The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”— “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’” 
And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.
After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.“The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
-Mark 1:1-15

The Desire for a Good Life

"The beginning of the good news..." (vs 1)

"Keep my decrees and laws, for the person who obeys them will live by them." (Leviticus 18:5)

The Problem That Stops Us From Getting It

"... a voice of one calling in the wilderness, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him'" (vs 3, quoting Isaiah 40:3). The context of this verse in Isaiah is that the people were not living according to God's law. ("... [Israel] has received from the Lord's hand double for all her sins" Isaiah 40:2)

The Way of Jesus

"...the good news about Messiah Jesus" (vs 1)

The way of Jesus is the way of a good man, the way to the cross, and the way into ultimate reality: when Jesus was being baptised, he "saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven. 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." (vs 10-11). What we're seeing here is the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit--  the heart of reality is relationship, the triune God.

"I will baptise you with water; but [Jesus] will baptise you with the Holy Spirit" (Mark 1:8)

How Do We Follow The Way of Jesus

"The time has come... The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news." (vs 15)

Examine where you find your deepest happiness.

Questions for Small Groups
  1. What does “the good life” mean to you personally? How would you define it? What are some different ways it might be understood by different people across different cultures, religions, etc.?
  2. Reflecting on Mark 1:1-15, how might this passage challenge our conventional understanding of what constitutes “good news” (or, the good life)? How does it differ from the Roman good news of “peace and prosperity”?
  3. The sermon suggested that the way of Jesus was the way of the cross and the way into a divine dance of relationship with the Trinity (see Mark 1:9-11). What might following this way look like at Runnymede?

 

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