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The Life of Jesus
Scripture Reading: Mark 9:33-37
If you’ve been a part of a church for any length of time,
you may have heard the first four books of the New
Testament referred to as “the Gospels.” This little phrase
has essentially become shorthand for what is actually the
story of Jesus as told through the writings of four of his
closest disciples: Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. We often
refer to this story as the “Good News” because of what it
means to us. Pastor Timothy Keller writes, “The Gospel is
not primarily a way of life. It is not something we do, but
something that has been done for us and something that
we must respond to.” It’s important to go deeper than just
a casual understanding of the Gospel; we must wrestle
with its meaning, truth, and impact on our lives. Our
response to the Gospel impacts the trajectory of our own
lives and our interactions with those around us.
As we read about the life of Jesus, we can actually read
many of the same stories in each of the four Gospel books.
This is often referred to as the “harmony of the Gospels.”
For example, the story of the baptism of Jesus
is told in Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22, and
John 1:32-34. With each book, we are able to capture a
different perspective on the life of Jesus, expanding our
understanding of the Gospel and what it means to live a
life like Jesus. Our scripture reading for today, in fact, can
be found in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and it offers one of
the best examples of who Jesus was and what He was
all about.
You can almost imagine the look on the disciples’ faces
when Jesus walks up and asks what they’ve been talking
about. It’s that same look a child makes when he’s been
caught but doesn’t want to admit to it, or the face a dog
makes when he knows he did something wrong. It’s almost
comical! Think about this scene for a minute: the disciples
were hanging out with Jesus, trying to decide who among
them was the greatest. Are you kidding me?! This is the
same Jesus who walked on water, raised Lazarus from the
dead, and performed countless other miracles. But rather
than put them in their place, Jesus showed them His heart,
character, and ministry by demonstrating humility.
When we think about the life of Jesus and the example He set for us, how was His greatness demonstrated
in His humility?