Mark 1:14-28 — Jesus’ call and appeal to discipleship
God’s plan unfolds according to His timing.
God never lags behind neither does He ever act with ill-advised haste. He always knows what He’s doing and the timing of His doing is absolutely precise and perfect.
At just the right moment, John was put in prison. At just the right moment, Jesus began to preach. The time was fulfilled! The kingdom of God was at hand! After “squandering” most of His earthly life in obscurity away from His mission, the time came for Jesus “get going.” After using a brief portion of his life for his mission, the time came for John to “be gone.” In neither case did God waste life or potential by erring in His timing.
And God has not lost His touch over the years. He still knows what to do and when to do it…even in your life.
Jesus’ message was meant to move hearts, not tickle ears.
Jesus didn’t teach to entertain or impress. Rather, He had this goal: move hearers to repentance and faith. We too must present our message so that it will be heard in the heart, not just in the ears.
What do you think?
- How easily could Jesus pry you loose from your own plans and aims?
- Was it really necessary for John to fade away so “ingloriously”?
- Shouldn’t we make the Gospel attractive to unbelievers?
- What was so astonishing about the Lord’s teaching?
- Who can be a fisher?
- Who should be a fisher?
Most of these questions have parts of some of my answers at the link below.
(I adapted the above from something I wrote some fifteen years ago: Jesus’ Early Ministry.)
Apply your heart to wisdom, for you shall give an account for His appeal to discipleship
Your life is before you. Have you numbered your days recently? Doing so wisely will accomplish marvelous things for your perspective. Notice the observation and the plea found in Psalm 90:12 — “So teach us to number our days, that we may apply our hearts unto wisdom.” The world about us offers many things, from evil to noble, to which we may apply our hearts. Numbering our days challenges us to the wise investment of our lives. So count, while your life is yet before you.
More than anything, it seems numbering our days has to do with accounting instead of mere counting. When we count, we see numbers. When we engage in accounting, we see balance, production and responsibility. In other words, accounting progresses very naturally to accountability. Therefore, I see that I should number my days along these lines: “Well, I have no idea of the number of days I have left, but I’m going to make each one of those count. I will consider today and subsequent days investment opportunities for which I shall give an account.”
When we take this estimation of numbering our days, we more easily understand today’s lesson. No wonder John could be the voice crying in the wilderness, and then lay his voicebox before the soldier’s sword. No wonder Jesus could seemingly understand John’s imprisonment as the signal to take the baton from John’s hand. No wonder Jesus could promptly begin selecting those who would shortly take the baton from His own hand. And no wonder those selected could straightway follow Him. These people numbered their days, choosing to apply themselves to wisdom! Will I dare be different? Will you?
Excerpted from Jesus Begins His Ministry (1998 lesson)
Prelude to service and the appeal to discipleship
Surely most Christians would like to do something for God, preferably something of significance and worth. We want to produce good results for the kingdom and glory of God. We want to bear worthwhile fruit. Can you identify with such desires? Then here is some welcome news: God desires that for you as well! I must also tell you, though, that before God can use us effectively we need to accept His preparations in our lives.
One way He prepares us is through submission. God graciously gives us plenty of opportunities to submit to the authority and wishes of others. He does this because servants are no good if they can’t or won’t honor the desires and commands of those who are over them. Even the Lord Jesus spent the majority of His earthly life in apparent obscurity, learning submission and exercising Himself in it. So if you wish to be a useful servant of God, learn to respond properly to authority. Live a life of obedience, submission, and cooperation. Do your best to please those under whose authority you live: parents, teachers, ministers, employers, police, and other civil authorities.
Another way God prepares us to serve Him is through testing. He has numerous testing methods. He tests us to teach us, to strengthen us, to mature us, to prove us, and to encourage us. Again we should note that even Jesus Christ went through testings of various sorts. In accepting and passing the tests, Jesus proved that humans who rely on God can achieve victory in this life. So if you wish to be a useful servant of God, get ready for those tests! Know and live by the Scriptures. Resist the devil. Deny the sinful desires of your flesh. Learn from your own experiences as well as those of others.
Excerpted from Jesus Begins His Ministry (2003 lesson)
"The Appeal to Discipleship" is the CLP Sunday School lesson for March 3, 2019, and uses Mark 1:14-28 as the Scripture passage.
Learn more about Sunday School quarterlies by Christian Light Publications.
Unless noted otherwise, the material above is copyrighted by CLP and/or Mark Roth.
Mark's first ebook: Panting (Faith Works 1) (available on Amazon via this affiliate link)
