EmmDev 2025-02-19 [Moments with Mark] The essence of the gospel

The essence of the gospel

How do you launch a movement that will change the world?

We'd wait for good weather, book a big venue and a good sound and light system. We'd get a good MC and a great caterer. We'd invite dignitaries and make a big splash.

But how does Jesus do it?
(In this short passage Mark uses a number of significant and loaded Greek words. I'll try not to geek out too much, but convey the essence.)

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. "The time has come," He said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" (Mark1:14-15)

Launching your movement when your fore-runner has been put in jail doesn't seem like good public relations, but in this case it's indicative of the fact that the gospel is often proclaimed in adverse circumstances. As Paul said to Timothy: "Be prepared - in season and out of season." We can't wait for the "perfect" opportunity... Those seldom (if ever) come.

Jesus goes to Galilee - not the rich and famous, but the average salt-of-the-earth people.
There He PROCLAIMS the Good News (GOSPEL) of God. (Both these words are loaded words, they point the mystery of preaching and proclamation and that the gospel is a message that needs to be spoken and heard.) 2000 years later, the message of Christ is still proclaimed by the Word being preached as Good News.

Jesus urges His hearers to respond. The word He uses for "time" is not the usual "chronos" which refers to the linear flow of time, but "kairos" which points to a significant moment - a moment that should be recognised and a moment that must be marked and responded to.

And what is the content of the message? "The Kingdom of God is at hand" - it's breaking through - it's emerging in society." From His later teachings we'll learn that the Kingdom is wheat among the chaff, yeast in the dough, a seed bearing fruit and a net catching fish. This is a subversive kingdom, it's love instead of hate, grace and mercy instead of law and condemnation. It's going to change everything and yet some might not see it...

And how do we respond? "Repent and Believe." The Greek word "metanoia" is used of an "about turn" and a caterpillar becoming a butterfly, it's about the transformation of a life and it is always coupled with faith and trust in the King of the Kingdom...

So in a nutshell, Jesus comes, in the midst of troubled times, to ordinary people proclaiming (pronouncing with urgency for response) that a moment of decision has come because God's love is breaking into our broken world and we need to let it change our lives as we trust in Him.

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EmmDev 2025-02-18 [Moments with Mark] Wild and Dangerous

Wild and Dangerous

At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended Him. (Mark1:12-13)

Matthew and Luke give us longer descriptions of the temptation of Jesus. They describe Satan's three temptations and Jesus' scripture-based responses.

Mark's version is raw and primal. It accentuates the absolute essentials and moves away from the theological-intellectual clash we see in the other accounts.

What do we see here?

1. It happens at once, the moment after Jesus' baptism. The die has been cast and now the Saviour's resolve is tested....
2. The Spirit sends Him into the desert. He isn't cornered/blindsided/surprised by Satan - this is an appointed moment.
3. He's in the wilderness - surrounded by wild animals. This is a place of primal testing. There's physical isolation, loneliness, danger and it's clear that this is a test, not only of the spirit, but of the body and mind too.
4. He was there for 40 days. Throughout scripture 40 is the number of preparation, testing and setting apart. It's an indication that this was the perfect period of preparation.
5. He was being tempted by Satan. When we read Luke and Matthew, we might be tempted to think it was three "intellectual-theological" temptations. Mark makes it more primal - especially by bringing in the wild animals. This all the wildness and brokenness of hell being pitched at Jesus in the attempt to disqualify Him for the mission He has had Himself baptised for.
6. Angels attended Him: They didn't rescue Him - they attended Him. In a world where hell pitches itself at Jesus and us, we are still being attended by angels. We are not alone.

We tend to intellectualise and spiritualise the temptation of Jesus. Mark helps us see it in the raw reality of what happened. In the moment Jesus formally set about His mission, all of hell tried to stop Him, but Jesus overcame.

In a video clip about the temptation of Jesus there is a caption: "For my 30th birthday, I gave myself some time away from it all, and NOW I'M BACK!"

(You can watch Matt Maher's song 40 days and the accompanying video here: https://youtu.be/NWKRhk-yYI0 )

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EmmDev 2025-02-14 [Moments with Mark] Baptism into Brokenness

Baptism into Brokenness

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." (Mark1:9-11)

People mistakenly think that Jesus was baptised to set us an example so that we should be baptised.

The other gospels tell us that John the Baptist was resistant about doing this believing that Jesus should baptise him. Jesus indicates to John that this should be done "to fulfill all righteousness."

Let's think this all through:

• John's baptism was not Christian baptism. Paul makes this clear to some folk in Ephesus who thought that John's baptism was sufficient. (Acts 19:3-4)
• John's baptism was for repentance. Did Jesus have to repent of anything? Is He not the sinless Son of God?
• God speaks from heaven. (One of three times in Jesus' ministry) The other two times are at the Transfiguration and in Holy Week where Jesus is explicitly heading to the cross in obedience to the Father's will. So, if God is speaking here, it is clear that Jesus is doing something significant and not just setting a good example.
• Jesus equates His baptism to the cup He must drink. In Mark 10:38 Jesus asks "Can you drink the cup I drink or be baptized with the baptism I am baptized with?"

From all these clues it is clear that Jesus' baptism is significant.
In His baptism Jesus is beginning His public ministry by identifying with sinful humanity.
Through a baptism meant for repentance the Sinless Son of God is connecting Himself to our sinfulness.
I like to use the analogy of climbing into someone's dirty bathwater.
Jesus is "taking on our dirt."

What an incredible moment! In this moment Jesus is Son of God and Son of Man, connected to and identified with our sin. Now He can take us and our sin to the cross. What incredible love! No wonder the Father loves Him and is well-pleased with Him.

Take a moment to contemplate this AMAZING love and give THANKS!

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EmmDev 2025-02-13 [Moments with Mark] The Forerunner

The Forerunner

And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and 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 will come one more powerful than I, the thongs 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." (Mark1:4-8)

And so John is Isaiah's "voice in the wilderness" who will "prepare the way for the Lord."

Mark has already told us that the gospel was a something God prepared far in advance. His inclusion of OT prophecies assures us that good news was always the plan.

Now he tells us that the gospel is something to be prepared for. John's life and message is about how we prepare for and receive the gospel. Let's look more closely:

• Repentance, Baptism and Forgiveness: The gospel addresses the most basic human need: our brokenness.
  I don't have to wax eloquent about this. We see it in ourselves, we see it on our screens. Science can't save us, psychology can't save us and we can't save ourselves. We are broken and we need a Healer.
• John's clothing and food is that of an ascetic - someone who has who has unplugged from the rat race - someone who has realised that we don't belong in this world. We are travellers, sojourners, pilgrims. We don't have to wear John's clothes or adopt his diet, but we do need to make sure we don't hammer our tent-pegs in too deep. We are in this world but not of it. To receive the gospel, we need to pilgrims...
• The gospel is a Someone. It's not a message, creed, lifestyle, concept, philosophy or mission statement. It is a relationship with Jesus - the one who came and is coming again.
• We need to receive the Holy Spirit. If we aren't willing to open our hearts to His life and influence we are not ready for the gospel.

And so, in John's message and example, Mark has shown us that:
1. The Gospel is about brokenness forgiven and this is received as a gift
2. It's about becoming pilgrims in this world
3. It's about knowing Jesus
4. and receiving His Spirit.

Powerful thoughts indeed!

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EmmDev 2025-02-12 [Moments with Mark] An Unusual Start - Longing

An Unusual Start - Longing

The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 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 desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.' " (Mark1:1-3)

Matthew and Luke start their gospels with accounts of Jesus' birth.
John begins with a prologue that frames the birth of Jesus in epic cosmic and spiritual terms.
Mark jumps from Old Testament longing to the launch of Jesus public ministry.

The passage he quotes from is Isaiah 40. It is an iconic expression of the longing that gets louder and louder through the OT. You'll recognise it from Advent readings and Handel's Messiah. It's written during Israel's exile in Babylon, arguably their lowest and most devastating setback. Their moral and spiritual failures produced a socio-political decline which the warnings of multiple prophets did not avert. The ruthless Babylonian enemy came, Jerusalem and the temple were reduced to rubble and their people were decimated and exiled.

Yet the weeping Jeremiah believed that God's faithful love would be renewed.
The mourning Ezekiel believed that the dead bones would rise again.
And the lament-singing Isaiah was certain that God would send someone.

We think Mark wrote his gospel around 65-68AD. The timing is important:
- This is some 30 years after the ascension of Jesus.
- The original Apostles (Disciples) are getting older and some are dying violently.
- The church is moving into the next generation.
- Nero burnt Rome (64AD) and blamed Christians
- Jerusalem would be destroyed in (70AD)
This period marked the start of severe persecution for the church.

Mark realised that the next generation would be experiencing longing.
They'd need to be reminded that in dark times there is hope.
And so he starts his gospel with the expression of promise fulfilled.
He frames the coming of Jesus in the fulfillment of longing.

Are you in a tough spot right now?
Take heart - Jesus comes into our heartache and pain.
He comes into our longing.

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EmmDev 2025-02-11 [Moments with Mark] Meeting Mark

Meeting Mark

Dear Emm-Dev Friends
A belated and blessed new year to you! At the end of last year I indicated that EmmDevs would resume at the end of January, but the week (that's what it felt like) of January flew past so quickly that I struggled to find my feet for the start of devotions. But here we are, and I am looking forward to another year of EmmDevs and I pray you'll find them helpful.

I thought it would be good to begin with a series of devotions working through Mark's Gospel.
I'm calling them "Moments with Mark"

The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (Mark1:1)

Who wrote Mark's gospel?
Scholarly consensus holds that the Gospel of Mark was written by John Mark and that it was the earliest of the four gospels. Matthew and Luke are believed to have used Mark as a primary source when composing their own accounts.

But what do we know about John Mark?
From the clues we glean from the gospels, Acts, early church history and scholarly we can infer that:

• John Mark lived in Jerusalem with his mother and she provided the venue for the last supper.
• He is the young boy who followed Jesus and the disciples to Gethsemane and ran away when the soldiers came and they grabbed his garment and he ran away naked (Mark14:51-52)
• His mom continued to offer their home as a meeting place for the early church in Jerusalem
• He had an uncle named Barnabas who was an important figure in the early church.
• When Paul and Barnabas went on their first missionary trip and Barnabas invited his nephew John Mark.
• John Mark didn't cope with the pressures of the trip and abandoned them.
• When the second trip came up, Barnabas wanted to bring John Mark again, but Paul refused, causing Paul and Barnabas to part ways.
• Eventually John Mark became Peter's young assistant
• Paul and Barnabas reconciled and Paul and John Mark reconciled and Paul recognised his worth.
• John Mark wrote the gospel of Mark based on sermons Peter preached.

The Word "Gospel" means "Good News".
It's a word the church used to describe the salvation Jesus brought to the world and the gospel is best preached.
It is fitting that the author of the first Gospel, was someone who made mistakes and yet was redeemed and restored.
It is also fitting that the gospel was shaped by sermons preached by Peter.

So, let's take time to give thanks that God saves and rescues us, even if we have made mistakes.
Let's also give thanks for the faithful preaching of God's Word that still transforms lives.

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EmmDev 2024-12-24 [Advent 2024] A Lasting Kingdom

A Lasting Kingdom

David wanted to build a temple for God.
Nathan the prophet took his request to God and brought David a promise and assurance:

When your days are over and you rest with your fathers, I will raise up your offspring to succeed you, who will come from your own body, and I will establish his kingdom. He is the one who will build a house for my Name, and I will establish the throne of his kingdom forever. I will be his father, and he will be my son. When he does wrong, I will punish him with the rod of men, with floggings inflicted by men. But my love will never be taken away from him, as I took it away from Saul, whom I removed from before you. Your house and your kingdom will endure forever before me; your throne will be established forever.' (2Samuel7:12-16)

God's message to David was that his aspirations were too low.
David wanted to build a temple.
God wanted to build a Kingdom through David's offspring.

This is another double prophecy meaning it has an immediate fulfillment (the monarchy) and a future, ultimate fulfillment (the eternal kingdom through Jesus).

The first level of the prophecy was the monarchy. David's line would be the one from which the kings of Israel would come. In this sense, some kings would be good, some would do wrong and would reap the fruit of the seeds they had sown. As the history of David, Solomon, Rehoboam and their offspring unfolded, it became painfully apparent that these earthly kings had feet of clay. Even the good kings like David, Solomon, Hezekiah and Josiah had their shadow sides and some of the bad kings were downright evil and dragged the nation down with them.

But God's promise of Covenant Love and Faithfulness remained true. While these earthly kings faltered, God's promise pointed forward to a greater fulfillment---one that could only come through His Son.

After all human kings failed, God sent His own Son born to Mary and Joseph, both of whom were descendants of David. This Son did no wrong, but willingly carried all the wrongdoing of humanity enduring flogging and crucifixion so that the house, kingdom and throne of David will be established forever.

This is the hope of Advent and Christmas.
The magi brought gold for a King, frankincense for a Prophet, and myrrh (a burial spice) for a Priest who would sacrifice Himself to establish a lasting kingdom.

This Advent, we celebrate not only the birth of the King but also the eternal kingdom He came to establish: A kingdom of hope, love, and faithfulness that will never fail."
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That brings us to the end of EMMDEVs for 2024.
I hope they have been a blessing to you and I wish you a blessed Christmas and a God-Guided-and-Provided new year.
EmmDevs will resume at the end of January.

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EmmDev 2024-12-19 [Advent 2024] Donkey

Donkey

Rejoice greatly O Daughter of Zion! Shout, daughter of Jerusalem! See, Your king comes to you, righteous and having salvation, gentle and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey. (Zechariah9:9)

It would not be wrong for us to say that Jesus was an unexpected Messiah to the Jews. They had expected a political figure who would chase the Romans into the sea and establish an earthly throne in Jerusalem and set up a political kingdom that the likes of David would only have dreamed about. When Jesus came and established a heavenly kingdom - a kingdom of the heart - many expectations were disappointed.

But this was not a completely unexpected development... There are Old Testament prophecies that portray this aspect of Jesus coming. We have already looked at Isaiah's images of the suffering servant and here in Zechariah we have another example...

What animal would one expect a coming Messiah to ride? Our imaginations swing to a great white stallion - a symbol of power, strength, and victory. What connotations come from riding a donkey's foal? The foal of the donkey was the mode of transport for the elderly or children. It would be the mount chosen by a soothsaying prophet or a wise hermit.

Riding a donkey is not the declaration of war, but a statement of the intent of peace. This was Jesus' mode of transport on Palm Sunday as He entered Jerusalem. It was a week before Passover, Jerusalem was full of pilgrims, they were remembering the miraculous Exodus from Egypt and so nationalistic fervour ran high. Jesus sent a crystal clear message on that day: His kingdom was not an earthly kingdom. He was not willing to go to war to obtain peace. He came not as a Victor, but a Victim, and He would grant salvation by giving Himself.

Usually we consider this prophecy at Easter, but it is appropriate for Christmas too as one of the favourite titles for Jesus at Christmas time is "Prince of Peace".

Jesus was born into a world where a petty regional governor (Herod) wouldn't hesitate to commit (horrific) infanticide to protect his power-base. Jesus was born into a world where his parents could only afford to offer pigeons as a thanksgiving for His birth. He was born into a world of oppression, uncertainty and danger - and He was called "Prince of Peace".

These risks and pains continued to be part of His life and when He rode into Jerusalem 33 years later, facing betrayal, trumped up charges, mistreatment and death, He rode the predicted but unexpected donkey-foal because He is able to bring peace to you and me.

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EmmDev 2024-12-18 [Advent 2024] Pierced

Pierced

And I will pour out on the house of David and the inhabitants of Jerusalem a spirit of grace and supplication. They will look on me, the one they have pierced, and they will mourn for him as one mourns for an only child, and grieve bitterly for him as one grieves for a firstborn son. (Zechariah12:10)

The prophet Zechariah foresaw the tragedy of Jesus' death on the cross. It was John (19:37) who recognised that this prophecy had been fulfilled in the crucifixion of Jesus.

It's a difficult prophecy: On the one hand, there was a response to Jesus' message and people's lives were changed and there were those who stood at the cross and grieved His death. On the other hand, we were the ones who "pierced" Him.

Let's consider the "piercing":

• The crowds cried out Crucify Him!
• Herod washed his hands of Jesus
• The Roman soldiers were only interested in what they would gain from Him and gambled for His clothes.
• The High Priests and the Sadducees and Pharisees mocked Him
• On the whole the crowds simply observed His agony.
• The disciples rand away because they were afraid that they might be next and so it was really only John and Mary and the women who were there.

The One who truly mourned for an only child and grieved for a firstborn son was God the Father. The sky turned black and the earth grew still. Then, in the midst of bitter grief, God the Father turned His face from His sin-bearing Son, whose cry "Why have You forsaken me?" went unheard and unanswered.

This grief describes the cost of John 3:16 ("for God so loved the world, that He gave His one and only Son....")
Christmas must lead to Easter.

In Advent we are very aware that this child was born to die. We recognise that it cost Jesus. Christmas is followed by Easter. Some of our beautiful Easter hymns like "O Sacred head once wounded" and "When I survey" recognise His pain and agony and we mourn that it 'was our sin that bruised and wounded Him'. More than that though, we recognise that it 'was for us He hung and suffered there'. It is with a mixture of awe and sorrow that we realise that 'we were there' when they crucified our Lord.

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EmmDev 2024-12-17 [Advent 2024] The Star that points to the King

The Star that points to the King

"I see Him, but not now; I behold Him, but not near. A star will come out of Jacob; a scepter will rise out of Israel." (Numbers24:17)

Long before shepherds heard angels sing or magi followed the star, the promise of a King was declared. In the wilderness of Moab, the unlikely prophet Balaam brings a glimpse of future glory.

Balaam was a pagan soothsayer who had been hired by the Moabite king, Balak, to curse Moses and the Israelites as they travelled through Moab. His mission was redefined by the angel of the Lord and a talking donkey and so Balaam blessed Israel and spoke of a star and a scepter: a vision of a distant and glorious King who would rise from Jacob.

This was no ordinary king. The star that Balaam saw was a glimmer of hope in the darkness, signpost to the One who would bring salvation. The scepter, a sign of rule and authority, would rest firmly in the hands of Jesus Christ, the true King of kings.

In the "fullness of time," the star appears again, this time in the night sky over Bethlehem, guiding wise men to bow before the child who would fulfill every promise. Jesus, born in humility, came not with earthly power but with heavenly purpose: to seek and to save, to rule and to restore.

This Christmas, as we celebrate His birth, may we see more than a baby in a manger. May we see the King who reigns, the Light who shines in the darkness, and the Star that leads us to eternal hope. He is near. He has come. And He will come again.

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