Key Thought

Today's Prayer

Father in heaven, thank you for giving me the opportunity to share in the life of Jesus. Help me know your will more fully as I study Jesus' life in the Gospel of Mark. Thank you for letting my life intersect the life of your Son through baptism. Dear Father, please conform me to the character of your Son through the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.

Today's Verses in Context

At that time Jesus came from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the place where John was. John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. While Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw the sky open. The Holy Spirit came down to Jesus like a dove. A voice came from heaven and said: "You are my Son and I love you. I am very pleased with you." Then the Spirit sent Jesus into the desert alone. Jesus was in the desert 40 days. He was there with the wild animals. While Jesus was in the desert, he was tempted by Satan {(the devil).} Then angels came and helped Jesus. After this, John was put into prison. Jesus went into Galilee and told people the Good News from God. Jesus said, "The right time is now here. The kingdom of God is near. Change your hearts and lives and believe the Good News!" Jesus was walking by Lake Galilee. Jesus saw Simon and Simon's brother, Andrew. These two men were fishermen, and they were throwing a net into the lake to catch fish. Jesus said to them, "Come and follow me. I will make you {a different kind of} fishermen. You will work to gather people, {not fish}." So Simon and Andrew left their nets and followed Jesus. Jesus continued walking by Lake Galilee. He saw two more brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in their boat, preparing their nets to catch fish. Their father Zebedee and the men that worked for him were in the boat with the brothers. When Jesus saw the brothers he told them to come. They left their father and followed Jesus.

Related Scripture Readings

Dear Theophilus, Many people have tried to give a history of the things that happened among us. They have written the same things that we learned from some other people—the people that saw those things from the beginning and served God by telling people his message. I myself studied everything carefully from the beginning, your Excellency. Then I thought I should write it for you. So I put it in order in a book. I write these things so that you can know that what you have been taught is true.

The Word became a man and lived among us. We saw his glory—the glory that belongs to the only Son of the Father. The Word was full of grace (kindness) and truth. John told people about him. John said, "This is the One I was talking about. I said, 'The One who comes after me is more important than I am. He was living before me.'" The Word (Christ) was full of grace and truth. From him we all received more and more blessings. The law was given through Moses. But grace and {the way of} truth came through Jesus Christ. No man has ever seen God. But the only Son (Jesus) is God. He is very close to the Father (God). And the Son has shown us what God is like.

In the past God spoke to our people through the prophets. God spoke to them many times and in many different ways. And now in these last days God has spoken to us again. God has spoken to us through his Son. God made the whole world through his Son. And God has chosen his Son to have all things. The Son shows the glory of God. He is a perfect copy of God's nature. The Son holds everything together with his powerful command. The Son made people clean from their sins. Then he sat down at the right side of the Great One (God) in heaven.