John Prepares the Way

Gospel of Mark  •  Sermon  •  Submitted   •  Presented
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SCRIPTURE

[Mark 1:1-8] The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’” John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

INTRODUCTION

Today we begin a journey through the gospel of Mark. As may know, the Bible has four gospels: Mathew, Mark, Luke and John. Matthew, Mark and Luke have a lot of passages in common, so they are called the synoptic gospels - synoptic means “viewed together.”
The writer of this gospel is anonymous, but tradition has John Mark as the author based on external evidence - writings outside of the Bible itself.
Through these sources, we learn that Mark, or John Mark, does not write from first-hand experience with Jesus. He wasn’t a follower at that time. Later he became a Christian and was used by Peter as an interpreter.
[Irenaeus] And after their [Peter’s and Paul’s] death, Mark, the disciple and interpreter of Peter, himself also handed down to us in writing the things preached by Peter.
So Mark’s eyewitness source is Peter. Some think of Mark as the Gospel according to Peter.
We first read about John Mark in Acts 12. After Peter is miraculously released from prison by an angel, “he went to the house of Mary, the mother of John whose other name was Mark” (Acts 12:12) where many believers were gathered praying.
It was Mark who traveled with Paul and Barnabas, but later was rejected by Paul.
[Acts 15:36-40] And after some days Paul said to Barnabas, “Let us return and visit the brothers in every city where we proclaimed the word of the Lord, and see how they are.” Now Barnabas wanted to take with them John called Mark. But Paul thought best not to take with them one who had withdrawn from them in Pamphylia and had not gone with them to the work. And there arose a sharp disagreement, so that they separated from each other. Barnabas took Mark with him and sailed away to Cyprus, but Paul chose Silas and departed, having been commended by the brothers to the grace of the Lord.
We read in 2 Timothy that Mark’s relationship with Paul was restored in the end.
Peter affectionately calls Mark his son in 1 Peter 5:13. Perhaps Peter had a special fondness for this “failure” as he himself had failed Jesus three times yet was graciously restored.
What makes the Gospel of Mark unique?
Revelation 4:7 describes the cherubim around God’s throne as beings with four faces: the face of a lion, of an ox, of a man, and of an eagle.
Traditionally the church has viewed these four faces as an illustration of the fourfold
picture of Christ given in the Gospel accounts. Matthew is the royal Gospel of the King,
illustrated by the lion. Mark emphasizes the servant aspect of the Lord’s ministry (the
calf). Luke presents Christ as the compassionate Son of man. John magnifies the deity
of Christ, the Son of God (the eagle).
[Missler] Matthew, being a Levite, emphasizes Jesus as the Messiah, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Each of the subtleties of his design supports this primary theme. His genealogy begins with the "first Jew," Abraham, and continues through David and the royal line to the legal father of Jesus, Joseph. Luke was a Gentile and a doctor, and his Gospel reflects a very distinctive point of view, emphasizing Jesus as the Son of Man. His genealogy begins with Adam, the first man. From Abraham to David, his list is identical to that of Matthew. However, when he gets to David, he doesn't track through Solomon (the first surviving son of Bathsheba) but through a different son, Nathan (the second surviving son of Bathsheba). He continues through to Heli, the father of Mary. (Joseph is the son-in-law of Heli).
John had a very distinctive view, emphasizing Jesus as the Son of God. He focuses on who Jesus was . His "genealogy" is that of the Preexistent One, constituting his opening verses. His Gospel is organized around seven miracles, seven discourses, and seven "I AM" statements.
Mark is the amanuensis (secretary) for Peter, and he emphasizes Jesus as the obedient Servant of YHWH. His is the only Gospel with no concern for pedigree or genealogy. He focuses on what Jesus did ; it deals in graphic images, almost like a movie or video shooting script.
[Robertson] The Gospel of Mark pictures Christ in action. There is a minimum of discourse and a maximum of deeds.
Historically, “the ancient church usually bypassed copying, studying, and teaching Mark in preference to Matthew and Luke because they saw Mark as a "reader's digest" version (i.e., abridged Gospel), a view which is specifically stated later by Augustine.
Mark is not often quoted by the early Greek church fathers or the second century apologists (defenders of the faith). Since the rise of the modern historical-grammatical approach to biblical interpretation, the Gospel of Mark has taken on new significance because it is viewed as the first written Gospel. Both Matthew and Luke use its outline in their presentations of Jesus' life and significance. Thereby Mark becomes the foundational document of the church, the first official written account of Jesus' life.” (Bible.org)

INSTRUCTION

THE GOSPEL

[1:1] The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Gospel (G2098) = good news, glad tidings from God to man of redemption and peace.
It’s the gospel of Jesus, the Christ, the anointed One, the Messiah, Son of God, God incarnate. The good news came about because of Jesus.
[1 Corinthians 15:1-6] Now I would remind you, brothers, of the gospel I preached to you, which you received, in which you stand, and by which you are being saved, if you hold fast to the word I preached to you—unless you believed in vain. For I delivered to you as of first importance what I also received: that Christ died for our sins in accordance with the Scriptures, that he was buried, that he was raised on the third day in accordance with the Scriptures, and that he appeared to Cephas, then to the twelve. Then he appeared to more than five hundred brothers at one time, most of whom are still alive, though some have fallen asleep.
Paul makes two statements backed up with “in accordance with the Scriptures” which means they were prophesied in the Old Testament:
Christ died for our sins
He was raised on the third day
Paul also includes some important details in this chapter of 1 Corinthians:
He was buried - this verifies the first truth that Christ DIED
He appeared to Peter, the disciples, and more than 500 - this verifies the truth that Christ rose on the third
These are the essential truths of the gospel. And thus, to believe the gospel, we must confess these two truths. And to preach the gospel, we must proclaim these two truths.
Dr. Paul Rees said, “The Gospel is neither a discussion nor a debate. It is an announcement.”

JOHN’S APPEARANCE FORETOLD

[Mark 1:2-3] As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’”
[MacArthur] In ancient times, a king's envoys would travel ahead of him, making sure the roads were safe and fit for him to travel on, as well as announcing his arrival.
John’s appearance was foretold by two prophets and an angel.

ISAIAH’S PROPHECY

[Isaiah 40:1-3] Comfort, comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that her warfare is ended, that her iniquity is pardoned, that she has received from the LORD's hand double for all her sins. A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

MALACHI’S PROPHECY

[Malachi 3:1] “Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me. And the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple; and the messenger of the covenant in whom you delight, behold, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts.
[Malachi 4:5-6] “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the LORD comes. And he will turn the hearts of fathers to their children and the hearts of children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land with a decree of utter destruction.”
That last prophetic word from Malachi ushered in 400 years of silence for the Jewish people. This 400 years should sound familiar.
[Genesis 15:13] Then the LORD said to Abram, “Know for certain that your offspring will be sojourners in a land that is not theirs and will be servants there, and they will be afflicted for four hundred years. For the OT Jew, that 400 years ended when God sent a deliverer, Moses. Moses would free God’s people from their bondage in Egypt.
For the NT Jew, that 400 years ended when God sent THE deliverer, Jesus. Jesus freed His people from their bondage to sin.

THE ANGEL’S PROPHECY

[Luke 1:13-17] But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zechariah, for your prayer has been 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 before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will 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, and he will go before him in 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 for the Lord a people prepared.”
Side note: The first time John “encountered” Jesus was when they were both in the womb.
[Luke 1:39-42] In those days Mary arose and went with haste into the hill country, to a town in Judah, and she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. And when Elizabeth heard the greeting of Mary, the baby leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit, and she exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb!
BTW: listen to this timeline (John Ensor seminar, Answering the Crisis of Abortion)
1:31 - Gabriel tells Mary, “you will conceive in your womb and bear a son...
1:36 - Gabriel tells Mary that Elizabeth has conceived a son and is in her 6th month
1:39 - Mary arose and went in haste to go visit Elizabeth (a 2-3 day journey)
1:41 - John leaps for joy in the womb in the presence of Jesus
So, at some point in those 10 verses, Jesus is conceived, and he’s likely just days old in Mary’s womb. John leaps for joy in his presence.
God foretold he would send a messenger to prepare the way for the coming Savior! The Jews knew there was something special about John because they asked if he was the Messiah. They failed to recognize him, not as the anointed one, but as the one announcing the anointed One’s arrival - behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!

JOHN’S MINISTRY OF BAPTISM

[Mark 1:4-6] John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.
John came on the scene baptizing, baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
He was baptizing in Judea, which means he was baptizing Jews. God’s people needed to be prepared for the Messiah and it began with repentance.
Repentance means to change one’s mind and go in a different direction. “We all like sheep have gone astray, each has turned to his own way.” Every one of us, because of our sin nature, is prone to wander away from God.
Repentance is not a popular concept in modern society, but sin is still the first thing we must change our minds about if we want to follow Jesus. Without conviction of sin, there is no need for a Savior.
[Mark 2:17] Jesus said, “Those who are well have no need of a physician, but those who are sick. I came not to call the righteous, but sinners.” We know from Romans 3:23 that all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God, so the righteous that Jesus is referring to are those who think they are good and don’t acknowledge their sin.
[2 Corinthians 7:9-10] As it is, I rejoice, not because you were grieved, but because you were grieved into repenting. For you felt a godly grief, so that you suffered no loss through us. For godly grief produces a repentance that leads to salvation without regret, whereas worldly grief produces death.

JOHN’S PURPOSE

[Mark 1:7-8] And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
John knew his role in God’s great plan of salvation. John was no doubt gaining notoriety. Crowds were streaming to the Jordan River to see this prophet of God. John fully understood that it wasn’t about him but the one who comes after him. So mighty that John didn’t even feel worthy to untie his sandals - a job reserved for the lowliest of servants.
[John 3:26-30] And they came to John and said to him, “Rabbi, he who was with you across the Jordan, to whom you bore witness—look, he is baptizing, and all are going to him.” John answered, “A person cannot receive even one thing unless it is given him from heaven. You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”
May this be true in all our lives: Jesus must increase, but we must decrease. As we humble ourselves before the Lord and bow low, the only one the world can see is Jesus.
John makes a distinction between his baptism and the baptism that Jesus brings. Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit.
In our physical baptism, we are immersed in the water, signifying our dying with Christ and then rising to new life.
In Jesus’ baptism, we are immersed in the Spirit. [Luke 24:49] And behold, I am sending the promise of my Father upon you. But stay in the city until you are clothed with power from on high.”
[1 Corinthians 12:13] For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit.

APPLICATION

I’m excited for our study of this Gospel. It’s the gospel of Jesus. The one mightier than all, who came in the flesh to die for our sin and rose victoriously from the grave. In him, we are set free and forgiven, born again to life eternal.
Do you know him?
CLOSING SONG
Everlasting God

SCRIPTURE

[John 1:19-23] And 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.” So they said to him, “Who are you? We need to give an answer to those who sent us. What do you say about yourself?” He said, “I am the voice of one crying out in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
[John 3:28-30] You yourselves bear me witness, that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but I have been sent before him.’ The one who has the bride is the bridegroom. The friend of the bridegroom, who stands and hears him, rejoices greatly at the bridegroom's voice. Therefore this joy of mine is now complete. He must increase, but I must decrease.”
[Matthew 17:9-13] And as they were coming down the mountain, Jesus commanded them, “Tell no one the vision, until the Son of Man is raised from the dead.” And the disciples asked him, “Then why do the scribes say that first Elijah must come?” He answered, “Elijah does come, and he will restore all things. But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they pleased. So also the Son of Man will certainly suffer at their hands.” Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist.

QUOTES

From Chuck Missler, Koinonia House:
Matthew, being a Levite, emphasizes Jesus as the Messiah, the Lion of the Tribe of Judah. Each of the subtleties of his design supports this primary theme. His genealogy begins with the "first Jew," Abraham, and continues through David and the royal line to the legal father of Jesus, Joseph. Luke was a Gentile and a doctor, and his Gospel reflects a very distinctive point of view, emphasizing Jesus as the Son of Man. His genealogy begins with Adam, the first man. From Abraham to David, his list is identical to that of Matthew. However, when he gets to David, he doesn't track through Solomon (the first surviving son of Bathsheba) but through a different son, Nathan (the second surviving son of Bathsheba). He continues through to Heli, the father of Mary. (Joseph is the son-in-law of Heli).
Mark is the amanuensis (secretary) for Peter, and he emphasizes Jesus as the obedient Servant of YHWH. His is the only Gospel with no concern for pedigree or genealogy. He focuses on what Jesus did ; it deals in graphic images, almost like a movie or video shooting script.
John had a very distinctive view, emphasizing Jesus as the Son of God. He focuses on who Jesus was . His "genealogy" is that of the Preexistent One, constituting his opening verses. His Gospel is organized around seven miracles, seven discourses, and seven "I AM" statements.

ILLUSTRATIONS

[1:6] Now John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey.
[2 Kings 1:8] They answered him, “He wore a garment of hair, with a belt of leather about his waist.” And he said, “It is Elijah the Tishbite.”
[Luke 1:14-17] And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth, for he will be great before the Lord. And he must not drink wine or strong drink, and he will 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, and he will go before him in 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 for the Lord a people prepared.”
[1:7-8] And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
John was getting a lot of attention, but he was quick to get people’s focus off of him and onto Jesus.
Like washing feet, untying sandals was a lowly job for a servant. John is saying that untying the shoes of the Messiah
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