If you were asked to give a synopsis of your life – where would you begin?  Would you begin with your birth story – Where and when you were born?  Or, would you begin your story with your accomplishments – your successes, your passions, and the things you have done in your life?  If you were to write your own obituary, what would it say?  What are the things that you would want people to know about you?  What would maybe be the one most important thing that you would want others to know about you?

If Jesus came today, what would be the one thing you would want Jesus to recognize you for here in your life on earth and what you want Him to see you doing when He was standing in front of you?

In the four Gospels, Matthew, Mark, Luke and John all begin to tell the story of Jesus from a different viewpoint and starting place. The birth of Jesus would seem to be the logical place to start.  However, in Matthew’s Gospel, the story of Jesus begins with the genealogy of Jesus.  In John’s Gospel, the story echoes Genesis – “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God.”  It is only in Luke’s Gospel where the writer begins the narrative with the birth of Jesus.  Here in the Gospel of Mark, there is no birth story.  Mark wants to get straight to the point – It begins with: “The Beginning of the Good News…” 

The beginning of the Good News is John the Baptist.  John is a non-conventional, non-conformist, and mission oriented.   He was not allowed to cut his hair, he lived in the wilderness, wore a tunic made from leather and wore a leather belt, and ate locusts and honey as his main meal.  John’s mission was to prepare the way of the Lord by calling out to people that Kingdom of Heaven was near and that they needed to repent their sins.  Those who did were baptized in the Jordan river.

John had to have an ‘inside’ tract to the coming of Christ because who else would have ever known what the mission of Christ would be?  John must have known that Jesus’ mission was to die for our sin – to provide an avenue in which, we would have the capability and the opportunity to have a relationship with our Lord!

I can’t help but to wonder if we truly understood what was happening, would it change how we live our lives?  Would our work be for the Lord if we believed that it mattered when Jesus came?  Would what we do day-to-day, change how we act, behave, the things that we say, the things that we do, and what we do with our spare time be different?

In his gospel, Mark ends with the empty tomb.  We are left to imagine and experience the wonder and mystery of God and how it will possibly affect our lives here on earth.  What we do here in the meantime – the here and now – may just determine our outcome at the end of this life.

If Jesus came today, what would be the one thing you would want Jesus to recognize you for here in your life on earth and what you want Him to see you doing when He was standing in front of you?