listen to the Gospel of salvation
in Jesus Christ daily, our identity and security from it is ensured. We will be changed and fulfilled
people. As we are filled with the Gospel of salvation, we will prioritize and plan to preach it. We
will live like a man whose life is built on the rock.

Life which prioritizes the preaching of the gospel of salvation is a life of confidence and a life in
the power of God. “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to
everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek” (Romans 1:16).
Let us Pray: Lord Jesus, you came into our world not to confuse people with your authority and
power, that is why you preached the Gospel of salvation in all the cities that you went.
Preaching was your priority. Might we passionately hear, listen and prioritize the preaching of
the gospel of salvation for our life and eternity! Amen.
Sunday, February 11, 2024 - Transfiguration of Our Lord
Mark 9:2-9
The Father’s Testimony of His Beloved Son

People of God in Christ,

Around election time, politicians begin to campaign and jostle for the support of electorates. One
common way for them to achieve this is by getting endorsements from as many popular and
credible leaders as possible. The Glorious Mount experience, the Transfiguration of our Lord is
really the ultimate endorsement of Jesus Christ as the Messiah. I humbly invite you to enjoy your
spiritual nourishment with me on the theme, The Father’s Testimony of His Beloved Son, found
in Mark 9:2-9.

Ever since the time of Abraham, every Jew had been looking for the coming Messiah. Several
counterfeit Christs had appeared on the landscape of Hebrew history. Now as a symbol of
supreme support after His baptism, Jesus stands glorified, flanked on the right and left by the two
greatest heroes of ancient Israel. Moses and Elijah surround Jesus to give us a very vivid picture
that the Word of God points to and authenticates Jesus as the Messiah.

This endorsement from Moses and Elijah represents the sanction of the law and the prophets—
God’s Word, that Jesus is the “Coming One.” “When John heard in prison what Christ was doing,
he sent his disciples to ask Him, ‘Are you the one Who was to come or should we expect someone
else?” (Matthew 11:2-3). No other individuals could have offered validation for Jesus’ ministry
than these two giants of the Bible.

The Transfiguration of our Lord is also a direct fulfillment of the prophecy foretold, “Remember
the law of my servant Moses, the decrees and laws I gave him at Horeb for all Israel. See, I will
send you the prophet Elijah before that great and dreadful day of the Lord comes” (Malachi 4:4-
5). The Word of God is wonderful because it is so precise. The disciples must have heard the
conversations of these men with Jesus and the mention of their names. Luke gives us an insight
into the discussion of these great men, saying, “Two men, Moses and Elijah, appeared in glorious
splendor, talking with Jesus. They spoke about His departure, which He was about to bring to
fulfillment at Jerusalem” (Luke 9:30-31).

Jesus’ departure referred to His sacrifice on Mount Calvary. Who could have been better qualified
to encourage Jesus to go forward with His sacrifice? Both Moses and Elijah understood the sting
of persecution and rejection by their own people. Don’t forget that both Moses and Elijah have
been in heaven for hundreds of years, not because of their good works, but because they were
enjoying an advance payment on the sacrifice that Jesus was about to make.

It therefore means that if Jesus Christ did not go through with the plan to die for mankind, Moses
and Elijah had no business or right to remain in heaven. They were obviously very motivated to
encourage and inspire Jesus to proceed. Ultimately, their purpose was to be witnesses to Christ
and to support Jesus in His coming trial and sacrifice.
The final Word came. The Glorious Mount rings with divine authority. “Then a cloud appeared
and enveloped them, and a voice came from the cloud: This is my Son, whom I love. Listen to
Him!” Mark 9:7). This cloud is actually veiling the glory of the Father, who declares, “This is my
Son, whom I love. Listen to Him!” God the Father gives the final endorsement to His Son who
receives His total approval.

This is the Father’s testimony of His beloved Son. Have we understood that at the beginning of
Jesus’ ministry, God the Father spoke personally at Christ’s baptism in the low Jordan valley, and
identified Jesus as His Son? He said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased”
(Matthew 3:17). He announced that the Jewish nation no longer needed to look for anyone else
as the Messiah. Anyone who came before Jesus as Messiah was a fraud, and anyone else coming
after is a counterfeit. Jesus Christ is the One for you!

Here again at the end of Jesus’ ministry, God the Father again testifies of His Son on the Glorious
Mountain, commanding something very simple: Hear Him! Do we listen with undivided attention
and do what Jesus says we should do? Jesus says, “He who has an ear, let him hear what the
Spirit says to the churches. To him who overcomes, I will give some of the hidden manna. I will
also give him a white stone with a new name written on it, known only to him who receives it”
(Revelation 2:17).

The Father in heaven is personally calling on us to listen to Jesus, hear His Word and do it. Many
counterfeits, frauds, imposters, and cult leaders have tried to impersonate Christ. But, God the
Father says in the Bible, Listen to Jesus Christ who is for you! He is the true Word! Isn’t it
something great to contemplate? What a testimony!

The Father’s testimony of His beloved Son is kept with the woman, representing the church. The
dragon went to make war with the remnant of her seed, which keeps the commandments of God
and have the testimony of Jesus Christ. The dragon is the devil. As seed of the woman, Christians
are called to keep the testimony of Jesus Christ, by learning the Word, marking it and inwardly
digesting it, and witnessing the gospel of our salvation in Christ, till Jesus comes again in glory.

Let us Pray: Lord, you have given us a special warning message in the Mount of Transfiguration.
There are some very troubling days ahead, and now we must spend time on the Mountain
gathering light from God’s Word to see through the dark valleys of this life. Jesus is the One
light for us. Might we listen to Him! Amen.
Sunday, February 18, 2024 - Martin Luther, Doctor and Confessor
Mark 1:9-15
Repent and Believe, Christ for You

Dear friends in Christ,

One day Jesus will return to the earth as king, and, because of what the Bible tells us about the
future, we know that we also need to repent and believe in the gospel for the kingdom of God is
at hand. We need to change our minds from unbelief to believe and recognize that we are saved
by grace through faith and not by our own works. When we believe in Christ, we are already
transferred to his kingdom, and, because his kingdom isn’t on earth yet, we are to set our mind
on the things above where He is, rather than on the things of earth. On this day that we
commemorate Martin Luther, Doctor and Confessor, enjoy your spiritual tonic on the theme,
Repent and Believe the Christ for You, drawn from Mark 1:9-15.

After the arrest of John the Baptist, Jesus came into Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God, and
saying, “The time is fulfilled and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel”
(Mark 1:14-15). Jesus’ exhortation for his listeners to repent indicated that they needed to
change their minds. That He told them to believe in the gospel indicated how they needed to
change their minds. Mark refers to Jesus’ message as the gospel of God or the good news of God.
It was good news that the kingdom of God was at hand, and Jesus was preparing his listeners for
how to be part of that kingdom.

Many in Jesus’ audience thought they were already righteous and would gain entrance to the
kingdom of God because of the connection to Abraham and Moses and because they were
keeping the laws God had given to Israel through Moses. In His Sermon on the Mount, Jesus
taught that His listeners should change their minds about how they could be part of the kingdom.
Their connection to Abraham and Moses wasn’t enough, and their supposedly righteous deeds
were not enough. Those things are not what God requires as the standard of righteousness.
Instead, Jesus explained that they needed to have a true, internal righteousness and they did not
yet have that. It wasn’t just a king that they didn’t need—they needed a Savior. Sadly, only a few
could recognize that need.

Jesus proclaimed that the people needed to repent and believe in the gospel because the
kingdom of God was at hand. God’s eternal kingdom is currently based in heaven. But, God
promises that his kingdom will at some point in the future come to earth in a physical form. The
kingdom was at hand, or near, because Jesus, the king had come to earth, presenting the
kingdom and the good news about that kingdom and how one can be part of it—by believing in
the gospel.

Unfortunately, Jesus’ audience wasn’t yet prepared for the kingdom, because the hadn’t yet
recognized that they needed the Messiah to make them righteous and that Jesus was the
Messiah. Christ is for you! This is your good news. He is your light and salvation. He is your
present Help in all your time of need. He is sufficient for you! As Christians, we need to change
our minds from unbelief to belief in the Lord Jesus Christ as Abraham had done many years prior
to gain the righteousness that would allow us to be part of the kingdom of God.

We truly need to repent, change our minds about how we could enter the kingdom of God. We
need to believe the gospel now, because the kingdom of God is at hand. Of course, we need to
change our minds about how we could be righteous, and believe in Jesus Christ. Jesus has truly
delayed the coming of the kingdom, but He is not shifting the focus of His ministry. He has
offered the sacrifice in Himself to pay for the sins of the whole world. One day, He will return to
the earth as king and because of what the Bible tells us about the future, we know that we also
need to repent and believe in the gospel for the kingdom of God is at hand.

Do you recognize that Jesus Christ is for you? He is your Deliverer, strong! He will guide you
through your journey here on earth till He brings you into His eternal kingdom in heaven. “ He has
delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of His beloved Son”
(Colossians 1:3).

The Kingdom of our Lord Jesus Christ is not of this world. “If then you have been raised with
Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your
minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth. For you have died, and your life is
hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life appears, then you also will appear with
Him in glory” (Colossians 3:1-4).

We should not follow the culture of our society by naming sin with another phrase “enjoyable
naughtiness!” Which one will be to you a bigger problem? To gain the whole world and to forfeit
your soul or to repent of your sin and be saved eternally? As much as some people might want to
ditch the concepts of sin and repentance, they are central to our understanding of who we are
and what Jesus has done. Without them our understanding of the gospel will be impoverished.
And so, we must wrestle with what Jesus is talking about when He calls us to repentance, and
what He means when He announces the forgiveness of sin. Remember that dust you are, and to
dust you shall return! Therefore, repent and believe for Christ is for you!

Let us Pray: Sin describes a sense of misery we experience in a state of being in bad
relationship with God. It is a violation of the way things should be. It is not just doing
something naughty, a mistake or moral lapse. Might we admit our rejection of Jesus and return
to Him who forgives our sin and grants us eternal salvation. Amen.
Sunday, February 25, 2024
Mark 8:27-38
Confess Jesus as the Christ

Beloved,

Have you ever been asked a thought provoking question—If your life were a movie, which actor
would you want to play? If you had only one choice, would you rather stop time or fly? If you
were an animal, which one would you like to be, and why? Questions are important, but there is
one question that stands out. It determines your eternal destiny. It is not enough to answer,
“Who Jesus is?” with an answer. But that you actually put your entire life in His hands to forgive
your sins and rescue you from God’s eternal judgment. This is the question in our passage: Mark
8:27-38, guided by the theme, Confess Jesus as the Christ.

Who do you say Jesus is? Do you have any credentials? Doctors have certificates or degrees
proving they have had enough schooling to administer your medical needs. Engineers have their
degrees and professional certification to practice in different areas of their specialty. And our
Lord Jesus had Messianic credentials—over 300 fulfilled prophecies, healings, undeniable
miracles, incredible teachings, defeating every attack of the Pharisees, the confirming baptism by
John the Baptist, the cleansing of the temple, and raising people from the dead. It is exactly who
Jesus is.

And when people were claiming the office of Messiah in Israel, someone was saying, “I
memorized the Pentateuch.” Another was saying, “I have taught every aspect of theology.” Then,
you have Jesus showing, “I raise people from the dead.” It was very clear who Jesus is, and in the
light of that clarity, the Lord asks, “But who do you say I am?” This is a strikingly powerful
statement. The Lord is intense here! He himself initiates the dialogue. He does all he can to lead
His disciples to the truth. Can you see how Jesus focused on getting the disciples to hear the right
answer, the truth in contrast to what other people say?

Who do you say Jesus to be with your life? Who do you say Jesus to be, when Jesus is not around
in your conversation? What are you saying? What do you really believe when Jesus is not
around? The Lord Jesus means to call you to open declaration here. He expects you to crystallize
your own faith right now. What do you really believe—declare it to all. Who do you follow? Like
at a true baptism, who do you align your life with?

Jesus makes certain that you understand the right answer by saying, “Whoever is ashamed of me
and my words and this adulterous and sinful generation, the Son of Man will also be ashamed of
him when he comes in the glory of his Father with the holy angels” (Mark 8:38). Who are you
saying Jesus to be? Jesus is not asking what He does. Not even what He does for you, but who He
is; His person! What do you see about Jesus? Who is Jesus to you?
Since God is asking us today to confess Him, I wish you should go around asking your friends,
family members, and business partners, without delay, what their life response to who Jesus
Christ is will be. Will your answer be merely a belief, or will it be a life conviction? Will your
answer be a truth you hold or a transformation that holds you? Men and women, boys and girls;
Jesus asks, “Who do you say I am?”

Peter answered by God’s inspiration, “You are the Christ,” though a confession by him. This was a
revelation of Jesus’ true identity. The other ten disciples affirmed the confession of Peter. Later
Judas demonstrated that he did not affirm Christ as God, though he wanted Him as a political
Messiah. He did not want Christ as Savior from sin, nor a Lord to obey. Judas believed, but lacked
faith in Christ. If Judas were living today, he would go church daily, perhaps be appointed elder,
sing in choirs, but not follow Jesus Christ, not be transformed by the renewing of the Holy Spirit.

Hopefully, you are not like Judas! Jesus is the Christ, the Anointed One, the Ideal King,
empowered by God to deliver His people and establish His kingdom of Grace here on earth. What
a confession! “Blessed are you, Simon son John, because flesh and blood did not reveal this to
you, but My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 16:17).

Knowing who Jesus Christ is, is absolutely essential since only God can help mankind, and only a
perfect man can die for our sins. Yet Christ charged the disciples not to make open the
declaration of who He was. The time for confessing Jesus Christ was not then, but now. His
identity as Messiah would have been misunderstood then. The disciples themselves did not
understand the necessity of the cross. There could be no Messianic mission of Christ without His
sacrificial and substitutionary death as Isaiah writes, “He was pierced through for our
transgressions, He was crushed for our iniquities; the chastening for our well-being fell upon Him,
and by his scourging we are healed” (Isaiah 53:5).

As true believers in Jesus Christ, we must be willing to confess Christ publicly. “Anyone who
confesses Me before men, I will also confess Him before My Father who is in heaven. But whoever
denies Me before men, I will also deny him before My Father who is in heaven” (Matthew 10:32-
33). Genuine Christians confess that they are followers of Jesus Christ at work, school, in
business, etc. Have you turned to Christ in repentance and faith?

As a Christian, are you willing to be contrary? Are you willing to fly in the face of popular opinion,
and to speak the truth boldly? Some believers claim they have Christ, but live like the world. We
must reject the world to live for Christ. We must live uniquely like Christ. One of the greatest sins
among Christians today is saying what is true about Jesus in our conversations, but lying about
Him with our choices. Is Christ the Lord over your desires, thoughts, family and friends? Is He
Lord over your hopes for friends and relationships? If you believe, He is the Christ, He is for you!
He will change your behavior for what He will not be ashamed of before His Father in heaven.

Let us Pray: Lord Jesus Christ, my Lord and Savior, because of your great love for us, you have
forgiven our sins. Might we speak up, stand up, and stand different being motivated by what
you have done, believe in you and follow you the Christ for me! Amen.