Instagram Jesus Week 6: Devotional Day 1

DAY 1 – Monday

Daily devotional

Read

Mark 1:21-28, Mark 1:15

Ask

What does this story reveal about who Jesus is?

Have you been amazed or astonished by the way God reveals himself in your life?

Reflect

Back in Mark 1:15 Jesus declared, “the kingdom of God is at hand,” and now we see Jesus stepping into Capernaum with his freshly-called band of followers. He’s ready to begin demonstrating who he is and how he’ll live out one powerful word and soul-saving step at a time.

As readers of the New Testament, we already know Jesus’ motivations and how each step of his ministry takes him closer to the cross. Let’s keep in mind the people surrounding him in the synagogue that Sabbath morning didn’t have our perspective. His words and ways were astonishing and shocking. His disciples were expecting him to set up a new kingdom on earth right then. The people gathered in the synagogue expected him to be just another teaching scribe. The ‘unclean spirit’ in verse 23 expected Jesus to answer its questions instead of commanding silence and instant defeat. The good news for us is that Jesus is still shattering expectations in our lives today. We expect punishment and Jesus offers grace, we expect shame and Jesus offers mercy, we expect exhaustion and Jesus offers rest, we expect mourning and Jesus hands us joy in the midst of suffering, we expect death and Jesus offers everlasting life.

Jesus’ authority and power has always been and will always be about the business of salvation through grace. It was bewildering to the crowds in the synagogue on that day, and his power and presence is still astonishing us today.