The Man God Chose To Introduce His Son #1 Series

Great Lessons from the Life of Christ #1

The Man God Chose to Introduce His Son

Mark 1:1-8

(Parallel Passages: Matthew 3:1-12; Luke 3:1-18; John 1:19-28)

The great promise found throughout the Old Testament is that Christ would one day come into the world – not to right political wrongs or cure every physical and social ill – but He was coming to offer hope to a lost world – a world that finds itself separated from its Creator because of its sin.

By way of the cross, Christ provided a way for us to have a relationship with Him, and He invites us to pattern our lives after Him. That is what the Christian life is all about. It is about transformation into the image of Christ. Christ came for two reasons – to claim us and He came to change us. He wants us to belong to Him and He wants us to act like Him.

Though the Old Testament promises the coming Christ, the last two verses of the Old Testament end with a promise, not of the coming Christ, but the promise of the one who would come before Him and who would introduce Him to the world. That man’s name was John, and the Gospel of Mark begins by introducing us to him.

I want to work through the book of Mark in a series of lessons I am simply going to call – “Great Lessons from the Life of Christ.” I preach a lot of topical lessons, but the fact is, there is nothing we can do better than just take the Biblical text and work through it. You will know a week ahead the title and text of next week’s lesson along with parallel texts from the other three gospels. I hope you will take the time to at least read those texts. And then during the Sunday evening service, we will go deeper into the text. For example, tonight, will be interesting as we are going to take a look at who is this Mark who wrote this book and I encourage you to come back for that.

I just said that the Gospel of Mark begins by introducing us to the man whose job it was to introduce Christ. You have to wonder, what kind of man would God choose to introduce His Son to the world? Physically, he was the son of Zacharias and Elizabeth, born six months before Jesus. When he began preaching, because of his dress and message, he reminded the people of Elijah. What kind of speaker, preacher, communicator was John. What kind of a communicator did God choose to make the most important instruction that had ever been made?

There was a communication formula used by the ancient Greek orators that I really like, and it went simply like this: Ethos + Pathos + Logos = Good Communication.

Have you ever thought much about what makes a good communicator? What is it – what qualities and characteristics - helps one to get their message across effectively? And you might way I don’t know because it has been a long time since I’ve heard someone get their message across.” But you have heard people, who when they speak just have a way of connecting and getting their message across.

I have no idea how many formulas of effective communication have been proposed, but my favorite is an old one – in fact as old as the ancient Greek orators. Those ancient orators had a formula that went like this:

Ethos + Pathos + Logos = Good Communication

You are wondering – What exactly does that mean?

Ethos - refers to the character and personality of the man.

Pathos - refers to the conviction and passion of his heart.

Logos - refers to the content of his message.

Think with me about John for just a moment:

Ethos – that that has to do with one’s moral and ethical character.

John certainly had that box checked. A very humble man who lived a very simple life. He pointed people away from himself and to Christ. The simplicity of his life is seen in the way he dressed and in what he ate.

Then or now - in a very materialistic, self-centered world, humility goes a long way if you expect people to listen to you.

Pathos – has to do with the ability to appeal to the emotions.

John was a man of great emotion. The Bible describes him as “One crying in the wilderness.” He cried out against the hypocrisy of the religious leaders of his day and called upon everyone to repent of their sins and turn to One who could and would save them.

If you are going to be effective in delivering your message, you have to deliver it with conviction. John had that one covered.