NT24 Fastنموونە

Day 3 by Jackson Maxey, Staff Accountant at UPPERROOM Dallas

Today’s Reading: Mark 1-16

“And when [Jesus] came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you, I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:10-11)

“And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom.” (Mark 15:37–38)

The Gospel, according to Mark, highlights Jesus’ ministry at a high level. Many of the events and parables included in this Gospel account are expanded upon in the other two synoptic Gospels. The condensed nature of this book gives the reader a summary of why Jesus came, what He did, and what His death accomplished on earth and in heaven.

Specifically, Mark’s account of Jesus’ baptism and crucifixion creates a bookend for the beginning and end of His earthly ministry. At the beginning of His ministry, the heavens are torn open, and for the first time, we see a vision of the Triune God – Father, Son, Holy Spirit. At the end of His ministry, the temple curtain is torn in two, giving us access to the Triune God – Father, Son, Holy Spirit.

What was once lost in the Garden is restored by Jesus’ ministry. In Genesis 3, man is driven away from the Garden, and the greatest redemption story ever known begins to unfold. Jesus did not come simply to give new teachings or reform the religious landscape of the day. He came to reveal what the Father is like and reconcile what was lost in the fall…He came to bring near those who were once far off.

In the Old Testament, the book of Leviticus outlines how to approach the Lord rightly. Deviations from the prescribed order were met with divine judgment; the stakes were high, and access to the Lord’s presence was reserved for few. Psalm 103:6 says the Lord “made known his ways to Moses, his acts to the people of Israel.” In other words, Moses knew God, while most others knew stories about God. This would be the case for most of Israel’s history… a select few had access to the presence of God and knew the Lord, while the rest of the people relied on secondhand experiences to guide them. However, when Jesus steps on the scene in Mark 1, everything shifts. He would spend the next three years demonstrating who God the Father is, and at the end, He would make a way for whoever believes to have access to Him.

Today, you have access. The sin and rebellion that once created enmity between man and God has been cleared. A debt has been paid; an exchange has occurred. Relationships with God can be had regardless of our own merit or current win/loss record. This is grace; this is the Gospel!

Prayer: Thank you, Jesus, for the work that You accomplished on the cross. Thank you, Father, for giving me access to Your presence. Thank you, Holy Spirit, for making me a son. Thank you, Lord, for delivering my life from the pit and giving me a home in the Land of the Living. Thank you for the Gospel.