This week in our Mark sermon series, we covered Mark 1:21 -45, titled "A Glimpse of the Kingdom" the title is fitting; in these verses, we see a tiny foreshadowing of what Jesus will do when the kingdom of God comes fully. In these verses in Mark, we see Jesus deliver a man from his bondage of sin, restore many through healing and casting out demons, and then follow it by cleansing a leper of his disease. We know that when the Kingdom of God comes fully, we will experience all and, to a greater extent, what Jesus accomplished in these accounts restoration, healing, and cleansing of all of our sin, brokenness, and sickness.

We see in these passages that Jesus' greatest concern goes beyond that of physical healing. Jesus' purpose is not only to restore our physical nature to the way it was supposed to be but to restore us to a right relationship with God. The more essential and devasting part of our sin is the spiritual brokenness that separates us from the God who gave us life. Jesus' priority and purpose are to preach that message of the kingdom and let the signs confirm his message and authority so that all might believe that He is the Son of God and that they may repent and believe.

This passage reminds us to live in the reality of the already not yet of the kingdom of God, pushing us to have the same purpose as Jesus to see people restored to a relationship with God. We see and experience a little bit of the kingdom now, but that taste helps us long for the kingdom to come fully. Does your heart cry come, Lord Jesus?

Resources:

• Why Did Jesus Command Others to Be Silent About Him? - Greg Lanier

• Mark: Ancient Christian Commentary on Scripture

• Kingdom Life - by Dennis Johnson

Reflection Questions:

• Why do you think Jesus goes away to pray? How does that encourage us to live out the Christian life?

• What does it look like to live out the already not yet of kingdom of God?