The Son of God 神的儿子

[Dexu Xia]

The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. Mark 1:1

Today's Scripture  Mark 1:1-8

Today's Insights

Mark begins his gospel account declaring that Jesus is “the Son of God” (1:1). Then he moves to introducing the Messiah’s promised forerunner, John the Baptist (vv. 2-4). In contrast to the gospel of Matthew, which was written to a Jewish audience and is filled with messianic prophecy, Mark wrote to a gentile audience and offers fewer Old Testament references or allusions. One of the few Old Testament quotes in Mark (1:2-3) is from Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3 and establishes from the outset that Mark’s story of Christ lines up with Israel’s story and how it would find fulfillment in its promised Messiah. Mark also tells the reader up front that John the Baptist wasn’t the Messiah but was preparing the way for one “more powerful” than himself (Mark 1:7). John the Baptist’s self-awareness is fleshed out more fully in the gospel of John (see 1:20; 3:22-36). He knew his role as one pointing to the Messiah who had come—Jesus.

Today's Devotional

Recently, my brother Scott acquired our dad’s military service records from World War II. As I studied the pages, there was nothing startling or shocking—nothing about who Dad was. There were mere facts. Data. It was interesting to read but ultimately dissatisfying because I didn’t come away feeling like I learned anything new about Dad.

Thankfully, in giving us a record of the life and work of Jesus, the four gospels are much more than just data. They are descriptions that reveal who Jesus was in His time on this earth as well as what He did and said. In Mark’s gospel, that record was for the purpose of proving Mark’s thesis statement: “The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God” (1:1). Immediately, Mark tells us how John the Baptist testified about this Messiah. John said, “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie” (v. 7). Mark’s account makes it clear that Jesus is the Son of God. As John the disciple adds in his own account of Jesus’ life, “These are written that you may believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that by believing you may have life in his name” (John 20:31).

The evidence of Jesus’ life is abundant. These questions remain: What does He mean to you? How has He changed your life?

Reflect & Pray    What do you think of the evidence of Jesus’ life, death, and resurrection? How might you tell someone about your response to it?    Father, thank You for the clear record of Your Son’s life.

Bill Crowder

神的儿子，耶稣基督，福音的起头。马可福音 1:1

今日经文 马可福音 1:1-8

今日心得 马可福音开篇就宣告，耶稣是“神的儿子”（1:1）。然后，他介绍了所应许的弥赛亚的先驱，施洗约翰（2-4节）。跟写给犹太人、充满弥赛亚预言的马太福音不同，马可福音的对象是外邦人，所以，其中引用或影射旧约的次数较少。马可福音（1:2-3）中为数不多的旧约经文之一，来自玛拉基书3章1节和以赛亚书40章3节，这从一开始就确立了马可福音中关于基督的故事与以色列的故事相符，并表明以色列的故事将如何在所应许的弥赛亚身上得到应验。马可也预先告诉读者，施洗约翰并非弥赛亚，而是为那位“比他更有能力”的预备道路（马可福音 1:7）。施洗约翰的自我意识在约翰福音中得到了更充分的体现（见 1:20；3:22-36）。他知道自己的角色是指向那位已经降临的弥赛亚，耶稣。

今日灵修  最近，我哥哥斯科特拿到了父亲二战时期的服役记录。我翻阅着这些记录，发现并没有什么令人震惊或震惊的地方，没有关于父亲是谁的任何信息，只有一些事实和数据。读起来很有趣，但最终却令人不满意，因为我并没有觉得对父亲有了任何新的认识。

  可幸的是，四福音书不但为我们记录了耶稣的生平和事工，而且这些记录远不止是数据。它们揭示了耶稣在世时的身份和言行。“福音的起头就是耶稣基督神的儿子”（1:1），马可福音开篇的记述就证明了马可的论点。马可紧接着告诉我们，施洗约翰是如何见证这位弥赛亚的。约翰说：“有一位在我以后来的，能力比我更大，我就是弯腰给他解鞋带也不配”（7节）。马可写的福音书清楚地表明耶稣是神的儿子。正如门徒约翰在他自己对耶稣生平的记述中补充道：“记这些事，要叫你们信耶稣是基督，是神的儿子，并且叫你们信了他，就可以因他的名得生命”（约翰福音 20:31）。

  耶稣生平的证据丰富。而这些问题仍旧存在：耶稣对你意味着什么？他​​是如何改变你的生命的？

反思与祷告 你如何看待耶稣的生平、死亡和复活的证据？你会如何告诉别人你的反应？

天父，感谢您清晰地记录了您儿子的一生。  

作者：比尔·克劳德