Advent Journey - 22nd December

Read: Mark 1: 1-8

Another day closer to Christmas. Today we open the second ‘Gospel’ on our Advent Calendar, the Gospel of Mark. Mark is the shortest of the four gospels. It is reckoned that Mark was friends with Peter (the disciple of Jesus) and that Mark wrote up his material having listened to Peter’s stories and recollections of time spent with Jesus.

One of Mark’s favourite words is the word ‘immediately’, he uses it 12 times in this short book. Mark doesn’t hang around to give us lots of detail, Mark wants to quickly get us to the heart of why the arrival of Jesus really is ‘good news’ (1:1).

So, what’s interesting today is not just where Mark starts his gospel, but where he doesn’t start it. Mark actually skips over the events of the first Christmas, he leaves the wise men to Matthew and the shepherds to Luke. He leaves a more studied reflection on why Jesus was born to John.

Mark rather jumps in and immediately gets to the heart of the action. He pictures John the Baptist in a bleak and lifeless wilderness calling on people to get ready for Jesus’ arrival, an arrival due at any moment; ‘Prepare the way for the Lord’ John cries out (1:3).

When we think of getting ready for Christmas we think of all the things that need to be done, or maybe even this year, we think of things that need re-arranged or uncertainties that seem to be lingering on right up to the wire.

Mark tells us there is something we need to think about. Are we really ready for Jesus? This is a heart issue, turning away from self-centred actions and attitudes and turning to face Jesus ready for the one gift we all so desperately; ‘forgiveness of sins’ (1:4).

Are you ready for Christmas? Today Mark encourages us to make sure that we are ready, ready now, ready today.

Prayer: Lord Jesus help me to be ready for you. Thank you that in you is found forgiveness of sins, the gift that I most need. Amen.