Crisis, Concern, Christ

Rome Burns
In 64-65 AD two thirds of Rome was burned. Nero was Emperor at the time and is strongly believed to be the cause of this great disaster. However, and conveniently, Christians were accused of starting the fire and a 'killing time' of Christians ensued. Among those who were killed were the Christian church leaders Peter and Paul.

Good News is Recorded
It was with this backdrop that the earliest Gospel in the New Testament, The Gospel of Mark, was written. The motive for the writing was to document the life of Jesus before all the eye witnesses died. Another reason was to encourage Christians during a terrible time of trouble where hate, anger, persecution, and execution were the order of the day.

Imagine being a Christian during one of the worst times of the church life. The pause it would give you, the fear it would incite, the panic it would create in ones life.

Three Acts
So Mark writes essentially a three act story of the story of God in Jesus. In keeping with one of the major themes, immediacy, it's a short book leaving out the birth of Jesus and begins with John the Baptist's preaching, going right into Jesus' teaching and miracles, and ending with a long Passion story.

Mark addresses the powerful distraction of fear, uncertainty and doubt (FUD) by drawing the Christians attention to the three acts of Jesus;

1. Jesus is the fulfillment of the Old Testament prophesies
2. Jesus is the forgiver of mans sins. (Only God can forgive!)
3. Jesus is the forerunner to eternal life

Simple, effective and powerful for anyone, anytime trying to live out the Christian life. How can we continue on the faith journey? The same way.

Relevant for Today
Today's cynical environment can make us weak in the certainty that Jesus is who he said he was. They did too. So Mark challenged them to stand on the certainty of the Old Testament...to be bold and confident.

Mark spends special focus on the fact that Jesus is the Answer! To what? To that deep vacuum and longing need for us to experience freedom from the regret, guilt, and sense of shame we live with.

Lastly Mark points us forward to an eternal hope. His claim (Jesus' claim) is that Jesus is God, died on the cross for our sin and rose from the dead making a way (a clear cut path) to life here now and forever.

Authentic Questions
How's your faith journey going? Where are you in strength of certainty? The need of forgiveness? The desire for peace about the future?

Is fear, uncertainty or doubt creeping into your sacred faith? Take time to pore over Mark's Gospel and discover the validity of Jesus being the fulfillment of our hopes, the authoritative issuer of forgiveness, the assurance of eternal life.

Jesus is still the answer!