When Jesus Moves Immediately: Finding Hope in the God Who Still Steps Into Our Story
By Aaron Hall
The Power Behind Mark’s Favorite Word
If you’ve ever sat down and read through the Gospel of Mark in one sitting, one word stands out like a flashing light: immediately. Mark says it again and again—more than forty times. At first, it might feel like an author with a short attention span or someone who simply enjoys quick scene changes. But Mark isn’t rushing because he’s impatient; he’s rushing because the arrival of Jesus demands movement. The Gospel is in motion because the Kingdom is in motion.
Mark is the shortest of the four Gospels, and yet it carries a weight and urgency that’s hard to ignore. He’s not giving you long speeches or elaborate genealogies—he’s giving you Jesus in action. And in doing so, Mark wants us to see a clear truth: when Jesus steps into a moment, that moment becomes the turning point. What was stuck starts moving. What was broken begins mending. What was dark shifts toward light.
This word immediately becomes a theological anchor in the story. It’s Mark’s way of showing us that God’s Kingdom doesn’t creep in quietly—it breaks in with authority. And even though our lives don’t always move at this pace, Mark invites us to remember that the presence of Jesus still has this kind of impact.
Jesus’ Presence Brings Real, Visible Change
When you start paying attention, you realize how often Mark uses 'immediately' to highlight Jesus’ authority over every part of life. It’s not just physical healings; it’s spiritual freedom, emotional restoration, and even creation responding to Him.
In Mark 1:31, we see Jesus take Peter’s mother-in-law by the hand. “And He came to her and raised her up, taking her by the hand, and the fever left her, and she served them.” This isn’t just a healing; it’s a complete restoration. One moment she’s down, the next she’s up—fully able to return to her purpose.
Then Mark 1:42 shows us the man with leprosy: “Immediately the leprosy left him and he was cleansed.” Imagine the layers of transformation here: physical healing, social restoration, emotional freedom. Years of isolation undone in a single moment.
Even the spiritual realm responds instantly. After Jesus rebukes the unclean spirit in Mark 1:25–26, we read that the spirit leaves the man. No negotiation. No delay. Jesus speaks, and darkness retreats.
These moments remind us that Jesus doesn’t need time to gather His strength or decide what to do. His authority is not a process—it’s immediate. And while we don’t always see Him act this way in our personal timelines, we’re meant to understand that His power is not limited, and His presence is never passive.
Immediate Doesn’t Always Mean Instant
This is where many of us live—in the tension between what we read in Scripture and what we experience in real life. We believe Jesus is able, but sometimes the healing takes longer. Sometimes the breakthrough isn’t instant. Sometimes we pray with all we have, and the answer comes through a process instead of a moment.
Mark doesn’t ignore this reality. His Gospel shows moments when the disciples misunderstand, when crowds wait, and when faith is stretched. He’s not promising instant solutions; he’s showing us that the arrival of Jesus is the decisive moment, even if the full miracle unfolds slowly.
Think about it: the moment Jesus stepped into Jairus’s story, the miracle was already in motion, even though it unfolded step by step. The moment the bleeding woman reached out to touch His garment, healing began even before she felt the full freedom.
This is true for us too. The presence of Jesus may not make every circumstance change instantly, but it guarantees that God is already moving. Sometimes the most important part of the miracle isn’t the moment everything changes—it’s the assurance that Jesus is near, guiding, strengthening, and sustaining us through the process.
Jesus’ Presence Still Comes Immediately
One of the most comforting truths in all of Scripture is found in Hebrews 13:8: “Jesus Christ is the same yesterday and today, and forever.” The same Jesus who moved with compassion and authority in Mark’s Gospel is the Jesus who walks with you today.
And while the external answers may take time, His internal work can happen right now. His peace? It doesn’t require conditions. His comfort? It doesn’t need perfect circumstances. His nearness? It’s as immediate as a whispered prayer.
Philippians 4:7 says, “the peace of God, which surpasses all comprehension, will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.” That kind of peace doesn’t wait for the situation to resolve—it meets you in the waiting. It anchors you when nothing around you makes sense.
Sometimes the miracle is the breakthrough. Sometimes the miracle is the strength to keep believing. Both are holy. Both are gifts. Both come from Him.
Encouragement for Your Waiting Season
Maybe today you’re carrying questions. Maybe you’re weary. Maybe you’re holding onto hope by a thread. If so, hear this: Jesus is not distant from your struggle. He is not indifferent to your pain. He is not slow in His concern for you.
He is near—immediately. He is present—immediately. He is working—even when you cannot see it.
Mark’s Gospel is an invitation to trust the Jesus who steps into our stories with authority, compassion, and purpose. You don’t have to pretend everything is okay. You just have to recognize that He is here, and His presence changes everything.
The Jesus Who Moved Immediately Still Moves Today
So today, lift your eyes. Slow your breathing. Invite Him into the middle of your moment. Not the cleaned-up version—this one. The real one.
Because the Jesus who healed the sick, silenced storms, confronted darkness, and restored the broken immediately is still moving in your life today.
Your situation may not shift instantly, but His presence will. And often, that immediate nearness becomes the very strength that carries you until the next miracle arrives.
He is with you—immediately. He is for you—immediately.
And He is moving in your story right now.
Aaron Hall is a husband, dad, Lead Pastor of Jubilee City Church in Daphne, Alabama, and the author of Redeem the Story. You can connect with him on Facebook, Instagram, and Substack.
