Monday, March 4, 2024

Good news is hard to come by these days. But was it any different in the days when this gospel took place? Thankfully, Mark opens his gospel with this sentence: 

Mark 1:1a
This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. 

The Good News is that God, through his son Jesus, provided salvation through Jesus’ birth, death, and resurrection. Jesus’ once-for-all sacrifice negated the specific sacrificial system that Jewish priests performed for the forgiveness of sins before Jesus’ death. I wonder if anyone thought that God could forgive their sins without all that ritual sacrifice. I wonder, sometimes, if I believe that even now.

I ran from God from my early teenage years until I was 43, sinning up a storm! When I began to hear the Good News, I certainly didn’t believe God could forgive all I had done without a significant sacrifice on my part. Certainly more was expected of me than merely believing in his son—that’s too easy. Right? 

But what could I do to rectify all the hurt I had caused? Even if everyone I had injured forgave me, I could never repair all the damage my selfishness had caused. 

I needed repentance. Repentance is not only being sorry for sinning but also being willing to turn from it—to live life the Jesus way. For me, it meant turning to and trusting God to forgive me.

We all need Jesus to restore the relationship broken long ago by Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden. Just as they chose to disobey God, we have all made a similar choice and suffered the consequences of being separated from God. 

The Good News is that Jesus came to be the road of restoration to that relationship! No amount of personal sacrifice or good works can restore it. The only way is to “believe in the one he has sent” (John 6:29).

In Mark 1:15, Jesus himself tells us: 
“The time promised by God has come at last!” he announced. “The Kingdom of God is near! Repent of your sins and believe the Good News!”

Although this Good News seems too good to be true, I am banking on God’s promises! 

Questions: 
Does this seem like Good News to you, or does it seem too good to be true? Are you willing to give Jesus a try?

Next Steps: 
If you haven’t yet, surrender your life to Jesus. He is “the way, the truth, and the life” (John 14:6). Once you make the decision, go public with it through baptism.

Prayer: 
Heavenly Father, words cannot express how grateful I am to you for your mercy. My sin overwhelmed me and weighed me down, but you made a way for me to be forgiven—Jesus! You sent your one and only son as payment for my sin debt. He is the Good News, the gospel that I get to tell others about because of the difference he has made in my life! I worship you! I love you! I honor you! I praise you! You are my King! Amen.

This post was written by Lauri White, a regular contributor to the LivingItOut Devotional.