“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, Which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judæa, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins. And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; and preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.”
Mark 1:1-8 KJV
https://bible.com/bible/1/mrk.1.1-8.KJV
An Opportunity for Joy
James, the half-brother of Jesus, couldn’t believe that his flesh-and-blood sibling was the actual Son of God—until He rose from the dead. Then, he was convinced. It was that same James who wrote:
“Dear brothers and sisters, when troubles of any kind come your way, consider it an opportunity for great joy. For you know that when your faith is tested, your endurance has a chance to grow.”
James 1:2-3 NLT
According to the first-century Jewish historian, Josephus, James was eventually martyred for his confident faith in Jesus—his brother and his Lord.
Here are five things to note from James’ mini-sermon:
First, the text says “WHEN troubles of any kind come your way…” It’s not if but when troubles come our way. We live in a broken world that has not yet been fully restored, so we shouldn’t be surprised when issues and challenges arise.
Second, the text says “when troubles of ANY kind come your way…” Not merely ...