There probably is more content in this first chapter of Mark than any other chapter in the Holy Bible (with the exception of Gen. 1). It covers the ministry of John the Baptist, after going back to the prophecies of Isaiah and Malachi. It takes in the first year’s ministry of Jesus and follows Him through a busy Sabbath day. It concludes with the mighty work of cleansing the leper. In spite of the pressure of a busy life, Jesus took time to pray.
1:1-8 – John Introduces The Servant
1:1-3 – This is not the beginning of either John or Jesus. It is the beginning of the gospel when the Lord Jesus came to this earth and died upon a cross and rose again. That, my brothers and sisters, is the gospel.
1:4 – His ministry was preparatory. It was preparing them for the coming of the Lord Jesus Christ into the world. Jesus Christ is the One who remits sins.
1:5-6 – John the Baptist was remarkable, not only in his message, but remarkable in his dress and in his diet. This man was one who had been set aside for this ministry. He was of the order of the priests, a Levite, and was expected to minister in the temple in Jerusalem. But God had called him as a prophet, and he is out in the wilderness preaching. And the people come out to hear him!
Today, we like to put a church in a location where people live or where they can congregate and come together. We feel that the church should be accessible. John didn’t work on that theory at all. He was way out yonder in the wilderness and the multitudes went out to him.
1:7 – This reveals something of how remarkable this man really was. He stirred the multitudes. He was a strange and a strong man, but his was a solo voice. Notice his humility. John the Baptist was an humble man.
1:8 – This is the great distinction between John and Jesus. The real baptism is the baptism with the Holy Spirit. Ritual baptism is by water. Water baptism is very important today because it is a testimony. In the Gospel of Matthew we learned that the reason the Lord Jesus was baptized was actually to identify Himself with mankind.