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Intro to Philippians

Happy Fourth of July!

Taking the 50,000 foot approach to starting our devotional and reflections on Philippians is as Paul would say, “pure joy!” This letter is one of Paul’s prison epistles . It was a positive letter by Paul written to thank the Christians living in Philippi for their gift they had sent him for his missionary work. It was also to strengthen fellow believers by showing them (us) that true joy comes from Jesus Christ alone. Amen!

As we look back in Acts 16 we read how Paul had a divine dream that told him to go to Macedonia to spread the good news. (Acts 16:8-10) God always has amazing perfect plans for all of our lives. This dream was perfectly planned. In Psalm 37:23, the psalmist writes, “the Lord makes firm the steps of the one who delights in Him“. God not only orders our steps but also orders our stops, especially in this case. This vision lead to Philippi where they would be the first European City to receive the Gospel of Christ from Paul.

As I reviewed the various reflections on Philippians and read the intro’s in my study bibles I continue to land on the theme about the contrast between happiness and joy. Knowing people want to feel happy and look for this in different material things, experiences, people, statuses, or even places like Happy Gilmore. Yet all of this is just worldly happiness, that can often be related to our temporary current circumstances. What is your current circumstance? What is mine? The weather has been great, the pool is the perfect temp, camps have gone well, the pictures or final details are being finalized for all summer trips? But what happens when the temperature changes, that 4th of July party ends, the children need to get back on a schedule…? Or on a more serious side, a job has been lost, you lose a loved one, a bill comes in that leaves you strapped, your child faces addiction? Our happiness that is based on happenings can wither as each new trial prevails. Going through Philippians will help remind us that in contrast to this earthly happiness or sadness true joy depends on our relationship with God. According to the Tyndale Study Bible it says, “In contrast to happiness stands joy. Running deeper and stronger, joy is the quiet, confidence assurance of God’s love and work in our lives, that He will be there for us no matter what! Happiness depends on happenings, Joy depends on Christ!”

So rejoice and enjoy these four chapters and look for the themes that include; finding joy in suffering, serving, believing, and giving. I know my wife Jennifer will enjoy me referencing once again “Consider it all joy… verse from James 1:2-3 that I use often in our household of two young boys that love to follow a fallen, broken, bigger boy in myself. I pray for Jennifer and I, our boys, and all of you to not seek the happiness of the world, but know the true joy in our relationship with the Lord!

Dear God ,

We are blessed by these letters of encouragement by Paul. Please fill our hearts when we have the feeling of being overwhelmed or in despair. Help us to pray for others that need to know your promises. Help us to stay positive and trust in you no matter our circumstances. Lord, help us to follow Paul’s example and know you more so we will rejoice in you always. Amen

Philippians 3:13-14 Brothers and sisters, I do not consider myself yet to have taken hold of it. But one thing I do: Forgetting what lies behind and straining toward what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal to win the prize for which God called me heavenward in Christ Jesus.

Justified by Faith ~ Freedom in Christ

Welcome to Galatia. Where life by many is lived by the law. Where your merit and what you do, means more than anything. This idea of, what do you do?; in contrast to, Who do you follow? Or the question of, what law or rules are you following? instead of, Who do you have a relationship with?

The book of Galatians has been called the charter of Christian Freedom according to a couple study bibles. Who better to write this letter than apostle Paul (formerly Saul). The story of Paul’s miraculous conversion on the road to Damascus is necessary story to the people in Galatia, it is necessary to us, it is necessary to me. Here’s a reminder. (Acts 26:5-23) As I reflect on this story, I think that when the Lord gives you an opportunity today write down or share your “Damascus Road” experience with someone who needs Christ will I? Will you?

Paul wrote this letter to defend his apostleship and to defend the authority of the Gospel. To help the Galatians turn from legalism to faith in Jesus. This issue can still be present today where we try to earn God’s favor through doing so many things, following rituals, or obeying a set of rules. I found a great reminder for myself in Our Daily Bread: Rhythms of Grace. It reminded me to take a second to pause and take inventory of your life: “If you find that Christianity exhausts you, draining you of your energy, then you are practicing religion rather than enjoying your relationship with Jesus. Your walk with the Lord will not make you weary; it will invigorate you, restore your strength, and energize your life” ( Matthew 11:28-29)

Paul gives a realistic picture of the challenges of transitioning from a religion based on rules to one based on a relationship with Jesus Christ. From a life based on entitlement, to one given through grace; to a life not lived out through our flesh, but through the power of the Holy Spirit.

So are we working for Him, or walking with Him? While you read through Galatians be reminded that we are justified by faith not just the law. ( Galatians 2:20 Galatians 3:10-11) That our list of do’s and don’ts doesn’t confine us, it is our relationship with the Lord. We have freedom in our faith in Christ alone. He is all we need now and for eternity. (1 John 2:1-2)

Dear Jesus,

Thank you for your grace. I accept that I am just like everyone else and can’t do any of this life on my own. We are imperfect in so many ways and prone to sin. There is nothing we can do that makes me better than anyone else. You love us so much you gave yourself up on the cross for me. That’s a grace so amazing that I can’t wrap my head around it, I can only accept this free gift and know that I’m saved. I pray for guidance and willingness to submit the rest of my life to you. That as we walk together I grow my faith and serve you with continued joy. As we read through Galatians keep your words through Paul in our hearts.

Amen

Humble Servanthood

Today, we are reading Acts 28 together. In this chapter, the final one in the book of Acts, we continue to travel with Paul and his close friend Luke. Luke, Paul and the rest of their group have recently been shipwrecked after a terrible storm; in fact, they have not eaten in 14 days and were forced to swim to the nearest island (see Acts 27:14; Acts 27:33; Acts 27:43). They learned that the island was called Malta, and they remained there for three months. Fortunately, the native Maltans welcomed Paul and his group wholeheartedly. From Malta, the group traveled to Rome and here Paul’s circumstances changed dramatically. In verse 16, Luke writes, “When we actually entered Rome, they let Paul live in his own private quarters with a soldier who had been assigned to guard him.” (Acts 28:16) In fact, Paul was now under house arrest, and he knew that his years of ministry would soon come to a close.

Despite his imprisonment and impending death, Paul somehow managed to remain humble. It is this character trait, humility, that I would like us to focus on today. We see evidence of Paul’s humility right after he arrives in Malta. Despite having just survived a terrifying shipwreck – he is most likely exhausted and starving – Paul doesn’t hesitate to help his hosts when it begins to rain:

“It had begun to rain and was cold…Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks and put them on the fire…:” (Acts 28:3).

Paul’s humility is evident here in his service to others despite his own physical weakness.

When Paul arrives in Rome and begins his season of house arrest, he remains humble here as well. We read that Paul constantly places others before himself:

“From morning till evening he expounded to them, testifying to the kingdom of God and trying to convince them about Jesus…” (Acts 28:23)

Paul could easily have chosen an attitude of bitterness regarding the loss of his personal freedom, but he did not. Instead, he chose to spend his days – from morning to evening – telling others about Christ, so that they too might be saved.

It takes humility to serve others who are treating you as an honored guest, and it takes humility to serve others when you are imprisoned with a guard watching over your every move. From guest of honor to prisoner, Paul remained humble and served those around him. In doing this, he taught people about Jesus. Although few of us will experience either shipwreck or imprisonment in our lives, we can all try to set aside our current circumstances, whatever they are, and serve others in humility. In doing this, our actions reveal Christ and his love for the world. How can you, today, humbly serve those around you?

Thy Word

Today’s reading is Acts 18.

Here we learn about three new champions of the Gospel in Priscilla, her husband Aquila, and Apollos. Although we don’t know for certain that Paul was responsible for Priscilla and Aquilas’ conversion to Christianity, the text does say in Acts 18:2 they were Jewish, so I have to believe Paul may have had an impact on their conversion, or if nothing else, helped them grow in their knowledge, understanding, and love of Christ. How did he do this? We see in Acts 18:3 that “he stayed with them and worked.” He didn’t just give them the Gospel and move on..he invested not only time with them, but was in the trenches with them working which may have been why they were receptive to the message of Christ. It also says in Acts 18:5 that “Paul was occupied with the word, testifying to Jews that the Christ was Jesus.”

What I then find so cool is this investment by Paul leads to Priscilla and Aquila going with Paul in Acts 18:18 to Syria. Now, they are determined to spread the Word. In Ephesus, they come across a man named Apollos who it says in Acts 18:24 was “competent in the Scriptures.” However, it seems he was missing some key things about Jesus and “knew only the baptism of John” from Acts 18:25. Instead of Priscilla and Aquila just saying he was a good man and well intentioned, they go a step further and in Acts 18:26 it says, “they took him aside and explained to him the way of God more accurately.” It then says they invested in him like Paul did in them and “encouraged him and wrote to the disciples to welcome him” in Acts 18:27. As a result of his speaking and teaching the Word that Christ was Jesus, he greatly helped others believe in the grace of Jesus we are told in Acts 18:27-28.

Wow..it is amazing how investing in one person and showing and teaching them the Word can not only change the course of their life and where they will spend eternity, but likely where their family and future generations will spend eternity, as well as some of those whose lives they cross paths with during their lifetime. When the Holy Spirit starts to move in one, the trickle-down effect and impact is mind-boggling. This is how Christianity went from a few of Jesus’ brave disciples to where it is today in the world, and even right down to you and me knowing Jesus Christ. We owe a great debt to those that had the courage to speak the Word before us.

John 1:1-2 tells us, “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God.” John 1:14 then says, “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father full of grace and truth.” The far-reaching effects of Paul’s witness and investment in Priscilla and Aquila and then their witness and investment in Apollos happened because they focused on teaching the Word. In 2 Timothy 3:16, we learn that “All scripture is breathed out by God and profitable for teaching, for reproof, for correction, and for training in righteousness.” We must ask ourselves constantly if we personally, and even the church we attend, are truly following the Word or are instead following traditions passed down that are not in the Word or things present day society tells us is normal and okay because things have changed. If we choose to discredit or ignore even one thing in the Word, then all the rest of the Word is discredited and we are in effect saying not all scripture is breathed out by God. If we pick and choose which parts we want to believe and follow, then none of it is true.

We may be hesitant to correct others when they stray from the Word because we ourselves are not perfect, but Priscilla and Aquila show us the far-reaching effect of helping a man who was well intentioned but just a little off like Apollos. Jesus knows we are not perfect, but tells us we must do so (and also how) in Matthew 18:15-18. Galatians 6:1 says the same and reminds us to take watch ourselves. When we correct others and bring them back to the Word, we must also do so with “grace and truth” just as Jesus (the Word) did in John 1:14 from above. As a side note, isn’t it interesting, and I don’t believe a coincidence, that grace comes before truth here and many other places in the Word.

I will leave you with the words of a song you may know that my 4-year-old son and his classmates recently sang at the Cornerstone Christian Academy Spring concert. The song brought back memories, as I can remember singing it as child. The lyrics to “Thy Word” are just as true now as they were then and as true as the Word has been forever and ever. I pray that today and every day we will let “Thy Word” be a lamp unto our feet and a light unto our path and that we share it so it can be the same for others we know and then others they know…

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

And a light unto my path.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

And a light unto my path.

When I feel afraid, And think I’ve lost my way.

Still, you’re there right beside me.

Nothing will I fear As long as you are near;

Please be near me to the end.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

And a light unto my path.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

And a light unto my path.

I will not forget Your love for me and yet,

My heart forever is wandering.

Jesus by my guide, And hold me to your side,

And I will love you to the end.

Nothing will I fear As long as you are near;

Please be near me to the end.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

And a light unto my path.

Thy word is a lamp unto my feet

And a light unto my path.

You’re the light unto my path.

Contributions of Stephen

Good Morning Bible Journal Friends and family,

Today, I’d like to share a snapshot of a speech shared by Stephen in Acts 7. Yesterday, Amy set the stage for us and a focus for us to be praying for our opportunity to serve. In Acts 6 we are introduced to a man chosen to support the widows. Stephen was at the top of this list, he was a man full of faith, full of the Holy Spirit, and a man full of God’s grace. Stephen performed great wonders and signs among the people. Acts 6:5 and Acts 6:8. Unfortunately, opposition arose and false charges were then brought against Stephen that included; blasphemy of God, Moses, the law, and the temple.

Stephen then shares a sermon that defends his faith before the council of Israel. This is found in today’s reading of Acts 7. I’l let you read through this powerful sermon in order to provide you with the full picture and true specific points of this dynamic speech. This speech by Stephen holds so much power, that by his conclusion, and before Stephen could even finish, members of the Sanhedrin had taken his life because it had made them furious and moved them.

In 1 Peter 3:15 Peter tells us, “Be ready always to give an answer to every man that asks you regarding the hope that is within you.” Peter is right! In a moments time I definitely wouldn’t have the amazing sixty verse sermon, but I know one word I could start with, “Jesus!” You can view this sermon as a masterpiece for the subject of apologetics. Apologetics is the subject of information that defends the faith. Stephen knew what he believed. He also knew why he believed as well.

Stephen leaves us a lesson of the boldness in witnessing. We read about his courage. We read about the faithfulness of God. In addition, we can also read about the blindness of hostility, and even though when the members of the Senhedin committee heard this sermon and gnashed their teeth at him, Stephen was still full of the Holy Spirit. While Stephen was being dragged out of the city and being stoned in front of a young man named Saul (who later becomes Paul) Stephen prayed, “Lord Jesus, receive my spirit.” Stephen fell to his knees and cried out, “Lord do not hold this against them.” Stephen then fell asleep. (was brought to heaven) Stephen prayed the same prayer as Jesus in Luke 23:24. Did this picture of Stephen and his prayer remain with Paul?

Acts 1:8 says, “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witness in Jerusalem, and all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.“

As we move into Acts 8 Stephen’s death was a catalyst that set into motion evangelism outside of Jerusalem. Up to this point in Acts, everything had taken place in Jerusalem. Stephen sermon and death set waves of persecution forcing believers to leave…God always orchestrates life’s events for his purposes.

Dear God,

Thank you for this amazing brother in Christ, Stephen. Thank you for the words of truth spoken by him. I pray for the courage and boldness that is necessary on this earth as we live out this breath of a life. I pray that we continue to be encouraged and grow in the knowledge of God’s words and to defend the faith when necessary. I pray that throughout our day in our words, actions, and heart we share and recognize your presence. I pray for this Easter week and for open doors that will allow us to share your words, love, and the desire you have for us to be part of your eternal kingdom. Amen

Happy Easter

Fully Known

Fully known. How do those words make you feel? Peaceful? Anxious? Calm? Ashamed? All of the above, maybe? Does it depend on the situation, or maybe the person? In John 8, our reading for today, Jesus makes it very clear that He knows the people around Him. And not only does He know them, He FULLY KNOWS them, He knows their thoughts, even when they don’t speak them aloud. He knows their actions, even before they take them. He knows them better than they know themselves. He knows their hearts.

Sometimes, Jesus reveals His knowledge of the people around Him in subtle ways. For example, when He speaks to the crowd who accuses the woman of adultery, He says, “Let him who is without sin among you be the first to throw a stone at her.” (John 8:7) Jesus knew that each of the accusers was a sinner. Yet He didn’t need to call each person out on his individual, specific sin to make His point clear. When the crowd heard His words, “they went away one by one.” (John 8:9) Likewise, in his conversation with the woman accused of adultery, Jesus did not need to name her sin to make His point. He simply says to her, “…go, and from now on sin no more.” (John 8: 11) Simple, and subtle.

Later in John 8, however, Jesus reveals to the Pharisees that He knows them as well, and this time, He is less subtle. In fact, He does not hesitate to name their sins. Here are several examples:

– He knew that the Pharisees judged according to the flesh (John 8:15)

– He knew that the Pharisees sought to kill Him, and He knew why – because His word had found no place in them (John 8:37) and because they couldn’t bear to hear His word (John 8:43)

– He knew that the Pharisees did not believe Him (John 8:45)

– He knew that the Pharisees did not know God (John 8:55)

Not only does Jesus know the adulterous woman’s heart and the hearts of the Pharisees. He also knows our hearts, yours and mine. David confirms this in Psalm 139:1-4: “O Lord, you have searched me and known me! You know when I sit down and when I rise up; you discern my thoughts from afar. You search out my path and my lying down and are acquainted with all my ways. Even before a word is on my tongue, behold, O Lord, you know it altogether.” I think that David’s tone here is not one of embarrassment but one of relief. He sounds thankful to be fully known by his Creator – and in this, David serves as a good example for us.

We, too, can give thanks that our God fully knows us and wants to have a relationship with us. Any relationship deepens as we allow ourselves to be fully known by the other person, and our relationship with Jesus is no different. Furthermore, relationships strengthen when we ourselves seek to more deeply know the other person as well. Jesus, too, wants us to seek to know Him better. I pray that the fact that we are fully known by our Creator gives us not anxiety and shame, but peace and comfort. And I pray that we would seek to know Him better as we rest in the security that we are fully known, and fully loved.

Tethered

Today’s reading is from Luke 19. As I read through this chapter, one phrase jumped out at me. In the last verse of Luke 19, we are told that “all the people were hanging on his words” (Luke 19:48). In the past few days, I have come across this idea of “hanging on” to the Word of God on several occasions. Sometimes the words used were “hold fast”, and other times the word “tether” was used to describe how we are to attach ourselves to Jesus and His teachings. When the same word or idea pops up several times within a short span of days, I pay attention!

In Jesus’ time, people were only beginning to understand who He was and how His death, burial and resurrection would impact their lives eternally. Yet they still knew, somehow, that they needed to pay close attention to the words He spoke. When I imagine people hanging onto Jesus’ every word, I picture a crowd pressed close together, leaning forward and straining to hear the words directly from Jesus’ mouth. In those times, people had to work hard to hear Jesus’ words. Hearing Him meant finding out where He would be, making their way on foot to that place, and then positioning themselves close enough to Him so that they could hear His voice. In many ways, we have it so much easier today, don’t we? We have relatively easy access to Bibles both in written form and on our electronic devices. But we also have an incredible number of distractions that can draw us away from pursuing God and His word.

In a world that is constantly changing, it is critical that we hold fast to God’s unchanging word. His word is as valuable and relevant today as it was on the day it was written. It is “living and active” (Hebrews 4:12) and God promises “it shall not return to me empty, but it shall accomplish that which I purpose, and shall succeed in the thing for which I sent it” (Isaiah 55:11).

So, what does it look like on a daily basis to tether ourselves tightly to God’s word? Here are a few suggestions.

– Spend time reading the Bible daily. This doesn’t need to happen at a specific time each day. The reading itself is what is important; when you do it is not.

– If you find yourself thinking you do not have time to read the Bible because you have so much else to do, consider this thought that my wise husband shared with our small group this week. He suggested approaching spending time with God during the week with the same mindset we approach taking a Sabbath rest. God asks us to rest once a week, and He asks us to trust that our work will get done throughout the remainder of the week. Likewise, we can set apart time to spend reading His word daily while trusting that He will enable us to accomplish what He has called us to do that day.

– Consider using a daily reading plan found in a Bible or online. There are hundreds to choose from, and the accountability of a daily plan can be helpful.

– Memorize Scripture verses that have personal meaning to you. When your Bible or your device isn’t near, the verses you have memorized are easily recalled when you need them.

The time we spend reading our Bible matters because the words we read on the page or on the screen are alive. His word accomplishes God’s purpose for us and for the world He created. I encourage you to try one or more of the ideas above as you seek to hang onto every word of Jesus!

Luke 5

Two weeks ago, when we were studying the gospel of Mark, I wrote about abundance. The specific verses that I focused on revealed that Jesus sacrificed Himself on the cross so that we could have a full and abundant life in Him. When I first read Luke 5, our text for today, I noticed that the same theme of abundance is echoed in this chapter. This isn’t surprising. Abundance is a character trait of Christ’s, so we can expect this theme to pop up throughout the Bible.

In this chapter, Jesus responds to three different people by meeting their needs with more than was asked for or expected. In Luke 5:4, Jesus tells Simon (later known as Peter) to fish off the side of the boat. Simon hadn’t been fishing that morning because he had fished all night the evening before and caught nothing. Yet Christ, in his goodness, filled Simon’s net with more fish than he could ever have imagined. In fact, Luke tells us that the disciples and the onlookers were “astonished” (Luke 5:9) at the amount of fish that were caught.

Later in this chapter, Jesus heals a man with leprosy. In those days, people afflicted with leprosy were basically shunned because people were fearful of catching this untreatable disease. This man, though, walked boldly up to Christ, saying “Lord, if you are willing, you can make me clean.” (Luke 5:12). And again, Jesus did the unimaginable: He healed this man from this disease for which there was no cure, and He did this by reaching out and touching the leper. Some time later, a group of men brought their paralyzed friend to where Jesus was speaking, and Jesus told the man to stand up, walk, and go home (Luke 5:24). The people in the crowds following Jesus were first-hand observers of His early miracles, and as the news about His healings spread, Luke tells us that many “glorified God and were filled with awe”, calling what they had seen “extraordinary” (Luke 5:26).

Each of these examples – the overabundance of fish, the healing of the man with leprosy, and the healing of the paralyzed man – point to Jesus’ love for answering our prayers in overflowing ways. I think this chapter and its theme resonated with me so much because it reminded me of my favorite verse in all of Scripture, Ephesians 3:20-21: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” Remember to ask, because He is abundantly capable. And let us respond with awe, reverence, and praise.

Abundance

I love the book of Mark. At just over 11,000 words (overviewbible.com), it is far shorter than the other three gospels. I’m a reader; I love long novels and rich memoirs. So to find myself drawn to the shortest gospel surprised me. I think it is Mark’s simplicity that appeals to me: it seems like Mark pares down the life of Jesus to the essentials, letting His life and His actions speak for themselves. Only a few verses into Mark 8, however, I realized that although Mark’s style might be characterized by brevity, Jesus’ actions are marked by overflow and abundance.

Mark 8 includes the story of Jesus feeding a large crowd of people with only seven loaves of bread and a few small fish. Mark 8:9 tells us that in the crowd “there were about four thousand people.” It is believed that these four thousand only included the men; women and children were not counted in the total. In reality, though, four or five times that number could have been in that crowd. So, with a very small amount of food (Mark 8:6-7) Jesus fed perhaps 15,000 – 20,000 people.

A few chapters earlier, in Mark 6, we learned that Jesus fed even more people – 5,000 – with five loaves of bread and two fish. Again, the crowd probably numbered over 20,000 people. And Jesus? He doesn’t stop there, with simply satisfying their hunger that day. Instead, after all of the people “ate and were satisfied” (Mark 8:8 and Mark 6:42) He instructed His disciples to gather the leftovers, the broken pieces of bread and fish. After the 5,000 had been fed, Jesus’s disciples filled twelve baskets with the leftovers! And after the 4,000 had eaten, the disciples gathered 7 baskets of leftover bread and fish! Provision, and overflow. Scarcity, and abundance.

The provision of food for the crowd clearly reminds us to have faith that God will provide for our needs. The leftover food, though, speaks to the idea of abundance. Not only will God provide, but He will do so in an abundant way. This thought is echoed in other places in Scripture as well. In Ephesians 3:19-21, Paul references Jesus’ desire for us to live a full and abundant life in Him. Paul prays that Jesus’ followers would be “filled with all the fullness of God” (Ephesians 3:19), and writes, “Now to him who is able to do far more abundantly than all that we ask or think, according to the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, forever and ever. Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21). When Jesus fed crowds of people with so little food, and fed them until they were satisfied, He reveals to them, and to us, that He loves to provide for his followers in ways that are more than we could ever imagine. And in John 10:10, Jesus tells his disciples that He “came that they may have life and have it abundantly”. The promise of an abundant life for His followers was Christ’s purpose in coming into the world. My prayer for us today is that we rest in that assurance and embrace the abundant life that Jesus offers.

Hello Mark

“For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many.” Mark 10:45

Hello, it’s a Monday and I’m here to welcome you to the gospel of Mark. Are you excited? I’m so excited! This has been such an awesome time of new beginnings. We aren’t reading the Gospel of Mark quite yet today, but instead we’re getting acquainted with our new author. Of course, I’ve done my usual research and uncovered some interesting facts for us. The Gospel of Mark is actually anonymous. In 326 AD, Eusebius, an early church historian, preserved the words of Papias an early church elder. Papias, quoted another elder, probably John, as saying that Mark recorded Peter’s preaching about Jesus but not in order. Therefore, since the first century, Mark was considered the author of this Gospel.

Mark was actually named John Mark and was the son of a widow named Mary. The church of Jerusalem sometimes met at Mary’s house (see Acts 12:12-17). Some sources say that Jesus’ last supper took place in Mary’s house as well…but we don’t really know so we can’t get too excited! Mark and Barnabus were cousins (Col 4:10) and together they traveled with Paul on that first missionary journey. Mark became like a son to the apostle Peter and also became close to Paul. Shortly before Paul’s execution, he asked Timothy to “bring Mark with you, for he is useful to me in the ministry” (2 Timothy 4:11). After Paul’s execution, Mark moved to Egypt and established churches.

Mark wrote his gospel in Rome around the time of Peter’s martyrdom. He wrote primarily for the Roman Gentiles and used Latin terms rather then Greek. Mark’s Gospel is believed by many Bible scholars to be the earliest Gospel written. There is evidence that it served as a source for both Gospels of Matthew and Luke. Mark’s writing begins with John the Baptist preaching and then moves on to Jesus’ public ministry. We see Jesus in action as a servant and then Jesus is revealed to us as the Messiah when he performs several miracles. By the end of Mark’s gospel, we move quickly toward the events of The Last Supper, the betrayal, the crucifixion and the resurrection. What an opportunity we have in these next few weeks to get to know Jesus through Mark. I’m ready for God to move in our life as we follow in His footsteps: serving, sacrificing and saving. I’ll leave you today with four key themes of Mark’s Gospel to consider. I challenge you to write them down and watch for them to come up in our daily study of Mark. I’ll be making notes each day about the words of Christ and how they fit within our personal faith journey.

Jesus Christ:

Mark demonstrates that Jesus Christ is the Son of God
He overcomes disease, demons and death
Jesus chose to die for us

Servant:

Jesus fulfilled the prophecies of the Old Testament by coming to earth
He came as a servant, not a conquering king
By giving his life he performed the ultimate act of service

Miracles:

Mark records more of Jesus’ miracles in his Gospel than sermons
Mark reveals Jesus’ true identity as the Messiah through accounts of his miracles

Spreading the Gospel:

Jesus directed his ministry to the Jews, he was met with opposition
Jesus also ministered to the “non-Jewish” world including Roman soldiers, Syrians, and other Gentiles.
Many believed the good news and followed him
Jesus’ final message to his disciples was to go out to the whole world and preach salvation

Author’s note: Much of today’s historic information was drawn from a collection of study Bibles. I primarily use the NIV Life Application Study Bible (Zondervan), The HCSB Study Bible (Holman Bible Publishers), The ESV Study Bible (Crossway) and various online sources such as: biblegateway.com, biblestudytools.com and blueletterbible.org. Of course when writing about historic figures, one can only use the collection of data available and then present it in a way that honors the source. I’ve done the best I can to collect facts and share them with you in a digestible Monday morning fashion. There is always lots more Christian literature available to us! If you want more information about the Gospel of Mark or have knowledge you’d like to share, please comment below.