Temptation, Repentance, Faith & Belief in the Gospel
I am excited to start the second gospel in the Bible—The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark. He was not a disciple of Christ like Matthew was but somewhere along the way, Peter, the disciple and apostle of Christ, encountered Mark and took him as travel companion and interpreter. Mark the Evangelist wrote down the sermons of Peter, thus composing this Gospel according to Mark.
I am interested to see how Mark’s Gospel differs from that of Matthew and later on in my studies of Luke, and John.
The central theme of the Gospels is that Christ was born, blessed, performed miracles, died and rose from the dead on the third day! He died for our sins and through His resurrection we have eternal life if only we believe and turn from our sins.
This Gospel begins with John the Baptist and then his baptism of Jesus
As it is written in Isaias the prophet: “Behold, I send my messenger before thee, who shall prepare thy way, the voice of one crying in the desert, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’”
“One mightier than I is coming after me,” John proclaims, “the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And the Spirit, as a dove, descending and remaining upon him:
“Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased, God shared with us.”
I remember how good it was when my mother or father praised me growing up. It was not that often and often quite subtle but I knew I was loved. Just think how Jesus felt, as he started His ministry, as God proclaimed his love for him and pleasure in what a great job Jesus was doing to the whole narrow world at that moment in time. Jesus was simply following His Will as a human being just like us, but in a more perfect, divine and sinless manner.
Then Jesus went out to the desert for forty days and forty nights to be tempted by the devil. When he came back he started calling disciples and started exorcising devils by declaring “Hold thy peace, and go out of the man.”
And rising up long before daybreak he told His disciples: “Let us go into the neighboring villages and towns, that there I may also preach. For this is why I have come.”
Long before daybreak… I am trying to get on an early to bed, early to rise schedule to enjoy the quiet time of a morning and the day of sunshine.
Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but remained outside in desert places. And they kept coming to him from every direction.
Why? To learn about temptation and repentance and how faith and belief in The Bible, including the Gospels, can dramatically change one’s life for now and all of eternity!
Day 32: Reading The Bible with a TROML Perspective; Temptation, Repentance, Faith & Belief in the Gospel
Read and inspired by the New Testament, The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark, Chapters 1.
Bible Notes:
The Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Mark
Saint Mark, a convert of Saint Peter, was the son of a certain Mary, whose house in Jerusalem was a gathering place for Christians.
His Gospel, based on Saint Peter’s preaching, aims to prove to the Gentiles the divinity of Christ, be recounting His numerous miracles and examples of His power over devils.
Mark Chapter 1: John the Baptist; The baptism of Jesus; The temptation; In Galilee; The first disciples called; In Capharnaum; The cure of a demoniac; Peter’s mother-in-law; Other miracles; Jesus’ preaching; A leper.
Jesus Christ, the Son of God
As it is written in Isaias the prophet:
“behold, I send my messenger before thee, who shall prepare thy way, the voice of one crying in the desert, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’”
Baptizing and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
They were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
“One mightier than I is coming after me, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
And the Spirit, as a dove, descending and remaining upon him.
“Thou art my beloved Son, in thee I am well pleased.”
And immediately the Spirit drove him forth into the desert. And he was in the desert forty days and forty nights, being tempted the while by Satan…
“The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand. Repent and believe in the gospel.”
Simon and his brother Andrew (fisherman): “Come, follow me, and I will make you fishers of men.”
James, the son of Zebedee and his brother John; left their father in the boat with hired men and followed Jesus.
Capharnaum; synagogue; and they were astonished at his teaching; for he was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the Scribes.
Here was a man with an unclean spirit, and he cried out…
“Hold thy peace, and go out of the man.”
What is this? What new doctrine is this? For with authority he commands even the unclean spirits, and they obey him.
Came to the house of Simon and Andrew…
Simon’s mother-in-law was keeping her bed sick with a fever… he took her hand and raised her up; and the fever left her at once, and she began to wait on them.
They brought him to all that were ill and who were possessed.
Cast out many devils; and he did not permit them to speak, because they knew him.
And rising up long before daybreak…
“Let us go into the neighboring villages and towns, that there I may also preach. For this is why I have come.
If thou wilt, thou canst make me clean.
And Jesus, having compassion on him… “I will; be thou made clean.”
“See thou tell no one; but go, show thyself to the high priest, and offer for thy purification the things that Moses commanded, for a witness to them.”
Jesus could no longer openly enter a town, but remained outside in desert places. And they kept coming to him from every direction.
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