Untitled Sermon

Mark 1:1–8 NRSV

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’ ” John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Isaiah 40:3 is a very important verse, because, not only is it mentioned in the pericope, but also its broader context has much to say about what the Jews who came to John might have understood by listening to Him. What we find in Isaiah is that this passage was a clear Messianic text in which God was announcing that his glory should be revealed and that the God they awaited to rescued them was HERE!

Lk 3:15 shows that people so longed for the Christ that they were all wondering if John might not be the Christ.