ST. MARK 1:1-8
APRIL 11, 2009
WOULD YOU BELIEVE A MAN LIKE JOHN?
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus
Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I
send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before
You.” 3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “‘Prepare the way
of the LORD; Make His paths straight.’”
4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of
repentance for the remission of sins. 5 Then all the land of Judea,
and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him
in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt
around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he
preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I,
whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 I indeed
baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy
Spirit.” St. Mark 1:1-8 (NKJV)
Each of the Gospels begin in their own unique way. At first glance it
would seem that St. Mark begins his in the most uninteresting way.
St. John begins with the message that Jesus exists Eternally; that is,
He IS from before the beginning of the God-Created world that we know
today. St. Matthew and St. Luke quickly take us to the message of the
Birth of Christ as God sent His Son to earth. St. Mark does not
mention the birth of Christ; he simply begins by talking about a man
who comes walking and preaching in the Wilderness.
So, who is this man? St. Mark describes him as the fulfillment of the
prophecies in Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3. He says that John is the
messenger to come to them so that the way of the Lord might be
prepared.
The people from different places come to the Wilderness and there they
see a man dressed in materials from the wilderness and eating the
locusts and wild honey that was found there. If you came upon a man
like this, would you believe anything that he said? Probably not. We
hear of people like this preaching in parks and on street corners of
our major cities and either ignore them or seek to have them removed
because they are different and just don’t fit in.
Then why did huge crowds come to hear him, to follow him, and to be
baptized by him? They had a great advantage that many who call
themselves Christians do not have today. They knew the Scriptures
even though they did not have Bibles. There were only the scrolls
that were kept in the temples and most of the people probably could
not read. From their earliest childhood years they were told of the
Mighty Acts of God, they knew the history of the Jewish people and the
Laws that God put forth for them to follow, and they knew of the
Prophets and the prophecies. Knowing these prophecies, they eagerly
looked forward to the coming of the Messiah. Because of this
knowledge, they eagerly heard and believed a man like John because he
came with the words that their hope for the Messiah, who would free
them from their oppression, would soon be fulfilled.
We must ask ourselves:
How often do we pray before reading the Bible, listening to a sermon,
or attending a Bible Study?
How often do we read the Bible? By that I mean to intentionally find
a quiet place, no radio, no TV, no Internet, so that the Holy Spirit
can work within us so we can grasp, understand, and be excited about
God’s Word.
How often do you read something that bothers you or you don’t
understand and then just ignore it instead of seeking help to find the
answers that will make a positive difference in your life?
How often do you reject a “John” because he is different or because he
says things you don't agree with, or because of his personality?
We MUST like John so that we listen to Him, so that we can find hope
and rejoice in his words that one is to come who is mightier than
him?
We might not like John as a friend, but if we don't listen to him and
seek the One who is mightier than he is, then there is little hope.
What we need NOW is to believe and to rejoice that the Mighty One has
come because He loves you and me.
WE PRAY: HEAVENLY FATHER, You sent John the Baptist to prepare the
way of the Lord. Some believed, some did not.
You sent Your Son, Jesus, to die on the Cross and open the Gates of
Heaven to those who love You and keep Your Commandments. Some
believed, some did not.
You sent the Holy Spirit to call, gather, and enlighten us. Some
said, Yes, I will follow, some did not.
“Oh, may these hallowed pages be Our joy by day and night,
And still new beauties may we see, And still increasing light.”
(From, “Father of Mercies in Thy Word,” NetHymnal)
Lord, as I read and study your Word may I grow in my desire and
commitment to follow as You lead me to the joys of Life Eternal with
You. AMEN.
SUGGESTIONS FOR LIVING THE
DEVOTION
As important as it is to set aside time to eat and to sleep for our physical life, it is even more important to set aside time for our Spiritual life. Begin today to set aside and daily observe a time of Prayer, Bible Reading, and meditation. Begin with prayer as you ask God to send the Holy Spirit upon you and lead you in this time of Devotion. Start by reading one of the Gospels. Read slowly so that you can ask as you read: What does this verse say to me? Spend time in thinking about how you relate to the section that you read. Do you understand it? Are there changes you need to make in your life? Find a friend with whom you can share your reactions from your time of Devotion so that you and your friend can grow together in faith.
You say you don’t have time? Just remember that in Eternity, away
from God, you will have all kinds of time to wish you had taken time
today.