Who is Jesus, anyway?
A good man. A crazy person. A prophet. The Son of God.
You’ll often get a strong response if you talk to other people about Jesus. Some will tell you they already know Him; some may say they want nothing to do with what you’re trying to sell. Some might cry when hearing about Him; others may see it as an opportunity to debate.
Jesus has been a polarizing figure in history for centuries. Mountains of opinions fill the landscape about who Jesus is and why He’s worth talking about in the first place. Jesus’ name may change the tone of a conversation, but His actions changed the world.
The Gospel of Mark was most likely dictated to Mark by one of Jesus’ disciples—Peter, specifically. And since Peter was a man of action, his account of Jesus’ life is a fast-paced examination of the things Jesus did. As we look in the opening chapters of that Gospel, we’ll arrive at an incredible conclusion: Jesus changes everything.
As we go through this new series, be thinking about what you learn and how it fits within the 3-Circles:
As we go through this new series, be thinking about what you learn and how it fits within the 3-Circles:
THE BIBLE MEETS LIFE
I have a friend who loves trains. He’s always loved trains, and when he was a kid, his parents knew it. One Saturday morning when he was around six or seven, he woke to the smell of blueberry pancakes and an unusual air of excitement from his parents. “Hurry up and eat. We’ve got great plans,” his father said. “You’ll find out what they are when we get there.” The mystery and anticipation made him feel like he would burst.
His parents first took him to buy cowboy boots, chaps, a leather vest, and a cowboy hat, which was exciting enough for a small boy. But where they went next was even better: Tweetsie® Railroad, a theme park in Boone, North Carolina, designed entirely around a working coal train—the very thing he loved most. After that day, a trip to the Tweetsie® Railroad became a weekly adventure for my friend and his parents.
Adventures like that one create great memories for both kids and adults, but Jesus offered His disciples a far greater adventure than they could have thought to ask for—a life-changing adventure. And He offers the same adventure to us.
WHAT DOES THE BIBLE SAY?
Mark 1:14-15
14 After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God: 15 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news! ”
There’s a common misconception about the kingdom of God that many people accept, including many Christians. It’s the idea that God’s kingdom is something that’s coming someday—that it’s a place we’ll go when we die, way out in the future.
The only trouble with that idea is that Jesus said something quite different. In His words, “the kingdom of God has come near.” The kingdom, He was saying, is right here; it’s staring you in the face. When Jesus talked about the kingdom of God, He didn’t mean some far-off place we go when we die, although He did talk about heaven as God’s residence in other Scripture passages. (See John 6:38, for example.)
Let’s look at three key truths about the immediacy of God’s kingdom:
- The kingdom of God is in Christ. Jesus embodies the kingdom, with full authority as King. (See Matt. 28:18.)
- The kingdom of God is powerful. It’s greater than any other kingdom. (See 1 Cor. 4:20.)
- We can participate in that powerful kingdom today. Jesus’ model prayer includes these words: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done” (Matt. 6:10). When God’s will is done in our lives, we’re a part of God’s kingdom. His power and authority guide us, rather than our own.
God’s kingdom is here and now. That’s a critical truth. In fact, Jesus declared that this truth demands a response from those who hear it: “Repent and believe the good news.”
How should we understand the connection between repentance and belief in the Christian life?
“Repent” is a word that gets tossed around a lot in churches, but it has a crucial, personal, almost physical meaning. It carries the image of turning from something and toward something else. Nobody stands still; we’re constantly moving in one direction or another— either toward God or toward something else. Repentance is what happens when we recognize we’ve been heading in the wrong direction and we correct our course toward the Lord.
What’s perhaps most remarkable about Jesus’ message is that we don’t turn toward an elaborate ritual or list of demands, but simply believe in the good news about God. This was a revolutionary concept in a Jewish society run by the religious elite. They had constructed books full of rules—613 rules in all—that the “devout” were required to follow. In the Pharisees’ eyes, people received right standing with God according to how perfectly they followed all of those rules. In Jesus’ message, however, right standing with God comes when a person course-corrects toward belief in Him.
Too many times, repentance is painted as simply feeling sorry about what you did. That’s only part of the process. Belonging to the kingdom of God also means recognizing the standard God commands us to live by, acknowledging that we’ve come up short of that standard, and taking the necessary steps to get back on course.
To become a citizen of a different country, a person has to follow several prescribed steps in order to demonstrate allegiance to that country’s principles and laws. Living in God’s kingdom isn’t much different: we turn from our old ways and submit instead to the ways of God. Belonging to God’s kingdom means our entire worldview has fundamentally shifted. We no longer seek the world and its fleeting pleasures, but we seek to glorify and proclaim our King.
Christ’s invitation calls us to an adventure unmatched in either history or fiction, and it affects us right here and right now. Jesus’ instructions for entering His kingdom are simple: repent of your sins and believe the good news that the kingdom of God is not far off or unattainable, but right in front of you, waiting for you to enter.
How has the gospel
been “good news” in
your life?
Mark 1:16-20
16 As he passed alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 17 “Follow me,” Jesus told them, “and I will make you fish for people.” 18 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 Going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat putting their nets in order. 20 Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
This wasn’t the first time Simon and Andrew had encountered Jesus. Andrew initially was a disciple of John the Baptist. On one occasion when Andrew and another of his followers were present, John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and identified Him as the Lamb of God—the One he’d baptized the day before. Hearing this, Andrew and another of John’s disciples immediately left to follow Jesus. (See John 1:32-37.)
After spending all day with Jesus, Andrew sprinted home to his brother Simon. Andrew told his brother that he’d just spent all day with the man John had been telling them about—the Messiah! (See John 1:40-41.) Andrew quickly took Simon to meet this new Rabbi. As soon as Jesus saw Andrew’s brother, He told him: “‘You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas’ (which is translated ‘Peter’)” (v. 42).
What are the life-long implications of accepting
Jesus’ call to follow Him?
Therefore, when we read Mark 1, we know Simon and Andrew were aware of Jesus. Even through brief encounters, Jesus had revealed Himself uniquely to these two brothers.
Similarly, Jesus continues to reveal Himself to us every day in at least two ways:
- Creation. Psalm 19:1 tells us, “The heavens declare the glory of God, and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands.” Paul wrote in Romans 1:19-20 that: “What can be known about God is evident among them, because God has shown it to them. For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world.”
- Scripture. We have something even more remarkable at our disposal: the Word of God. The collection of Scripture that we can hold in our hand cries out the majesty and lordship of Jesus Christ on every page.
When Jesus called Simon and Andrew to follow Him, He didn’t give them a new assignment that was unfamiliar to them; He equated it with something they knew well: fishing. “‘Follow me,’ Jesus told them, ‘and I will make you fish for people.’” Of course, this was still an invitation into the unknown—following a Rabbi who, at this point, had given them no instructions beyond “Follow me.”
A short time later, Jesus came upon “James the son of Zebedee and his brother John,” and He also called them to follow Him. They did. For three years, these men followed Jesus and walked closely with Him. After Jesus ascended and sent His Holy Spirit, these four men—along with the other disciples—went in unique directions to do what God called them to do. But underneath it all was a common call: “Follow me.”
The call to follow Jesus has never been limited to Peter, Andrew, James, and John. It’s a universal call to us all. Jesus also calls us to repent, believe in Him as the Son of God, and follow Him. That call begins the greatest “fishing” adventure we could ever dream of undertaking.
What have you left behind in order to follow Jesus?
LIVE IT OUT
How will you respond to Jesus’ call in your life this week? Keep in mind the following suggestions:
- Consider. Spend a few minutes in self-reflection. Are you walking toward God or away from Him? As honestly as possible, weigh your actions to see if they align with Christ’s call to follow Him.
- Correct. Identify something about yourself that needs to change, and then take intentional, specific steps to change it. Seek help whenever necessary.
- Cast. Jesus has called you to fish for people. So fish as the disciples would have done: with a wide net. Cast it far and wide, leaving the results of your casting up to God.
In the adventure Jesus calls us to, we won’t always know the direction we’re headed, but we’ll always know the One to follow. Following Jesus is an adventure that leads us straight to the arms of the Father.
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Teacher's Notes
JESUS CALLS
Your Calling
When Jesus called His disciples, they had little idea as to the adventure that awaited. They would leave behind the comfort and security they’d known their whole lives for the opportunity to observe first-hand Jesus’ calming storms, feeding multitudes, walking on water, and raising the dead. Today, the adventure continues, and when Jesus calls us—everything changes! Following Jesus will require us to change directions, but the journey we take with Him leads us to abundant and eternal life.
Our lesson says that Jesus called the disciples to join in the adventure of discipleship, and He calls us as well.
Is there a difference between the disciples calling and ours?
Calling generally refers to a strong compulsion to a particular career, way of life, or purpose—and it’s a serious thing. When Jesus approached the fishermen at the Sea of Galilee, He issued a specific calling to them. His message was simply, “Follow me!” In that moment, these men had a choice to make. Becoming followers of Jesus meant granting this teacher authority in their lives. As a sheep follows a shepherd, as a soldier submits to the commander, as a servant obeys the master, they would surrender to Jesus. As Christians, followers of Jesus, we are not true to our profession if we don’t submit to our Lord in everything. This is what it means to be a follower of Jesus.
What is Jesus’ calling on your life today? Wherever He would lead—obey, submit, and follow. It will involve leaving behind some things you may like to hold on to. However, the blessings associated with following Jesus far outweigh anything He may call you to give up.
Following Jesus is a life-changing adventure, and you’re invited.
I. The Call of the Gospel Mark 1:14-15
14 After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God: 15 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”
“After John was arrested” – This denoted the beginning of Jesus’ great ministry in Galilee. Up to this time, Jesus had been preaching largely in Judea. Evidently there was some overlap between Jesus’ ministry and John’s (John 3:26-36). After John was imprisoned, Jesus returned to Galilee. Galilee was often looked upon with disdain. It had a larger Gentile population than Judea. Jewish religious leaders mocked the thought of the Messiah coming from Galilee (John 7:40-42, 50-52).
What is the good news of God?
- The long-awaited Messiah has come to break the power of sin and begin God’s personal reign on earth. Most of the people who heard this message were oppressed, poor, and without hope. Jesus’ words were good news because they offered freedom, justice and hope.
What does “The time is fulfilled” mean?
- “The time is fulfilled” – That is, the time for God to reveal Himself. The Greek word translated “time” is kairos. In this context, it speaks of a definite, fixed time determined by God. “The Kingdom of God” – Jesus did indeed come to establish the Kingdom of God on earth. However, it was a spiritual kingdom, not an earthly kingdom (Luke 17:20-21; John 18:36-37).
What is your understanding of the kingdom of God?
- The kingdom of God is referenced often in the gospels (e.g., Mark 1:15; 10:15; 15:43; Luke 17:20) and other places in the New Testament (e.g., Acts 28:31; Romans 14:17; 1 Corinthians 15:50). The kingdom of God is synonymous with the kingdom of heaven. The concept of the kingdom of God takes on various shades of meaning in different passages of Scripture.
- Broadly speaking, the kingdom of God is the rule of an eternal, sovereign God over all the universe. Several passages of Scripture show that God is the undeniable Monarch of all creation: “The LORD has established His throne in heaven, and His kingdom rules over all” (Psalm 103:19). And, as King Nebuchadnezzar declared, “His kingdom is an eternal kingdom” (Daniel 4:3). Every authority that exists has been established by God (Romans 13:1). So, in one sense, the kingdom of God incorporates everything that is.
- More narrowly, the kingdom of God is a spiritual rule over the hearts and lives of those who willingly submit to God’s authority. Those who defy God’s authority and refuse to submit to Him are not part of the kingdom of God; in contrast, those who acknowledge the lordship of Christ and gladly surrender to God’s rule in their hearts are part of the kingdom of God. In this sense, the kingdom of God is spiritual—Jesus said His kingdom was not of this world (John 18:36), and He preached that repentance is necessary to be a part of the kingdom of God (Matthew 4:17). That the kingdom of God can be equated with the sphere of salvation is evident in John 3:5–7, where Jesus says the kingdom of God must be entered into by being born again. See also 1 Corinthians 6:9.
- There is another sense in which the kingdom of God is used in Scripture: the literal rule of Christ on the earth during the millennium. Daniel said that “the God of heaven will set up a kingdom that will never be destroyed” (Daniel 2:44; cf. 7:13–14), and many of the other prophets predicted the same thing (e.g., Obadiah 1:21; Habakkuk 2:14; Micah 4:2; Zechariah 14:9). Some theologians refer to the future, open manifestation of the kingdom of God as the “kingdom of glory” and the present, hidden manifestation of the kingdom of God as the “kingdom of grace.” But both manifestations are connected; Christ has set up His spiritual reign in the church on earth, and He will one day set up His physical reign in Jerusalem.
The kingdom of God has several aspects. The Lord is the Sovereign of the universe, and so in that sense His kingdom is universal (1 Timothy 6:15). At the same time, the kingdom of God involves repentance and the new birth, as God rules in the hearts of His children in this world in preparation for the next. The work begun on earth will find its consummation in heaven (see Philippians 1:6).
Lesson: There’s a common misconception about the kingdom of God that many people accept, including many Christians. It’s the idea that God’s kingdom is something that’s coming someday—that it’s a place we’ll go when we die, way out in the future. The only trouble with that idea is that Jesus said something quite different. In His words, “the kingdom of God has come near.” The kingdom, He was saying, is right here; it’s staring you in the face. When Jesus talked about the kingdom of God, He didn’t mean some far-off place we go when we die, although He did talk about heaven as God’s residence in other Scripture passages. (See John 6:38, for example.)
Three key truths about the immediacy of God’s kingdom:
1. The kingdom of God is in Christ. Jesus embodies the kingdom, with full authority as King. (See Matt. 28:18.)
2. The kingdom of God is powerful. It’s greater than any other kingdom. (See 1 Cor. 4:20.)
3. We can participate in that powerful kingdom today. Jesus’ model prayer includes these words: “Your kingdom come. Your will be done” (Matt. 6:10). When God’s will is done in our lives, we’re a part of God’s kingdom. His power and authority guide us, rather than our own.
God’s kingdom is here and now. That’s a critical truth.
In fact, Jesus declared that this truth demands a response from those who hear it: “Repent and believe the good news.”
How should we understand the connection between repentance and belief in the Good News?
“Repent” is a word that gets tossed around a lot in churches, but it has a crucial, personal, almost physical meaning. It carries the image of turning from something and toward something else. Nobody stands still; we’re constantly moving in one direction or another— either toward God or toward something else. Repentance is what happens when we recognize we’ve been heading in the wrong direction and we correct our course toward the Lord. What’s perhaps most remarkable about Jesus’ message is that we don’t turn toward an elaborate ritual or list of demands, but simply believe in the good news about God. This was a revolutionary concept in a Jewish society run by the religious elite. They had constructed books full of rules—613 rules in all—that the “devout” were required to follow. In the Pharisees’ eyes, people received right standing with God according to how perfectly they followed all of those rules. In Jesus’ message, however, right standing with God comes when a person course-corrects toward belief in Him. Too many times, repentance is painted as simply feeling sorry about what you did. That’s only part of the process. Belonging to the kingdom of God also means recognizing the standard God commands us to live by, acknowledging that we’ve come up short of that standard, and taking the necessary steps to get back on course. To become a citizen of a different country, a person has to follow several prescribed steps in order to demonstrate allegiance to that country’s principles and laws. Living in God’s kingdom isn’t much different: we turn from our old ways and submit instead to the ways of God. Belonging to God’s kingdom means our entire worldview has fundamentally shifted. We no longer seek the world and its fleeting pleasures, but we seek to glorify and proclaim our King. Christ’s invitation calls us to an adventure unmatched in either history or fiction, and it affects us right here and right now. Jesus’ instructions for entering His kingdom are simple: repent of your sins and believe the good news that the kingdom of God is not far off or unattainable, but right in front of you, waiting for you to enter.
Points: Believers can trust God, for He is faithful to do what He has promised. The promises of God to Israel and His redemptive plan for all humankind were fulfilled in the coming of Jesus. The reign of God is manifested in Jesus, His Son. Submitting to the rule and authority of God calls for one to repent and to believe His good news. Repenting and believing are more than one-time events, but continuous and consistent actions.
II. The Call to Follow Jesus Mark 1:16-20
16 As he passed alongside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and Andrew, Simon’s brother, casting a net into the sea—for they were fishermen. 17 “Follow me,” Jesus told them, “and I will make you fish for people.” 18 Immediately they left their nets and followed him. 19 Going on a little farther, he saw James the son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat putting their nets in order. 20 Immediately he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.
This wasn’t the first time Simon and Andrew had encountered Jesus. Andrew initially was a disciple of John the Baptist. On one occasion when Andrew and another of his followers were present, John the Baptist pointed to Jesus and identified Him as the Lamb of God—the One he’d baptized the day before. Hearing this, Andrew and another of John’s disciples immediately left to follow Jesus. (See John 1:32-37.) After spending all day with Jesus, Andrew sprinted home to his brother Simon. Andrew told his brother that he’d just spent all day with the man John had been telling them about—the Messiah! (See John 1:40-41.) Andrew quickly took Simon to meet this new Rabbi. As soon as Jesus saw Andrew’s brother, He told him: “‘You are Simon, son of John. You will be called Cephas’ (which is translated ‘Peter’)” (v. 42).
What are the life-long implications of accepting Jesus’ call to follow Him?
When Jesus called Simon and Andrew to follow Him, He didn’t give them a new assignment that was unfamiliar to them; He equated it with something they knew well: fishing. “‘Follow me,’ Jesus told them, ‘and I will make you fish for people.’” Of course, this was still an invitation into the unknown—following a Rabbi who, at this point, had given them no instructions beyond “Follow me.” A short time later, Jesus came upon “James the son of Zebedee and his brother John,” and He also called them to follow Him. They did. For three years, these men followed Jesus and walked closely with Him. After Jesus ascended and sent His Holy Spirit, these four men—along with the other disciples—went in unique directions to do what God called them to do. But underneath it all was a common call: “Follow me.” The call to follow Jesus has never been limited to Peter, Andrew, James, and John. It’s a universal call to us all. Jesus also calls us to repent, believe in Him as the Son of God, and follow Him. That call begins the greatest “fishing” adventure we could ever dream of undertaking.
What have you left behind in order to follow Jesus?
What are some of the ways Jesus calls people today?
Points: Jesus interrupts life as we know it and invites us to follow Him on a new adventure that will have a life-changing effect on us and on others as well. The invitation of Jesus to follow Him demands an immediate response because the opportunities that accompany His call need our immediate attention. The invitation of Jesus to follow Him calls for a complete response in which He becomes first and foremost in our lives.
Following Jesus is an adventure. An adventure may be defined as “an undertaking with certain elements of risk” or as “an exciting and remarkable experience.” Being a disciple of Jesus can include both. Challenges come from a worldview based on something other than God and His Word. But those who are faithful to Christ see those challenges as minimal when compared to the exciting and remarkable experience of living in right relationship with God through Jesus Christ (2 Cor. 4:16-18). We are graciously invited to walk with the Lord in a life that is abundant and sweet. How or why would anyone reject such an invitation? Alas, many do. Don’t you be one of them. Say yes to Him immediately and completely.
How will you respond to Jesus’ call in your life this week? Keep in mind the following suggestions:
- Consider. Spend a few minutes in self-reflection. Are you walking toward God or away from Him? As honestly as possible, weigh your actions to see if they align with Christ’s call to follow Him.
- Correct. Identify something about yourself that needs to change, and then take intentional, specific steps to change it. Seek help whenever necessary.
- Cast. Jesus has called you to fish for people. So fish as the disciples would have done: with a wide net. Cast it far and wide, leaving the results of your casting up to God.
In the adventure Jesus calls us to, we won’t always know the direction we’re headed, but we’ll always know the One to follow. Following Jesus is an adventure that leads us straight to the arms of the Father.
Step into the world of a Jewish kid.
1. Bet Sefer. All Jewish kids went to this synagogue school. From about ages 6-12 (or possible 4-12) kids learned to read and write by using the Hebrew Scriptures. In the process, the girls memorized the Book of Psalms, and the boys memorized the entire Torah (the first five books). At age 12, the boys went to learn the family business, and the girls went to learn the first-century version of home etc. But the brightest of the boys were given the opportunity to go to …
2. Bet Midrash. From ages 12-15, these select boys would study—and memorize! —the Tanakh, what Christians would identify as the entire Old Testament. Whew! And they did this while also learning the family business.
3. Bet Talmud. At age 15, most young men would simply go full-time into the family trade. But if a young man wanted to continue on and become a rabbi, he would find a rabbi he wanted to learn from, approach him, and ask something like, “Can I be like you?” This young man didn’t simply want to know what the rabbi knew; he wanted to be what the rabbi was. But the rabbi would quiz him thoroughly—and if he passed the muster, the rabbi would say, “Yes, I believe you can become like I am.” But more often than not, the rabbi’s response was—and let me state this with southern gentility — ”Bless your heart, but I think you’re better suited for the family business.” You can see how this could devastate a young man who had his sights on being a rabbi.
The Mishnah describes the educational process for a young Jewish boy in Jesus’ time.
At five years old [one is fit] for the Scripture, at ten years the Mishnah (oral Torah, interpretations) at thirteen for the fulfilling of the commandments, at fifteen the Talmud (making Rabbinic interpretations), at eighteen the bride-chamber, at twenty pursuing a vocation, at thirty for authority (able to teach others) - Think about Jesus – began His ministry at the age of 30.
Simon and Andrew were fisherman. They went to the first level of school, but even if one of them was bright enough to go to the second level of school, he hadn’t made it to the third level. Even if Simon or Andrew wanted to follow a certain rabbi, he couldn’t. From the perspective of the rabbis, these men were not “you-can-follow-me” material. They were not the brightest and the best, but better suited for smelling like fish.
But along came another rabbi with a fresh new approach. Simon and Andrew had already been exposed to Jesus as a teacher and rabbi (Luke 5:1-3; John 1:40-42). It had to be one of those rock-your-world moments when the best rabbi they had ever heard came to them and said, “Follow me” (Mark 1:16-18).
- No need to be the one who asks, “Can I follow you?”
- No entrance exams.
- No need to be the brightest and best.
- No need to prove your worthiness.
- An unexpected invitation: Follow me.
Jesus extends the same invitation to us—Follow me—but this is not a Twitter invitation with no real commitment. Jesus calls us to
- Go where He goes.
- Live like He lives.
- Think like He thinks.
- Be like Him.
- It’s a great adventure to follow Jesus.
“Follow God’s example, therefore, as dearly loved children” (Eph. 5:1).
The Word of God describes several kinds of calling, including a general call to everyone, an effectual call to His people, and what we might describe as a technical call to a particular vocation in life.
The General Call - God gives the general call to every creature on earth. We are all called to turn away from our sins and to turn toward God and His plan for our salvation. This is the “fundamental prerequisite for the performance of any Christian service.”1 We are all called to live according to God’s law; we are all called to a life of service to God and our fellow man. So, every Christian—indeed, every person on earth—has a calling of a sort. This is known as God’s general call.
The Effectual Call - Many Christians believe (along with Calvin and other Reformers) that there is also an effectual calling. In the effectual calling, the Holy Spirit improves upon the general call and makes it effective unto salvation. Those who respond to Christ in faith are the recipients of this effectual, internal call.
The Technical Call - We may also observe from the Bible a third kind of call, a technical call. This is a calling related to one’s life’s work.
Hope to see you on Sunday!
In His Love,
David & Susan
