Mark
1:1-8
John the
Baptist Preaches and Prepares the People for
Christ
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 AHEAD OF YOU,
WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY;
3 THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING
IN THE WILDERNESS,
'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE
LORD,
MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.'"
4 John the Baptist
appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of
repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
5 And all the country of
Judea was going out to him, and all the people of
Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in
the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
6 John was clothed with
camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his
waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey.
7 And he was preaching,
and saying, "After me One is coming who is mightier
than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie
the thong of His sandals.
8 "I baptized you with
water; but He will baptize you with the Holy
Spirit."
This
is the Word of the Lord ... It is meant to change
the way we think, and the way we live.
Commentary
by Bob Pardue
John Prepares
the People for Jesus
Two thousand years ago this
announcement was made by John the Baptist who told
the people about the coming of the
Messiah.
A Real
Missionary
He was excited about this
good news and wanted to tell all who would listen.
If we were this elated about our walk with Christ
how many would we tell about it? What if all
Christians were as excited as John the
Baptist? These are some
real questions to ask ourselves as we read and
study this passage.
About Mark
Not being one of the original
twelve disciples, it is believed by many that Mark
probably knew Jesus. The gospel he writes is quick
and to the point and does not contain long, drawn
out stories. It follows Christ as a person of
action who meant what He said. In other words,
Jesus spoke with authority as is mentioned
throughout the New Testament.
The main point of Mark's
writings is to tell Christians in Rome, as well as
us, that Jesus is truly the Son of God.
Isiah
The prophet who predicted the
coming of John the Baptist and the announcement of
the Messiah was written a few hundred years
earlier. Isiah knew that Christ would come and
recorded it in Scripture. God kept His promise to
Isah and sent Jesus Christ as the
redeemer.
Then and
Now
Yes, the news was big at that
time in history but what about now? The fact that
God kept His promise means there is hope for us
too! We only have to believe and ask Christ into
our hearts in exchange for eternal life. What news
can we receive today bigger than this? Take a
moment and think about it.
Love in Christ
- Bob
If you have never made the
commitment to receive the love and life-changing
experience of knowing Christ, please take a moment
to read John
3:16 for more
information
Verses showing how John the Baptist plays a
main role in the preparation of Jesus are from New
American Standard Bible and study is credited to
Life Application Study Bible: New International
Version
More Study Lessons from
Mark
Mark
1:9-11 -
John
Baptizes Jesus
Mark
1:12-13 - Jesus Can be Tempted by Satan
Too!
Mark
1:14-20 - Fishermen Follow
Jesus
Mark
1:21-45 - Jesus Teaches and Heals with
Authority
Mark
2:1-12 -
Jesus
Heals a Paralyzed
Man
Mark
2:13-17
- Jesus
Eats with
Sinners
Mark
2:18-22
- Religious
Leaders Ask Jesus about Fasting
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