Sometimes we become frightened and upset by something that has happened to us. We feel disturbed. We may even feel waves of fear in our bodies. Remember that Jesus says, "Peace! Be still!" (4:39) He has the power to calm our fears. He has the power to help us feel peaceful once again. Remember to be still and listen for his words of peace.
In today’s reading from Mark, Jesus is not only baptized, but as he comes out of the water we hear the voice of God announcing to all that Jesus is his Son. Together all of these stories from Jesus’ early life help us to understand - right from the beginning of the Gospel stories - how important he would be. And as we move forward over the next few weeks we’ll hear about the beginnings of his ministry as a grownup.
(Raise the megaphone. Use a loud voice) I HAVE AN ANNOUNCEMENT. I AM SENDING A MESSENGER. This is a megaphone. In the past, a megaphone was used when someone needed to make a special announcement. Today, we have microphones, so we don’t need the megaphone any more. They didn’t have microphones or megaphones at the time of the Old Testament, but they did write special messages.
If you are struggling with a mistake you have made and feel sorry that it happened, remember that God promises forgiveness for all sins. Sometimes you even need to learn to forgive yourself.
Let’s talk about messengers. Can you think of examples of people who deliver messages? Perhaps the best known messenger is the person who brings your mail. What would we do without postal workers? They accomplish the important work of sorting mail and delivering it to our homes. They help us keep in touch with each other and bring us news of what’s going on in the world. This might come as a surprise, but a certain type of bird, called a homing pigeon, can also be a messenger.
In the Bible there is a story about how Jesus first healed a man's pain on the inside (pain that couldn't be seen) before he healed the man's illness that could be seen on the outside. Jesus was at home in Capernaum and many people crowded around, even blocking the door to the house. Four men carried a man who was paralyzed (couldn't walk) to the house to be healed. They couldn't get close to Jesus so the men cut a hole through the roof and lowered the man into the house on a mat.
What we can learn from this story is that close family members may come in many forms. Not all of us are blessed with families that include a mother, father, brothers, and sisters. Families are made of people who love and care for each other. We find friends, in our church and elsewhere, who are loving and caring. They make good family members. Jesus says, "For whoever does the will of God, the same is my brother, and my sister, and mother" (3:35).
Before Jesus was born, the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, was written about by the prophet, Isaiah. This is what was written: "Behold, I send my messenger… who will prepare your way before you" (1:2). The messenger was John the Baptist, and he told people about the exciting news that Jesus was coming. Many, many people heard the message that Jesus was coming with the power to change people's lives with his love. Today that message is still with us - Jesus is love and loves us.
Tonight's Gospel reading is a special one, because it's a prologue. Have you heard that word before––prologue? A prologue is a part of a story that comes at the very beginning––and it has a special job. Its job it to get you ready––to tell you what you need to know to understand the rest of the story.
When Jesus was preparing to return to heaven, he gathered his disciples around him and told them to "Go, and make disciples of all nations…" (28:19). He also said, "…I am with you always, even to the end of the age" (28:20). This was and is good news. The disciples had spent time with Jesus. They saw the miracles he performed and the power of his love which was offered to everyone. They wanted others to know of this wonderful thing which they experienced. Over two thousand years later disciples, and that includes us, are still sharing the good news about the power of Jesus' love.