(March 06, 2023) Richard Winter reflects some more on Mark’s gospel…

If we could ask Jesus just one question, what would you ask?

It may sound funny, odd, but what pops into my mind is a great line from a movie… ‘What’s it all about, Alfie?’ Only that it leads to the question I’d really love to ask my Lord – ‘So, Jesus, what’s it all about?’

And I’m sure the Lord would answer, ‘Richard, it’s all about Acts 1:8.’

1. Go!
‘Acts 1:8, Lord?’

This very  important scripture… ‘You will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes on you; and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.’

This scripture links with Jesus’ Mark 6:7 direction of to His friends, the first disciples! His training program then had been three years of on-the-job training and now He tells His disciples to go into all the world: a case of ‘You’ve learned how, so now go and do it. Go get your feet wet!’

And they did! Jesus’ disciples boldly went out, getting their feet wet as it were, and with a new title… apostles!

The Greek word is apostolos – one who is sent into all the world and today we call them missionaries.

But note: In Mark 6:7NASB Jesus had sent His disciples out in pairs – a small team. Now we could think that this was good reasoning because lone rangers are an easy target for the devil… but behind this was the biblical understanding of…

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