Mark 1:1-8. [1:1] The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. [2] As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, "Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, [3] the voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'" [4] John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. [5] And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. [6] Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. [7] And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. [8]I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." (ESV)
As Advent is a time of preparation for the arrival of Christ, for us individually, it’s helpful for us to evaluate how we can personally and collectively engage in practices that ready their hearts for Christ. In doing this, we can seek out and remove anything that obstructs our relationship with God, receiving His love to penetrate and transform our lives. True preparation of anything, is not merely about waiting but involves actively engaging with God's call to repentance and renewal. Love as an action prompts us to align our lives with God's purpose and plan, therefore, this preparation leads us to a deeper and more loving encounter with Christ. Advent warns us that He is not only coming again but is indeed already among us
In Mark 1, Jesus is represented as the ultimate expression of God's love and the fulfillment of the prophecies through John the Baptist. John's ministry points directly to Christ, who embodies the love of God that comes not only to redeem but also to invite us into a deeper relationship with Him as we prepare our hearts to receive His grace. This love is not passive; it compels us to prepare actively for Christ’s coming in our lives, reshaping our hearts to reflect His character and purpose. If we embrace this call to preparation, we not only experience personal transformation but also become a conduit of love and hope for others.
In Mark 1:1-8, the Advent call is a call for love through preparation. The prophetic word asks us to abandon our frantic holiday preparations….that so drain people during the days leading up to Christmas that the day itself finds them spiritually empty and emotionally spent. Instead, we are to listen to the voice crying in the wilderness of our exhausting celebrations. John the Baptist’s message to prepare for the arrival of Christ is put in three ways to first 1) Prepare (Mark 1:1-3), 2) Purify (Mark 1:4-5), and finally to 3) Proclaim (Mark 1:6-8).
John the Baptist’s message to prepare for the arrival of Christ is to first to:
1) Prepare: Make Straight Paths (Mark 1:1-3)
Mark 1:1-3. [1:1] The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. [2] As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, "Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, [3] the voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'" (ESV)
Mark begins his Gospel by emphasizing the prophetic foundation and urgency of John the Baptist’s mission, underscoring the importance of preparing the way for Christ. This preparation involves acknowledging the need for spiritual transformation and engaging in acts of repentance. The declaration in verse 3 to “Prepare the way of the Lord” challenges us to clear the path for God’s love in our lives. We can see this preparation as an invitation to actively respond to God's love by creating space for His presence and influence among us. Consider how this speaks to our need for realigned priorities during this Advent season. In verse 1, the word “beginning” serves to recall that it is God who initiates redemption on behalf of His elect. What Mark celebrates is not merely the prophetic activity of John the Baptist but the redemptive activity of God in planning, initiating, and accomplishing, assuring and sustaining salvation (Lane, W. L. (1974). The Gospel of Mark. The New International Commentary on the New Testament (42). Grand Rapids, MI: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co.).
Mark begins with the communication about the Person: “Gospel”. “The gospel of Jesus Christ” well describes the entire work. Mark most likely did not intend it as a title of his book, however, because until about A.D. 150 the word “gospel” was used to refer to the Christian message, not to books that contained one aspect of that message (Brooks, J. A. (2001). Vol. 23: Mark (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (38). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.). The gospel of which Mark speaks is not a book but the story of salvation in Jesus. The word for “gospel” (Gk euangelion) literally means “good news.” In both the O and in Greek literature euangelion was commonly used of reports of victory from the battlefield. (1 Sam 31:9; see also 2 Sam 1:20; 18:19–20; 1 Chr 10:9). The messenger who brought the report was the deliverer of “good news” (2 Sam 4:10; 18:26). In the Greco-Roman world the word always appears in the plural, meaning one good tiding among others; but in the N euangelion appears only in the singular: the good news of God in Jesus Christ, beside which there is no other (G. Stanton, Inaugural Lecture as Lady Margaret’s Professor of New Testament, Cambridge, England, 27 April 2000.).
Please turn to Isaiah 61 (p.581)
The concept of “good news” was not limited to military and political victories, however. In the prophet Isaiah “good news” is transferred to the inbreaking of God’s final saving act when peace, good news, and release from oppression will be showered on God’s people (Isa 52:7; 61:1–3). For Mark, the advent of Jesus is the beginning of the fulfillment of the “good news” heralded by Isaiah.
Isaiah 61:1-3. [61:1]The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound; [2]to proclaim the year of the LORD's favor, and the day of vengeance of our God; to comfort all who mourn; [3]to grant to those who mourn in Zion-- to give them a beautiful headdress instead of ashes, the oil of gladness instead of mourning, the garment of praise instead of a faint spirit; that they may be called oaks of righteousness, the planting of the LORD, that he may be glorified. (ESV)
For Mark, back in Mark 1:1, the gospel refers to the fulfillment of God’s reign and salvation in the fullness of time (Isa 52:7; 61:1). In the appearance of Jesus in Galilee, a new age has dawned that requires repentance and faith. Mark’s written record of Jesus’ life is itself called a Gospel, and thus this same Jesus who overcame the grave in the resurrection from the dead is now the living Lord who is at work in the church and world, calling people to faith in the gospel. In Mark’s understanding, therefore, the gospel is more than a set of truths, or even a set of beliefs. It is a person, “the gospel of Jesus Christ.” The kingdom that God inaugurates is bodily present in Jesus of Nazareth (Mark the Evangelist, trans. J. Boyce, D. Juel, W. Poehlmann, and R. Harrisville [Nashville/New York: Abingdon Press, 1969], 130–31).
• The Gospel of Jesus Christ is both the content and object of any true discussion of the Gospel. It is not merely a subjective experience but rooted in the external historical person, Jesus Christ.
Mark therefore identifies The character of the Person: “Jesus Christ, the Son of God”. This title depicts Christ in three ways. First, as Savior. The name “Jesus” is the Greek equivalent of the Hebrew “Joshua” (both words have been anglicized), which means Yahweh (or simply God) saves. Second, as Messiah. “Christ.” This means the Anointed One which refers to Israel’s promised Messiah. At his baptism (1:9–11) Jesus was formally anointed for his special mission (Brooks, J. A. (2001). Vol. 23: Mark (electronic ed.). Logos Library System; The New American Commentary (38). Nashville: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
“Son of God” expresses the Deity identification of Christ. Mark is constantly ascribing divine qualities and activities to Jesus, showing that the author regards the Savior as being indeed the Son of God in the full trinitarian sense. The rest of Scripture also confirms this fact (Isa. 9:6; Matt. 28:18; John 1:1–4; 8:58; 10:30, 33; 20:28; Rom. 9:5; Phil. 2:6; Col. 1:16; 2:9; Heb. 1:8; Rev. 1:8). For anyone to say that Jesus was both wise and good, and then to turn around and affirm that he was not uniquely the Son of God is inconsistent, for if he was not God his claims were false. If his claims were false he could not have been wise and good. The denial of the deity of Jesus destroys the very foundation on which the Christian’s hope is built (Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953-2001). Vol. 10: New Testament commentary : Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark. New Testament Commentary (33–34). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.)
The threefold identification of Christ is a masterpiece of conciseness. We must be right on the identity of Christ or we have no “gospel” to proclaim. Jesus, whose name in Hebrew is a variant of “Yehoshua” (Eng “Joshua”), meaning “God is salvation,” is defined in Mark’s prologue as the “Christ” and “Son of God.” Son of God is a more complete title for Jesus’ person and mission than is Messiah, and is Mark’s blue chip title for Jesus, the chief artery of the Gospel. “The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ the Son of God” (1:1) is the prologue, indeed the topic sentence, of Mark’s Gospel. It may even be considered the title of the Gospel. In v. 1 Mark declares the essential content of the euangelion, the “good news.” The Gospel of Mark is thus not a mystery story in which readers must piece together clues here and there to discover its meaning; nor is it a pedestrian chronicle of dates and places without purpose or significance; nor is it reducible to a mere system of thought. Rather, from the outset Mark announces that the content of the gospel is the person of Jesus, who is the Christ and Son of God. It is a brief confession of faith, the meaning of which will unfold only as the reader follows Mark’s presentation of Jesus in the Gospel (O. Hofius, “Ist Jesus der Messias? Thesen,” JBTh 8 (1993): 117).
Mark specifies in verse 2, the writing in the prophecy. “As it is written” (Mark 1:2). The quotation is introduced with an authoritative formula common in both the Greco-Roman and Jewish worlds, “It is written” (Gk kathos gegraptai). In the Hellenistic world the formula frequently appears in introductions to laws or declarations carrying legal force. In the O it claims normative influence over hearers or readers by designating the authority of God, Torah, king, or prophet. The quotation of Mark 1:2–3 is identified as coming from Isaiah the prophet, although it is actually a tapestry of three O passages. That is why some translations render the quotations as to plural prophets in general. A number of uncial manuscripts (A K P W ?) ascribe the quotation in vv. 2–3 to “the prophets” rather than specifically to Isaiah. This change can be explained by the desire of later copyists to make the introductory formula more comprehensive, since the quotation in vv. 2–3 is a composite. The ascription of the quotation to Isaiah is more strongly attested, however, and is to be preferred (Metzger, TCGNT, 73; and E. Hoskyns and N. Davey, The Riddle of the New Testament (London: Faber and Faber, 1958), 44–46).
Now the work in the prophecy: he will prepare your way” (Mark 1:2). John the Baptist was Christ's messenger. John was the divinely-promised messenger, sent to prepare the way for the Messiah. In ancient times, a king’s envoys would travel ahead of him, making sure the roads were safe and fit for him to travel on, as well as announcing his arrival (MacArthur, J. J. (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Mk 1:2). Nashville: Word Pub.).
• Our lives go before the words of the Gospel. If we live lives positively congruent with the message of redemption, then our lives are forerunners to the message.
• For John the Baptist, the preparation involved preparing people for the coming of Christ. John the Baptist was to “make ready a people prepared for the Lord” (Luke 1:17). That is the work of all pastors, parents and others involved in sharing the Gospel to prepare others to meet the Lord. Everyone needs to “Prepare to meet thy God” (Amos 4:12), and John the Baptist prepared people to meet Him in the person of Jesus Christ.
In Mark 1:3 Mark specifies the wilderness in the prophecy: of the one:“Crying in the wilderness” (Mark 1:3). John was preaching in “the wilderness” (Mark 1:4), “the wilderness of Judea” (Matt. 3:1), a term indicating the rolling bad lands between the hill country of Judea to the west, and the Dead Sea and lower Jordan to the east, stretching northward to about the point where the Jabbok flows into the Jordan. It is indeed a desolation, a vast undulating expanse of barren chalky soil covered with pebbles, broken stones and rocks. Here and there a bit of brushwood appears, with snakes crawling underneath. It is clear, however, from Matt. 3:5 (cf. John 1:28) that the terrain of John’s activity extended even to the east bank of the Jordan. It is evident that, both in Isaiah and in John’s preaching as recorded by Mark, “the wilderness” through which a path must be made ready for the Lord is in the final analysis is the people’s heart, inclined to all evil (Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953-2001). Vol. 10: New Testament commentary: Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark. New Testament Commentary (36). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.).
Mark specifies the word in the prophecy: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare the way of the Lord”. The wilderness in Israel’s history symbolized rebellion and disobedience. The nation of Israel, after the deliverance of God and the Exodus from Egypt, disobeyed God by not going into the promised land. As a result they wandered in the wilderness for forty years before they actually entered the promised land as God’s people. By coming to the wilderness to be baptized, the people were admitting their wandering from God and their rebellion toward God and their desire for a fresh start (Cooper, R. L. (2000). Vol. 2: Mark. Holman New Testament Commentary; Holman Reference (7–8). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
Please turn to Isaiah 40 (p.561)
Mark cites Isa. 40:3–5 with the symbolic picture of the approach of Jehovah for the purpose of leading the procession of Jews who will be returning joyfully to their homeland after long years of captivity. In the Syrian desert, between Babylonia and Palestine, the way must be prepared for the Lord’s coming. So, a herald cries out to the people:
Isaiah 40:3-5. [3]A voice cries: "In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. [4] Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. [5] And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken." (ESV)
• Sin is a obstacle to a relationship with God. John the Baptist called people to repent and thus have the obstacle of sin removed. For his original audience they had to clear away all the obstacles which they had thrown into his path; such obstructions as self-righteousness and smug complacency (“We have Abraham as our father,” Matt. 3:9), and others like greed, cruelty, slander, etc. (Luke 3:13, 14) (Hendriksen, W., & Kistemaker, S. J. (1953-2001). Vol. 10: New Testament commentary : Exposition of the Gospel According to Mark. New Testament Commentary (36). Grand Rapids: Baker Book House.).
• Each of us is called on by God to first repent of our sin, which will be a hindrance to relationship with God and others, then take on that mantle of herald in calling people to repent of sin and be reconciled with God.
Finally, back in Mark 1:3, we see that in this reconciliation the call is to: make his paths straight. The verb “make” is present imperative, issuing a command to be obeyed continuously. It should be a habit with Israel, a constant attitude, not a formal. abrupt welcome and that is all, but a welcome that would extend on and on, a habitual welcome that would be the natural expression of the heart (Wuest, K. S. (1997). Wuest's word studies from the Greek New Testament : For the English reader (Mk 1:3). Grand Rapids: Eerdmans.).
• God wants us to have lives of joyful regular obedience, not begrudging occasional duty.
Illustration: As Isaiah, the prophet speaks of preparing a way for the Lord. It’s a vivid image of valleys being lifted and mountains brought low. It illustrates a deep heart transformation required to truly welcome Jesus. As we embark on this Advent season, let's examine the ‘mountains’ and ‘valleys’ in our lives—what pride might we need to lower? What humility can we elevate? Preparing for Jesus means adjusting our inner landscape to create a smooth path for His arrival in our lives.
John the Baptist’s message to prepare for the arrival of Christ is now a call to:
2) Purify: Confess and Turn (Mark 1:4-5)
Mark 1:4-5. [4] John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. [5] And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. (ESV)
Here we see John the Baptist actively calling people to repentance, illustrating that preparation for Christ is a communal and individual journey. John's baptism symbolizes purification and turning away from sin, embodying the transformative experience of God's love. As people confessed their sins, they demonstrated that love requires letting go of what hinders our relationship with God. This call to repentance urges us to reflect on our own lives, encouraging a responsive heart and a commitment to loving others as an outflow of our renewed relationship with God. The reference in verse 4, to the practice of the herald, John was a common Jewish name in NT times, it is the Gr equivalent of the Heb name “Johanan” (cf. 2 Kin. 25:23; 1 Chr. 3:15; Jer. 40:8), meaning “the LORD is gracious.” John’s name was given by the angel Gabriel to his father Zacharias, during his time of priestly service in the temple (Luke 1:13). His mother, Elizabeth, also a descendant of Aaron (Luke 1:5), was a relative of Mary the mother of Jesus (Luke 1:36). As the last OT prophet and the divinely ordained forerunner of the Messiah, John was the culmination of OT history and prophecy (Luke 16:16) as well as the beginning of the historical record of the gospel of Jesus Christ. Not surprisingly, Jesus designated John as the greatest man who had lived until his time (Matt. 11:11) (MacArthur, J. J. (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Mk 1:4). Nashville: Word Pub.).
Please turn to Matthew 3 (p.758)
John’s preaching of a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins was highly unusual for a Jew. Jews believed that only Gentile converts to Judaism needed to be baptized. The Jews were being asked to do something they had never done before. To call all Israel to be baptized meant that in some way all of Israel was defiled and needed cleansing. (Cooper, R. L. (2000). Vol. 2: Mark. Holman New Testament Commentary; Holman Reference (8). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
Matthew explains this in Matthew 3
Matthew 3:7-12. [7] But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? [8] Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. [9] And do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our father,' for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. [10] Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [11]"I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. [12] His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire." (ESV)
• We must not presume because we have made a profession of faith that God is satisfied. Genuine repentance is evidenced in fruit.
The baptism by John we see back in Mark 1:4, was a baptism of repentance. (Gk. metanoia) (1:4; Matt. 3:8; Acts 5:31; 11:18) Strong’s #3341: This Greek word is a compound word derived from meta, meaning “after” and suggesting some type of change, and nous, meaning “mind.” Thus the word strictly denotes “a change of mind.” But it also connotes remorse for sin, accompanied by a turning away from something and turning in a new direction. Israel was being asked to turn away from its disobedience and rebellion and to start anew by turning toward the coming Messiah. By doing so they would be forgiven—released—from their sins and would experience the grace of God through the Messiah. John preached repentance and baptized for the forgiveness of sins. That does not mean that his baptism forgave sins, but his ministry was preparatory. It was preparing them for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ into the world. Jesus Christ is the One who forgives sins. (Cooper, R. L. (2000). Vol. 2: Mark. Holman New Testament Commentary; Holman Reference (8). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.).
We now see the People for the Herald, in verse 5, where John’s baptism was one in which the person baptized confessed their sins Here, we note something about the crowd which came to John to hear him and be baptized of him. We see: the source of the people: “All the country/land of Judea, and all Jerusalem” (Mark 1:5). After centuries without a prophetic voice in Israel (Malachi had prophesied more than 400 years earlier), John’s ministry generated an intense amount of interest. Judea was the southernmost division of Palestine (Samaria and Galilee being the others) in Jesus’ day. It extended from about Bethel in the N to Beersheba in the S, and from the Mediterranean Sea in the W to the Dead Sea and Jordan River in the E. Included within Judea was the city of Jerusalem. The Jordan River was Palestine’s major river, flowing through the Jordan Rift Valley from Lake Hula (drained in modern times), N of the Sea of Galilee, S to the Dead Sea. According to tradition, John began his baptizing ministry at the fords near Jericho (MacArthur, J. J. (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Mk 1:5). Nashville: Word Pub.).
We also see: the size of the people: “All the country/ land of Judea … Jerusalem” (Mark 1:5). It is estimated that as many as three hundred thousand people came out to be baptized by John (Cooper, R. L. (2000). Vol. 2: Mark. Holman New Testament Commentary; Holman Reference (8). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.). Some Jews refused to go hear John, others refused to be baptized by John, Matt. 21:25, and others were refused baptism by John (because they could show no fruits of repentance), Matt. 3:7–9 (Gingrich, R. E. (1999). The Gospel of Mark (8). Memphis, TN.: Riverside Printing.).
Also note: the site of the people: “River of Jordan” (Mark 1:5). This was one place where the crowd convened. They also came to him in the “wilderness” (Mark 1:4) and then went with him to the Jordan for the baptizing. John’s ministry represents a fulfillment of the promise of a new exodus (cf. Isa. 11:11–15; 40:3–11; 42:16; 43:2, 5–7, 16–19; 48:20–49:11; 51:10) in which Israel is delivered from the wilderness, and, so to speak, enters into the river Jordan again (as in Josh. 3:1–4:24) to receive God’s promises of end-time salvation (Crossway Bibles. (2008). The ESV Study Bible (1893). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.).
Finally, we see: the sinfulness of the people: they were:“Confessing their sins” (Mark 1:5). The aim of John’s ministry was to get people to confess their sins so they would be ready for Jesus Christ’s ministry of saving them from their sins. To confess one’s sins, as they were being baptized, is to agree with God about them. John baptized no one who did not confess and repent of his sins (MacArthur, J. J. (1997). The MacArthur Study Bible (electronic ed.) (Mk 1:5). Nashville: Word Pub.).
• Calling people to repentance should be the basic message of everything we do. The aim is not for short term emotionalism, but people who would genuinely repent, which would be evident in long term fruit.
Illustration:
Imagine being given an invitation to a grand feast but having to arrive in dirty clothes. Advent calls us to wash ourselves clean before we meet the King. Confession allows us to shed the sin that taints our hearts. Just as the prodigal son walked home in rags, we too must face our past and repent, trusting in the embrace of a loving Father awaiting to welcome us back with open arms.
Finally, John the Baptist’s message to prepare for the arrival of Christ is now a call to:
3) Proclaim: The Greater Promise (Mark 1:6-8)
Mark 1:6-8. [6] Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. [7] And he preached, saying, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. [8]I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." (ESV)
This final section highlights John's role as a humble servant pointing to the greater One to come, Jesus Christ. Mark describes John's simplicity and focus, which are acts of love as he dedicates everything to his God-given mission. John baptizes with water, but his announcement of Jesus brings the promise of a mightier baptism with the Holy Spirit. This as a call to be humble and realize that the love and power of the Spirit can profoundly change lives. Our role then is in pointing others to the love and hope found in Christ. John the Baptist was not a TV evangelist who took in large sums of money from the people. John, like most true ministries, lived in poverty. It is seen in two ways. First, the dress in the poverty: “John was clothed with camel’s hair, and wore a leather belt/ a girdle of skin” (Mark 1:6). The description of John’s dress, nearly as unusual in John’s day as it would be in ours, recollects the garb of a prophet (Zech 13:4), and particularly of the prophet Elijah, who wore “a garment of hair and a leather belt around his waist” (1 Kgs 1:8). The Hebrew of 1 Kgs 1:8 describes Elijah’s clothing as a shaggy, goat-haired garment, which in Mark becomes a camel’s hair robe on the Baptizer. John the Baptist was markedly different from the typical religious leaders of his day. While many were greedy, selfish, and preoccupied with winning the praise of the people, John was concerned only with the praise of God. Having separated him-self from the evil and hypocrisy of his day, John lived differently from other people to show that his message was new. John not only preached God’s law, he lived it. Could people discover what we believe by observing the way we live? (Barton, B. B. (1994). Mark. Life application Bible commentary (11). Wheaton, Ill.: Tyndale House Publishers.)
Secondly, we see the diet in the poverty: “He ate locusts and wild honey” (Mark 1:6). The locust were dipped in honey to make them palatable. Although offensive to some modern Western tastes, the eating of locusts fell within Jewish dietary regulations (Lev 11:22; mHul 3:7) and provided a high source of protein and minerals. Several species of locusts were edible, and the Law permitted their use as food (Lev. 11:22). John’s diet may not have been confined to locusts and wild honey, but the wilderness afforded only meager choice for one’s diet. (Henry E. Turlington, “Mark,” in Matthew–Mark, ed. Clifton J. Allen, Broadman Bible Commentary (Broadman Press, 1969), 268.)
• We must consider our bodies as gifts from God that He desires that we are proper stewards of. They are vehicles of ministry. There are circumstances that are beyond our control, but for aspects like diet, we can nourish ourselves in a healthy manner, that properly fuels us for ministry. If we are constantly sick and lack energy, due to factors of poor diet choices, then we sin in not properly utilizing the resources that God has provided.
In verse 7, here we have some of John’s message to the people. He was the herald of Christ; and in these two verses, John announces the coming ministry of Jesus Christ. First we see: the sequence in the prediction: “After me comes he” (Mark 1:7). John entire purpose was to point people to Christ. John preached that Christ was in an entirely different category from the prophets, far mightier and worthy of infinitely more honor. (Joel R. Beeke, Michael P. V. Barrett, and Gerald M. Bilkes, eds., The Reformation Heritage KJV Study Bible (Grand Rapids, MI: Reformation Heritage Books, 2014), 1414.)
• Our purpose as a Church is not to entertain ourselves, but to worship and point people to Christ.
Secondly, we see: the superiority in the prediction. “he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie” (Mark 1:7). Unlike Matt 3:7–10 and Luke 3:7–9, which call attention to John’s message of reform, Mark focuses on John’s preaching of the “one more powerful” to come. This description of Jesus anticipates the compact parable in 3:27, where Jesus refers to himself as the only one powerful enough to bind the strong one, Satan. According to a metaphor of the day, John thought himself unworthy to untie the sandals of the Coming One. The loosing of sandals and washing of feet were duties of slaves, indeed of only Gentile slaves, in first-century Judaism. The metaphor bespeaks John’s humility and subordination in relation to the Messiah (see John 3:30). John emphasized by this figure the majesty and might of the Coming One (B. Harvie Branscomb, The Gospel of Mark, ed. James Moffatt, The Moffatt New Testament Commentary (New York; London: Harper and Brothers Publishers, n.d.), 15.).
• Is there a work of ministry that we can say is "not my job" or beneath me? Every one of us must realize that in salvation, we have been bought by Christ and are at His beck an call to do His work, His way.
Finally, the Spirit in the prediction: “I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."” (Mark 1:8). The water baptism by John was a symbol of the spiritual baptism by Jesus (Robertson, A. (1997). Word Pictures in the New Testament (Mk 1:8). Oak Harbor: Logos Research Systems.). Thes coming (Messiah) will show His power by “baptizing with the Holy Spirit,” a messianic reference to the prophesied outpouring of the Spirit, a sign of the last days (Isa. 32:15; Ezek. 36:25–27; Joel 2:28). In Isaiah 11:2 the Messiah is infused with “the Spirit … of might,” so this great power is seen not just in miracles and a mighty ministry but also in his baptism with the Spirit, meaning that not only will He possess the Spirit, but also He will immerse his followers in the Spirit (Ezek. 36:25–27), a power that only God possessed. This was fulfilled at Pentecost but is also fulfilled in the coming of the Spirit upon all believers at conversion (Rom. 8:14–17). (Grant R. Osborne, Mark, ed. Mark L. Strauss and John H. Walton, Teach the Text Commentary Series (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker Books, 2014), 15–16.)
Please turn to 1 Thessalonians 1 (p.924)
John’s baptism was symbolic and provisional of a more permanent and powerful reality to come. That is an extraordinary declaration, for in the O the bestowal of the Spirit belongs exclusively to God. John’s declaration, according to Mark, transfers the bestowal of the Spirit to Jesus, once again indicating that, as the Greater One, Jesus will come in the power and at the prerogative of God. The spiritual power of the messianic baptism will thus supersede the symbol of water in human baptism. “Holy Spirit” identifies the spiritual power of Jesus with God. Ultimate victory, according to John’s word, depends upon the entry of God’s power into the lives of the repentant (Henry E. Turlington, “Mark,” in Matthew–Mark, ed. Clifton J. Allen, Broadman Bible Commentary (Broadman Press, 1969), 269.)
The baptism of the Holy Spirit puts us into the body of Christ
1 Thessalonians 1:5-10, [5] because our gospel came to you not only in word, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with full conviction. You know what kind of men we proved to be among you for your sake. [6] And you became imitators of us and of the Lord, for you received the word in much affliction, with the joy of the Holy Spirit, [7]so that you became an example to all the believers in Macedonia and in Achaia. [8] For not only has the word of the Lord sounded forth from you in Macedonia and Achaia, but your faith in God has gone forth everywhere, so that we need not say anything. [9] For they themselves report concerning us the kind of reception we had among you, and how you turned to God from idols to serve the living and true God, [10]and to wait for his Son from heaven, whom he raised from the dead, Jesus who delivers us from the wrath to come. (ESV) (cf. Rom 1:2–4; 1 Cor 15:1–7;)
• In this one passage we have a description of the Gospel, the work of the Holy Spirit, the changed life, the impact of an example that it was and the historic reality of the person and work of Christ, accomplishing deliverance.
• Our calling, like a voice crying in the wilderness is to point to Christ by words and life to the Good news that is found only through Him. This is a call to get ready. John’s message is an urgent call to make our relationship with God our first priority. We are to do this by confessing our sin and turning in repentance toward God so that we are ready when the Messiah arrives. (Sheneman, Paul. Illuminate: An Advent Experience. 2011. Beacon Hill Press. Kansas City. p.28.)
(Format Note: Some base commentary from Edwards, J. R. (2002). The Gospel according to Mark. The Pillar New Testament commentary (22–33). Grand Rapids, Mich; Leicester, England: Eerdmans; Apollos.)
