Mark cuts right to the chase in verse 1 by saying, "The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah..." And from there, the first two chapters proceed with story after story of Jesus providing good news to anyone and everyone he comes across. He gives a group of outcasts a new sense of purpose when he calls his disciples. He masters evil as he drives out demons. He controls the physical properties of the universe as he heals the lame. He shows the ever-present, relational nature of God as he prays in solitude and experiences the temptation of Satan in the wilderness. And Mark ends this section with Jesus subverting the Law and showing the burden-less peace of Jesus through a new teaching on the Sabbath. Good news for all.
I love that Jesus consistently meets people exactly where they are and finds ways of being the gospel to them contextually. His incarnational nature shines forth in this way. He has relinquished his heavenly authority and willingly become human; and through this sacrifice and surrender of power, Jesus has become the perfect model for us of how we might live. We are called to be incarnational for the world; to have our bodies broken and our blood spilled for the sake of the other. May we have the courage and strength to join Jesus on this journey toward Jerusalem, a way of good news for the world, but one that might just lead to our own demise. Thank God we know the ending...that life proceeds from death.
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