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Mark 1:4-5
The messenger that was prophesied about in Mark 1:2-3 is introduced in Mark 1:4 as John. This is not John the Apostle who wrote the fourth gospel account of the life and ministry of Jesus, but John the Baptist – the cousin of Jesus as we learn in Luke 1-2. The Bible teaches us in Mark 1:4 (NKJV), “John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.” This is very important as he is the one who is to announce the coming of Jesus. In Matthew 4:17 we learn, “From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” John the Baptist preached the same message as did Jesus; he was preparing the way.
We learn something very interesting in Mark 1:5 stating, “Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.” This shows us that the people of the land were in need of repentance – they were in need of being reconciled to God.
This is an example of the power of the message of the gospel.
This is a command to repent and be baptized for the remission of our sins.
I find it very interesting that the people of Israel were so eager to be baptized in repentance for the remission of their sins during a time when Judaism was their governing religion. As we read in the Old Testament under the Law given to Moses by God, sacrifice was given of a selected animal (as determined by God) for the atonement/forgiveness of the individual or in some cases the whole congregation of Israel (Leviticus). These sacrificial instructions were given by God and were to be kept exactly as prescribed, but yet “John” shows up in the wilderness preaching baptism for the remission of sins in repentance, and “all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins” (Mark 1:5). This implies that the people of Israel had strayed so far from God during the “quiet time” of the Bible, which is the approximate 400 years between the Old Testament and the New Testament that they had little to no active commitment to the Law and the teachings of the Prophets, which was a continual circle of sin, repentance, forgiveness, sin, repentance, forgiveness throughout the Old Testament narrative. The people of God were lost, they had been in exile to other countries and had lost their faith in God to the religious sects of their enemies or captors.
This is much like we find Christianity in the world today. We have allowed the secular worldview to mold Christianity into a view that is self-centered, leaving God out of the role of the Almighty and replacing Him with ourselves as we determine who He is and how we want Him to work in our lives. This is not Christianity. This is the rule of Satan in his own world having his way with our lives. Satan has worked his way into our own view of Christianity, which is not Christianity at all, and as long as he keeps us convinced that we are right in determining our own ways to have God work in our lives, God is not in control – we are. This will only lead to destruction, and we will then find out just how deceitful the devil is in his trickery of our lives to keep us away from God. Repent!, and be baptized for the remission of sins in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit and learn the ways of God through reading and studying His Word, and by then applying His ways into our lives (Matthew 28:19-20) in salvation through His One and Only Son Jesus who died to pay for your sins so that you may be clothed in His righteousness and live in heaven forever (John 3:16-17; 2 Corinthians 5:21; Philippians 3:9). This was the preaching of the forerunner of Jesus; this was the preaching of Jesus; and this needs to be the preaching of our preachers today – in Christ!
Dear LORD,
We are a proud people with a disease that prevents us from admitting our sins in repentance with sincere hearts seeking Your forgiveness and will for our lives. We like to be in charge, even if we are running a race on the wrong course – we are blind and in need of a Savior, just as was the Israelites when John the Baptist came preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Please open our eyes, touch our hearts with Your Holy Spirit, and awaken a revival in the world today that we would humble ourselves to Your greatness and our need for You in our lives to save us from the evils of this world. We are in need of the forgiveness that only Jesus can give as He is the way, the truth, and the life. No one comes to You LORD except through Him (John 14:6). Please let it be so LORD. In Jesus name I pray, amen.