Intro
Today, we continue our “Christmas in the Gospels” series, but we turn our attention to a Gospel that at first glance, doesn’t look like a Christmas book at all.
Matthew gives us a genealogy.
Luke gives us angels and shepherds.
John gives us cosmic theology.
But Mark? Mark gives us none of that.
And yet, make no mistake:
Mark absolutely gives us a Christmas message.

Jesus is worth following because Jesus is the Son of God who came not to be served but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many.

The Savior has arrived. The King has come near. God has stepped into the story.

The beginning
Just like Genesis 1:1, and as we saw in Matthew last week. Mark is signaling a new creation, a new work of God, a new era of salvation in history.

Of the gospel
The word “gospel” means “good news.” Not good advice. Not good ideas.
Good news, the kind of news that changes everything.

Of Jesus Christ
Jesus — Yeshua. It means “Yahweh saves.”
Christ — this is not His last name. It means “Messiah,” the anointed King.

The Son of God
Mark wastes no time.
He tells you in the very first sentence what the whole book is about:
Jesus is God revealed.

Repent. Turn around. Come home. God is drawing near.

This is Christmas:
God has not only come near, but He has come to offer salvation that will literally transform us from the inside out.

This is Christmas:
God stepping into our world, not from above, but from among.

The heavens were torn open
This signals something powerful:
God is not staying distant anymore.
God is not remaining behind the veil.
God has drawn near.
The barrier between heaven and earth is being opened.

The Spirit descended
Just like the Spirit hovered over the waters in Genesis, now the Spirit rests upon Jesus — the beginning of a new creation.

You are my beloved Son
The Father publicly identifies Jesus as His Son — the true King, the true Savior, the true Servant.

Why does this matter for Christmas?

Because Christmas doesn’t just announce the coming of a baby, it announces the coming of a Warrior, aDeliverer, aSavior who confronts the darkness on our behalf.

This is the beauty of Christmas:
o God is not distant.
o God is not silent.
o God is not passive.
o. God has drawn near and stepped into the world in the person of Jesus.

Notice:
Jesus doesn’t say, “Study Me.”
He doesn’t say, “Admire Me.”
He doesn’t say, “Agree with Me.”
He says, “Follow Me.”

Here are four truths that we see about Christmas throughout this chapter:
1. Christmas reveals that God stepped into the story.
2. Christmas reveals that Jesus is the Son of God.
3. Christmas reveals the mission of Jesus.
4. Christmas calls us to respond.

Hear this:
This same Jesus who faced the wilderness faces your wilderness with you.
This same Jesus who overcame temptation will strengthen you.
This same Jesus who appeared in Galilee can appear in your story with healing and with clarity and with hope.

Some of you feel unqualified, unworthy, or unusable.
You look at your life and think,
“What could God possibly do with someone like me?”

Friend, Jesus called fishermen.
He stepped into Nazareth.
He drew near to sinners.
He chose ordinary people to follow Him.

If He called them, He can call you.
If He used them, He can use you.
If He transformed them, He can transform you.

But Mark gives us something just as powerful:
The heavens opened
The Spirit descended
The Father spoke
The Son appeared
The kingdom drew near
The King stepped into the world

And here’s what that means for you:
You are not alone.
You are not forgotten.
You are not unseen.
You are not without hope.

God has drawn near.
God has stepped into your story.
God has revealed Himself in Jesus Christ.
And when Jesus appears, everything changes.