When God Acts: Beginning Again with Mark 1:1–15

Reflections from Pastor Christopher Chia’s sermon preached on 4 Jan 2026

The first Sunday of the year always carries a certain tenderness. We come with fresh hopes, quiet fears, and the weight of the year just passed. As the montage of ministry moments played—children laughing, youths worshipping, adults serving, seniors praying—I found myself watching not just events, but evidence. Evidence that God has been moving among us, shaping hearts in ways we often miss in the rush of daily life.

It felt fitting that our new sermon series begins with the Gospel of Mark. A gospel of urgency. A gospel of action. A gospel that shows us what happens when God acts.

The Fragility of Human Help

Pastor Chris opened with stories that made us smile—fixing a faulty toilet flush, helping grandchildren with small tasks, witnessing accidental heroes in moments of crisis. These stories reminded us how limited human help can be. We try, we fumble, we improvise. Sometimes we succeed; sometimes we don’t.

But the Gospel doesn’t introduce us to a human hero. It introduces us to a planned, promised, perfect Saviour.

Not accidental.Not inconsistent.Not limited.But sovereign, loving, and purposeful.

“The Beginning” — A New Creation Echo

Mark’s opening line—“The beginning of the good news…”—is not just a literary start. It echoes Genesis 1:1, reminding us that the God who created the world is the same God who now steps into it to save.

Without Him, life becomes what Pastor Chris called “living between two nothings”—no meaning in birth, no meaning in death. But with Him, life has a beginning, a purpose, and a glorious end.

Mark boldly proclaims a new kind of “good news”—not from Caesar’s palace, but from heaven itself:

• Jesus the Saviour

• Jesus the Christ

• Jesus the Son of God

This is not just information. It is an invitation.

A Promise Fulfilled in the Wilderness

Mark draws from Malachi and Isaiah to show that Jesus’ coming was not random. God had promised a messenger, a voice in the wilderness, a new exodus for His people.

John the Baptist appears exactly as foretold—calling Israel to repentance, preparing hearts for the One who would baptize not with water, but with the Holy Spirit. A sign that God was coming to dwell with His people permanently.

John is the announcer.Jesus is the arrival.

The Baptism of Jesus: Love Declared

Jesus steps into the waters of the Jordan not because He needs cleansing, but because He chooses identification. He stands with sinners so that He may one day stand for sinners.

And heaven responds:

• The Spirit descends

• The Father speaks

• The Son obeys

“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

This is the heartbeat of the Gospel:Love promised. Love fulfilled. Love poured out.

Into the Wilderness: The Battle Begins

Immediately—Mark’s favourite word—Jesus is driven into the wilderness. Loved by the Father, yet hated by Satan. Surrounded by wild beasts, yet attended by angels.

The spiritual battle is real.And from the moment Jesus enters the world, His life is under threat.

But He stands.For us.In our place.On our behalf.

If the Father, Son, and Spirit are all involved in saving us, then sin and Satan are not small matters. They are enemies Jesus came to defeat.

“The Kingdom of God Is at Hand”

Jesus begins His ministry with a declaration that changes everything:

“The time is fulfilled; the kingdom of God is at hand.”

The kingdom means:

• Jesus’ rightful rule begins

• Satan’s wrongful rule ends

And this kingdom presses into our everyday lives.Every temptation becomes a moment of allegiance.

Before anger erupts, before envy festers, before lust takes root, before self‑indulgence numbs us—we pause and ask:

Who is king of this moment?

A Battle That Shakes Every Realm

Mark wastes no time showing Jesus’ authority:

• Demons recognise Him

• Sickness flees from Him

• Nature obeys Him

His coming shakes:

• The cosmic world

• The political world

• The religious world

At the cross, earthly kings keep their kingdoms for a moment, but Jesus’ kingship is eternal. The Gospel paradox is this:

Do not judge Jesus by the cross, but by what God is accomplishing through it.

Maturing Everyone in Christ

Our church’s theme for the year—Maturing Everyone in Christ—flows naturally from this passage. We cannot mature through:

• Self-help

• Self-wisdom

• Self-redemption

Life will bring sin, suffering, sickness, and loss.But Christ remains enough.

This year, we journey through:

• Mark (encounters with Jesus)

• Psalms (the love of God)

• Job (faith in suffering)

• 1 Corinthians (church life and spiritual gifts)

• 1 Chronicles (identity and history)

Alongside conferences, retreats, and family ministries, the invitation is simple:

Grow Deepen, and Mature In Christ.

A Sacred Appointment

Pastor ended with a gentle but weighty call:

Make a sacred daily appointment with God.  Not distracted.Not rushed.Not squeezed into the margins.

A time to sit at Jesus’ feet.A time to surrender, wrestle, listen, and love.A time to let Him be King in every moment.

Because when God acts—creation changes,salvation unfolds,and lives are transformed.