Words of Grace

By Rev. Mahlon Nevel

Astonishment and amazement are the words used by Mark in his gospel to describe how the people reacted to Jesus. When they heard him speaking, “they were astonished.” (Mark 1:22)

And when they saw him doing miracles, “they were all amazed. “(V.27) His fame was beginning to spread throughout all of Galilee as the people wanted to see him and hear him wherever he went.

There was such a huge crowd of people gathered around him in the city of Capernaum, many of them couldn’t get close to him. When they saw him heal a sick man, they were all amazed.” (2:12)

When the disciples saw Jesus walking on the water as he approached their ship, they didn’t recognize him. Then he got into the ship with them “and they were amazed beyond measure, and wondered” (6:51).

May we ever be amazed at our Lord and Savior, and may we never lose that sense of awe in his presence. This is how Charles H. Gabriel put it:

“I stand amazed in the presence. of Jesus the Nazarene, And wonder how He could love me, A sinner, condemned, unclean… How marvelous! how wonderful Is my Savior’s love for me!”