I was never really much of a baseball player, but I know that if I were I would hate the pressure of being the 3rd out when your team was up to bat. For most of you I likely don’t need to explain the basics of how a baseball game is played; how that your team is only allowed three outs in each of the 9 innings. But in the little that I personally played baseball (football was my game!) I do remember that I hated the idea of being the 3rd and final out in an inning or worst yet the 3rd out in a game. When you are the 3rd out that means that two others before you had taken a swing to try to get on base but had failed. And if I am the 3rd out that means that I am the final failure for my team. It’s kind of depressing to be that 3rd out!
This Sunday we will highlight Mark 1:14-20. Jesus’ ministry had been inaugurated following the two events of His baptism (His coronation) and then His temptations in the desert (His trials). And now we find in Mark 1:14-15 that John the Baptist fades away (actually is arrested and imprisoned) and Jesus begins His public ministry. For those who struggle with understanding how this all falls together we might even think to ourselves… “well maybe John the Baptist struck out at the plate, and now it’s Jesus’ turn to try!” Since all the prophets in the Old Testament sort of ‘struck out’ and obviously John the Baptist ‘struck out,’ maybe this Jesus can finally get the job done.
Obviously that is NOT what happened. Jesus is certainly not God the Father’s last-ditch effort to rescue all of dying mankind. Jesus was the plan all along.
As you prepare for worship this coming Sunday morning at LifeWay I challenge you to read Mark 1:14-20. IF you have one of those ‘red letter’ Bibles that print the actual words of Jesus in red, it is fascinating to see in the first chapter of Mark what Jesus actually said. I ask you to contemplate how important and strategic those words out of the mouth of Jesus really are.
What are those words?
Mark 1:15 Jesus preached, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”
Mark 1:17 And Jesus said to them, “Follow Me, and I will have you become fishers of people.”
This Sunday we are take a deeper dive into those words. All along, we are studying with this major theme: “Who do you say that I am?”
See you Sunday morning.
