Spend time in prayer and silence with God asking Him to meet with you and speak to you.
Bible Reading
The gospel (good news) of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. The Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life as a ransom for many.
– Mark 1:1, 10:45
Devotional
The second gospel was penned by Mark who recorded Peter’s teaching in Rome. Here we see Jesus speaking and acting with authority, proving His deity to the disciples, leaders and crowds. He was powerful, yet a servant, who sacrificed His life for sinners; a Savior worth radically following. In Mark’s gospel, we clearly see Jesus’ authority to teach, to heal, to forgive sins, to control nature and to call His disciples to follow Him. It is in Mark’s gospel that we also get a glimpse of Jesus’ compassion toward the multitudes, the sick, the children and the lost. We also find Jesus’ emphasis on discipleship as He trained and then sent out His disciples to minister in His name. In the Gospel of Mark we also get a stark look at Jesus’ opposition to the false religious leaders of the day. In verse one, Mark uses the title “the Son of God”. This is a title that has abundant testimony elsewhere in the New Testament, and was indeed the claim for which Christ was condemned to die by the Sanhedrin. This sonship, to the early believers, was no spiritualized metaphor, nor did it simply mean the adoption of a mortal man into the God-head. This title denotes origin and clearly identifies Jesus as One who came from God the Father.
The Big Question
Looking at Jesus’ authority, compassion, discipleship and opposition to the religious leaders, which of these concepts impacts you the most? Why? How does it make you feel to know that it was the Son of God who sacrificed Himself, so that, you might be reconciled to God?
Conclude your time in prayer and silence reflecting on what God revealed to you today.