Mark 1: ☧ Begins to Preach the Gospel, His Authority Saves Us

Rev. Daniel Olson, pastor of St. Paul Lutheran Church in Luxemburg, Wisconsin, joins host Rev. AJ Espinosa to study Mark 1.

“Let us go on to the next towns, that I may preach there also, for that is why I came out.” Mark chapter 1 might strike us as a strange starting place, beginning with John baptizing the Lord in the Jordan and skipping over the little town of Bethlehem. But Mark leaves out these details deliberately so he can focus on Jesus ☧ as a preacher.

When we think of “the gospel,” our minds tend to go to the Cross or to the empty tomb, or possibly to the Ascension or to Christ’s perfect life of obedience. But in Christ’s own words, He was sent to preach—and with authority. The authority of Jesus ties all these things together; He cannot save us if He is not our ultimate authority. He has authority to cast out demons and to control the narrative of His actions. And in His time in the wilderness, He humbly prepares Himself to speak on the authority of the Father. Do we so esteem preaching, absolution, the sacraments, and the saving authority of ☧ administered in our churches by our pastors today?