The Terrain January 8
Mark 1:2-3
2 As it is written in the Prophets:
“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.”
3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’ ”
Both prophets speak of a nameless messenger who will prepare the way before God. This is not about the messenger or the voice that cries out, but is about the message he bears: The Lord is coming; remove all obstacles and barriers to His coming, and prepare the people to receive Him.
Mark is giving us an understanding of what – and Who – is to come.
Literally, preparing the way means that the land must be made ready to receive the coming of the Lord by preparing a smooth straight road.
Figuratively, preparing the way means the heart must be made ready to receive the coming of the Lord by opening and receiving Him.
Though it be but a voice in the wilderness, the message that pours out is meant to transform the wilderness of the land into a garden, the Garden.
The terrain of the heart must be prepared, be softened and well-watered, for the seed of love to be implanted and grow.
Though few will open their ears to hear what is spoken in the wilderness, the message is meant to transform the heart of stone into a heart of flesh. Baptism, a rebirth, will prepare the heart with love, and the Garden will flourish again.
Thinking Repentance January 9
Mark 1:4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
The action of Mark’s Gospel begins with John the Baptist baptizing all who will come. His is the baptism of repentance.
Repentance is defined in our modern language as showing remorse or contrition for sin and our wrong actions.
This understanding of repentance is limited because it has been filtered through the lens of another culture, another way of seeing the world.
The people hearing John are steeped in the language of the prophets, but they are conflicted by the language of the current religious authorities. They hear John’s call, and they understand its meaning. The pathway to restoration is clear.
The Pharisees have moved the emphasis to law, and their law is based on a work of the hands instead of a relationship of the heart.
As the thought intended by John the Baptist passes from Hebrew (or possibly Aramaic) into Greek, the word becomes “metanoia,” Strong’s G3340. This is a compound word, literally translated as “think differently” or “think again.” The Greek culture emphasized the mind, and much of life for the Greeks is interpreted through the lens of thought and logic.
The Hebrew emphasis is more on relationship, the emphasis of Genesis through the prophets.
An integral part of Jesus’ mission is the restoration of the primary importance of relationship, both with God and with all the people of His creation.
Returning to God January 10
Mark 1:4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
In the Old Testament, and in the language of the era of John the Baptist, the Hebrew word, shub, (Strong’s H7725) meant to turn or to return. And this is what John the Baptist calls for people to do, to return to God.
John’s words recall the words of the prophets:
Malachi 3:7, “…Return to Me and I will return to you…,” and Isaiah 55:7,
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
God forgives those who return to Him, according to Isaiah. We cannot know our need to return until we acknowledge that we have gone astray.
Note that Isaiah says we are to return to God. In other words, God will always be there for us. He has not left us, but we have left Him.
Malachi may be misunderstood, but our act of returning allows God to once again be One with us. Unity with Him is impossible while we have chosen separation. “His return” to us is our opening the door to Him by our return.
John the Baptist cries out in the wilderness for a return to God. Who will hear the cry?
Who Comes Not? January 11
Mark 1:5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
The text appears to say that everyone in Judea, which includes the city of Jerusalem, comes to be baptized by John the Baptist. This is hyperbole, an exaggeration telling us great numbers of people came.
We know that those with vested interests in the Lord not coming are always in opposition to both John the Baptist and Jesus.
The very existence of the Pharisees as a sect, a religion, and a business, depends on them opposing a relationship of the people directly with God.
As middlemen in the transactions between the sinning public and the vengeful God, their economic existence depends on the separation of man from God. Their status is earned by their show of obedience to the multitude of laws they impose on the people in the name of God.
Forgiveness of sins is an expensive proposition at the Temple due to laws and regulations regarding the fitness of sacrificial animals. And there are high prices for animals deemed acceptable as sin sacrifices. Conversion of secular coins to Temple coins is an expensive transaction, also.
The Sadducees also are opposed to anything that upsets the status quo. Religion has its place, the Temple, and both High Priests named in the New Testament are Sadducees. The Sadducees give lip service to the Law, and this only as long as it does not interfere with the business of running the country. Even under Rome’s rule, they maintain their wealth and status.
When any Pharisees or Sadducees come to John’s baptismal service, Matthew says John calls them a brood of vipers and runs them away.
Who Comes? January 12
Mark 1:5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
The people not aligned with interests harmed by John’s message are the most likely to respond to his call. The appeal of forgiveness from God comes free with repentance, a return to the God who waits patiently for them.
John the Baptist calls to the people to return. He speaks in the language of the prophets, and he offers a path to forgiveness that tells of a merciful God. His message appeals to “the least of these,” to the outsiders and the whosoevers.
John preaches that God’s forgiveness comes without strings or a high price tag. He cries out for people to see how far they have strayed, and then to return to their Creator. His simple message of God’s free gift is appealing in its contrast with the Temple’s high price charged for forgiveness.
The message of the religious institution is the high cost of forgiveness, the great expense of being reconciled to God.
The message of John is on the cost of sin to the sinner, the benefits the sinner forfeits by leaving God.
Closing the heart to God is costly and brings bondage.
The love of God is free and brings freedom.
The Forerunner’s Uniform January 13
Mark 1:6-7 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose….”
John’s clothing is reminiscent of Elijah (2 Kings 1:8): a hairy garment girt with a leather belt. An animal skin and a belt made from leather seem appropriate for a wardrobe designed in and for the wilderness. The same wardrobe as Elijah is no accident. (Fashion was never a prophet’s strong suit, so to speak.)
His diet is wild locusts and honey. The locust insect comes first to mind, but the locust tree of the region yields pods filled with locust “beans.” Another name for the tree and its fruit is carob. This is a sweeter and more nutritious diet for the austere lifestyle of a prophet.
John’s most notable garment is the cloak of humility. There is no specific mention of this covering, but we see it in John the Baptist’s acknowledgment that someone greater is to follow.
To get down on the ground to fasten or unfasten the latch on another person’s sandals is an act of great humility. He says that he is not worthy even to do this menial task for the One who is to come.
This might lower the standing of the Baptist in our eyes. Perhaps it is more accurate to raise our estimation of the One who is to come.
Two Baptisms January 14
Mark 1:8 “… I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
John the Baptist speaks to the crowds about two different kinds of baptism. This verse sounds as if it is drawn from the message in Ezekiel 36:24-28
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
John is no priest in the line of Aaron but is a prophet in the line of Elijah. He and Ezekiel tell of a God who will wash clean and then restore with new life.
Water is more than a cleanser. Water is a blessing, a promise of renewal both outside and inside. Indeed, water is life, and living water is the Spirit. Water and Spirit are meant to be one.
Note that both John the Baptist and Ezekiel have God doing the work here. John and Ezekiel are both messengers. God’s sprinkling in Ezekiel is symbolic of God’s forgiveness, washing us clean of our rebellion against Him, blessing us. The work of changing a heart from stone to flesh is symbolic of God’s work of rebirth, restoring life as it was intended in the beginning.
We see this in John 3:3 when Jesus speaks to Nicodemus. Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born [a]again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Note that the footnote designation [a] offers “from above” instead of “again” as an alternative understanding of the Greek word.
We understand that the action of cleansing and receiving us is in God’s hands.
Next day
Mark 1:2-3
2 As it is written in the Prophets:
“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,
Who will prepare Your way before You.”
3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight.’ ”
Both prophets speak of a nameless messenger who will prepare the way before God. This is not about the messenger or the voice that cries out, but is about the message he bears: The Lord is coming; remove all obstacles and barriers to His coming, and prepare the people to receive Him.
Mark is giving us an understanding of what – and Who – is to come.
Literally, preparing the way means that the land must be made ready to receive the coming of the Lord by preparing a smooth straight road.
Figuratively, preparing the way means the heart must be made ready to receive the coming of the Lord by opening and receiving Him.
Though it be but a voice in the wilderness, the message that pours out is meant to transform the wilderness of the land into a garden, the Garden.
The terrain of the heart must be prepared, be softened and well-watered, for the seed of love to be implanted and grow.
Though few will open their ears to hear what is spoken in the wilderness, the message is meant to transform the heart of stone into a heart of flesh. Baptism, a rebirth, will prepare the heart with love, and the Garden will flourish again.
Thinking Repentance January 9
Mark 1:4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
The action of Mark’s Gospel begins with John the Baptist baptizing all who will come. His is the baptism of repentance.
Repentance is defined in our modern language as showing remorse or contrition for sin and our wrong actions.
This understanding of repentance is limited because it has been filtered through the lens of another culture, another way of seeing the world.
The people hearing John are steeped in the language of the prophets, but they are conflicted by the language of the current religious authorities. They hear John’s call, and they understand its meaning. The pathway to restoration is clear.
The Pharisees have moved the emphasis to law, and their law is based on a work of the hands instead of a relationship of the heart.
As the thought intended by John the Baptist passes from Hebrew (or possibly Aramaic) into Greek, the word becomes “metanoia,” Strong’s G3340. This is a compound word, literally translated as “think differently” or “think again.” The Greek culture emphasized the mind, and much of life for the Greeks is interpreted through the lens of thought and logic.
The Hebrew emphasis is more on relationship, the emphasis of Genesis through the prophets.
An integral part of Jesus’ mission is the restoration of the primary importance of relationship, both with God and with all the people of His creation.
Returning to God January 10
Mark 1:4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
In the Old Testament, and in the language of the era of John the Baptist, the Hebrew word, shub, (Strong’s H7725) meant to turn or to return. And this is what John the Baptist calls for people to do, to return to God.
John’s words recall the words of the prophets:
Malachi 3:7, “…Return to Me and I will return to you…,” and Isaiah 55:7,
Let the wicked forsake his way,
And the unrighteous man his thoughts;
Let him return to the Lord,
And He will have mercy on him;
And to our God,
For He will abundantly pardon.
God forgives those who return to Him, according to Isaiah. We cannot know our need to return until we acknowledge that we have gone astray.
Note that Isaiah says we are to return to God. In other words, God will always be there for us. He has not left us, but we have left Him.
Malachi may be misunderstood, but our act of returning allows God to once again be One with us. Unity with Him is impossible while we have chosen separation. “His return” to us is our opening the door to Him by our return.
John the Baptist cries out in the wilderness for a return to God. Who will hear the cry?
Who Comes Not? January 11
Mark 1:5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
The text appears to say that everyone in Judea, which includes the city of Jerusalem, comes to be baptized by John the Baptist. This is hyperbole, an exaggeration telling us great numbers of people came.
We know that those with vested interests in the Lord not coming are always in opposition to both John the Baptist and Jesus.
The very existence of the Pharisees as a sect, a religion, and a business, depends on them opposing a relationship of the people directly with God.
As middlemen in the transactions between the sinning public and the vengeful God, their economic existence depends on the separation of man from God. Their status is earned by their show of obedience to the multitude of laws they impose on the people in the name of God.
Forgiveness of sins is an expensive proposition at the Temple due to laws and regulations regarding the fitness of sacrificial animals. And there are high prices for animals deemed acceptable as sin sacrifices. Conversion of secular coins to Temple coins is an expensive transaction, also.
The Sadducees also are opposed to anything that upsets the status quo. Religion has its place, the Temple, and both High Priests named in the New Testament are Sadducees. The Sadducees give lip service to the Law, and this only as long as it does not interfere with the business of running the country. Even under Rome’s rule, they maintain their wealth and status.
When any Pharisees or Sadducees come to John’s baptismal service, Matthew says John calls them a brood of vipers and runs them away.
Who Comes? January 12
Mark 1:5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
The people not aligned with interests harmed by John’s message are the most likely to respond to his call. The appeal of forgiveness from God comes free with repentance, a return to the God who waits patiently for them.
John the Baptist calls to the people to return. He speaks in the language of the prophets, and he offers a path to forgiveness that tells of a merciful God. His message appeals to “the least of these,” to the outsiders and the whosoevers.
John preaches that God’s forgiveness comes without strings or a high price tag. He cries out for people to see how far they have strayed, and then to return to their Creator. His simple message of God’s free gift is appealing in its contrast with the Temple’s high price charged for forgiveness.
The message of the religious institution is the high cost of forgiveness, the great expense of being reconciled to God.
The message of John is on the cost of sin to the sinner, the benefits the sinner forfeits by leaving God.
Closing the heart to God is costly and brings bondage.
The love of God is free and brings freedom.
The Forerunner’s Uniform January 13
Mark 1:6-7 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose….”
John’s clothing is reminiscent of Elijah (2 Kings 1:8): a hairy garment girt with a leather belt. An animal skin and a belt made from leather seem appropriate for a wardrobe designed in and for the wilderness. The same wardrobe as Elijah is no accident. (Fashion was never a prophet’s strong suit, so to speak.)
His diet is wild locusts and honey. The locust insect comes first to mind, but the locust tree of the region yields pods filled with locust “beans.” Another name for the tree and its fruit is carob. This is a sweeter and more nutritious diet for the austere lifestyle of a prophet.
John’s most notable garment is the cloak of humility. There is no specific mention of this covering, but we see it in John the Baptist’s acknowledgment that someone greater is to follow.
To get down on the ground to fasten or unfasten the latch on another person’s sandals is an act of great humility. He says that he is not worthy even to do this menial task for the One who is to come.
This might lower the standing of the Baptist in our eyes. Perhaps it is more accurate to raise our estimation of the One who is to come.
Two Baptisms January 14
Mark 1:8 “… I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
John the Baptist speaks to the crowds about two different kinds of baptism. This verse sounds as if it is drawn from the message in Ezekiel 36:24-28
26 I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you; I will take the heart of stone out of your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.
John is no priest in the line of Aaron but is a prophet in the line of Elijah. He and Ezekiel tell of a God who will wash clean and then restore with new life.
Water is more than a cleanser. Water is a blessing, a promise of renewal both outside and inside. Indeed, water is life, and living water is the Spirit. Water and Spirit are meant to be one.
Note that both John the Baptist and Ezekiel have God doing the work here. John and Ezekiel are both messengers. God’s sprinkling in Ezekiel is symbolic of God’s forgiveness, washing us clean of our rebellion against Him, blessing us. The work of changing a heart from stone to flesh is symbolic of God’s work of rebirth, restoring life as it was intended in the beginning.
We see this in John 3:3 when Jesus speaks to Nicodemus. Jesus answered and said to him, “Most assuredly, I say to you, unless one is born [a]again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.” Note that the footnote designation [a] offers “from above” instead of “again” as an alternative understanding of the Greek word.
We understand that the action of cleansing and receiving us is in God’s hands.
Next day