Shaped by the Son of God

Warren Brosi

January 11, 2026

Dominant Thought: Jesus the Son of God is good news for everyone.

Objectives:

I want my listeners to understand the good news of Jesus as the Son of God.

I want my listeners to feel encouraged how Jesus is good news for different types of people.

I want my listeners to respond to the good news of Jesus by reading the gospel of Mark in the coming weeks.

I love Jesus. I want you to know I love Jesus. It’s one thing to say those words in a church on a Sunday morning. It can be a little more challenging to tell your family, friends, or coworkers on Monday. I hope we all can grow in our love and courage for Jesus as we listen, read, and study the good news about Jesus. I invite you to open to the gospel of Mark.

As we begin this new series through one of the earliest accounts of Jesus’ life, I want you to know Jesus the Son of God is good news for everyone. In our time together, I want to take a big picture overview of the gospel of Mark. We will do so by looking at the beginning, the middle, and close to the end of Mark’s presentation of Jesus.

First, Jesus is good news for people who are waiting (Mark 1.1-15).

People were waiting for about 400 years since the close of the prophets. 400 year of silence. Then, finally, a voice of one calling in the wilderness breaks the silence. John the Baptist, clothed in camel’s hair and a leather belt prepared the way for his cousin. People were waiting and John spoke up.

People were waiting for God to speak and God finally spoke up, too. In Mark 1.9-11, Jesus leaves his hometown and is baptized int he Jordan River. As Jesus comes up out of the waters of baptism, the heavens were torn open, ripped open. The Spirit descends on Him or into Him depending on your understanding of the word. And God speaks. “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” I would have liked to have been there. I’ve been to one of the locations they believe Jesus was baptized. There were several doves there that day.

People were waiting for God to act as well. In Mark 1.14-15, John was put in prison for confronting King Herod about his unlawful marriage to his brother Philip’s wife (see Mark 6.17-18).

The first words of Jesus Mark records for his audience to hear are found in Mark 1.15, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the gospel.” The waiting is over. The time has come. God’s kingdom is here. God’s rule and reign is here. But the kingdom may be one that is surprising to many people. Jesus calls people to repent and believe the good news.

Second, Jesus is good news for people who are following (Mark 8.27-9.13).

As we move from the beginning to the middle of Mark’s message, Mark doesn’t pick up on Jesus as the Son of God directly. It’s veiled through his actions with lots of people questioning who is this—even the winds and the waves obey? even impure spirits submit? He even forgives sins.

In Mark 8.27 and following, Jesus asks his followers, “Who do people say I am?” The disciples reply with answers like: John the Baptist who had recently been beheaded, Elijah, the great miracle working prophet, or one of the prophets. The people think you are someone special, Jesus.

Then, he turns to them and asks, “But who do you say I am?” It is a question we all must answer. Who do you so Jesus is? Peter declares, “You are the Christ.” In other words, Jesus, you are the King—the anointed one, the Messiah, God’s specially appointed ruler.

C.S. Lewis, a skeptic who became a follower of Jesus, wrote the following about the identity of Jesus in his book, Mere Christianity.

I am trying here to prevent anyone saying the really foolish thing that people often say about Him: I’m ready to accept Jesus as a great moral teacher, but I don’t accept his claim to be God. That is the one thing we must not say. A man who was merely a man and said the sort of things Jesus said would not be a great moral teacher. He would either be a lunatic — on the level with the man who says he is a poached egg — or else he would be the Devil of Hell. You must make your choice. Either this man was, and is, the Son of God, or else a madman or something worse. You can shut him up for a fool, you can spit at him and kill him as a demon or you can fall at his feet and call him Lord and God, but let us not come with any patronizing nonsense about his being a great human teacher. He has not left that open to us. He did not intend to.

Surprisingly and we will see this throughout Mark’s gospel, Jesus says, “Don’t tell anyone.” Why does Jesus want to keep His identity as a king a secret? There’s a couple of reasons. One, Jesus wants to avoid an early cross. If word gets out He is a king, then the Romans will kill Him for stirring up a rebellion. Two, the crowds will come and will keep Him from training mission with His disciples. Three, Jesus looks at these rag-tag 12 disciples and knows He needs as much time as He can have with these men to equip them to change the world.

Then, in Mark 8.31-38, Jesus tells them what will happen to him. It is the first of three specific prediction of his death and raising from the dead. Each time, the predictions become more detailed and specific. Peter doesn’t like what He hears and tries to stop it. Jesus calls Peter Satan and commands him to get behind him because he is not setting his mind on the things of God.

Jesus issues the call to discipleship to take up your cross, deny self and follow Him. Following Jesus will require self denial and even death.

As we move in the center of Mark’s message, Mark 9 gives us another glimpse of heaven and the voice of God. Jesus takes His inner three disciples: Peter, James, and John up on a mountain. Jesus’ appearance changes. His clothes become radiant white as no one on earth could bleach them. Moses and Elijah arrive. These two represent the law and the prophets. They speak to Jesus about His departure. Peter is glad he has a front row seat and offers to makes some tents for them to hang out. He didn’t know what else to say. Then, a cloud appears and a voice from the cloud says, “This is my beloved Son; listen to Him” (Mark 9.7). In similar fashion to the voice from heaven in the opening chapter at the baptism of Jesus, Mark gives us a second glimpse of who Jesus is. Right in the middle of this good news story, we see Jesus in the presence of two great Old Testament witnesses. God declares Jesus as His beloved Son and commands people to listen to Him.

Third, Jesus is good news for people who are watching (Mark 15.16-41).

As we move to the final chapters of Mark, those prediction are coming true. Jesus is arrested. He’s mocked, beaten and spit upon. The Roman soldiers crucify Jesus at a place called Golgotha or Skull hill. Over his head a sign reads, “The King of the Jews.” Those on the ground mock him, “Aha! You who would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days, save yourself, and come down from the cross” (Mark 15.29-30). “He saved others; he cannot save himself...” (Mark 15.31). “Come down from the cross that we may see and believe” (Mark 15.32).

Darkness covered the whole earth. Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “My God, my God why have you forsaken me?” (Mark 15.34). He’s quoting the words of David from Psalm 22. As Jesus cries out to God, we can remember back to the opening scene in Mark’s gospel, “A voice of one crying in the wilderness” (Mark 1.3). Throughout the centuries people were crying out to God for help. Where are you? Have you forsaken us?

Some think Jesus is calling out for Elijah. Elijah, the great prophet did not see death (2 Kings 2.11). So, if Elijah didn’t die, then he could come and help God’s people. Jesus told His followers that Elijah had already come through the ministry of John the Baptist.

Jesus utters another loud cry and breathed His last. The Son of God died. The curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The last time we saw something torn it was in Mark 1, when Jesus was baptized the the heavens were torn open the Spirit descended on Jesus. This time the curtain is torn. Maybe it the curtain that separated the Holy Place from the Most Holy Place. It tears from top to bottom suggesting God tore it open. The Most Holy Place was where the Presence of God dwelt at the ark of the covenant. It was separated from all humanity except for one day a year on the Day of Atonement. As Jesus died, He tore open the barrier for humanity to access God. Some have suggested tearing the curtain wasn’t to just let people in, but now God can come out to meet His people.

Next, Mark fulfills what he began in Mark 1.1, “The good news of Jesus the Messiah the Son of God.” In Mark 15.39, we meet a Roman centurion. He’s a leader of 100 soldiers. He saw how Jesus died and said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!” Some have said this Roman simply is saying Jesus is an innocent man. I tend to think Mark has this mission to show the world Jesus is the Son of God. And this message that has been kept a secret at every exciting turn of the story finally comes out into the open. It is at the death of Jesus where His identity is made clear. It is from the lips of a Gentile foreign oppressing military commander. It’s not supposed to be this one who confesses the identity of Jesus. And yet, Mark wants the world to know Jesus is good news for everyone. Even for those on the outside.

Mark concludes by sharing with us that many woman were watching Jesus died and witnessed to this event. Some of those women would come back to the tomb of Jesus on Sunday morning and find it empty.

So, how do we respond to the good news of Jesus as Mark presents it?

Are you waiting? Wondering if God will act?

Are you following Jesus, but need some reassurance or and attitude adjustment to take up your cross, deny yourself and follow Him?

Are you watching? Are you here checking things out? Need a little more clarity on who Jesus is and what He’s all about. Some people have said, “I’ve people watched my way to Jesus.” You are watching the change Jesus has made in the lives of your friends and family and it’s starting to convince you that you need to repent, change your mind and trust the good news of Jesus.

Early church history assigned images to each of the four gospels based on the visions from Ezekiel and Revelation. The early church compared the gospel of Mark to a lion. You get to the third verse and Mark describes the voice of one crying in the wilderness. Mark focuses on the powerful actions of Jesus—casting out demons, healing sick people, calming storms, feeding thousands. He’s all about action and immediately getting to the powerful deeds of Jesus. Mark’s gospel is like a lion.

C. S. Lewis pictures Jesus like a lion in his book, The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. The children who find their way into Narnia through the wardrobe encounter the Beavers who tell them about the great lion, Aslan. The conversation goes as follows:

“Aslan is a lion- the Lion, the great Lion." "Ooh" said Susan. "I'd thought he was a man. Is he-quite safe? I shall feel rather nervous about meeting a lion"..."Safe?" said Mr Beaver ..."Who said anything about safe? 'Course he isn't safe. But he's good. He's the King, I tell you.”

I began by tell you I love Jesus. As we encounter the good news of Jesus for everyone, it’s probably best to close this way. Jesus loves you.