The Invasion

Mark 1:13-15

by John Houmes

This morning, we'll unpack a good portion of Mark 1 in our Sunday service. But for now, get excited. Jesus isn't just a random rabbi or a traveling teacher.

He is leading an invasion.

And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.

Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (ESV)

After Jesus' baptism, the Spirit leads him into a direction confrontation with Satan, the evil one. We know from Matthew's telling of this account that Jesus was tempted to disobey God, to gain a following apart from suffering and serving, and to become a King by bowing down to the devil.

Jesus' resists.

And this is so important. Because it shows us that he can't be bought. There is no price tag. He will follow his Father's plan without deviation. But it also shows us that he has the power to confront the darkest of evil.

As Jesus comes into Galilee, he proclaims the Good News and Kingdom of God.

Jesus is leading an invasion of heaven's government into Satan's territory. He is the King of a new Kingdom, and he is advancing that kingdom of light into the darkness. This requires a massive turn massive turn on our part to reorient our lives around this King and his Kingdom. We'll begin to see the implications of that as we continue to read. But for now, this video helps us understand what it means to follow Jesus in the invasion.