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The First 24: One Man. One Mission. One Day.
By Canon David Roseberry
https://leaderworks.org/
November 3, 2022
From the Introduction to "The First 24"
In 2001, the thrilling series 24, starring Kiefer Sutherland, hit the television airwaves. It was fast-paced, gripping, and graphic. Jack Bauer, the lead character played by Sutherland, worked for "CTU," a fictional counter-terrorist unit of the US Government. The popular show was a combination of crime drama, political thriller, and action-hero series known for its relentless use of cliffhangers at the end of each episode.
What made the series so electrifying was the framework of the show. The entire 24-episode season told a continuous story that occurred in "real-time" over 24 hours.
I intend to do the same thing in this book.
The First 24 will cover the first 24-hour day of Jesus' public ministry in Capernaum as recorded in the Gospel of Mark. The events of the opening chapter (vs. 21-45) are written to be read as one busy, important, and inaugural day in the life of Jesus. The day begins with Jesus' entrance into Capernaum. Twenty-four hours later, he leaves the vicinity to move on "to other towns and villages." Everything that happened in those 24 hours is captured in verses 21 through 45 of Chapter One. If you do the math, you'll find that the events of the 24 hours are told in exactly 24 verses. This is serendipitous--a happy accident.
What follows in The First 24 are 24 chapters detailing the events described in the 24 verses covering the first 24 hours of Jesus' ministry in Capernaum as recorded in the Gospel of Mark.
Our deep dive will examine what happened in Capernaum during that first full day and discover hidden details and clues in each event. We will also assess what the event means and what it tells us about Jesus, his purpose, and his plan. Behind every episode, event, or vignette, we will discover a deep reality in the life of Jesus--that he not only did the things we will look at; he did them with a deeper and wider purpose in mind. He was on a mission. And as we look intently into everything that he did and said during those 24 hours in Capernaum, we will find treasures and insights that paint a vivid portrait of the Lord and why he came.
One reader wrote this after reading the book:
Innovative yet biblically faithful, this book held me captive to the last word. The practical examination and profound application of Mark's recording of a day in the life of our Lord Jesus is as informative as it is edifying. David Roseberry has gifted us with a deeply moving reminder that the one we claim to follow came to serve and not to be served. Every page is insightful and inspiring, and challenging.
The Rev Dr Johannes W H van der Bijl, author of Breakfast on the Beach: The Development of Simon Peter and For the Life of the World: The Multiplication of Simon Peter.
The Rev. Cn. David Roseberry
President
LEADERWORKS.
You can read more about this vital ministry here: https://leaderworks.org/
Order The First 24 here. https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BL3Q8ZW1/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_ZBCRHWCGAXN68T9V4MGR
Click here to Order The First 24 from Amazon: https://www.amazon.com/dp/B0BL3Q8ZW1/ref=cm_sw_em_r_mt_dp_ZBCRHWCGAXN68T9V4MGR
