BIAY Day 19 - Presence and Power
Mark 1-3, Psalm 17
Welcome to the Bible in a Year for 2025. Intro to this series and resource links available here, plus here’s how I’m approaching this year.
Scriptures for Today:
Reflection:
As we begin Mark’s Gospel today, I’d like to remind you that reading the Bible In A Year moves quickly because the point is to take in the big story of the Bible. As I’ve said before, we need to read the Bible both fast and slow—both for the larger narrative sweep and the rich insights that are densely packed in each passage. Both kinds of reading have their place. Reading for the “grand sweep” helps us read each small passage in the larger context. So, here we go.
A couple of background notes as we begin the Gospel according to Mark:
Mark is generally believed to be the earliest recorded Gospel, then used by both Matthew and Luke as a source for their Gospels.
Mark begins with the ministry of John the Baptist and launches directly into Jesus’ public ministry. He seems not to have any information about Jesus’ birth, as Matthew and Luke have (though they each have different information).
If you’ve picked up a copy of The Essential Bible Companion, there is a wonderful 2-page overview that includes pictures, graphs, maps, and key themes. Mark is on pp. 80-81.
Here’s what I’m noticing in the readings for today:
Power Up - Jesus wastes no time getting to work. He is calling disciples, preaching and teaching, casting out demons, and healing people. We’re not even out of chapter one and we’re already breathless trying to keep up. Within all of that, Jesus is intentional about renewal: “Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed.” (Mark 1:35) All that public work demanded private prayer. I once read this in a daily entry from Oswald Chambers’ classic devotional My Utmost for His Highest: “The measure of the worth of our public activity for God is the private profound communion with have with Him.” Jesus knew and practiced this well.
Power of Faith - The story in chapter 2 of the four friends who bring the paralyzed man to Jesus is a favorite of so many for a reason. They believe Jesus can make the difference in their friend’s life, so they tear open the roof to get him into Jesus’ presence! The money line is in verse 5: “'When Jesus saw their faith, he said to the paralyzed man, ‘Son, your sins are forgiven.’” (emphasis mine) Our faith in Jesus for someone else is a great gift.
Be with Him - In chapter 3, Jesus calls and appoints the twelve. He has many disciples/followers, but the twelve will play an important role in His ministry. It is important to note Jesus’ purpose for them (verses 14-15): “He appointed twelve that they might be with Him and that He might send them out to preach and to have authority to drive out demons.” The first thing on the list is “that they might be with Him.” After that first purpose comes sending them out to preach and drive out demons. Being with Jesus comes before working for Jesus. In fact, being with Jesus first helps us work with Jesus instead of working for Him. This is critical. Yes, we are to serve Jesus. But we serve Jesus as an outgrowth of our relationship, not in order to have a relationship with Him.
Questions:
When and how do you best connect with God?
When have you helped someone get closer to Jesus?
What else might the Holy Spirit be speaking with you about in the text today?
Prayer: Lord, as I begin to encounter the stories of Jesus, show me the wonders of your great love. Amen.
“But the seed falling on good soil refers to someone who hears the word and understands it. This is the one who produces a crop, yielding a hundred, sixty or thirty times what was sown.” (Matthew 13:23)
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