DAY Seven of Twenty-one "Son of God"

DAY Seven of Twenty-one "Son of God"

Mark 2:12

12And the man jumped up, grabbed his mat, and walked out through the stunned onlookers. They were all amazed and praised God, exclaiming, “We've never seen anything like this before!”

Mark 1:1-12

1This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. It began

2just as the prophet Isaiah had written:

“Look, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,

and he will prepare your way.

3He is a voice shouting in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the LORD's coming!

Clear the road for him!’”

4This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven.

5All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River.

6His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and wild honey.

7John announced: “Someone is coming soon who is greater than I am—so much greater that I'm not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of his sandals.

8I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit!”

9One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River.

10As Jesus came up out of the water, he saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on him like a dove.

11And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”

12The Spirit then compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness,

SORTING IT OUT What would you do to get to Jesus?

The paralyzed man’s friends are so desperate that they make a hole in the roof, haul their friend up, and lower him—mat and all—into the room where Jesus is.

That’s some serious devotion. But the men believe that Jesus can heal their friend...and they are right. Not only does Jesus heal the man, who is able to pick up his mat and walk away, Jesus also forgives his sins—much to the consternation of the teachers of the Law.

The Bible says that God is able to do even more than we ask: “Now to him who is able to do immeasurably more than all we ask or imagine, according to his power that is at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus throughout all generations, for ever and ever! Amen.” (Ephesians 3:20-21, NIV).

The paralyzed man’s friends were willing to dismantle a roof for a chance that their friend could walk; how much more would they have done to have their sins forgiven?

The amazing part is, we don’t have to go to heroic lengths to have our sins forgiven. All we have to do is ask.

YOUR TURN Thank you, Lord, that the gift of salvation is free.

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