June '22
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Scripture
Mark 1:1-8
John the Baptist Prepares the Way
The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:
“I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way” -
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”
And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
Devotional
In September 2020, Perennial Devotionals launched its mission to make the Gospel accessible with a series in the Book of James. Over the course of thirteen weeks, we carefully inspected what it means to live a faith-filled life for God. We talked about perseverance, mercy, finances, and wisdom amongst many other concepts related to Christian living.
By choosing a book of the Bible to walk through, we can experience the Gospel and accept God’s word for what it is as we read. There is no underlying agenda, no subconscious bias twisting the words of God. There is no theme to alter how the Word is interpreted. When we walk through a book of the Bible, it’s just God’s beautiful, unfiltered, word.
For our second ever book of the Bible series, we will be working through the second book in the New Testament: Mark. Before we dive into the book of Mark there are two big questions we have to answer. The first of which being who was Mark?
Other books in the New Testament can provide useful clues in answering this question.
Acts 12:11-12
Then Peter came to himself and said, “Now I know without a doubt that the Lord has sent his angel and rescued me from Herod’s clutches and from everything the Jewish people were hoping would happen.”
When this had dawned on him, he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John, also called Mark, where many people had gathered and were praying.
Colossians 4:10-11
My fellow prisoner Aristarchus sends you his greetings, as does Mark, the cousin of Barnabas. (You have received instructions about him; if he comes to you, welcome him.) Jesus, who is called Justus, also sends greetings. These are the only Jews among my co-workers for the kingdom of God, and they have proved a comfort to me.
In Acts 12, Peter makes a miraculous escape from King Herod’s prison and retreats to Mary’s house. This woman named Mary was a Christian who opened her home as a safe gathering space for other Christians. The text indicates that Peter had been to this place before and he diligently mentions that Mary was the mother of Mark. Later on in Colossians 4:10-11, we hear Peter reference Mark in a letter he wrote while imprisoned in Ephesus.
Peter’s testimony throughout these scriptures gives us five clues as to who Mark is as a person. First, we learn that his name is John Mark, but he prefers to be called Mark. In the few places throughout scripture where John Mark is mentioned, there is always a note saying that he went by his surname, Mark. Second, Mark knew Peter and is believed to have traveled with him for some time. Mark was the son of a woman named Mary who dedicated her home to the Lord by providing a safe meeting place for Christians. Likewise, Mark was a cousin to Barnabas who traveled with Paul, sharing the Gospel and making disciples. Lastly, because of the four other insights on Mark, we know that he was a Christian. He was a believer of Christ and a follower of God the Father. His mission was not his alone, but God’s as well.
Who Was Mark?
His full name was John Mark but he preferred to go by his surname
He knew Peter and Paul
The son of a woman named Mary who provided a safe gathering space for Christians
Cousin to Barnabas
A Christian
The second question we have to answer is: what was the purpose of Mark’s writings? When reading the book of Mark, there is one distinct characteristic that immediately stands out. In comparison to other books within the New Testament, it is notably less descriptive. Scholars believe that this could have been because Mark intended his writings to be an introduction to the church in Rome before they received the writings of Peter. You can think of the book of Mark as an introduction, or a Cliff Notes version if you will, of the books still to come.
What Was the Purpose of Mark’s Writing?
To proclaim the good news of Jesus Christ.
To encourage the church of Rome while they awaited the writings of Peter.
Mark begins his book by sharing a prophecy of John the Baptist.
In the Old and New Testament alike, prophecies from Isaiah were referred to when talking about the Son of God. These were the prophecies that Mark would have heard as a young boy and the prophecies he would have recalled when seeing them unravel in real life. As such, it makes perfect sense that Mark decided to start writing by referring to the prophet Isaiah.
Mark 1:2-3
“I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way” -
“A voice of one calling in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.’”
Isaiah 40:1-5
Comfort for God’s People
Comfort, comfort my people,
says your God.
Speak tenderly to Jerusalem,
and proclaim to her
that her hard service has been completed,
that her sin has been paid for,
that she has received from the Lord’s hand
double for all her sins.
A voice of one calling:
“In the wilderness prepare
the way for the Lord;
make straight in the desert
a highway for our God.
Every mountain shall be raised up,
every mountain and hill made low;
the rough ground shall become level,
the rugged places a plain.
And the glory of the Lord will be revealed,
and all people will see it together.
For the mouth of the Lord has spoken.”
Isaiah 40 is titled ‘Comfort For God’s People’. Before Christ came, the promise of God’s son and those who would indicate his arrival were the hope and comfort for Israel. When Mark started writing by referring to this prophecy of comfort, he indicated that comfort had arrived and the hope of God’s people was on his way.
After introducing the prophecy of Isaiah as being fulfilled through John the Baptist, Mark describes the man in a manner that shows John lived according to God’s word when his conception was revealed to Zechariah.
Mark 1:4-6
And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
Luke 1:11-17
Then an angel of the Lord appeared to him, standing at the right side of the altar of incense. When Zechariah saw him, he was startled and gripped with fear. But the angel said to him:
“Do not be afraid, Zechariah; your prayer has been heard. Your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you are to call him John.
He will be a joy and a delight to you, and many will rejoice because of his birth, for he will be great in the sight of the Lord.
He is never to take wine or other fermented drink, and he will be filled with the Holy Spirit even before he is born. He will bring back many of the people of Israel to the Lord their God.
And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the parents to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous 0 to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”
Just as John the Baptist preached that one more powerful than him was coming, we can discern from Mark’s writing that we will soon learn of the One coming next.
As we begin walking through the book of Mark we will learn of Jesus’ life, who the disciples were, and the relationships that they had with each other. This journey through scripture will allow mutual new discovery and understanding of the Gospel as we compare Mark to other scriptures.
Reflection
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Take a moment and consider the book of Mark. As we enter into this study, where are your heart and mind at?
What potential joys, conflicts, or questions might impact how you interpret the text?
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As we started dissecting the first part of Mark, we learned that both the New Testament and Old Testament can provide contextual clues.
How do you think utilizing the Bible as a whole during this study will impact our understanding of the text?
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When the birth of John the Baptist was foretold, Zechariah was told that he should “never take wine or other fermented drink” (Luke 1:15). Later, we learn that John “wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey” (Luke 1:6).
How do you think John’s lifestyle was different from those around him?
Do you think his parents would have raised him with different rules because of what the angel said?
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Mark 1:7-8 shares the message of John the Baptist.
Mark 1: 7-8
And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
What other scriptures talk of this message?
What did John mean when he said “I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit”?
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Prayer
Heavenly Father,
Today we enter into a new Bible Study with the desire to learn more about you and your word. I pray that you would open our hearts and minds to your truth. That we would be able to lay aside any bias we have that might prevent us from hearing You.
Father, only you know what we have to learn from reading Mark, and only you can prepare us to receive its message.
I pray that you would guide my words, thoughts, and prayers during this study. Let my words come from you Lord. Let my thoughts be yours. Let my actions be yours. I desire to share the goodness of You Lord.
Father, I trust you, I praise you, I thank you.
In your holy name we pray,
Amen.
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