“The beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1 ESV)

Mark begins so simply. He announces his topic—”the Gospel,” that is, the “Good News” of Jesus. Jesus who? Jesus the Christ—that is, the Messiah, the One God promised to send hundreds of years ago, to save us all. Who’s that, you say? The Son of God—God become a human being, a tiny baby lying in a manger—a Man hanging on a cross. Maybe it’s not so simple after all.

Or maybe it is. Because all of this boils down to one thing—to love. God, the God who made the universe and everything in it, deciding to come down into the mess and the trouble and the ordinariness of our daily lives. God coming down out of heaven and into a young woman’s womb. God, becoming one of us.

There are many ways to show love—even at a distance. God could have sent an angel. He could have showered His blessings on us from far away. He could have even stuck with the prophets we were already used to. But He came Himself.

And because Jesus came, everything is different. Because this is the beginning of the Gospel, the beginning of the Good News—which is for me and you and everybody, which goes on forever.

Prayer: Lord Jesus, thank You for making Yourself our new beginning. Amen.

Advent Devotions were written by Dr. Kari Vo.
Used by permission from International Lutheran Laymen’s League, all rights reserved

Reflection Questions:
* When do you most want a new beginning?
* Tell about a time when you went yourself to help someone.
* Why do you think Jesus calls Himself the Alpha and Omega, the beginning and the end (see Revelation 1:8)?