The Desert - Sermon On Mark 1:2-8 Series

That is the very last thing God said to his people, followed by 400 years of silence from heaven. No prophets. No word from God. For 400 years, ringing in the ears of the people, was this promise that God would send this Elijah figure to prepare the people’s hearts for God’s coming. They were eagerly watching for that, because they knew they were still in the desert. They came back from exile after 70 years, but that was nothing close to what God had promised in the second half of Isaiah. They were still in the desert and they knew it.

John as Elijah

Now, with all that background, can you see why Mark has the opening shot out in the desert? That’s where the story about Jesus begins – with Israel in a spiritual desert. God is distant, and his blessings and restoration and the glorious kingdom are a long way off. And the people are longing for that Elijah messenger to come, build that road so God will come back, pour out his Spirit, and turn their desert into a flourishing, fertile garden and forest. So then Mark calls all that to mind, and then look what he says: 2 It is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”— 3 “a voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ” 4 And so John came, baptizing in the desertJohn the Baptist is the guy. He is the promised Elijah. That’s implied in v.4, and confirmed down in v.6.

Prophet Costume

6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

Why are we given that information? There are a lot of things about John the Baptist I would love to know. If I could ask any 2 questions about him, I think last on my list would be his hairy wardrobe and his quirky vegan diet.

Whenever the Bible tells you about someone’s clothes, it’s not just to add color to your imagination, like when you’re reading a novel and the writer goes on and on describing the appearance of each character. That’s not the purpose. It’s always to tell you something about that person’s character or identity. And in this case, there can be no mistaking what the reference is. He’s dressed like Elijah. The opening chapter of 2 Kings gives the account of Elijah sending a message to the king to let him know he was going to die.

2 Kings 1:7 The king asked them, “What kind of man was it who came to meet you and told you this?” 8 They replied, “He was a man with a garment of hair and with a leather belt around his waist.” The king said, “That was Elijah the Tishbite.”

That’s how distinctive Elijah’s outfit was. It’s like Daniel Boone’s coonskin cap or Abraham Lincoln’s stovepipe hat and beard. As soon as you see it, a very specific person comes to mind. On Halloween, if you put a garment of hair and a leather belt on your kid and sent him out trick-or-treating, everyone would immediately say, “Oh cute! Look at the little Elijah.”

The Mountains are Unrepentance

Now remember – we were asking, “What are the mountains and valleys that are preventing God from coming back to the people?” The forerunner’s job is to eliminate those mountains and valleys. So if we watch and see what John does, then we’ll know what the mountains and valleys are. So what does John do?