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1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way” — 3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ” 4 And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6 John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:1-8 NIV Bible)
Happy Monday, dear Friend! I trust this finds you well. May it be the start of a great week. We're in Advent, meaning a time of preparation for the coming of the Baby Jesus, and the preparation of the Second Coming of the Lord Jesus.
I want us to remember that in the Bible, only two Gospels have birth stories. As you can see, Mark is one that does not. Neither is John. The two with Nativity stories are Luke and Matthew. Two of the writers felt led to tell THEE story, and two did not. Of course, there are other reasons, but we'll focus on what we have before us. Mark is said to have been the first writer to sit down and write his gospel. It is believed his concern to bring as many Jews to the faith as he could. There is an urgency to his message and his having been a disciple, he wrote from what he saw and experienced. He was there when John the Baptist was explained to him by Jesus. And Jesus' words helped shape this passage before us.
Mark writes that the coming of the Chosen One will be according to their prophecies. I love how he includes geography into his description, this voice will be "one calling in the wilderness," and its message is one of preparation; "Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him." And bam, there comes John the Baptist. He appears, where? In the wilderness, just as the prophets had said. Everyone in that area at that time knew the wilderness for what it was and what it represented: The barren, desolate landscape of need, much like the hearts and souls of humanity at that time, And here he comes, the cousin of the Lord, but more importantly, the messenger coming to herald the message: "Repent and be forgiven of your sins!" Many probably thought, "Who told?" "How did he know?" "What makes him speak right to me?" And I can relate because in one of my churches after a sermon a church member was waitng until the receiving line after church died down and she angrily asked how I knew her life and what she had been up (or down?) to? I laughed and calmed her down; the Holy Spirit was working. And so as John the Baptist makes his invitation many responded. "The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River." Awesome. And it is something still needed. By me, and by you.
Here was the herald of God, with a great sense of urgency, such is God's desire for me and you to get right with Him, and we notice that this awesome messenger of God, royalty in every sense of the word, is dressed humbly, like an Old Testament prophet, inviting people to turn away from their olf ways and into the ways of God. He invites us into a new life and away from the path we were on leading us to certain death.
In our lives, there are moments of preparation, seasons where we, too, must make room for the coming of Christ. John's call for repentance should remind us of the importance of examining our hearts, confessing our shortcomings, and making straight paths for the Lord to enter our lives anew.
John's humility also speaks volumes. He recognizes his place in the grand narrative of God's plan and acknowledges the surpassing greatness of the One who is to come. His example prompts us to embrace humility, recognizing our need for a Savior who is greater than ourselves.
PRAYER: Gracious God, as we prepare our hearts for the advent of Your Son, help us to embrace repentance and humility. May we make room for Your presence in our lives, clearing the way for You to work mightily within us. Prepare us to welcome Jesus with open hearts and lives surrendered to Your will. In His name, we pray. Amen.
Have a great and blessed day in the Lord. YOUR CALL TO ACTION: Take time to examine yourself and make room for Jesus.
Receive my love and my thankfulness to God for you!
Pastor Eradio Valverde, Jr.
