A New Beginning Mark 1:9-15
Happy New Year. Any of you make New Year’s resolutions? In our society we make New Year’s a new beginning; this year I’m going on that vacation I always wanted to, this year I’m finally going to get into shape. December 31st, January 1st; the calendar changed but physically we don’t see much change yet hope within us springs forth.
Remember back a few years, January 2021, thank goodness 2020 is over. We all looked forward to the end of lock downs, the availability of Covid vaccines, getting to visit family and friends again; life can start to get back to normal again. Today starts 2023 and for me it’s thank goodness 2022 is over; my back is good, Jen’s back is healed. We can finally start to get back to normal.
On New Year’s we see a new beginning; one with endless possibilities. Genesis 2:7, “Then the Lord God formed a man…” and Genesis 2:22, “Then the Lord God made a woman…” The world was new, life stretched out before Adam and Eve, a life filled with endless possibilities.
I asked you before about New Year’s resolutions and this is not addressed to any of you but rather an admission of my own life; my resolutions usually don’t last long, if they did I wouldn’t make the same one about getting in shape each year. The possibilities of New Year’s drop off over time.
Genesis 3:6 “When the woman saw the fruit…was good…she took some and ate it. She also gave some to her husband…and he ate it.” Scottish poet Robert Burns wrote in 1785, “The best laid plans of mice and men often go awry.” As time went on from Adam and Eve things really got bad and in Genesis 6:7 God said, “I will wipe from the face of the earth the human race…” But then in Genesis 7:1 God tells Noah, “Go into the ark, you and your family because I have found you righteous…” Like New Year’s gives us a new beginning, our God gives those who trust in him new beginnings no matter the mistakes we’ve made.
Now if we move into the next book of the Bible, Exodus; God sends Moses to lead the people out of bondage and into the Promised Land, a new beginning for the enslaved nation. But as we see in Exodus, new beginnings don’t always mean things are now perfect. Scripture shows us it wasn’t long before the nation started to slide away from their new beginning. Exodus 17:3, “They said, ‘Why did you bring us out of Egypt to make us…die of thirst.’”
Back to our resolutions, I want to get into shape and I have a way to do that; join a gym, and actually go to the gym. It’s the going that’s the hard part. For the nation God provided the way for their new beginning to continue, the Ten Commandments.
So why, why does God give the Commandments so that his grace may continue? Every new beginning requires something. My new beginning of health requires me to go to the gym and work out; the people’s new beginning of life under God’s grace requires the Commandments to be followed but like my dedication to the gym evaporates over time the people drifted away from the grace and mercy that was embedded in the Commandments.
Last year I promised myself I would get into shape and you can see I didn’t exactly follow through on that. The good thing is today I again have a new beginning, a New Year’s resolution.
Luke 2:6-7 “While they were there…she gave birth to her firstborn, a son. She wrapped him in cloths and placed him in a manger.” Our Lord and Savior is born into the world and with him all mankind has a glorious new beginning. With Jesus birth all mankind has the opportunity to be lifted up and redeemed of our transgressions, the opportunity to stand in front of the throne of Almighty God. Now we need to remember new beginnings come with requirements for them to continue. This new beginning Jesus offers in God’s grace has a requirement.
When the Commandments marked a new beginning men were required to perfectly keep the law and when they didn’t they needed to offer sacrifices. Jesus birth marks a new beginning and our requirement is simply to believe in Jesus sacrifice and accept him into our life.
The other thing we said about new beginnings is they don’t necessarily mean everything is now perfect. Again with my resolution I have to do the work at the gym, I’m not going to look like a body building competitor over night. OK, I’m never going to look like a body builder.
New beginnings are a starting point but things don’t necessarily change immediately and an examination of the life of Jesus and his followers bears this out. I looked at my favorite, Peter. Jesus calls him to be his disciple; Luke 5:10 “Don’t be afraid, from now on you will fish for people.” Now Jesus didn’t call Peter because he happened to be the first person to walk by, it was preordained by God.
Peter had this great new beginning with Christ, blessed by God yet look at his life. Just two examples. Peter spent three years living with and learning from Jesus and yet when Jesus was arrested Peter denied knowing him three times that very night. And earlier in his ministry when Jesus was teaching his disciples how he must die, Mark 8:32 tells us “…Peter took him aside and began to rebuke him.”
Peter had this great new beginning with Christ and he still keeps making mistakes. But it’s important to know that after each transgression he’s given another new beginning and ultimately he becomes one of the founders of the Christian church. This is important for us. God has offered us a new beginning with Jesus and by our faith we have grasped it. Like Peter we’re not perfect. But also like Peter with each misstep we’re given another new beginning, and the ultimate result for us is redemption, forgiveness and eternity in heaven. And none of this will ever be removed from a believer.
I want to look at one other thing in Mark 8 and that is Jesus rebukes Peter, “Get behind me Satan…” (Mark 8:23). This brought me to Luke 4, Jesus being tested in the wilderness.
This “new beginning” idea came out of a conversation I had with a young man just before Christmas. He said he really did believe in Christ but sinful thoughts keep coming, he just couldn’t live out what he believes. I told him what I’m about to tell you.
Luke 4 tells us how Jesus, the Son of God is beginning his ministry to save mankind and how he is tested in the wilderness by Satan. As you read the account you see Jesus is given three tests; the test of pride, the test of conceit and the test of questioning God. At each test Jesus turned them aside.
Many times when we first accept Christ, when we are doing our best for his kingdom, when we feel God’s love deep within us, that is when Satan often comes hardest at us. Satan knows he can’t separate us from God but he can cause us problems. Unlike the perfect Jesus we may be unable to always push aside Satan’s whisperings. We can give in to pride; I’m better than someone else. We can give in to conceit, I deserve this. We can give in to questioning God, why aren’t you giving me all I ask for? In his example with Peter, Jesus shows us the way to avoid Satan’s tests, get behind me Satan. Pray to God to put Satan and his whisperings in back of you. If Satan is behind you, you can clearly see God in front of you. If Satan is behind you, you can walk unhindered toward God.
Today is New Years, our yearly new beginning. We just celebrated Christmas, Jesus our Lord and Savior being born into the world; Christmas, the spiritual new beginning offered by God to all mankind. And like all new beginnings, things don’t change unless we do our part and our part is to believe in God and trust in Christ. Like all new beginnings Christ’s birth and our faith doesn’t mean everything in our life will now be perfect. We all face tribulations but the lesson of Jesus is that in order to push Satan behind us we need to pray; we must focus on God, trust in Christ and open ourselves to the Holy Spirit’s leading.
With Christ our spiritual life can get back to normal and that is the restoration of the intimate connection between us and God. With that birth 2000 years ago Christ became our new beginning. And the glory of God is that even when we fall short of the opportunity, even when we fail, God’s grace allows us to have another new beginning.
Believe in God, trust in Jesus, welcome the Spirit and have a blessed new beginning.
Amen.