The Son of God

The Beginning of the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. Mark 1 verse 1.

Welcome to today's encouragement from Our Daily Bread. Our reading titled, The Son of God, was written by Bill Crowder and read by Wes Ward. Mark 1 verses 1 through 8.

The Beginning of the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet. I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way, a voice of one calling in the wilderness. Prepare the way for the Lord.

Make straight paths for Him. And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message. After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.

I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. The Son of God, written by Bill Crowder. Recently, my brother Scott acquired our dad's military service records from World War II. As I studied the pages, there was nothing startling or shocking. Nothing about who Dad was. There were mere facts. Data.

It was interesting to read, but ultimately dissatisfying because I didn't come away feeling like I learned anything new about Dad. Thankfully, in giving us a record of the life and work of Jesus, the four Gospels are much more than just data. They are descriptions that reveal who Jesus was in His time on this earth, as well as what He did and said. In Mark's Gospel, that record was for the purpose of proving Mark's thesis statement, the beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. Immediately, Mark tells us how John the Baptist testified about this Messiah.

John said, After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. Mark's account makes it clear that Jesus is the Son of God. As John the Disciple adds in his own account of Jesus' life, These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in His name. The evidence of Jesus' life is abundant, and these questions remain. What does He mean to you, and how has He changed your life?

Let's pray. Father, thank you so much for the scriptures in which we can learn more than just facts about you, Jesus, but gain a sense of who you truly are. Would you help us to know you more deeply and live in the fullness of life that comes from making you the Lord and Savior of our lives? Thank you so much, Lord, and it's in your name, Jesus, that we pray. Amen. As you go about your day, reflect on these questions. What do you think of the evidence of Jesus' life, death, and resurrection? How might you tell someone about your response to it?