Mark 1:4-13 Jesus and John, the Baptist in Mark
John:
According to Flavius Josephus, the Jewish Historian, ‘John the Baptist was a good man who commanded the Jews to exercise virtue, both as to righteousness towards one another, and piety toward God.’ John the Baptist was born under Herod the Great. He had seen Archelaus, son of Herod, after which a series of Roman prefects Coponius, Rufus, and Gratus including Procurator, Pontius Pilate. He met Herod Antipas during his ministry and took him into the Galilee area where he would have a fatal encounter with that Antipas (Matthew 14:1-12)- (Sandra Sweeny Silver).
John was a preacher and reformer. He lived in the wilderness and ate grasshoppers and wild honey. He wore primitive clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt. John bluntly told kings, defence personnel, religious leaders, tax collectors, Pharisees, and lawyers to repent. (Mark 1:6, 9:12-13, Matthew 3:11-12, 11:14).
Elizabeth and Virgin Mary:
The reading of the Scripture reveals that Mrs. Elizabeth Zachariah was the mother of John. The virgin Mary was his relative. Some versions of Luke’s Gospel call Elizabeth, Mary's "cousin," "kinswoman," or "relative." (Luke 1:36 and 58). ‘Behold, Elizabeth, your relative, has also conceived a son in her old age.’– NABRE. ‘Behold, your kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son.’– RSVCE. ‘Behold, your relative Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son.’ – ESV.
The word “cousin” is not found in Hebrew. But the Greek word for it is ‘Suggenes’. But it is used in English by its writers. Shakespeare, used this word sometimes for nephew, sometimes for niece; twice for uncle, once for a brother-in-law, and three times for grandchildren in his literature. So, it is clear from a reading of the scripture that John the Baptist and Jesus were relatives and cousins. They are blood relatives. The age difference between Mary and Elizabeth could be more than 30 years. But John the Baptist was three months older than his relative Jesus (ref: Aleteia).
Brothers and Sisters of Jesus:
Mark 6:3 and Matthew 13:55 give the names of the brothers and sisters. James was the eldest, Joses the next, then Simon and Judas, we cannot be sure which was the youngest because of the different order by both writers. The name Joses was a common abbreviated form of Joseph. Judas has been conventionally known as Jude. From the same passages of the Gospels that name four brothers, we learn also that Jesus had sisters (Galatians 1:19, 1 Corinthians 9:5). Later Christian literature (such as Protoevangelium of James, Infancy gospel of Thomas, Gospel of Peter, and Gospel of Philip) gives the names Mary and Salome.
The three major views on the brothers and sisters of Jesus:
Helvidius, Epiphanius and Jerome. The Helvidian view (catholic too) is that the brothers were sons of Joseph and Mary, born after Jesus. The Epiphanian view (Eastern Orthodox) is that they were sons of Joseph by a marriage prior to his marriage to Mary, and so were older than Jesus. The Hieronymian view (traditional western Catholic view) is that they were first cousins of Jesus (ref: the Gospel coalition).
Biblical References: Mark 1:2-3,4-5, 7-8, 9, 6:14-16, 17-20, 21-29, 8:27-28, Isaiah 40:3.
(For further studies in Mark, kindly refer this series)
