Enter the Story
Scripture Reading — Mark 1:1-8
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah.
Mark 1:1
We humans love to hear and tell stories. We tell them at work about bosses who think too much of themselves. We tell stories to friends who give us feedback with laughter or tears or other stories in return. We tell stories around kitchen tables with families and friends.
Jesus enters our lives by way of story. We become truly human by taking Jesus’ story into our lives.
Author Karen Lee-Thorp aptly remarked, “Most of the Bible consists of stories. Why? Partly because God knew that people like and remember stories better than lists of abstract propositions. And even more important, the stories remind us that life is a story, and that God is not an abstract doctrine, but a Person.”
Mark begins his gospel account with the story of Jesus, not moral principles or concepts. We enter into life with Jesus by way of the story. We find Jesus in the story of God’s salvation for us.
John the Baptist begins the story by telling us about Jesus. But John is only part of the preface of this great story that’s about to unfold! So we find that the story quickly moves on to tell about Jesus, the promised Messiah, and his message: the good news of God’s kingdom.
Every story about Jesus also helps us recognize our own stories of sin, grace, and blessing. The gospel is the main story, and it shapes the stories of us all.
Dear Father, help us to tell the story of Jesus with freshness, gladness, and joy. Thank you for also helping us pay attention to our own stories of grace and mercy. In Jesus, Amen.
About the author — Reginald Smith
Dr. Reginald Smith is senior pastor at Roosevelt Park Community Christian Reformed Church in Grand Rapids, Michigan, where he has served for seventeen years. He has also served as a pastor in Paterson, New Jersey. He and his wife, Sharon, have three daughters, Janelle, Katrina, and Mariah.
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