The Advent Call: Love Through Preparation Series

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.).