He must increase, but I must decrease

 

 After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified -- behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!"  

 

John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.  You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.'  He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled.  He must increase, but I must decrease.  He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth.  He who comes from heaven is above all.  And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies, and no one receives His testimony.  He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure.  The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."

 

- John 3:22-36 

 

Yesterday we read that Jesus continued to teach Nicodemus:  "For God so loved the world that He gave His only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life.  For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world through Him might be saved.  He who believes in Him is not condemned; but he who does not believe in condemned already, because he has not believed in the name of the only begotten Son of God.  And this is the condemnation, that the light has come into the world, and men loved darkness rather than light, because their deeds were evil.  For everyone practicing evil hates the light and does not come to the light, lest his deeds should be exposed.  But he who does the truth comes to the light, that his deeds may be clearly seen, that they have been done in God."

 

  After these things Jesus and His disciples came into the land of Judea, and there He remained with them and baptized.  Now John also was baptizing in Aenon near Salim, because there was much water there.  And they came and were baptized.  For John had not yet been thrown into prison.  Then there arose a dispute between some of John's disciples and the Jews about purification.  And they came to John and said to him, "Rabbi, He who was with you beyond the Jordan, to whom you have testified -- behold, He is baptizing, and all are coming to Him!"  In the following chapter, it's clarified that Jesus Himself did not baptize, but His disciples were baptizing (see John 4:1-2).  

 

 John answered and said, "A man can receive nothing unless it has been given to him from heaven.  You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, 'I am not the Christ,' but, 'I have been sent before Him.'  He who has the bride is the bridegroom; but the friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly because of the bridegroom's voice.  Therefore this joy of mine is fulfilled."  John the Baptist is called the friend (meaning the "best man"), while Christ is the bridegroom.  My study Bible explains that the bride is the Church, the people of God.  Here John is confessing his role in the coming of the Messiah.  He is witness to the wedding of Christ and His people, and so he rejoices in that celebration.  

 

 "He must increase, but I must decrease.  He who comes from above is above all; he who is of the earth is earthly and speaks of the earth.  He who comes from heaven is above all.  And what He has seen and heard, that He testifies, and no one receives His testimony.  He who has received His testimony has certified that God is true.  For He whom God has sent speaks the words of God, for God does not give the Spirit by measure."  My study Bible comments that John expresses a humility that serves as an example for all believers.  His words express that he renounces all earthly glory and reputation for the sake of Christ.  In allowing Christ to increase in him, John thereby find true glory for himself.  My study Bible also claims that this statement further indicates the end of the old covenant -- for as the law vanishes, the grace of Christ abounds.  John's declaration is found in the liturgical calendar, as his birth is celebrated at a time when the sun begins to decrease in the sky (June 24), while Christ's birth is celebrated when the sun begins to increase (December 25).

 

"The Father loves the Son, and has given all things into His hand.  He who believes in the Son has everlasting life; and he who does not believe the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God abides on him."  Here John echoes the teaching of Jesus (see John 3:18).  My study Bible asks us to note the absence of the word "alone" in this statement of faith.  According to St. John Chrysostom, "We do not from this assert that faith alone is sufficient for salvation; the directions for living that are given in many places in the Gospels show this."  See also James 2:14-24.

 

John's statement, "He must increase, but I must decrease" is a model statement for all monastics, and an encouragement to all believing Christians.  St. Paul expressed the same idea when he wrote, "I have been crucified with Christ; it is no longer I who live, but Christ lives in me; and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself for me" (Galatians 2:20).   St. Paul has also written, "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31).  In "decreasing" so that Christ "increases" within us, we encounter the notion of theosis, or deification.  This is a theological word which describes a human being, through Christian faith, becoming more like God.  This is not to say that we human beings can become like God in nature or substance, but rather that God shares God's grace with us.  In Orthodox theological language, God shares God's energies with us.  In St. John's Gospel, Jesus quotes from the Psalms, asking, "Is it not written in your law, 'I said, you are gods'?" (John 10:34; Psalm 82:6).  My study Bible comments that we are gods in that we bear Christ's image, not His nature.  But through grace (or divine energies), we are to become more like God.  We were made in accordance with human nature, but in the image and likeness of God (Genesis 1:26).  Christ assumed our humanity, and, my study Bible says, even in the womb of the blessed Virgin Mary, this process of our own healing, of being renewed in God's image and likeness, was begun.  So therefore, those who are joined to Christ, through faith, in Holy Baptism, begin this process of "re-creation."  That is, being renewed in God's image and likeness.  In this sense, St. Peter writes that we become "partakers of the divine nature" (2 Peter 1:4).  This is our salvation, this healing in which all things come under the authority of Christ, and we become "children of God" in this sense of image and likeness.  John the Baptist hands off the old to the new covenant, as my study Bible says, and encapsulates this salvation memorably for all when he says, "He must increase, but I must decrease."  Christ is our Bridegroom, and we the Church, the faithful, are His Bride, to be joined to Him.  And therein is John's, and our, joy.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him

 

 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.  Because John had said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."  And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.  But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod.  Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.  So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, "Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter."  And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.  So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.  And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.  Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.

 

- Matthew 14:1-12 

 

Yesterday we read that when Jesus finished preaching in parables, He departed for His hometown of Nazareth.  When He had come to His own country, He taught them in their synagogue, so that they were astonished and said, "Where did this Man get this wisdom and these mighty works?  Is this not the carpenter's son?  Is not His mother called Mary?  And His brothers James, Joses, Simon, and Judas?  And His sisters, are they not all with us?  Where then did this Man get all these things?  So they were offended at Him.  But Jesus said to them, "A prophet is not without honor except in his own country and in his own house."  Now He did not do many mighty works there because of their unbelief.

 

 At that time Herod the tetrarch heard the report about Jesus and said to his servants, "This is John the Baptist; he is risen from the dead, and therefore these powers are at work in him."  For Herod had laid hold of John and bound him, and put him in prison for the sake of Herodias, his brother Philip's wife.  Because John had said to him, "It is not lawful for you to have her."  And although he wanted to put him to death, he feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.  But when Herod's birthday was celebrated, the daughter of Herodias danced before them and pleased Herod.  Therefore he promised with an oath to give her whatever she might ask.  So she, having been prompted by her mother, said, "Give me John the Baptist's head here on a platter."  And the king was sorry; nevertheless, because of the oaths and because of those who sat with him, he commanded it to be given to her.  So he sent and had John beheaded in prison.  And his head was brought on a platter and given to the girl, and she brought it to her mother.  Then his disciples came and took away the body and buried it, and went and told Jesus.   This account of the death of John the Baptist is given parenthetically, so to speak.  That is, this "backstory" is meant to tell us why Herod believes that Jesus is John the Baptist risen from the dead.  My study Bible comments that as part of God's plan for salvation, John's martyrdom allowed the coming of the Messiah to be announced to the souls in Hades, for John was the forerunner of Christ there as well as on earth.  Note also that John was held in such high esteem that Herod feared the multitude, because they counted him as a prophet.  My study Bible cites John the Baptist's strictly ascetic lifestyle; he lived in poverty and was clothed in camel's hair.  It notes that Herod's fear of the people's love of John is a testament both to the power of personal holiness and integrity, for the people held John in the highest esteem.

 

The gruesome scene in this story always comes around to remind us of the dangers of martyrdom, which are present to every saint.  John's life is also reflective of the Cross, even before the Cross came, for we can find images and meanings in Christ from both the old and the new.  The eternal realities given to us through Christ are not simply part of His story, for His life alone on this earth.  For Christ's story is the story of the earth; Christ's story is the central event of spiritual history.  For us who believe in Christ and call ourselves His followers, He is this pivotal center, and all else revolves around Him.  Therefore the truth of His life as Incarnate Son is present to us in all the stories of holiness, in all the Scriptures, in one form and another.  In John the Baptist we see sacrifice and gruesome suffering.  We see the highest esteem and love from the people, for his holiness was apparent, and made him a revered figure in his own time.  We see someone willing to live and die for his mission from God, giving up all things in order to serve God.  As my study Bible says, his own integrity created this esteemed image in the eyes of the people.  John the Baptist is considered the last and greatest of the Old Testament type prophets.  His life speaks to us of a fearless mission to truly embody what it is to "speak truth to power," as the popular saying goes.  But his depth of reliance on and commitment to God means that this truth comes from God, and it is this appeal of God to the people, and to the powers that be, that John represents, and for which he was martyred.  In his martyrdom is a picture of the Cross before the Cross would come to all of us, so to speak.  He embodies what it is to live a life transfigured in the light of Christ, but in the light of Christ to come, about Whom he spoke to the world, and sought to prepare the people to accept through a repentance in preparation for His coming.  John the Baptist's life teaches us about martyrdom and about greatness, for no other figure so strongly taught us about the life of Christ to come, and no other embodied, at the same time, the humility before Christ that uncovers the truth for all of us. For it is John who said of Jesus, "He must increase, but I must decrease" (John 3:30).  This is our own statement for the work of the Cross and the Holy Spirit in our own lives.  St. Paul put it this way:  "I die daily" (1 Corinthians 15:31).  Before the Cross came, John showed us his love of God, and pointed the way to Christ, just as he would do (according to the Orthodox tradition) for the souls awaiting Christ the Savior in Hades.  He is, therefore, in all ways true to his title, the Forerunner.  Let us honor holiness, wherever it is found, wherever Christ is revered, and the Cross is known and lived.  

 

 

 

 

I am "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Make straight the way of the LORD,'" as the prophet Isaiah said

 

 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"  He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."  And they asked him, "What then?  Are you Elijah?"  He said, "I am not."  "Are you the Prophet?"  And he answered, "No."  Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us?  What do you say about yourself?"  He said:  "I am

'The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

"Make straight the way of the LORD," '

as the prophet Isaiah said."

Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.  And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. 

 

- John 1:19-28 

 

Yesterday, the lectionary gave us what is known as the Prologue of John's Gospel:   In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.'"  And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.  For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  No one has seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.  

 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"  He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."  And they asked him, "What then?  Are you Elijah?"  He said, "I am not."  Here the theological Prologue to John's Gospel is finished (see yesterday's reading, above), and the testimony of the Gospel has shifted to the beginnings of Christ's earthly ministry.  Thus begins the witness of John the Baptist in today's reading.  This next part of John's Gospel, extending through chapter 2, verses 1-11, is another type of parallel with the book of Genesis.  Just as John's Prologue began with the words, "In the beginning" in order to give us a picture of the Logos, the Son of God in His divinity, today's reading begins the first of seven days given as the beginning of Christ's ministry in our world, as Incarnate human being.  It begins with John the Baptist, a highly revered figure in his time, whose ministry gave to Christ His first disciples, who had been first followers of John the Baptist.  

"Are you the Prophet?"  And he answered, "No."  Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us?  What do you say about yourself?"  He said:  "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  "Make straight the way of the LORD," ' as the prophet Isaiah said."  My study Bible comments that John the Baptist is a prophet, but not the Prophet, the Messiah, whose coming was foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).  Here John is quoting from Isaiah 40:3, identifying himself as the one who fulfills the prophecy of Isaiah as "the voice of one crying in the wilderness."  He, we understand, is the herald of our Lord's coming, proclaiming to all to be prepared for the coming of the Messiah.

 

Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees.  And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.   The Pharisees have come to him as part of the ruling Council, and those who wish to scrupulously regulate and examine the faith.  John by now is well-known.  Here John again points to Christ, "One among you whom you do not know."  John's baptism is not Christian baptism, but one of repentance in preparation for the Messiah.  

My study Bible explains of John the Baptist that the call to repentance was traditional for prophets.  Thus, his role in baptizing for repentance in preparation for the coming of Christ is one that fulfills the role of prophet, and John himself is traditionally considered in the Christian faith to be the last and greatest of the Old Testament type prophets.  My study Bible notes that John's baptism did not grant remission of sins once and for all (unlike Christian baptism with the Holy Spirit), but prefigured and prepared people for the baptism of Christ which was to come (see Romans 6:3-11).  It also notes that John is a figure of the Law in that, like the Law, he denounced sin but could not remit (or "put away") sin.  Both John and the Law point to the One who can remit sin, Christ.  There is another way to understand our text, and that is in keeping with the parallels to Genesis we're given in these first seven days of Christ's ministry, beginning with the call of John the Baptist to repentance in preparation.  My study Bible comments on this aspect of the text that on this first day, John the Baptist bears witness to the Light (see yesterday's reading, above), who is the Christ, in the presence of the Pharisees, those coming from the Council and in this sense representing the Jewish nation.  This parallels the creation of light on the first day in Genesis 1:3-5.  This call of the Baptist is extremely important, for it gives us a sense (as my study Bible suggests) of how the Old Testament calls us to the new, and points to Christ.  Clearly this preparation is essential for understanding who Christ is, for preparing the people to know the Christ, to receive the Messiah.  Many factors will be at work in terms of how the people accept or reject Christ and His ministry, not least of which are popular expectations which are false, but in fact John gives the true preparation by quoting Isaiah the prophet, showing how God has prepared the way for the Lord, and even for the Baptist himself.  What we may gather from this is first of all the importance of preparation.  When we journey along the road of faith, we may begin to observe that all that has come before in our lives, when taken in faith, can work together to point us to our salvation and a growing or deepening participation in the life of Christ, a deepening of our faith.  Secondly, the passage shows us unmistakably how John the Baptist is essential to this salvation economy, for each one plays his or her role in God's plan.  Nothing is wasted in the sense that each has a part to play.  It also tells us how greatly John was revered by the early Christians and remains an essential figure to our faith.  John is the Herald, or the Forerunner, the one who -- like the servants of a king, or a modern day diplomat or emissary who prepares the ground for a visit of a President or Prime Minister -- readies the people for the greater man's message.  John in this role is a model of humility, and serves today as such a model, especially for monastics.  The very creation of monasticism would be inspired by John and his role in the wilderness, for he lived his life in complete devotion to God.  Today the Feast of the Transfiguration is commemorated around the world, and it is important to remember, in this context, that the Transfiguration is about the revelation of the divinity of Christ to His disciples.  But perhaps most importantly, the Transfiguration (in Greek, Μεταμορφωσις/Metamorphosis) serves for Christians as the image of the Light which transfigures all things and especially transfigures us.  In the Transfiguration we are given to understand that faith is meant to be a process throughout our lives of transformation in the light of Christ, transfiguring our every day moments into something serving our salvation, a capacity for a growing and deepening faith and participation in Christ's life and kingdom.  In His light, we see light (Psalm 36:9), so that we may become the image He has for us.  So we listen to the Herald, John the Baptist, who played his part in teaching us about repentance and preparation, for the One who always makes all things new, and who continually asks us for, and gives us, repentance and renewal. 

Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased"

 

 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."

 

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." 

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

 

- Mark 1:1-13 

 

Yesterday we read that as the disciples discussed the experience of the two on the road to Emmaus with the risen Christ, Jesus Himself stood in the midst of them, and said to them, "Peace to you."  But they were terrified and frightened, and supposed they had seen a spirit.  And He said to them, "Why are you troubled?  And why do doubts arise in your hearts?  Behold My hands and My feet, that it is I Myself.  Handle Me and see, for a spirit does not have flesh and bones as you see I have."  When He had said this, He showed them His hands and His feet.  But while they still did not believe for joy, and marveled, He said to them, "Have you any food here?"  So they gave Him a piece of broiled fish and some honeycomb.  And He took it and ate in their presence.  Then He said to them, "These are the words which I spoke to you while I was still with you, that all things must be fulfilled which were written in the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms concerning Me."  And He opened their understanding, that they might comprehend the Scriptures.  Then He said to them, "Thus it is written, and thus it was necessary for the Christ to suffer and to rise from the dead the third day, and that repentance and remission of sins should be preached in His name to all nations, beginning at Jerusalem.  And you are witnesses of these things.  Behold, I send the Promise of My Father upon you; but tarry in the city of Jerusalem until you are endued with power from on high."  And He led the out as far as Bethany, and He lifted up His hands and blessed them.  Now it came to pass, while He blessed them, that He was parted from them and carried up into heaven.  And they worshiped Him, and returned to Jerusalem with great joy, and were continually in the temple praising and blessing God.  Amen.

 

 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.  My study Bible comments that gospel (in Greek εὐαγγέλιον/evangelion, literally meaning "good news" or "good tidings") is a reference not to Mark's writings per se -- but rather to the story of the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ.  That is, it is the good news of our salvation.  Beginning, my study Bible writes, points to the opening events of Christ's public ministry given here in Mark's Gospel.  Specifically, it begins with the preparation by the Lord's forerunner, St. John the Baptist, and Christ's encounter with him. 

 

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.'"   Mark the Evangelist quotes from Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3, indicating John the Baptist's highly significant place in salvation history.  John the Baptist's ministry is the fulfillment of these cited prophecies.  Mark reminds us that for the first Christians, the Scriptures were the Old Testament Scriptures; there was no New Testament when this -- the earliest dated Gospel -- was written.  

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.  John preaches a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.  In the Greek, the word for repentance (μετάνοια/metanoia, pronounced "metanya" in Greek) means "change of mind."  This call to repentance was traditional for prophets, but John calls people to preparation for the Messiah.  My study Bible comments that John's baptism did not grant remission of sins once and for all, but prefigured and prepared people for the baptism of Christ to come (see Romans 6:3-11).  John is a figure of the Law in that, like the Law, he denounced sin but could not remit ("put away") sin.  Both John and the Law point to the One who can remit sin.  We can see how revered and popular a figure he was in that 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."  John is notably clothed in a manner which is similar to that of Elijah (2 Kings 1:8), and this distinction is a clue that he fulfills the prophecy of Elijah's return (Malachi 4:5-6).  This will be later affirmed by Jesus (Matthew 17:12-13, Mark 9:11-13).  Again, the significance of John as fulfillment of prophecy indicates his stature as a figure of great importance in the Church.  Here, John reveals his own capacity as a prophet, as he prophesies baptism with the Holy Spirit.

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Mark's is the shortest of the Gospels, and here we read a brief exposition of Christ's baptism by John in the Jordan.  But this highly significant event, which in the earliest times of the Church was celebrated together with Christ's Nativity, is an Epiphany or Theophany.  My study Bible comments that Jesus does not need purification.  But by making the purification of humanity of His own, He accomplishes several things:  He would wash away humanity's sin, grant regeneration, and reveal the mystery of the Holy Trinity.  (Thus, the revelation here of the presence of Father, Son, and Spirit is a Theophany or manifestation of God.)  Therefore, my study Bible adds, Christ's baptism was necessary for the fulfillment of God's righteous plan of salvation.  It quotes St. Gregory of Nyssa:  "Jesus enters the filthy, sinful waters of the world and when He comes out, brings up and purifies the entire world with Him." 

 

 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.  Here we see the immediate action of the Holy Spirit, beginning Christ's public ministry.  The first thing necessary is this preparation of forty days in the wilderness, tempted by Satan, with the wild beasts, and the ministering  angels.  To be tempted is to be tested in fundamental areas of faith.  For the details of Christ's temptations by Satan, see Matthew 4:1-10, Luke 4:1-13.  Each temptation is regarding the use of His power, and especially Christ's loyalty to the Father.  The language here tells us of the powerful action of the Spirit; the word translated as drove (ἐκβάλλω/ekvallo) means to throw or cast out. 

If there is one thing we can gather from this beginning of Mark's Gospel, it is possibly an understanding of the need for preparation for an important event or undertaking.  Everything in the story of Christ's life and ministry unfolds with a certain level of preparation, a sense of proper steps to be taken in the accomplishment of something.  God does not just drop upon us, all at once, the most profound changes and mysteries.  Instead, we are prepared.  The prophets have come throughout the spiritual history of Israel, preparing the people for the Messiah, calling the people back to God.  Without the prophets, we would not have an understanding of the mission and ministry of John the Baptist.  The people would not have understood what he was about, what it meant that he was preparing the way of the Lord, that John is the messenger, the forerunner, the one sent in advance to prepare the people with baptism and preaching -- yet again, in the words of the earlier prophets -- repentance; that is, a call back to God and to the ways of God.  Ultimately, everything is a preparation for the Messiah, for the mission and ministry of Jesus Christ.  John comes in fulfillment of the prophets, crying in the wilderness, "Prepare the way of the LORD; Make His paths straight."  But then we observe, even in this briefest of the Gospels, the preparation of Jesus for His public ministry.  He first submits to be baptized in the Jordan by John, a way to "fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:14-15).  This accomplishes all manner of things, because Christ Himself prepares the waters for Christian baptism through this process.  Moreover, the Holy Trinity is revealed in the voice of the Father, the identification of Christ as Son, and the presence of the Holy Spirit which rests upon Christ.  Powerfully, Christ's public ministry begins with a manifestation of the Trinity, the fullness of the Godhead.  And then, immediately the Holy Spirit acts to throw Christ out into the wilderness, where He is tempted and tested by Satan in preparation for His ministry, with the wild animals, and ministered to by the angels.  The temptations of Satan test Christ's loyalty to the Father and seek to break that loyalty, which will be the all-encompassing power to complete His saving mission for the world.  Without that loyalty, we would not have our Savior nor our faith.  It is the one thing that the evil one must break in order to prevent Christ from successfully completing His ministry and mission to the world.  It is the thing that will be severely tested through rejection, heartbreak, pain and suffering, even betrayal by one of His chosen Twelve.  It is the one thing that will make His mission complete.  It is the one thing He will teach us that remains for us above all, as He taught us to pray, "Thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven" (Matthew 6:10), and to be like Him.  For all of the fullness of this mission, and for our own understanding of it, all of this preparation is necessary.  It is paving the way for the salvation mission of Christ.  God helps us to make Christ's paths straight, so that we are prepared to accept this giant, colossal gift we have been given, and to understand its fullness as it manifests as we are able to grasp it in our lives.  Jesus will go to the Cross, but we -- and the disciples -- will have been prepared along the way to understand the meaning and power of the Cross, and the mission of Christ to save, to redeem, to transform, and how we are also invited into that mission to follow Him as well.  Let us consider the power of preparation in our own lives:  how we are tested and prepared by circumstances for deeper challenges we might not understand in advance, how the power of prayer helps us prepare to be the people we need to be when we are challenged, how our own circumstances give us opportunities to make a deeper commitment to Christ and to living God's love in our own lives.  If we look upon life the right way, we might come to see everything we have received as preparation, including our mistakes and heartaches, the bad times and also the good.  The Gospel teaches us about the Old Testament Scriptures, and how they are preparation for the New, just as the Law and the Prophets were preparation for the gospel of Jesus Christ, the good news of our Lord.  John baptizes with water, but he knows the Lord will baptize with the Holy Spirit -- as we are taught to find and serve the things God asks of us.   Finally, let us look at a detail included by Mark, that Jesus goes into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan, and is with the wild beasts.  This hints to us deeply of preparation, for the first Adam in naivety and unknowing, and against the teaching of God, made a choice for wisdom beyond what humankind was ready to have (Genesis 2:16-17).  But Christ, who is the New Adam, is here to undo the effects of that choice, and to bring to us what it means to resist temptation and testing, to set aright and put us back in relationship not only with God, but even with the wild beasts of the wilderness, to set a world back together after it had been broken.  He gives us the way, and all that has gone before has been preparation.  Let us follow Him, for we may all become "beloved sons" by His preparation for us.

 

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God

Baptism icon (Epiphany "Revelation" or Theophany "Revelation of God"), Byzantine and Christian Museum, Athens, Greece

 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."

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.

- Mark 1:1-13

On Saturday, we read the last part of what is frequently called Jesus' High Priestly Prayer, which He prayed at the Last Supper (for the earlier part of the prayer, see first this reading and then this one).   Jesus prayed, "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one:  I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.   During our readings in Lent, the lectionary goes through Mark's Gospel, the earliest of the Gospels to be written.  My study bible explains that gospel literally means "good news" or "good tidings" -- ευαγγελιον/evangelion in Greek, from which the English word "evangelist" is derived.  One could also call it "good message."  One notes the word "angel" as part of its root; that is because the Greek word for angel αγγελος/angelos means literally "messenger."   This good message or good news refers not to Mark's writings per se, my study bible says, but rather to the story of the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the good news of our salvation.  Beginning, it says, points to the opening events of Christ's public ministry, namely the preparation by His forerunner, St. John the Baptist, and Christ's encounter with him.

 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.' "  Mark quotes from Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3, the words of the prophets who speak of the one sent as herald before the advent of the Christ.  These words speak of John the Baptist, also called Forerunner, and they tell us about his important place in the spiritual history of our faith, one who spans both the Old Testament and New, as the last and greatest of the prophets, and the one who prepares the people for the Christ.

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.  St. John's baptism is one of repentance, in preparation for the Messiah.  This is John's message to the people:  to prepare the way of the Lord, and to make His paths straight.  It is achieved through this baptism, which is not Christian baptism, but rather one of repentance in preparation for the Christ (the Messiah).   Mark tells us just how successful and revered John was as a holy man, as all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all were baptized . . . confessing their sins.  It makes clear the levels of expectation that existed, and the impact of John's message of preparation.

 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."  My study bible comments that John is clothed in a manner which is similar to that of Elijah (2 Kings 1:8), which it says helps to show that he fulfills the prophecy of Elijah's return (which Jesus affirms in Matthew 17:12, Mark 9:13).  Let us note John's role as prophet:  he prophesies the baptism that is to come through Christ and the Holy Spirit.  Noteworthy also is John's remarkable humility.  Although widely known and honored by all the people, John not only lives a radical poverty which shows his total devotion to the work of God which he is to do as prophet, but his words reveal that all things for him exist in relation to the Christ and the work he is to do to proclaim His coming.

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Mark's Gospel takes us quickly through the events of the beginning of the good news of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  This is the revelation of the Trinity through Christ's Baptism (called Epiphany or Theophany in the Eastern Churches), as it is a manifestation through the Father's voice ... from heaven revealing Christ as beloved Son, and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.  Again, Mark's Gospel is succinct in its treatment of this beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  What is treated in much more detail in Matthew and Luke (Matthew 4:1-10, Luke 4:1-13) is given very quickly in Mark's Gospel.  It is noteworthy that in the original Greek, Mark uses a word that literally means "to throw" Jesus into the wilderness.  It emphasizes the abrupt and powerful action of the Holy Spirit, and the Spirit's effective presence in Christ's ministry.

The work of the Spirit, in today's reading, is effective and swift.  Let us note that the descent upon Christ of the Holy Spirit is not meant to be a historical event, rather it is a revelation or manifestation of what always has been, just as the identity of the Son is a revelation of what always has been.  But what is "historical" -- that is, based in time -- is the beginning of the ministry of Christ, and that is why Mark writes that this is "the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God."  We begin with Christ's Baptism by John the Baptist because this is truly the beginning of Christ's public ministry.  In the early Church, this Baptism and Christ's Nativity (Christmas) were celebrated on the same day (this remains the case in the Armenian Apostolic Church, which celebrates both Nativity and Baptism on January 6th).  This is precisely for the reason that the early followers of Christ understood very well that this, indeed, is the "birth" of Christ's ministry in the world, and it starts with this revelation or manifestation of the Trinity -- including Jesus' identity as "beloved Son" -- through the Baptism by John in the Jordan.   And just as at the physical birth of Jesus in the world, the Holy Spirit is present and at work, facilitating this ministry.   In the Creed, it is stated that the Son became human by the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and therefore we have the Spirit present and at work both in the physical birth of Christ and in the birth of Christ's public ministry, this beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  It is most important that we understand the power of the Spirit at work, and the hand of God in all things related to Christ, including the Church and those gathered to Christ in faith.  This is a consistent understanding, therefore, in our faith, just as Mark quite clearly states that the Spirit is actively at work "birthing" this ministry:  God the Spirit "threw" (in the Greek) or "drove" (in the English translation) Jesus into the wilderness to begin His forty-day preparation for His ministry.  For forty days He is both tempted by the devil, and ministered to by the angels, while He is together with the wild beasts.  Importantly, as we are currently in Lent, let us note that this is the model and inspiration for our own period of prayer and fasting.  It is a time when we are to face our own challenges and to wrestle with them, placing them firmly in the hands of God, while we also may be ministered to by our angels and accompanies by the Holy Spirit at work in us.  Let us prepare for our celebration of His Resurrection, and also for our own "ministries" as faithful, as each of us play our own role in faith in relationship to Him, just as John the Baptist understood about himself.

It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose

 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"  He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."  And they asked him, "What then?  Are you Elijah?"  He said, "I am not."  "Are you the Prophet?"  And he answered, "No."  Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us?  What do you say about yourself?"  He said:  "I am

'The voice of one crying in the wilderness:
"Make straight the way of the LORD," '

as the prophet Isaiah said.

Now those who  were sent were from the Pharisees.  And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.  These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

- John 1:19-28

Yesterday we read that Prologue to John's Gospel:   In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.  He was in the beginning with God.  All things were made through Him, and without Him nothing was made that was made.  In Him was life, and the life was the light of men.  And the light shines in the darkness, and the darkness did not comprehend it.  There was a man sent from God, whose name was John.  This man came for a witness, to bear witness of the Light, that all through him might believe.  He was not that Light, but was sent to bear witness of that Light.  That was the true Light which gives light to every man coming into the world.  He was in the world, and the world was made through Him, and the world did not know Him.  He came to His own, and His own did not receive Him.  But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, to those who believe in His name:  who were born, not of blood, nor of the will of the flesh, nor of the will of man, but of God.  And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we beheld His glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father, full of grace and truth.  John bore witness of Him and cried out, saying, "This was He of whom I said, 'He who comes after me is preferred before me, for He was before me.' "  And of His fullness we have all received, and grace for grace.  For the law was given through Moses, but grace and truth came through Jesus Christ.  No one has seen God at any time.  The only begotten Son, who is in the bosom of the Father, He has declared Him.

 Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are you?"  He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not the Christ."  And they asked him, "What then?  Are you Elijah?"  He said, "I am not."  "Are you the Prophet?"  And he answered, "No."  Then they said to him, "Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us?  What do you say about yourself?"  He said:  "I am 'The voice of one crying in the wilderness: "Make straight the way of the LORD," ' as the prophet Isaiah said.   After the Gospel's theological Prologue (verses 1-18, yesterday's reading, above), John's shift is toward the beginnings of the ministry of Christ.  Starting with the witness of John the Baptist (today's reading), the Gospel proceeds to the calling of the first apostles, the first sign or miracle at Cana, and Jesus' rest at Capernaum.  John's Gospel begins with the opening words of Genesis ("In the beginning" -- see Genesis 1:1), and beginning with today's reading, parallels Genesis by giving us seven consecutive days.  Today's reading concerns the first day:  John the Baptist bears witness to the Light; that is Christ, in the presence of the Jews.  This parallels the creation of light on the first day in Genesis 1:3-5.  Here John the Baptist indicates that He is a prophet but not the Prophet, the Messiah, foretold by Moses (Deuteronomy 18:15-19).

Now those who  were sent were from the Pharisees.  And they asked him, saying, "Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?"  John answered them, saying, "I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know.  It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.  These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.  John's baptism is one of repentance, the traditional call of the prophets to the people.  It was a preparation for the baptism of Christ to come.  My study bible remarks that John the Baptist is a figure of the Law in that, like the Law, he denounced sin but his baptism could not remit (literally "put away") sin.  Both John and the Law point to the One who can remit sin. 

If we speak about beginnings, what do we think about?  All things seem to have beginnings, save the One who is eternal, who was already in the beginning, as yesterday's passage taught us.  Here in today's reading, we are given the beginnings of Jesus' ministry, and as we can see, those beginnings start with John the Baptist, who is also called the Forerunner, for his place in Christ's ministry.  He will lead his own disciples to Christ, who will become the disciples or apostles of Jesus.  But as we can see, one factor here in this beginning of Jesus' ministry is that John the Baptist is quite aware of his place in it.  He states that "it is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose."  John the Baptist announces the news of the Messiah to the leaders who come from Jerusalem, and in the tradition of the Church, we know him as Forerunner also to the souls in Hades, before Christ's death, descent to those same souls of all who have passed before, and Resurrection.  What we take away from today's reading is part of the infinite creativity of the Holy Spirit.  We may regard with wonder how each one has his or her place, just as John the Baptist knows his place as the one who is "The voice of one crying in the wilderness: 'Make straight the way of the LORD,' " the one prophesied by Isaiah.  As we will observe in the story of Jesus' ministry, there are those who truly fulfill God's word in a unique way, and they are in some sense complementary to the mission of Christ.  Each one has his or her role to play, and this is true of this observed beginning to which John testifies.  And then there are those who would usurp for themselves the place of God, not leaving room for this flowering of the Spirit and mission of the Messiah, who will be in conflict with Jesus' ministry, and already question John the Baptist as to what he is doing, due to the widespread attraction of his ministry among the people.  The Gospel so far has given us stories of beginnings, and perhaps we can also consider in our own lives how beginnings happen.  One thing seemingly unrelated to another may feed us our new beginning, God's word or work through others glimmers to us truths and meanings that serve to give us ministry and mission in our own lives.  As Jesus will say later on in John's Gospel, "I sent you to reap that for which you have not labored; others have labored, and you have entered into their labors" (4:38).  We all enter into the labor of those who have come before, and those who will come later will build upon our own, even those somehow at a tangent in relationship to ourselves.  New beginnings don't mean we necessarily have to invent the wheel:  to know our place in God's creation is to understand the complementary nature of God's diversity and the true ongoing creativity of the Holy Spirit.  Let us note that in the story of Christ, even those who somehow prefer darkness, who oppose this ministry, work together with all things to determine how the ministry goes.  We are reminded that through crucifixion, Jesus will trample down death by death.   When we pray for guidance, when we think about where we are, it is good to reflect upon this beginning of Christ's ministry, which starts here by the river where John baptizes, with one who proclaims himself to be beneath the role of servant to Christ (the One who "is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose").  The smallest start, nearly seemingly unrelated, can grow into the greatest mission, even with the faith of a mustard seed.  Let us consider today how many beginnings may be all around us, what may grow from things we don't quite yet understand, and how with grace all things work together (Romans 8:28).  As with this scene in the wilderness beyond the Jordan, we don't know how the infinite variety of the Spirit may lead us ahead, with what things great and small we claim, even daily, new beginnings.

You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased

 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."

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beats; and the angels ministered to Him.

- Mark 1:1-13

 In our previous readings, we were in chapter 17 of the Gospel of John.  Over the course of the past three readings, as we enter into Lent, Jesus gave us what is known as His High Priestly Prayer, which He prayed at the end of the Last Supper.   See the first and second parts of the prayer here and here.  On Saturday, we read that Jesus prayed, "I do not pray for these alone, but also for those who will believe in Me through their word; that they all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me, and I in You; that they also may be one in Us, that the world may believe that You sent Me.  And the glory which You gave Me I have given them, that they may be one just as We are one; I in them, and You in Me; that they may be made perfect in one, and that the world may know that You have sent Me, and have loved them as You have loved Me.  Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.  O righteous Father!  The world has not known You, but I have known You; and these have known that You sent Me.  And I have declared to them Your name, and will declare it, that the love with which You loved Me may be in them, and I in them."

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.'"  Gospel, according to my study bible, literally means "good news" or "good tidings."  (In the Greek this word is εὐαγγέλιον/Evangelion.  Another straightforward meaning is "good message.")   My study bible adds that this refers not to Mark's writings per se, but to the story of the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the good news of our salvation.  If we consider it, what it implies is the message of the whole of Scripture and the spiritual history preparing us for Christ.  The beginning, however, refers to these opening events of Christ's public ministry -- specifically, the preparation by the one known as the Forerunner, St. John the Baptist, and Christ's encounter with John.   The good news begins with the prophets, two of whom are quoted here, Malachi and Isaiah (Malachi 3:1, Isaiah 40:3).  John is thereby immediately linked with the long line of prophets of the Old Testament, of whom he is considered by the Church to be the final and greatest.  Malachi and Isaiah, and all the prophets altogether, prepare us for this salvation message, the coming of the Christ.  John the Baptist's ministry was all about the preparation spoken of by the prophets.

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."  John's preparation for the Messiah is one of repentance.  In the Greek repentance is metanoia, which literally means "change of mind."  More generally, it is to turn around, so to speak.  His baptism is one of repentance, but it is not Christian baptism which includes chrismation.  We're given the details of John's dress to further identify him as in the long line of the prophets of Israel.  HE is dressed similarly to that of Elijah (2 Kings 1:8).  Jesus will say that John fulfills the prophecy of Elijah's return (Matthew 11:14).  John pronounces the tremendous news, that the One is coming who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.  

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."  Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beats; and the angels ministered to Him.   Jesus' baptism is what is known as a Theophany, a revelation of God.  This event is also called Epiphany (meaning something like "shining forth" or "manifestation" which gives depth and meaning to circumstances).  It is the appearance of the Trinity, Father, Son, and Spirit.  Manifesting the love Jesus explicitly prayed about in the High Priestly Prayer in Saturday's reading from John's Gospel, above, this shining forth gives us the nature of all:  the love expressed by the Father, the true nature of God and the communion into which we are invited (1 John 4:7-8).  In another manifestation of that love, the Holy Spirit drives Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted for forty days, which is the foundation of our period of Lent we've just begun. 

John the Baptist was a figure of great influence in his time, and remained so for centuries afterward.  As an ascetic, he was the figure whom the earliest monks sought to emulate.  John, as we can see from his prophet's dress and lifestyle, lived purely focused on the kingdom of God, and the Messiah whose coming he heralded.   John is not at all a "worldly" figure, he is rather the one who loves God as fully as possible.  Many Christian saints have modeled their lives in similar fashion.   For those of us used to thinking of modern life as having all kinds of conveniences and luxuries as a key to good living, it may seem utterly paradoxical to think of a loving God that might ask us to deprive ourselves of these good things.  But what is missing from that question is the power in the love of God, and what that does for our lives.  If we are to put that first, and to put away all the things that take us away from the experience of that love, there is a fullness that we simply discount otherwise or fail to understand at all.  We all know the paradox that the more we have of some seemingly very good thing, the more we want.  Knowing and understanding what we truly need and how we need it becomes key to knowing ourselves as human beings.  We were created by a loving God for love and to be communing within that love; all the things of this world may be used to distract us from that very foundation to the fullness of our lives.  This is why Jesus teaches us to "seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things shall be added to you" (Matthew 6:33).  Epiphany is the manifestation of a greater reality behind all the things we think we see.  It is the shining forth of truth and depth that we might be missing when we only know the surface of things; the showing forth of true nature -- and thereby our true nature.  We are meant for something more than the material; on this our joy and salvation depend.  The Holy Spirit immediately acts to drive Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan.  We're told that He was with the wild beasts, and that the angels ministered to Him.  How is this a part of God's love?  How is it that One who is without sin needs to be tempted?  But Jesus sets the tone for all of us:  if even He is tempted, so shall we all be.  His temptations are material:  to power, to control, to security, to wealth, to fame.  But the exchange means He would be absent from the love of God, without which all the meanings of life become empty and dissolve into nothingness, a blind search for what we have lost.  The depth of love is lost. And this is salvation:  He brings that love to us in the good news of the Gospel.  Changing our minds is the way, turning around to understand the foundation we need for all else, that which builds up true meaning and depth and value, worth the sacrifice He will make -- worthy of whatever sacrifice is asked of us.  As we begin Lent, let us consider what all this means for who we are and may become.

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."

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. 

- Mark 1:1-13

 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.   Mark's Gospel begins at the beginning of Jesus' public ministry, which would not be complete without the work of John the Baptist.  John is considered the greatest and last of Old Testament-style prophets.  Mark quotes from Malachi and Isaiah, revealing the work of John.  Gospel ("good news" or "good message") refers to the story of the life, death, and Resurrection of Jesus Christ, the good news of salvation.  This beginning is about the preparation necessary for Christ's ministry.  In the early Church, Christ's Baptism by John and His Nativity (Christmas) were celebrated on the same day.

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."  John clothing and appearance reminds us of Elijah (2 Kings 1:8).  Later Christ will say that John is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Elijah's return (see Matthew 11:14;17:10-13; Mark 9:11-13).  John's image is one of radical poverty, complete commitment to doing the work of God he's given to do.  We note the significance of his understanding of Christ's work connected to the Holy Spirit.

It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.  And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  Then a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."   Christ's baptism by John is an occasion for Epiphany ("Manifestation") or Theophany ("Manifestation of God") in an appearance of the Trinity:  the Father's voice, the identification of Jesus as Son, and the Holy Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.  This is the moment transition between the Old Testament and the New, the beginning of Christ's public ministry.  The Church also teaches that through Christ's baptism, the waters of the world are sanctified for Christian baptism.

 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.  And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him. The work of the Spirit is immediate at this start of Christ's ministry.  His first work is to be tempted by Satan (see Matthew 4:1-10, Luke 4:1-13).  Each temptation is countered by Christ with reliance on God.  It is a preparation for His ministry; the temptations come as those which test Jesus in the areas of power, influence, and worldly glory.  They will manifest in various forms throughout His ministry, particularly with demands for proofs of His identity and authority.  That Christ was in the wilderness, in this start to His ministry, with the wild beasts, and the angels ministered to Him (as in the scenes of His birth), reminds us that He is here for the salvation not only of human beings, but for the life of the world.   All of creation is involved in this endeavor, this adventure.

An important theme in today's reading is preparation.  Mark's Gospel begins simply and briefly, but its focus is telling and informing us about the whole focus of the early Church.  Jesus' ministry is the true good news, and this is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ:  when the salvation plan for the world is brought forth.  We read of the preparation which is personified in John the Baptist.  He's a product of the whole history of Jewish spirituality.  He is the last and greatest in the line of Old Testament prophets.  His commitment to God and to a holy life is exemplary, legendary, and he is a figure revered in his own time for his commitment to truth and the God of Israel.  He "tells it like it is."  (And he will die for doing so.)  John is the Forerunner, in the title the Church has given him from the beginning.  His baptism of Jesus comes to prepare the way, as the quotations from Malachi and Isaiah emphasize.  It is John who "will prepare Your way before You."  John who has the voice which teaches to "prepare the way of the LORD."  John's baptism is preparation for the Messiah via repentance, but he prepares the world for baptism with the Holy Spirit.  Jesus' baptism by John is in order to fulfill all righteousness, preparing the fullness of the time for Christ's ministry and Christian baptism that will follow.  The manifestation of the Trinity is a fulfillment of this time -- all that has come before has prepared us for this.  And finally the Spirit drives Jesus into the wilderness, the temptations preparing Him for the public ministry.   All of this is necessary before Christ begins to preach to the world and offer us His ministry.   The salvation plan of God unfolds through time in a kind of fullness we witness in the Gospels; everything is prepared for this "now," this moment of revelation and manifestation.  All the characters in the Scriptures witness to us the importance of preparation for the fullness of the time, and the Church has followed with its own teachings about preparation.  Repentance, prayer, practices such as fasting, are all forms of preparation for the fullness of our own spiritual lives, for what it means to be in the here and the now, alert, awake, and mindful of what we are to be about.  How do you prepare for tests in your own life?  How do we make the best of the time we have, the preparation for difficult decisions, for making the most of talents, intelligence, and opportunities?  If we start with the mindfulness of God, the recollection of relationship in prayer, we can't be far off from sensing the importance of "fullness," all the capacities inherent in where we are right now, what God offers us, and how to make the most of it. What is your way of preparation?  How are you a part of God's "fullness" for the world?  Our expectations are filled through the work of preparation, the mindfulness in the varieties of our spiritual practice, the decision to "Follow Him."

Do not be afraid Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah.  His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.  And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.  But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.

So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.  And the whole magnitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.  Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.  And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.  But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.  And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.  For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink.  He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.  And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.  He will also go before Him into the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."

And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this?  For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."  And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.  But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time."  And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.  But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.

So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.  Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."

- Luke 1:1-25

In recent readings, in Matthew chapters 24 and 25, Jesus has been speaking to the disciples about the destruction to come in Jerusalem, and also about His return and the end of the age. (See the readings from last Saturday, Monday, Tuesday,  Wednesday, Thursday, and Friday).   On Saturday, Jesus finished His discourse, teaching about universal judgment:  "All the nations will be gathered before Him, and He will separate them one from another, as a shepherd divides his sheep from the goats.  And He will set the sheep on His right hand, but the goats on the left.  Then the King will say to those on His right hand, 'Come, you blessed of My Father, inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world:  for I was hungry and you gave Me food; I was thirsty and you gave Me drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you visited Me; I was in prison and you came to Me.'  Then the righteous will answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You drink?  When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or naked and clothe You?  Or when did we see You sick, or in prison, and come to You?'  And the King will answer and say to them, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me.'  Then He will also say to those on the left hand, 'Depart from Me, you cursed, into the everlasting fire prepared for the devil and his angels:  for I was hungry and you gave Me no food; I was thirsty and you gave Me no drink; I was a stranger and you did not take Me in, naked and you did not clothe Me, sick and in prison and you did not visit Me.'  Then they will also answer Him, saying, 'Lord, when did we see You hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison, and did not minister to You?'  Then He will answer them, saying, 'Assuredly, I say to you, inasmuch as you did not do it to one of the least of these, you did not do it to Me.'  And these will go away into everlasting punishment, but the righteous into eternal life."

Inasmuch as many have taken in hand to set in order a narrative of those things which have been fulfilled among us, just as those who from the beginning were eyewitnesses and ministers of the word delivered them to us, it seemed good to me also, having had perfect understanding of all things from the very first, to write to you an orderly account, most excellent Theophilus, that you may know the certainty of those things in which you were instructed.  We have begun the cycle of readings for Christmas, which aren't progressing systematically through a particular Gospel but will be selected from the various Gospels for the season and Nativity.   Today we begin with Luke.  His introduction gives us to understand that he was not a disciple from the beginning, but his perfect understanding comes from direct sources, eyewitnesses of Christ:  the apostles themselves.  The Gospel is dedicated to Theophilus, a prominent Gentile who had received Christian instruction (see also Acts 1:1).  My study bible cites St. Ambrose, who noted that the name Theophilus means "lover" or "friend of God."  Therefore, the saint writes, "If you love God, it was written to you."

There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah.  His wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth.  And they were both righteous before God, walking in all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.  But they had no child, because Elizabeth was barren, and they were both well advanced in years.   Herod is Herod the Great (father of Herod Antipas), who ruled Judea from 37-4 BC.  He was known as a great builder, who made tremendous renovations to the temple, rendering it one of the "Seven Wonders of the World."  But he had an equally renown reputation as a ruthless and vicious ruler.  My study bible says that an ancient prophecy of Jacob indicated the Messiah would come when a king ruled who was not from the tribe of Judah (Genesis 49:10).  Herod was a non-Jew calling himself the king of Judea; as such, messianic expectations were extremely widespread.  Zacharias and Elizabeth are righteous people; not just outwardly observant, but truly inwardly, of the heart.  The text teaches us that the holiness of the Baptist comes at least in part through the faith and piety of his parents.  For a woman to be barren was considered a public reproach.  But like many women of her Jewish spiritual heritage (Sarah, Rebekah, Rachel, Hannah, and Anna, the mother of the Virgin Mary), Elizabeth's barrenness was part of the fulfillment of God's plan for the salvation of His people, says my study bible -- it is God's story and its unfolding that we are reading, as told by Luke.

So it was, that while he was serving as priest before God in the order of his division, according to the custom of the priesthood, his lot fell to burn incense when he went into the temple of the Lord.  And the whole magnitude of the people was praying outside at the hour of incense.  Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing on the right side of the altar of incense.  And when Zacharias saw him, he was troubled, and fear fell upon him.  In the priestly system, each was assigned to a particular division.  There were twenty-four divisions in all.  Each would serve a week at a time in rotation.  Their responsibilities in the various duties in the temple were assigned by lot.  Zacharias in this way is assigned the duties of the high priest.  My study bible teaches that this event takes place at the time of the Atonement, when the high priest would enter the temple and make offerings for the sins of the people.  Just as we believe happens within our own liturgical practice, angels minister continually at the altar of the Lord, though usually unseen.  My study bible says that those priests of pure heart, like Zacharias, are occasionally chosen by God to witness this angelic liturgy.  Isaiah writes of their song, repeated in our services; Revelation reveals their worship in heaven.

But the angel said to him, "Do not be afraid Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John.  And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.  For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink.  He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother's womb.  And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.  He will also go before Him into the spirit and power of Elijah, 'to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,' and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord."   We remember that Zacharias was praying for the atonement of the sins of Israel (not a son).  But Gabriel's announcement tells us that both Zacharias' prayer for atonement and also Elizabeth will conceive a son, instrumental in the salvation history of Israel.  John the Baptist, says my study bible, will announce the atonement; he will identify Christ as "the Lamb who takes away the sin of the world" (see John 1:29).  The prophet Elijah was expected to reappear as forerunner of the second coming of the Lord (Malachi 4:5), as is several times noted throughout the Gospels.  John the Baptist will fulfill the spirit and power of Elijah as forerunner of the Lord's first coming (Matthew 11:14).

And Zacharias said to the angel, "How shall I know this?  For I am an old man, and my wife is well advanced in years."  And the angel answered and said to him, "I am Gabriel, who stands in the presence of God, and was sent to speak to you and bring you these glad tidings.  But behold, you will be mute and not able to speak until the day these things take place, because you did not believe my words which will be fulfilled in their own time."  And the people waited for Zacharias, and marveled that he lingered so long in the temple.  But when he came out, he could not speak to them; and they perceived that he had seen a vision in the temple, for he beckoned to them and remained speechless.   My study bible says that Zacharias is disciplined for his lack of faith, and yet it also serves as proof that the announcement of Gabriel is true.  The Messiah, it explains, was expected to fulfill three crucial roles that were held by various people in the Old Testament:  prophet, priest, and king.  We consider Christ to be true Prophet (Deuteronomy 18:15-18), true King (Luke 23:3, Isaiah 9:7, Micah 5:2), and the true High Priest (Psalm 110:4, Hebrews 4:14).  God has silenced the prophets for many years in preparation for the coming of Christ, and also permitted an illegitimate usurper (Herod) to occupy the position of the king of Judea.  In the last days before Christ's coming, the high priest is also silenced.  These three roles were therefore vacant, illegitimate and silent;  thereby all is ready for the Son of God to be revealed as Prophet, King, and Priest.

So it was, as soon as the days of his service were completed, that he departed to his own house.  Now after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived; and she hid herself five months, saying, "Thus the Lord has dealt with me, in the days when He looked on me, to take away my reproach among people."   My study bible once again notes the significance of the fact that for so long there had not been a great prophet in Israel, not since the time of Malachi (1 Maccabees 9:27).  It heightened anticipation of the Christ, the Messiah and would make it more evident when He came.  John the Baptist, as prophet preparing the way for Christ, as kept hidden until Christ was conceived.  After that, John was revealed through the prophetic act of leaping in Elizabeth's womb (Luke 1:41).

The story of Christ begins within a framework.  That is, within a framework of salvation for God's people.  The story of Christ doesn't begin here; it begins in Genesis, in the "speaking into being" of the world, of Creation.  John's Gospel reflects this very clearly, with its prologue teaching us about God the Word and the reflective phrase, "in the beginning."  It's a whole history and the story of God and God's Creation, God and God's people.  Right into the middle of this story we begin with Zacharias and Elizabeth, and the story of the one who is called the Forerunner, John the Baptist.  Christ Incarnate is the centerpiece of the full story, and without John, God's story of the Christ would not be complete.  John's story begins here, within the framework of expectation of the people of Israel, those who await a Messiah, a Prophet, a King, a great High Priest.  In the shadow of the Roman Empire, with all its modernizing influences, its great and vast worldly power, even the beautification and stunning glorious rebuilding and fortification of the temple into something grand enough for Herod and for Empire, into all this comes our story which appropriately begins with the prayer in the temple.   As powerful and complex as the world becomes, the time is always right to think about reconciliation, righteousness, and what it means to be a "people of God."  Who is the world built for, who was the temple built for?  In the midst of the Roman census, a child will be born!  He comes into the center of our world, our reality, our lives, and our history.  All our concerns and care, the things that impress us, the power that we might fear, the mighty structures we admire, the creations we respect -- all of it comes down to that one child in the middle of time, who makes God human and thereby truly roots us in what is humane.    We begin with the parents of the Baptist, the Forerunner, who remind us that all this is really God's story, and that we are called to see God in the midst of everything we think we see and know.  We keep in mind this is happening as Israel has not seen a sign, not heard a prophet, not had a true king, for a long while.  It's not about what we expect, and it's not about what we would choose if we were to make up this story on our own.  In weakness God's strength is perfected.  As we count toward the birth of the Christ and its commemoration, let us remember that God came to the world to show us, to help us, to find our way to Him.  We're not all to be the same, as our recent readings in Matthew have taught.  But to truly learn, we each must find His way for ourselves and to help one another to do so, in all humility.   In what way does God's story unfold in you?  Zacharias illustrates what it is to deny a possibility when it is revealed by God, based on our own expectations.  Let us remember that the least likely may be the very chosen above all, and remember today, in each moment, in a prayer,  the God of small beginnings.