John 5:30-36 - Testifying to Jesus

John 5:30-36

30 I can do nothing on My own initiative. As I hear, I judge; and My judgment is just, because I do not seek My own will, but the will of Him who sent Me. 31 If I alone bear witness of Myself, My testimony is not true. 32 There is another who bears witness of Me, and I know that the testimony which He bears of Me is true. 33 You have sent to John, and he has borne witness to the truth. 34 But the witness which I receive is not from man, but I say these things that you may be saved. 35 He was the lamp that was burning and was shining and you were willing to rejoice for a while in his light. 36 But the witness which I have is greater than that of John; for the works which the Father has given Me to accomplish, the very works that I do, bear witness of Me, that the Father has sent Me. 

Message: Testifying to Jesus

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."

What the Lord is Saying: Jesus continues to speak, answering (v. 19) the Jews (v. 18) and how they were seeing Him do things on the sabbath day that they felt He should not do, but also was God His own Father (v. 17), making Himself equal with God. 

And Jesus testifies that He does what He sees the Father doing. The Father begot the Son, yes. And yet the two have always existed. In believing in Jesus we have eternal life (v. 24) and Jesus has the same authority as the Father (v. 27). 

Jesus mentions (recorded in v. 30) that He works not on His own, but on the initiative of the Father. His judgment is just, because He does it by the will of Him (Father God) who sent Him. 

He makes it plain that He cannot bear witness of alone Himself (v. 31). An interesting note because of how many other religions get started because of one person's testimony or belief or even thought of God's appearance on their life. And then afterwards seek out others to bear witness, but the witness of Jesus is first from John. His witness precedes His testimony to people. Again, I think of two notable individuals in history that started religions - Mohammed and Joseph Smith. Would not their arrival been true if their was someone that preceded their arrival? And yet, neither had such a person. And there are many more like this in which someone self-proclaims themselves. 

And then He shows that His true calling and true witness is greater than John, but of the Father (v. 36). He is sent by the Father. The witness of Jesus is not merely from a man though this is of great impact to many hearers. But Jesus is clear that his chief witness is that He is from God (v. 34). 

As I look further at verse 35 in which Jesus refers to John as the lamp, I also remember John 1:8 in which John states, "He was not the light, but came that he might bear witness of the light." And yet I am not sure of its similarity to this text as Jesus speaks of John being the lamp and people rejoiced in his light. 

But not only John and not only the Father, Jesus remarks that His works, the miracle He performs are a testimony of His teaching. It is not only others that have come, but His work itself testifies of the greatness of who He is. Again, he is set apart from others by what He has done. Sometimes I have not held highly the works of Jesus because Jesus I think often thought that people just came to Him to see the outcome or benefit from the outcome of His healings, but I need to also remember that it His healings and miracles that also speak and testify that He is sent by God. 

Summary: John testified of Jesus prior to His coming and Jesus is sent by the Father and in the miracles He performed this also testified of Him. 

Promise: We have much to proclaim to us of the validity of Jesus - His own teaching, the witness of John the Baptist, the witness of the Father, and the witness of our Lord's miracles. 

Prayer: Lord, You are good. Your ways are true. They are right and Lord, your ways are great because of who came before You and who sent You and then Your works also testify of who you are. You are not simply one that came with words, but others prepared your way and Your words testify of You. Help me to remember this and remember this - to help to testify of You continually. You are to be praised and glorified. 

Note: If you are interested in other studies/devotions, check out my index of Bible Study's. 

John 1:29-34 - John the Baptist Bears Witness to Christ

John 1:29-34

29 The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He on behalf of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who has a higher rank than I, for He existed before me.’ 31 I did not recognize Him, but so that He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water.” 32 John testified saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, ‘He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God.”

Message: John the Baptist Bears Witness to Christ

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."

What the Lord is Saying: Still thinking about yesterday's lesson. It was kind of a hard one for me in thinking about John. The idea of him being a forerunner and helping others understand Jesus makes sense, but baptism is mentioned and for some reason this seems puzzling to me, but not sure if it should. Hard to find much written on this in commentaries. 

Up to this point, John is mentioned apart from Jesus, but now in verse 29 it states that Jesus came to him. John clearly has an understanding of Jesus that is unique and special. He has a special revelation of him. For the first time in this chapter, the name of Jesus is mentioned. And more clarity is given of this man, who up to this point is Word, Light, Him, One, and is now the Lamb of God. He is the one who takes away the sin of the world. He existed before John. The Spirit remains on Him. This is the Son of God. These are proclamations John is making to others. He is testifying of Jesus. This is his role continuously and that is to speak of Jesus. 

This statement, "Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!" may be misunderstood. It seems obvious or understood that Jesus does not take away everyone's sin which would result in no one being held responsible for being a sinner. But Jesus is the only one who can take away sin. And so this proclamation that John is making is that Jesus, the Lamb of God, is the one who will take away people's sin, but still as stated earlier in verse 11 and 12, "He came to His own, and those who were His own did not receive Him. But as many as received Him, to them He gave the right to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name." The idea here is that not all will believe in Him. Not all will believe in the Lamb of God. John is baptizing those that want to be baptized and want to place their trust in Christ. And so this is a great example of how weed to te nhink about the context of passages as we read them. Passages in the Bible do not stand alone. They must be read in concert with other passages. 

Since Jesus "takes away the sin of the world" we can be clear that everyone in the world is who he includes. For many of this day they have thought the gospel was reserved for Jews, but while the Jewish people have been called, Gentiles I believe have always been able throughout history to know God and be grafted in to a relationship with Him. But John does make it clear here that Jesus, as the lamb of God, atones for everyone - rich, poor, servants, men, women, Asians, Americans, Africans, Europeans -- all people everywhere. There is no distinction. 

Also of note is verse 31 when John says, "I did not recognize Him." This actually sheds a lot of light on the situation and tells me that John's knowledge of Jesus and His mission was through special revelation or divine revelation. Albert Barnes states that John had lived in the hill country of Judea and Jesus in Nazareth and before being baptized they had not seen each other. "I did not recognize Him" is repeated again upon Jesus being baptized. And perhaps it is the Holy Spirit that speaks to John to inform him as the Spirit today also speaks to me to inform me about Jesus and who He is and His ways and how I can know him better. And it is probably the Spirit that lets him know that this is the Son of God. John heard this and testified of it. Matthew 3:17, "and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

Verse 31 also states, "He might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water." Jesus was to be manifested to Israel, to the Jews. 

Summary: John, upon seeing Jesus, perhaps for the first time, testifies that He is the Son of God. 

Promise: From Tabletalk - John the Baptist needed a special revelation from God to know who Jesus was, and this parallels the illumination that all sinners need if they are to see Jesus as Savior and believe in Him.

Prayer: O Heavenly Father, you spoke through Your spirit to reveal Your son to John and you speak to me daily to reveal more truth to me. I thank You and praise You for Your great love and the testimony of who You are. Please, keep giving me understanding of You. 

John 1:24-28 - The Baptism of John

John 1:24-28

24 Now they had been sent from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, and said to him, “Why then are you baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them saying, “I baptize in water, but among you stands One whom you do not know. 27 It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose sandal I am not worthy to untie.” 28 These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Message: The Baptism of John

Time: John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."

What the Lord is Saying: The one's that are questioning John are sent from the Pharisees. The Pharisees were concerned about the keeping of the Law and therefore their lives were very clearly lived in piety, being religious or reverent and people looked at them for this example. There is a danger in being a Pharisee or like a Pharisee in that your strict observance sets you apart and makes you seem holier than others. It brings upon a person a feeling of elitism. I am not saying that this was the life of those that were questioning John, for here they could simply be trying to figure out what is going on and because of their questions, our God is using the words from John to help us better understand his role in being a forerunner of Jesus. He states that he "baptizes in water." Earlier in verse 7, the author stated of him, "He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him." And in verse 23, he says he is, "“I am a voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make straight the way of the Lord" as he echoes the words of Isaiah the prophet. 

Thus, he is a witness. He is testifying about the Light (the Word) so that all might believe through him. Him being the Light, the Word. He is a voice. He is baptizing. He wants to make straight the way of Jehovah (again, not sure in this moment if he is inferring that the Lord and Jesus are the same). 

And now John mentions "One." Thus far, we have seen the Word, the Light, Him, and now One.  

Looking on further at this text it is important to further look at the Pharisees. In Mark, we see a little more information about baptism. Mark 1:4 states, "John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." I've studied this passage previously and at the time felt like this was a baptism of preparation. That said, I must admit John coming to preach has never been an issue with me, but him baptism in anticipation of Jesus coming to an audience that is leaning on a promise or maybe does not have much information of him does seem a little baffling to me. And yet, maybe I struggle with this because I do not quite understand what it was like to leave at that time. 

The Pharisees obviously had heard of him baptizing. Jesus was living and on the scene and so John was getting people ready for Jesus. I do think that there is something significance about this act in testifying of the importance of an action to confirm faith. I do not believe baptism saves or is involved in saving, but it is obedience and action that is important. It is a visual picture of sins being forgiven. The Pharisees were into holiness but only holiness that they define, so they were leery of this and questioning it. 

And then to proclaim that John is not even worthy to untie Jesus' sandal is a way for John to express that he is of less value than a slave. John is a voice to people of the way of the Lord and yet He is not worthy to be this. So there is nothing about him baptizing. The person baptizing is not of importance. The baptism is what is important. 

I saw this statement here:

Jewish people in John’s day practiced baptism. It was an outgrowth of ceremonial washings, but only for Gentiles who wanted to become Jews. In submitting to John’s baptism, a Jew had to identify with Gentile converts. This was a genuine sign of repentance.

This says baptism is only for Gentiles to become Jews. And yet John is asking all to be baptized. Thus, the Jew would need to identify that they need to be baptized. 

Summary: John’s baptism demonstrated the humble willingness to repent, be cleansed, and prepare for the coming Messiah. 

Promise: Whether we are speaking of Christ to our children, our neighbors, or anyone else, we should be declaring Him and what He has done, not promoting ourselves.

Prayer: Heavenly Father, I am still learning this lesson and there are still parts I am trying to understand more fully. Help me understand and put together the importance of John baptizing and what it meant. Lord, I pray that you would help me to value and encourage baptism. 

John 1:19-23 - John the Baptist Identifies Himself

John 1:19-23

19 This is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21 They asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” And he said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.” 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, so that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said, “I am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE STRAIGHT THE WAY OF THE LORD,' as Isaiah the prophet said.”

Message: John the Baptist Identifies Himself

Time: Jesus' disciple John, the brother of James, the son of Zebedee was one of the inner circle of Jesus' most trusted companions. It's most likely that John wrote his gospel while he was in Ephesus, and that he wrote it for an audience that lived outside Palestine, perhaps in Asia Minor. John appears to have had in mind members of a Jewish community who had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, but who had continued to worship in the synagogue. John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."

What the Lord is Saying: Previously in verse 6, John is identified as sent from God. And now in verse 19 are more specifics about John and how there were those that questioned him and his identity. Those questioning him, as listed in this passage, were Jews, sent by priests and Levites. And they wondered if he was the Christ, Elijah, the Prophet. 

In my attempt to date John the Baptist and his ministry, Matthew 3 records the baptism of Jesus which is about AD 29. Malachi is on record for about 422 or 425 BC. The last verses of Malachi state, "5 “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. 6 He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.” 

The writer John saw the importance of specifying this information about John the Baptist. I always want to remember this when studying the Bible. I tend to write a lot of thoughts on subjects and ad lib, but this is the Bible, inspired by God, and I believe every writing has been directed by God to be included. 

John, in responding to the questions from these questioning him states who he is not, probably to make sure that they know this as these were questions he would guess them wondering. His responses are specific. And as to who he is, he is a little general, but fulfilling a prophecy from Isaiah the prophet as recorded in Isaiah 40:3-5 -- 

3  A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. 4 Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. 5 And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken. (ESV)”

In verse 3, The LORD is Yahweh, the proper name of the God of Israel. Does this means that John is making a connection with the Lord Yahweh and Jesus? Matthew 3:3 quotes this as well. This is significant and calls attention to the significance of the New Testament and the writes that seem to be connecting Jesus to Yahweh, Jehovah God. And yet there are those worldviews that will interpret this as still being only Jehovah, the God of Israel, and nothing to do with Jesus. 

Summary: John the Baptist states who he is not (Christ, Elijah, Prophet) and who he is - a voice crying out to make straight the way of the Lord/Jehovah/Jesus.

Promise: From Tabletalk, "We should not claim more about ourselves than is actually true, and we should be ready to proclaim Christ to the people we know."

Prayer: Heavenly Father, you are eternal. Your ways are not our ways and yet we seek to understand You and who You are. I know Lord that good people throughout the ages define you differently. You are Savior. You have atoned for sin. Thank you for John and bringing him on the scene. Teach me to understand You further, each day. Illuminate my understanding of You. If I have misunderstood anything about You, give me understanding. 

John 1:6-9 - The Witness to the Light

John 1:6-9

6 There came a man sent from God, whose name was John. 7 He came as a witness, to testify about the Light, so that all might believe through him. 8 He was not the Light, but he came to testify about the Light.

9 There was the true Light which, coming into the world, enlightens every man.

Message: The Witness to the Light

Time: Jesus' disciple John, the brother of James, the son of Zebedee was one of the inner circle of Jesus' most trusted companions. It's most likely that John wrote his gospel while he was in Ephesus, and that he wrote it for an audience that lived outside Palestine, perhaps in Asia Minor. John appears to have had in mind members of a Jewish community who had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, but who had continued to worship in the synagogue. John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing was, "that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name (John 20:31)."

What the Lord is Saying: John the Baptist appears in all 4 gospels. These seems like it should be significant and yet how significant do we make it. I suppose I don't make it significant but it is clearly very important in the life of Jesus and those hearing his message for someone to come like John and prepare the way. John Michael Talbot wrote a song called Prepare Ye the Way in 1977 which was also recorded by Caedmon's Call. Interesting that this is a song I think about when I think of John.

In a way we are all John the Baptists, out in the world to Prepare the Way for Jesus. I've wondered how people came to accept Jesus, but maybe it was because John the Baptist prepared the way. 

John lived 31 years. He was executed by beheading after he spoke truth or rebuked Herod Antipas for divorcing his wife. And then marrying the wife of his brother. In the gospels, John is also mentioned as baptizing Jesus. 

A couple of notes:

• He was sent by God. 
• He came as a witness.
• His purpose: testify of the Light. 
• Why? So that all may believe through Him. 
• The Light enlightens every man. 

John is on the scene to not get any credit, but so that Jesus gets all the credit. I wonder if his message came from God or came from being with Jesus. Also, of note, John the Baptist is not John the author of this book. 

Summary: It was necessary and needed for John to first appear and prepare the way for Jesus to come. 

Promise: Before Jesus started teaching about Himself, John the Baptist provided people with the clearest understanding of who Jesus was and what He came to do.

Prayer: Father, help me to understand more fully this man, John the Baptist, what he did and how lived for You, preparing the way and then being executed at the age of 31. He was significant. I need to remember him and the affect he had on the message of Jesus. Thank you Lord for him and showing me the importance of him. 

John 20:30-31 - The Fourth Gospel

John 20:30-31

Why This Gospel Was Written

30 Therefore many other signs Jesus also performed in the presence of the disciples, which are not written in this book; 31 but these have been written so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; and that believing you may have life in His name.

Message: The Fourth Gospel 

Time: Throughout church history, Christians have consistently attributed this gospel to Jesus' disciple John, the brother of James, the son of Zebedee. John was one of the inner circle of Jesus' most trusted companions. It's most likely that John wrote his gospel while he was in Ephesus, and that he wrote it for an audience that lived outside Palestine, perhaps in Asia Minor. John appears to have had in mind members of a Jewish community who had come to believe that Jesus was the Messiah, but who had continued to worship in the synagogue. John most likely wrote between A.D. 85 and 90. John's purpose in writing he was to confirm the belief that Jesus was both the Christ and the Son of God.

What the Lord is Saying: I am glad to be studying the book of John for I remember early on this being a book one is to study once they become a Christian. For those searching and for new Christians, as a youth it was always a book people said to read first. It also seems to be a book that many who believe in alternate beliefs or even question Jesus as God have spent the most time changing the translation or rather focusing on. I previously did a study on the Book of Mark so this will be great to focus on this gospel. 

Tabletalk magazine records similar thoughts, stating it is often a book for children and then also a book that requires many commentators a lifetime of study. The book has a distinctive style. 

How it is different from Matthew, Mark, and Luke (the Synoptic Gospels):

Synoptics - focus their attention on Jesus' ministry in Galilee

Fourth Gospel - also tells of the visits Jesus made to Judea and Jerusalem

Synoptics - Jesus teaching mostly in parables

Fourth Gospel - Many lengthy discourses given by our Savior

But still many similarities and the differences are not contradictions, but different points of emphasis. John, one of the disciples, heard much more private instruction versus the Synoptics recording more of what the crowds also heard. 

Today's passage summarizes his purpose in writing this gospel: 

1. so that you may believe that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God; 
2. and that believing you may have life in His name.

Summary: This gospel, like the others has similarities, but is also a more private discourse and understanding of Jesus the Christ so that we will believe and have Life in His Name. 

Promise: Pray that my study will help me to know My Savior better and be equipped to follow Him faithfully and love Him more deeply. 

Prayer: O God, you are good. Your ways are right. And I call you Lord and Savior, my Lord and Savior. Thank you for visiting me personally through Your Spirit and continually helping me understand your Word through Study. Thank you for these studies. I pray that I would come to know you better so that I will always follow You and continue to love You more deeply. Do a great work in me as I study these words. Help these words and thoughts to stick to me like glue so that I will take them with me wherever I go on this earth, to be a light to all I come in contact with. Draw people to Yourself. 

Mark 6:14-16 - The Allure of Holiness

Mark 6:14-16
¹⁴ And King Herod heard of it, for His name had become well known; and people were saying, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.” ¹⁵ But others were saying, “He is Elijah.” And others were saying, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” ¹⁶ But when Herod heard of it, he kept saying, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen!”
 
Message: The Allure of Holiness

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word 'immediately' used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Preface - Jesus arrives in Nazareth, about a 3 day journey from Capernaum. He has made it to his hometown and he speaks in the synagogue, as he has done elsewhere. Many of his people did not accept him; he continued to heal, but maybe not to the extent that he could because of the unbelief present in Nazareth. The message still goes out. Jesus commissions his disciples with the message and send them out with nothing on their backs. Their needs will taken care of on their journeys. But the message of the Gospel--repentance--must go forth.

This passage centers on what happened to John the Baptist, who hasn't been on the scene since chapter 2 when John is mentioned as fasting along with the his disciples (John is not one of the 12 disciples). And King Herod heard - this is Herod Antipas, who inherited one-fourth of his father's kingdom after the death of Herod the great. As the message of the gospel of repentance goes out Herod hears of it - for His name (Jesus) had become well known. Perhaps what people were hearing was a man doing great things. 

And people were saying, “John the Baptist has risen from the dead, and that is why these miraculous powers are at work in Him.” But others were saying, “He is Elijah.” And others were saying, “He is a prophet, like one of the prophets of old.” But when Herod heard of it, he kept saying, “John, whom I beheaded, has risen!”

What is clear is people are fascinated with spiritual men. Even though Herod beheaded John the Baptist, at the request of his daughter, he knew that he was a spiritual man. Even though he had him killed, he still knew he had something special in him. He may have rejected him, but there was still an allure about him.

Our world today is continually marveled at spiritual men. On the heels of the death of Billy Graham, many men, some of faith, some not, have been interviewed and their remarks of Billy Graham are all similar. This passage also reminds me that people everywhere try to come up with explanations for spiritual things that are often not accurate. There are many messages of untruth that get presented and communicated throughout our world regarding spiritual things. We need to be people of discernment, to look to scripture and let it define the truth. I think we all must be careful about attaching to certain people that they are people of the Truth. Just because someone speaks of him does not mean they have a relationship with him. 

Summary - As the message goes forth, we need to realize that many will jump on board. There is an allure to Jesus as a great spiritual leader to some, but his real message is one of repentance and self-denial and following him in our every day life. We must always come back to the scripture and lean on the Holy Spirit and allowing the Truth to shine.

Promise: Even the most ardent skeptics are quick to admit that Jesus is a compelling figure. 

Prayer: Help me Lord to be discerning. Thank you that there is truth and excitement and majesty in who You are. There is a special allure that you have. This is real. Help me to be a person to testify of the truth of who You are. Equip me. Keep me a disciple of truth. Give me understanding and wisdom of who You are as I want to be one who testifies of who You are.  

Mark 1:14-15 - Jesus Preaches the Gospel

Mark 1:14-15
14 Now after John had been taken into custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of God, 15 and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.”

Message: Jesus Preaches the Gospel

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word immediately used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying: 

Well, Mark is progressing, rather quickly. His accounts so far are rather brief, starting with John - the preparing the way for the One coming (v.7), Jesus' baptism (v.9), Jesus being tempted by Satan (v. 13) in the wilderness and now -- Jesus is preaching the gospel of God. Interesting because verse 1 it says, "the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ." now Jesus says he is preaching the gospel of God (v.14). Is there a difference or are they the same? - the gospel of Jesus and the gospel of God. Mark begins with Jesus at age 30. John said it was a baptism of repentance and the forgiveness of sins. 

Verse 14 - "Now after John had been taken into custody." Herod imprisoned John. That is kind of startling. Is preparing the way over?

"Jesus came into Galilee." Thus far, Jesus has left Nazareth, where he had grown up, and then gone to Judea and is now heading into the retired country of Galilee. Obviously, John's conviction must have occurred in Judea, so he was on his way out. But the region he headed were populous areas, full of activity. He is preaching the gospel of God. This is his mission - to preach the gospel of God -- the good news. In thinking about the message of faith from God up to this point, for me, it seems like a message of repentance for forgiveness, for belief in the Gospel. We clearly need good news, so each of us, me, can begin a new life, believing, repenting, being baptized, and going forward.

"The time is fulfilled." This moment is not by accident, but on purpose. The time of the appearance of the Messiah has been prophesied thousands of years and Jesus now concludes that prophecy by stating that it has been fulfilled. Time of preparation is complete. Again John is in custody so preparation is no more. Jesus is here. 

"And the kingdom of God is at hand." This is it. All that God has wanted in history is to be with his people, to walk with them, and to be in right relationship with them. God has so much to provide and he is simply looking for people repent and believe.

"Repent and believe in the gospel." Thus, here is our response. Repentance is turning from our sin. It is an about face to go in the opposite way of that sin. If sin is lying it is going in the opposite way and instead always desiring truth from our tongue. Wherever you are headed in life, turn to God; believe in the gospel or believe in the good news. What is this good news? We must keep reading. one thing we know is it is turning from sin. John mentioned it is forgiveness of sins. What is clear is repentance and forgiveness of sins (v. 4). Thus, there is already faith or believe that is being asked. What is clear is that our current paths, our man-made roads and not the way and we must repent.

Often, this is what people are doing in life - seeking all the answers first, then they will change. But, the Lord is asking us to change first and then the answers will come.

Promise: The gospel is not a message that "you can have your best life now" or that "God loves you and has a wonderful plan for your life." The gospel is Jesus Christ - repent and believe and follow him.

Prayer: Lord, thank you for Mark and thank you for the simplicity of the Gospel. Thank you for a new day and to begin again. I turn from my sin, from my paths, from my understanding and I believe in you now. I believe in you. Bring repentance to people everywhere. I think of Derek outside of London, Lord, and his ambition to have every question answered first, Lord, show him that it's about believing, it's about repenting first, giving up his direction and turning to You. Help him and people to trust in this path. Thank you for working and living in me.

Mark 1:4-6 - The Wilderness Preacher

Mark 1:4-6
4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6 John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey.

Message: The Wilderness Preacher

Time: Mark's personal connection with Peter gave him the source material for this book. This book was composed probably between AD 57 and AD 59. It's a book that is on the move, leading to the cross. 39 times is the word immediately used. Mark reveals Jesus as God's servant, reaching into the lives of people and effecting physical and circumstantial change.

What the Lord is Saying:

Overview
As I look at these verses, which speak of a time before Christ has shed his blood, I am reminded that the Gospel message is central to the entire Bible. This was really a revolutionary idea that John was preaching. To repent is to turn from one's sins. It is to acknowledge sin in your life and then to turn from it. Up to this point baptism or the cleaning of oneself was at times done for Gentiles as they converted to Judaism. Cleanliness and being unclean are very common principles in Judaism and so the washing signified that the person was now clean. But, Jewish belief overall focuses on the advantage of simply being a Jew, not necessarily a changed heart which anyone can exhibit.

My take
I wonder if this is a preamble to Christ's coming and the baptism of the Holy Spirit that will come. Up to this point sins were dealt with through the blood of the lamb on the altar of the Temple. In some ways, I think this is a difficult passage to read, understand, in light of the message that is yet to come. In the next verses, Mark will speak of Jesus and his coming. So, is John preparing a way for Jesus and helping people to understand the message that is to come? Does this mean these acts are practice or are they salvation?

Again, the message here is repentance or confession of sins, baptism, forgiveness of sins. The key here seems to be a changed mind. In these verses, Christ, Jesus, is not mentioned, yet. Does that matter? Is that important? I am not sure.

So, I take a moment to look at what John MacArthur is saying about these verses. He mentions that John is proclaiming himself as a prophet by his dress recorded in verse 6. he leather belt around his waist and the robe of camel's hair signified clearly that he declared himself to be a prophet.

Here John is preparing for the arrival of a king. Anytime we prepare for an arrival, we get things in the best shape that they have been in thus far. We clean the house, clean the surroundings, in anticipation of someone. Here, people are being cleaned. John's message is to Roman Christians. It is to Jews and it is to Gentile. As mentioned, some Gentiles may have been baptized in the past, to show they were being cleaned of their old life and could now enter into a new life of Judaism. But, John brings this message to everyone - Jews and Gentiles. So, he remarks that even the Jew should be baptized, which I'm sure was a surprising message. Thus, the Jews are being called no better than the Gentiles. All need this same act of baptism.

This is not baptism in Jesus' name. It is getting oneself ready for baptism in Jesus' name. Baptism is not salvation. It is a picture of salvation. Thus, I think this is a preparation message, but not the final message. I don't think full salvation is occurring, but rather preparing people for the inner change that is going to come. The gospel message as spoken of in verse 1 is confession, believing and accepting the substitution of Christ. John is preparing the people for this message by first putting for the idea that all people, regardless of race or religion or tradition need to confess their sins and seek a change for forgiveness.

Promise: We cannot rely on membership, family affiliation, lineage, our history of Christian service, our birth into a religious family in order to be saved. Salvation comes through individual confession and cleansing by God.

Prayer: Lord, continue to give me wisdom, divine wisdom as I read these words and study them. Help me to have your understanding of these texts. Continue to teach me. I am not saying I have arrived. I want to be taught by the Spirit of God. Keep teaching me.

Study Question: Often in life, traditions can affect how we live and our surroundings affect us as well. Sometimes naturally we are the same religion as our parents. Yet, Jesus came to save sinners and did not give the idea that you can be saved only by family affiliation. For each person, there needs to be an individual and internal change in that person that occurs or each person saying they believe in Jesus. In your life, when did you realize you were a sinner and you needed God’s forgiveness for your sins?