Mark: John the Baptist

Main Point

Before Christ, during Christ’s life, and after Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection, confession, repentance, and forgiveness mark his people (gospel).

Introduction

Often times preparation reveals the cold hard truth that we have been lacking in things we should have been doing all along.

When you prepare to have company and notice that ball of dust bunnies on top of the tv, you probably think to yourself, “I need to dust that more often.” Or when you finally get your oil changed in your truck and it is revealed to you that your windshield wipers are ground down to nothing. Preparation shines a light on things we have been neglecting, and the fact that company is coming over has caused us to re-evaluate.

Prepare your way, and, prepare the way of the Lord are wake up calls in this text to God’s people. The Christ is coming, and your hearts are not ready to receive him. This is the pre-gospel gospel.

What is the Gospel?

As Pastor John pointed out last week, the gospel promise begins in Genesis.

It does mean “Good News”

This is an account of the life, death, and resurrection of Christ

All of these parts are vital

This gospel has always been the plan of God

Acts 2:22–23 (ESV)

“Men of Israel, hear these words: Jesus of Nazareth, a man attested to you by God with mighty works and wonders and signs that God did through him in your midst, as you yourselves know— this Jesus, delivered up according to the definite plan and foreknowledge of God, you crucified and killed by the hands of lawless men.

John 6:37–40 (ESV)

All that the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never cast out. For I have come down from heaven, not to do my own will but the will of him who sent me. And this is the will of him who sent me, that I should lose nothing of all that he has given me, but raise it up on the last day. For this is the will of my Father, that everyone who looks on the Son and believes in him should have eternal life, and I will raise him up on the last day.”

Romans 1:16 defines the gospel

Let us look in the rest of this text today to see if we can find this present

Prepare Your Way How?

John appeared baptizing in the wilderness

John’s baptism was different than the new covenant baptism that would come later (Acts 18:24-28)

Repentance for the forgiveness of sins is signified in both

John’s was more like ceremonial cleansing (but not fully the same, talk about proselytes)

NC baptism is all about our new identity in Christ

John’s was about preparation, ours is about identification

The “wilderness” is important, put a pin in it

Proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins

“Proclaiming” meaning this was a message he was preaching, not merely actions he was doing.

The water itself did not wash away their sins, but was symbolic in its nature, a symbol of preparation to receive the messiah.

App: What is repentance?

Turning from sin

Turning towards God

Cannot be faked because it is a matter of the heart

Genuine repentance is always connected to faith

Matthew 3:7–10 (ESV)

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.

Luke 3:10–14 (ESV)

And the crowds asked him, “What then shall we do?” And he answered them, “Whoever has two tunics is to share with him who has none, and whoever has food is to do likewise.” Tax collectors also came to be baptized and said to him, “Teacher, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Collect no more than you are authorized to do.” Soldiers also asked him, “And we, what shall we do?” And he said to them, “Do not extort money from anyone by threats or by false accusation, and be content with your wages.”

App: The forgiveness of sins is one of our deepest needs that connects us to our actual deepest need, nearness to God

Repentance and forgiveness were proclaimed ahead of Christ’s coming

And it was his coming, living, dying, and rising that made the forgiveness of sins actual and effective

God is not bound by our timeline

All were coming to him, confessing their sins

God was using John in such a way that he became well known and people began coming to him, the first prophet they had heard since the silent years.

App: Confession of sin is not merely something that happened in preparation for Christ or along with faith in Christ, but should be a common practice among the people of God.

When we fail to confess our sins we are robbing ourselves of the means that God has provided for our good.

James 5:15 (ESV)

And the prayer of faith will save the one who is sick, and the Lord will raise him up. And if he has committed sins, he will be forgiven.

Camels Hair, Locusts, & Honey

John’s appearance and diet are mentioned for a reason

It would have been odd to his audience and his culture just as it is to ours.

Otherwise there would be no reason for the scriptures to mention it

John was of humble estate on this earth, which is revealed in his clothing and lifestyle, and mentioned by the Lord Jesus in Matthew 11:7-15

John’s dress and diet reveal his connection to the OT Prophets, and Elijah in particular

2 Kings 1:8, 1 Kings 18:17-18, Mark 6:18

The wilderness often represents a place of repentance.

He Must Increase

“The one who comes after me is mightier than I”

Not even worthy to unstrap his sandals (humble estate)

John knew his role well, and that role was exalting Christ by pointing to him and helping others prepare for his coming

App: Just as John makes it a point to say he is not the Christ, so should we.

We are called to be ambassadors for Christ, not surrogate saviors.

John 3:30 (ESV)

He must increase, but I must decrease.”

“I baptize with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit”

Jesus baptism would be spiritual (though we do still practice a physical representation of it)

Baptize means to “immerse”

Christ’s baptism is his atoning for us so that he could send the Holy Spirit to regenerate us and fill us (or immerse us)

Closing

In John’s day, he was preparing people for the first coming (inauguration of the kingdom). But today we need to be prepared for the second (consummation of the kingdom). And though we have more light now than John did because we have the whole of scripture, the message is the same. Repent and believe the gospel for the forgiveness of sins. Christ came to make full atonement for his people, dying on a cross and taking the full vent of the wrath of God for all those who trust in him, rising again and ascending until he comes again to consummate his kingdom. The Christ is coming, so are your hearts prepared and ready to receive him?