February 24, 2026

GOD’S WORD FOR TODAY:

“ When he had gone a little farther, he saw James, son of Zebedee, and his brother John in a boat. They were preparing their nets. Without delay He called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed Him.‘”

(Mark 1. 19.20)

TODAY’S REFLECTION ON GOD’S WORD:

We are already familiar with Mark’s use of “urgency” in presenting the gospel concerning Jesus as the Christ. What is interesting about this sense of “urgency” is that it came only in the fullness of time. We do not hear of Jesus’ birth narrative as the beginning of the gospel. It starts with the prophetic declarations of Isaiah and Malachi. The sign of “one in the wilderness who will prepare the way” is foretold as far back as 700 years. Imagine that the Jewish people waited at least seven centuries for their Messiah to appear. Much like today with those who are looking for signs in the events of the world to latch on to as “this is the time when Jesus will return,” there have been many identifications of who the Anti-Christ is. I have no doubt there were many “messiahs” identified with a sense of urgency and hopefulness. Seven hundred years is a long time to wait. Without a doubt, it has been a long two thousand years waiting for Jesus to return. As scripture tells us, “No one knows the hour or the day, not the angels nor even the Son, when the day of His appearing shall be.” (Matthew 24.36) What must be kept in mind is that sense of “preparation” for one’s own discipleship as well as “preparing” others to receive Him straightway. It seems clear to me that John, in that fullness of time as determined by God alone, was both prepared and preparing in making it possible for others to come straightway to Jesus when His appearance was evident.

We see it first at Jesus’ baptism where it said “In those days….” (Mark 1.9) The thrust of Mark’s gospel, upon hearing the teachings of Peter, was to focus directly on the business at hand. As some have said, “keeping first things first.” While the birth narrative is important in understanding the divine and human nature of Jesus as the Messiah, the Son of God and Son of Man, the critical impetus is the preaching of the gospel. So, in the fullness of time, thirty years (hinting at a rabbinic identification which was different from John’s prophetic one) after Jesus was born, Jesus was “born again” by water and spirit. We hear this lesson concerning baptism in the dialogue between Jesus and Nicodemus early in John’s own gospel. He, too, did not present a birth narrative as the definitive proof of Jesus’ identity. John went to the beginning of time and brought “to light” the purpose of the Son of God made flesh as the Son of Man. It carried with it a sense of that “fullness of time” as determined and orchestrated by God. Once that “fullness of time” concept had been established, the urgency of the gospel was presented. In verse 12, we hear “at once” Jesus was led into the wilderness. After forty days, Jesus Himself confirms the “fullness of time” saying “The time has been fulfilled (His preparation in the wilderness demonstrating His power over sin, temptation and the Temptor himself).” He then presses the sense of urgency, “Repent and believe in the gospel for the Kingdom of God is near.” Jesus gets the ball rolling. So much so that by the end of the gospel, the “ball” will actually roll uphill to Jerusalem and ultimately to Calvary on Golgotha’s hill.

With the gospel floodgates open, the urgency is embraced. He chooses four men to become His first disciples: Simon, Andrew, James and John. He immediately extends the call and they without hesitation respond. They leave everything behind to take up this urgent call to embrace the fullness of time. The preaching of John had prepared them for the current event. The teachings of the prophets had prepared them to see Him whom they had not yet seen…at least not in the way they had imagined. They were friends. They had shared the waters of the Sea of Galilee many times. They had most likely eaten at each other’s tables. They had gone to synagogue together. They had laid on the beach or on the rooftop looking at the heavens above sharing the stories of “what if” and “when.” After those forty days, Jesus returned full of the Holy Spirit as never before. He had made up His mind. He had a true sense of the immediate. It became obvious to yearning spirits and unclean spirits that this Jesus was something different. He was a transformed man with a fire and determination that would not be thwarted. Seeing this, the four men seized upon the opportunity to make the difference in the world that was needed. While they had their own agendas and hopes, it was their sole/soul purpose to follow Jesus. Little did they know what their purpose was beyond “I will send you out to fish for men.” It was a training and recruiting mission! The urgency and primacy of that call continues today. The words of John the Baptizer echoing in Jesus’ voice have come down through the ages, “Repent and believe, the Kingdom of God is near!“

TODAY’S PRAYER OF THANKSGIVING:

Father, in these days we are finding the need to believe even more than ever before. We all have known trouble, some in greater ways than others, but You are offering us the assurance that we will not be consumed by it forever. Regardless of the “time” we are in and the “time” we have been given, we ask for Your Holy Spirit which Jesus asked You to share with us, to lead and guide and direct us in the paths we should go. Teach us what we still need to learn. Empower us to put that learning into action. Bless our actions not as a works righteousness but as righteous works of faith, hope and love in Jesus’ name. AMEN.