DNOW 2023 Sermon 1- Who is Jesus, and Where does this Story Begin?

Who is Jesus?

Such a simple question, yet within it hangs the very balance of life and death.

This weekend our theme is Knowing and Following Christ, and in these two words we have the summation of the entire Christian life.

We will base our weekend in the Gospel of Mark, looking at key events that occur and unlock this story for us.

Tonight we are going to look first at John the Baptist, and how he prepared the way for the Lord.

Mark 1:1-8

Verse 1

We should note a few things.

We first note the word beginning, as it points to how this whole story of Jesus begins. It is led off with John the Baptist, but again there is something substantial about to occur. This is the beginning of the the redemptive work of God.

There has up to this point been nearly 400 years of absolute silence from God. No prophets, and no new word.

This where God breaks in.

Another note to be made is the word evangel, which we translate “good news.”

This was a common word used to describe when something big has happened and needed to be announced.

It also has tied with it a message of joy, because with this message comes salvation.

So a way we could understand this sentence would be “This is the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, which has occured and will bring future salvation.”

The next crucial thing we should see is that in this sentence we see the two major titles given to Jesus, which Mark uses to build the book around.

Jesus is called the “Christ” and “the Son of God.”

This description is the complete summary of the Christian message.

With this knowledge we now begin our transition into the events, that changed the world so long ago.

Verse 2-3

We have here a description of the one who was going to come before the Lord and announce His coming, but in order to understand we need some background information.

In delivering the Jews from Egypt, God called them out to the wilderness, where they wandered for a time before going into the promised land.

Later in the OT it was prophesied that another prophet was going to come and call Israel to come back to the wilderness and and prepare the way of the Lord.

Verse 4-5-

Here we have John the Baptist, Jesus’ cousin, baptizing people in the wilderness, and this baptism was linked to repentance and the forgiveness of sin.

People were coming to John seeking forgiveness and to return to a pursuit of the Lord.

They were coming back to the wilderness seeking after God.

Verse 6-

John was and is this promised prophet we were told about, and here we have yet another linking statement.

Verse 7-8

So John prepared the way of the Lord in two ways, first by leading the people back to the wilderness, fulfilling the prophesy, and he proclaimed the One who was to come after him.

The One who who was to come was so great that John was unworthy to touch Him, and He was bringing a greater Baptism.

This is the gospel of Mark and the Christian Message.

You and I are estranged to the King and we must be baptized and by this greater King.

John pointed and prepared the way and now Jesus the Messiah has come, the Son of God has come. The question for you and I is will we forsake this world and follow after Him.