Prepare the way of the LORD

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophets:

"Behold, I send My messenger before your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You."

"The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

'Prepare the way of the LORD;

Make His paths straight.'"

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 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. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 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. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

- Mark 1:1-8

In yesterday's reading, we read of Jesus' time of trial. We also read of Peter's denial of Jesus - and in Luke's Gospel, we are taught about Jesus' glance at Peter after the three times Peter denies being one of His followers. See If I tell you, you will by no means believe. For today, as we are in the season of Advent, the Lectionary begins readings in other Gospels, preparing us for the celebration of Christ's birth. Today's reading is the beginning of Mark's Gospel.

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. My study bible has some interesting notes on this passage. Here, it notes that "Gospel refers not to mark per se, but to the sacred story of the life, death and Resurrection of Christ, the Good News of salvation in the Kingdom of God (Matt. 4:17, 23). Beginning refers to the opening events of the ministry of Jesus, namely, the preparatory activity of John the Baptist and the baptism and temptation of Jesus, the Christ, the Son of God." We remember that in the early church, it wasn't the birth of Jesus that was the important celebration of this season, but rather the events of the Baptism by John the Baptist and the beginning of Jesus' public ministry.

As it is written in the Prophets: "Behold, I send My messenger before your face, who will prepare Your way before You." "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the LORD; make His paths straight.'" The prophesies quoted here are from Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3. My study bible notes, "Prepare Your way: John the Baptist, the last prophet of the Old Testament period, fulfills prophecy and prepares the people of God for the Messiah's coming. Hearts are softened to receive the Light." John comes, bringing the news - the good news of this gospel. Prophets have always taught about the spiritual realities that are seeking to "break through" in their gifts to the world. Do we listen to them?

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. A note here reads: "Baptism . . . for the remission of sins (lit. 'to let go' of sins) is a major part of John's preparation of the people for Jesus' coming. Later, in Christian baptism, God not only forgives our sins, letting them go, but He also brings us into union with Christ. (See Rom. 6:5.)" John's work is in some sense, groundbreaking. He is preparing all for what - or rather Who - is to come. We start with repentance, a turnaround, a change of mind - ready to receive the new.

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. A note on this verse says: "All the land of Judea . . . went out to him indicates the sweeping impact of the ministry of John the Baptist. He is perhaps the leading religious figure outside of official and rabbinic Judaism." This passage tells us some very important information for the setting of the birth of Jesus' public ministry: John's proclamation has captured the imagination of the people. It is a time of turmoil, oppression, uncertainty for the nation of Israel, the Jewish people. They look for the One who is to come - and heed's John's charismatic proclamation and ministry. People from all stations of life consider John the Baptist a prophet.

Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. A note here teaches that, "John's clothing is similar to that of Elijah (2 Kin. 1:8), indicating that he fulfills the prophecy of Elijah's return." Jesus Himself will teach that the prophecy of Elijah's return was fulfilled in John the Baptist, who had "the spirit of Elijah." Mark's Gospel, teaching us about John's clothing, seems to suggest that John himself was aware of this role. John's description is that of an ascetic - a person who puts the kingdom of God and his work for that kingdom ahead of all material concerns. His vow was for poverty and humility, and he had a widespread following.

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. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." A note here reads, "Baptism with the Holy Spirit means that only Christ, the Son of God, fully possesses and gives the Spirit. So to receive the Spirit we must be baptized in Christ and adopted as children of God (see Gal. 3:27; Eph. 1:5). In adoption, Christians become anointed ones; it was of these God said, 'Do not touch My anointed ones' (Ps. 105:15)." And the preparation is complete in John's message here: "There comes One after me . . . He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." And it is this for which we prepare - this is the great news, the revelation of John and the fulfillment of prophecy.

We see the great gifts of God inherent in the Scripture today, and it is a kind of earth-shattering news to think about. The awaited Messiah, "the Anointed One," is the One who will anoint us with the Holy Spirit. John comes baptizing with a baptism of repentance. We remember the Greek word in these texts for "repentance." It is metanoia - which literally means "change of mind." We are being prepared to have all of our expectations and ways of thinking changed, shaken up. We are being prepared for something new, a revelation of the incarnation of God amidst us, and for all that this will bring into our awareness, if we can but accept it. John's call for repentance is to introduce a radical gift giving and blessing: for God so loved the world that we are blessed with this extraordinary blessing and anointing by the Anointed One - and all the many multitudes of outpouring of that gift that will follow and extend into an infinite holiness for the world, incalculable in its giving to us. It all starts, in this story, with John the Baptist, who comes to us from the wilderness, in camel's hair, and a leather belt, who ate "locusts and wild honey." As we begin this journey, the light comes to us in a form of extreme poverty, of sacrifice for the sake of the kingdom of God. Could we be capable today of understanding the richness and wealth and gifts of infinite magnitude he brings? Are we ready, prepared, for this to be born into our midst? Could we see it today? We still need metanoia, repentance, for our eyes to be opened as widely as they need to be in order to grasp this gift! Let us think about that today, as we await the light we need to truly see.