Wilmot First Presbyterian Church

Scripture:  Mark 1:1-12 

GOSPEL OF MARK 

     I have never heard a Christmas sermon based on the Gospel of Mark.  That’s probably because there is a noticeable lack of reference to Jesus’ birth in Mark.  After a quote from Isaiah, Mark starts right in with an adult John the Baptist (Bulldozer).  Verse four says, “And so John came…” as if out of thin air.  Similarly, verse nine introduces Christ with an unpretentious, “At that time Jesus came…” 

     Some swimmers enter the water one cautious toe at a time.  Some people, like Mark, just jump.  Mark makes no excuses, no trumpets sound.  Boom!  There’s Jesus, deal with it.  For Mark it didn’t matter where Jesus came from or where he has been the last thirty years.  Either he assumed everyone knew the story or he figured it didn’t matter enough to tell.  The Gospel of John concludes with the writer offering that Jesus did so many other things that there aren’t enough books in the world to record them.  If that is the case, then Mark did and even more remarkable job in narrowing down the options to this short, direct book.

     The brevity of the book and similar timeline of Matthew and Luke lead scholars to conclude Mark is the first of the “synoptic” (Greek – same eye) Gospels.  It is entirely possible that had he written more, Matthew and Luke would not have sensed the need to write a second helping.  The angels and shepherds of Luke, the Magi of Matthew, are stories we know perhaps because of the Gospel of Mark, but not from Mark.  If the Bible were a buffet, Mark would be the fellow at the end of the line carving a roast and wondering why everyone doesn’t just come there first since he has all the people really need.  The meat of Mark’s gospel is so good you sink in your teeth, and eat your fill only to find yourself thinking about eating more.   

     The roast Mark presents is clean and simple.  He allows the virtues of the meat to stand on their own rather than try and spice them up with too many details because Mark is a good cook.  This roast is so good, so rich, so tender, so tasty that it seems like you never really knew what hungry was before.  There is enough, but now you want more.  You want more meat, you want more stomach space, you want to tell people about this!  You want to know where the meat came from.  You want to know the farm and you want to know the farmer who can do something like this.  Nothing wrong with that, though.  The Farmer is still around if you really want to meet Him. 

PRAYER:  Dear God, sometimes we need some help to immerse ourselves in Your loving arms and grace.  Help us to live, not as great swimmers, but as great trusters in the lifeguard.  Help us to jump in with both feet.  We ask this in the name of the Shepherd who is the Lamb, AMEM 

ACTIVITY:  How might toe dippers and wave makers help one another in their faith?  Which one are you?