Hello, I’m Daniel Westfall on the channel “Pray With Me”.
Mark’s gospel begins, “The beginning of the good news about Jesus”. This is a different take on the beginning than Genesis which says “In the beginning, God created” and than John who says, “In the beginning was the word”.
Mark the gospel writer is a storyteller. Starting at the beginning, he moves the plot along quickly, with a minimum of description, background, or character development.
Here’s how.
First he rolls the credits. Only the main actor is highlighted: Jesus the Messiah, son of God (Mar 1:1). Mark doesn’t explain what Messiah means, or how Jesus is the son of God. We‘ll have to figure that out from the story.
After the credits, Mark introduces a character who introduces Jesus. That’s John the Baptist, the eccentric desert-dweller wearing a camel hair shirt, eating locusts, and baptizing people in the Jordan River. Mark tells us John’s story began in the Old Testament when the prophet Isaiah said, “Someone will come to announce the Messiah.”
That someone, says Mark, is John.
As the introducer, John says, “Don’t look at me. Look for someone important.” But what does important look like? John says, “Important doesn’t baptize in a river like I do. He baptizes with the Holy Spirit.”
Suddenly Jesus shows up at the Jordan River. But he doesn’t start baptizing people with the Holy Spirit. Instead, he steps into the water to be baptized by John. Just like everyone else.
But when Jesus comes up soaking wet, surprise! A crack in opens in heaven above him. A dove floats down on Jesus. That, says Mark, is the Holy Spirit entering the story. Then a voice from heaven says, “You are my son. I love you. You’re doing a great job” (Mar 1:11).
Clearly, heaven has a high opinion of Jesus. Clearly, he’s important. So what does heaven do? The Holy Spirit, the dove, sends Jesus into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan for 40 days. A tough beginning for whatever Jesus plans.
After the wilderness experience, Mark brings Jesus center-stage for some serious action. But first, he doesn’t want John (the introducer), competing for attention. So Mark reports John the Baptist is thrown into prison.
With John in prison, Jesus starts preaching. His message? Good news. God’s kingdom has come. This kingdom sounds like good news for everyone but John, who’s stuck in Herod’s kingdom in prison. And we’re not sure what it will mean for Caesar’s kingdom.
Let’s pray.
O father, Mark introduces big themes in his quick-moving story.
- The theme that his good news is the sequel to Old Testament history.
- The theme that John’s water baptism anticipates a baptism in the Holy Spirit.
- The theme that Jesus is special, because the dove and the voice from heaven approve him.
- The theme that Jesus suffered temptation like us. Forty days in the wilderness.
O father, give us ears to hear the story behind the story. The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, your son. The beginning of good news about who we are and who we can become. Give us grace in the wilderness of our lives, to walk with Jesus through his life.
Amen.
I’m Daniel, on the channel “Pray with Me”.
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