Sunday Worship -- 10:00am
A Great and Mighty Wonder
Pastor Mark
People often think of the New Testament as a break with the Old Testament, as though God’s "Plan A" did not work so He started over with a new idea, "Plan B."
The New Testament is new not because of a new plan, but because of the completion of the plan set out in the Old Testament. It is the description and establishment of a new covenant through the renewal and fulfillment of the old covenant in Christ Jesus. This fulfillment is at the heart of the season of Epiphany, which we begin with the new year.
The Gospel readings for Epiphany come from the shortest of the Gospels, Mark, who must have been the forerunner of Jack Webb’s Joe Friday of Dragnet fame. "Just the facts" seems to be Mark’s basic methodology..."and as succinctly as possible, please!" So we spend almost the entire season of Epiphany in just one chapter of Mark, a chapter that captures the essence of the Epiphany season.
Epiphany means "sudden revelation." With one short episode after another, each introduced by the word, "immediately," Mark, in his first chapter, ties the entire covenant of the Old Testament into the life and ministry of Jesus. The Messiah long promised has suddenly come. And He acts quickly, revealing with each action and every word that He has come to complete what God started in the Garden of Eden. As such, the first chapter of Mark is one epiphany after another, each epiphany resting on God’s promises of the Old Testament.
Mark demonstrates that Jesus is the Messiah who comes in the footsteps of Elijah’s preparatory ministry to bring repentance and forgiveness and thus open heaven forever to a new Israel comprising both God’s ancient people and the nations of the world. He comes in the authority of God Himself to bring eternal healing and cleansing to God’s people, both physically and spiritually. For He comes as the Messiah, the very Son of God in human flesh, to make real and lasting all of God’s promises in the Old Testament.
Come and explore the fulfillment of the Old Testament during the worship services at Peace this month as we rejoice in the revelation of Jesus as Messiah and King. Bring a friend!
January 1 -- New Year | "Name of Power" | Luke 2:21; Numbers 6:22-27 | |
The name God gave His incarnate Son, Jesus, means Yahweh (Jehovah) saves. We pray in this name and live in this name as God works all things for our salvation and the salvation of others. | |||
January 8 -- Jesus’ Baptism | "True Repentance and Forgiveness" | Mark 1:4-11; Mal 3:1-4; 4:5-6 | |
John the Baptist is revealed as the promised Elijah, preaching a baptism for repentance and forgiveness. In His baptism, Jesus fulfills the demands of repentance for us and thus brings us forgiveness and new life. | |||
January 15 -- Epiphany 2 | "Heaven Opened Forever!" | John 1:43-51; Genesis 28:10-15 | |
In Jesus, the dream of Jacob’s ladder is fulfilled, with Jesus Himself the stairway to heaven. He has therefore done the impossible: sinners now have a heavenly home! | |||
January 22 -- Epiphany 3 | "YOU are the New Israel" | Mark 1:14-20; Jeremiah 31:1-14 | |
The new heart and new spirit promised by Jeremiah becomes a present and forever reality for God’s people, now made up of Jew and Gentile, the New Israel. | |||
January 29 -- Epiphany 4 | "Satan Unmasked and Defeated" | Mark 1:21-28; Deut 18:15-20 | |
Jesus is revealed as the promised Prophet who creates a heavenly (not earthly) Kingdom of people forever freed from Satan’s grip of sin and death. | |||
February 5 -- Epiphany 5 | "With Healing on His Wings" | Mark 1:29-39;2 Chron 7:11-16 | |
God had promised Solomon that one day, through the ministries of His great Temple, He would bring healing to His people forever. Little did Solomon realize that healing would come through one of his sons centuries later who offered Himself for our healing. | |||
February 12 -- Epiphany 6 | "Clean, Inside and Out" | Mark 1:40-45; Ezekiel 36:24-29a | |
Adam and Eve passed to all their children a sinful uncleanness that dominates life. Only God has the power to clean away the sin forever. Jesus is revealed to be the great cleanser of soul! | |||
February 19 -- The Transfiguration of Our Lord | "A Promise for Both Mountain and Valley" | Mark 9:2-9; 2 Kings 2:1-12 | |
Lent is on its way. Jesus literally lived Lent so that He could complete all God’s promises for us. Just before He turned His eyes toward Jerusalem, Jesus climbed a mountain. There, all His glory was revealed to His most trusted disciples so that when they walked with Him through the valleys of Lent they could remember this amazing mountain-top experience. The same is true for us. | |||
In Jesus,
Pastor Mark
