The Holy Apostle and Evangelist Mark (54-68)
Read
Acts 4:1-10; 1 Peter 5:6-14
John 3:16-21; Mark 6:7-13
Christ is risen! Truly, He is risen!
Have you ever seen John 3:16 printed on the bumper sticker on the car ahead of you in traffic? Or waved on a sign at a sporting event that you were watching? Of all the verses to pick to transmit the message of the Gospel, the “Good News” of God’s saving plan, this is a pretty good one. In this verse we see the love of the Father and the saving mission of His Son, our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!
Often the public perception of God isn’t so much of a loving Father, but a cosmic vindictive bully who is watching very closely for any missteps on our part so that he can vent His wrath on us. This is not the God that Christians worship. We have a God who wants us to succeed and who has in fact done all possible to allow us to live with Him forever in His Kingdom. The question is, brothers and sisters, do we want it? In our lesson today we read not only of heavenly blessing but of eternal condemnation, and all rests on what we want. Do we prefer darkness to light? Evil to goodness? Sin to salvation? Hell has a door closed from the inside brothers and sisters.
Glory to our God who came to save us and rescued us! Glory to Him who had done all possible to redeem us. Let us ask Him for His strength in accepting His salvation!