THE GOSPEL OF MARK "Behold My Servant!"

The announcement by the forerunner          chapter 1vv2-8

• The written prophecies    v2-3  "As it is written in the prophets....."      The Divine record proclaims the coming of Messiah.   Quotation is made from the first and last of the old testament prophets, Malachi and Isaiah.   In both Malachi 3v1 and Isaiah 40v3 the context is that God is coming to earth and confirms Mark's presentation of Jesus Christ as the Son of God.   The coming of such an one requires preparation of the way....in both prophecies "Prepare the way of the Lord."   This will involve the turning of hearts from evil ways (Luke 1v17).   The concept of the forerunner preparing the way was well understood in the Roman empire.   As the armies of the empire advanced across the world, advance parties went forth to smooth the way for the oncoming army.   Paul alluded to this practice in Philippians chapter 1, in the use of the word "furtherance", which is best translated "pioneer advance".   Isaiah expands this in chapter 40vv3-5..."The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.   Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed....."   The ministry of John the Baptist was hard , preparatory, ground breaking work.   The results would only be seen in the coming of the Spirit in Acts chapter 2.
• The setting      v4   "John came baptizing in the wilderness, and preaching the baptism of repentance for (unto) the remission of sins."(Newberry margin)       Baptism, a whole body immersion in water, was a symbol of cleansing from sins in preparation for the Divine visit.   Simple water washing could not wipe away the sins of the soul, but it was symbolic of the need for cleansing in the sight of God.   Therefore it is called "the baptism of repentance", which suggests an inward cleansing of which the external washing is symbolic.   Repentance is metanoia, a reversal, a change of mind allied to a change of behaviour.   This was necessary for a people who had fallen into ungodly ways.   Repentance is required before we can have any dealings with God. This repentance is "unto the remission of sins(R.V.)   neither baptism, nor repentance can bring remission of sins, but they put us in a position , before God, where He can forgive us.   Remission is aphesis which means removal, deliverance, pardon, freedom from sins;   only God can do this.   Note the setting for this "the wilderness."   This was the place where John had spent most of his adult life (Luke1v86).   It was also where the nation had spent almost 40 years before entering the promised land.   It was a place of minimum worldly distractions;   it was the place where God tested His people;   it was the place which best summed up this world in it's departure from God....wild, barren , fruitless.....it is only there we can truly find God.
• The pilgrimage       v5 "There went out unto him all the land of Judea and they of Jerusalem. Mark uses exaggeration to infer a very great multitude who made the 40 mile journey to hear the prophet.   For 400 years the voice of God had been silent, yet the promises of God still filled their souls in expectation, especially since their land was occupied by the Romans.   Had the time finally come?   Is this the forerunner of Messiah?   Is our nation about to be delivered?   No mention of those from Samaria, the centre of the rival religion set up in mount Gerizim, for now it was only Judea who came(although Luke refers to "those from around Jordan".)   It is amazing how religious differences can span hundreds of years!   The baptisms took place at the river Jordan.   What memories must have been evoked by those who knew the history.   Jordan, where they followed the ark of God into the promised land;   where they rolled away the reproach of Egypt;  where they revived the rite of circumcision, the cutting off of the flesh;   from which they possessed the land of promise in the power of their God.   This was a place of national pride, but they had forgotten.   Now they confessed their sins;   the word is Exomologeo which is to acknowledge, to assent, to agree.   Literally it means to speak the same thing... to agree with God about their sin!!   Many today want to argue, but their argument is with God, who, alone, has perfect knowledge of all of us.
• The prophet       v6   Attention is now drawn to John himself, since it is always true that the man gives character to the message.   Note is made first of his dress, then of his diet.   The dress in scripture speaks of character(the "putting off and putting on" passages in the new testament)   Jesus interpreted the clothing of John in Matthew 11vv7-8.   He did it in two ways;  he was unshakeable "not a reed shaken by the wind";   he was hardy "not in soft clothing", he wore the rough and humble garb of the prophet, camel's hair and a leather girdle for his loins;   his appearance was humble, and his affections were controlled.   His simple diet was of locusts and wild honey.   His food was heavenly and sweet;   the locust represents the heavenly desires (Leviticus 11v21-22, "the flying creeping thing that goeth on all four, which have legs above their feet to leap withal upon the earth...").   He "...sucked honey from the rock..." (Deuteronomy 32v13).   This is symbolic of feeding on the sweetness of the one who is our rock (1 Corinthians 10v4).   The material food he lived on, no doubt mirrored his spiritual appetite.   His appearance, his affections, his appetite, all of a heavenly nature!
• The spoken prophecy     vv7-9  We have had the written prophecy, now we have the spoken prophecy from the last of the prophets and the greatest of men.   One coming after me,             greater in His person, and greater in His work    He is mightier than I... indeed I am not worthy to be his humblest of servants.   In a rich Jewish household there would be four strata's of servitude, the lowest being the slave who received visitors.   This would involve unlatching the sandals from the dusty feet and making them comfortable.   Says John, I am not worthy to do even that.   My work is to bring you to the point of repentance, but I have no real spiritual power to change you from within, but when He comes, H will baptize you with the Holy Spirit, He will bring real change, He will cleanse you from within.   When He comes there will be real removal of sins and cleansing, and change of lives.