The Direct Message

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Mark 1:1-3 The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 It is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way 3 a voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”
 
WHAT do you do when you want to deliver a clear message to someone? For example, “It’s time to eat!” “It’s cold out. Wear your hat.” “Speak up.” “Be quiet.”
   You speak directly to those who must hear, don’t you? To deliver a critical message to someone who needs to know, you speak as clearly and directly as possible.
   Mark, the gospel writer, has something very important to tell you. He was a young man who had traveled with Paul, Barnabas and Silas. He is sometimes called John and John Mark: Acts 12:25 When Barnabas and Saul had finished their mission, they returned from Jerusalem, taking with them John, also called Mark. Later, Mark was the center of a sharp disagreement between Barnabas and Paul. Paul did not want to include Mark in their next mission journey because he had left them on a previous evangelism effort in Pamphylia. So Barnabas and Paul separated. Barnabas took Mark and sailed for Cyprus. (Acts 15:38-40). Even these men, specially anointed to begin Jesus’ church, allowed disagreement to interrupt their ministries. We need to be careful how we speak to one another. Our direct messages must be true and full of grace.
   Mark also spent time with Peter. And many consider Peter is the source of this direct message of Jesus Christ.
   The first essential truth of this passage is that it is the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. “Jesus” means “Savior”. “Christ is “Messiah” or “Anointed One to fulfill the prophets’ words”. “Son of God” reveals Jesus is the divine Yahweh.
   This is the great challenge to all Jews and then to all the world. Who can believe a man who grew up and worked in Nazareth is God in the flesh? Who can believe he has the authority and power to save – and to save from what? God uses Mark and other good news writers to announce the salvation is form the penalty of our sins. The salvation is into eternal life. This is a very new, life-changing announcement. How would any believe?
   Mark began to give the evidence of his message with Isaiah’s prophecy. Isaiah’s direct message to the Jews about 700 BC was to prepare the Jews for another messenger who would immediately precede the Savior. One would come out of the desert, symbolic of God’s salvation from Israel’s desert journey, to tell the Jews that God’s covenant of a Savior to redeem the world was about to appear. “Prepare the way for the Lord.” is the prophet’s message that the Anointed One would be more than a man. He would be God in the flesh.
   Mark has good news for us. “Jesus is the Savior. He is the divine anointed one, more than a man. He is the divine son of Elohim – the One of power.” Everything Mark wrote from this point will prove this “need to know” bold truth.
   When you speak directly to someone about the truth, you want them to respond, don’t you? God has used Mark to speak directly to you. Do you hear? Will you respond?