“Here Comes The Good News!”

“Here Comes The Good News!”(Mk.1:1-8).
Of the four gospels in the Bible, Mark is believed to be the earliest. Matthew, Mark and Luke are called the Synoptic gospels because they describe events from a similar point of view. But it would appear that Matthew and Luke had Mark as source material which they expanded upon; even if all three of them had a common source.
Unlike Matthew and Luke who are interested in the nativity, Mark opens his gospel with a summary of the main subject matter of his gospel:“The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” The word “gospel” comes from the Old English “godspel” – “good story” or “good news.” This good news is that God has provided salvation through the life, death and resurrection of his son Jesus Christ.
This good news is not opportunistic. It was foreplanned and had been predicted by the prophets,“I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way…” In fulfilment of this prophecy, “John came baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”
There is a sense in which messengers of the good news have to abandon their comfort zones of complacency and go to the “desert regions” to baptize and preach a baptism of repentance.
Today’s desert regions within the African continent may not be geographically located. Desert regions include contexts of institutionalised marginalization, oppression, suppression, subjugation, nepotism, tribalism, favouritism, hate speech, the love of violence, large scale injustice, corruption, intimidation, etc.
The good news is the opposite of desert regions. There is a need for a revival because the majority who constitute the desert regions have been baptized. We need Jesus to baptize us with the Holy Spirit afresh!
Prayer of the week: Lord Jesus Christ fill us anew with the fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit. Amen!
Welcome back to a new working week and have a blessed day and week! Peace be with you!
Rev. Babila Fochang.