“You’re Ready to Go!” Those are the words I received from my Senior Pastor! I felt pretty good about myself. I was 20, single, and was still in Bible college. What can go wrong right?
Now that I’ve been 15 years fast forward, I have been in ministry, and some may have the idea that it was an easy-breezy journey as it led to where I am today. But that was not the case. I went through a significant church conflict as a young pastor that has shaped the rest of my ministry.
Knowing where you start helps us understand how we can end at the final destination. Hope while suffering and strife, gives them fuel to run together.
God is not interested in simply re-tweaking a few behaviors and calling them good. He is about repentance and radical transformation in our lives! Jesus is not about behavioral retraining of a therapeutic relationship which is reward-based. That is basically to stop bad behavior and start doing good behavior like training a dog!
How does he sanctify us and make us more like Jesus? Sometimes, he brings great affliction. There’s nothing like the school of suffering is there? Trial, tribulation, testing, and temptation…. These were all part of the equation of becoming the person I am today.
What is Your Life About?
“What brings you in today?” That is often how I begin a counseling session. I sometimes wonder, how Jesus would approach us in the mess.
A humanistic approach in psychotherapy would say, “Not get too involved” because of transference. The clinical model is where you are the authority in the room and that is under your tool so you can be trusted and have a “cold” and “distant” relationship.
I’m thankful Jesus was not sent for a professional relationship, but Jesus seeks for a personal relationship. The world avoids messed up people, but Jesus runs to messed up people. Jesus would look at our suffering and he would give a word, a look, and a touch.
Jesus began his ministry of service by proclaiming the good news of God. What is this good news? Gospel which means “good news.” Specifically, it refers to the good news of salvation through Jesus. It comes from the Old English word god-spell (meaning “good news”) which comes from the Greek word euaggelion (Strong’s #2098, eu = “good,” angelion = “message”).
The good news is all about Jesus! The good news is both from God and about God. As one commentator put it this way, “Men and women have been longing to hear such a message. Now they not only hear it but encounter the One who can deliver it.”
Jesus then called the disciples to himself with his life. He wanted to communicate with a life of discipleship which is not easy. He sees the life of the disciples and they will suffer for their faith. Jesus’ call to discipleship is the main point that we see. What it means to carry the cross.
“If anyone would come after me, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me.” (Mark 8:34). What does carrying the cross cost look like? Christians ought to believe and obey: It is not just knowing the Word of God.
So, what does a follower of Jesus look like practically? What does it mean to be a disciple of Christ? What is the cost of the call to “discipleship” in the process of learning to become like Christ?
Who is Jesus Christ?
“Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’” (Mark 1:2-3). This was a quotation from Isaiah from the Old Testament. He was quoting from the Old Testament Isaiah 40:3 with Elijah the eschatological prophet, “a voice crying in the wilderness”
Later in the context says, “Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.” (Mark 1:6). You may be thinking, what is up with this weird dude?
John the Baptist was the forerunner of the Messiah who prepared the people of Israel for the coming of Jesus Christ. John’s first and foremost duty was to be a witness to Jesus (John 1:5-6).
Though John was great, we witness Jesus’ superiority to John, for Jesus was the bridegroom while John was the best man and Jesus “must” increase in prominence as John decreased.
How do you know Jesus was superior? “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.” (Mark 1:7).
Jesus was “from Nazareth of Galilee” is an odd statement perhaps. But, John says, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46). Jesus came from a remote village of no reputation in Galilee! “And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.” (Mark 1:10).
Here we witness 3 key events that happened.
(1) Heaven being torn open:
(2) The Spirit descending:
(3) Father spoke to his Son:
After this, the words were said, “You are my beloved Son; with you, I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11). This is significant as a Davidic Royal Psalm of fulfillment, “I will tell of the decree: The LORD said to me, ‘You are my Son; today I have begotten you.’” (Ps 2:7). God the Father speaks, Jesus was baptized, and the Holy Spirit came upon Jesus Christ.
Jesus is the coming of the suffering servant who is “mightier” than himself, John.
What does This Mean for Christians?
“Proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.” (Mark 1:4). John’s message was a radical call for the people of Israel to return to God. Believers must consistently repent and confess sin so that God can work in and through them.
This was for warning against lukewarmness: Fruit-bearing repentance is essential for “the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” (Luke 3:7-9).
Remember, after Jesus the Son was approved by the Father and proven through the Spirit. Scripture says, “The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.” (Mark 1:12). The reference to the forty days in the wilderness is reminiscent of the forty years the Israelites wandered in the desert (Num 14:33).
As God led Israel in the wilderness, likewise, the Spirit led Jesus into the wilderness. God’s children the Israelites failed for 40 days, but Jesus Christ did not fail. He was faithful to the temptation.
“For one man entered sin. Death spread to all men” with Jesus with one act of righteousness, he does undo what Adam wasn’t able to do.
Sometimes God leads to deep valley moments. “Even though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death, I will fear no evil, for you are with me” (Ps 23:4). Remember, Jesus is taken to a very high mountain. So often temptation comes after a spiritual high mountain top experience.
Charles Spurgeon said, “The Lord’s mercy often rides to the door of our heart upon the black horse of affliction.”
We should not be surprised when Satan tempts us. “No temptation has overtaken you that is not common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your ability, but with the temptation, he will also provide a way of escape, that you may be able to endure it.” (1 Cor 10:13). Jesus was even tempted, so it shouldn’t surprise us we are tempted.
In the dying words of faithful biblical counselor David Powlison said it just a few years before he entered in the presence of Jesus, “The love of Christ for me will get the last say. My indestructible hope is that he has turned his face towards me, and he will never turn away.”
Live Your Life for Christ’s Glory Alone
Because Jesus is real, the greatest act believers can do is to Know Him and Make Him Known.
(1) True sharing of the gospel points people to Jesus.
People move from being impressed with the preaching but fall short of the simple message of the gospel. As we know, ministerial success can cloud our vision, but John the Baptist had a laser beam focus on his mission. He was only focused on Jesus!
(2) True sharing of the gospel is balanced.
We should not preach the message of Jesus without coming across without eternal damnation. True preaching is preaching in the context of eternal hell. People do not shy away from it. It is a crucial one to be seen.
However, this is the age of grace. They will not just put only judgment, but there is encouragement to the believer and brought to place their faith in the risen Savior.
(3) True sharing of the gospel is always Spirit-filled.
I love what one of the biblical counselors and pastor Heath Lambert I greatly respect said, “I may have enemies but I’m not going to be an enemy to anyone.”
SPOILER ALERT! Just so you know, foreshadowing what happened to John, we witness that John was killed (decapitated). Yes, the only major story in Mark’s Gospel that is not about Jesus (Mark 6:17-29).
John was arrested for denouncing Herod Antipas, John was imprisoned at the Herodian fortress of Machaerus, on the eastern side of the Dead Sea, and finally beheaded. As Steve Lawson said it well, “Weak and winsome men don’t get burned at the stake – Bible preachers do.” The problem is not the message as it hasn’t changed. The problem with preachers today is that no one wants to kill them!
The problem with imitating Christ is it may cost your life. So, how are you doing? Are you faithfully sharing and preaching the gospel to the ends of the world?
Let me leave you with an encouraging note, John’s influence did not end at his death. The book of Acts depicts John’s influence over twenty years later as far away as Ephesus (Acts 18:25; 19:1-7).
Are you ready for Jesus? As Adrian Rogers said it well years ago, “We ought to be living as if Jesus died yesterday, rose this morning, and is coming back this afternoon”
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