A beginning of the good news...

A beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ. As it was written in Isaiah the prophet, "Behold I am sending my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, a voice crying in the desert, 'All of you prepare the way of the Lord, make straight His well beaten paths!'" John came about baptizing in the desert and proclaiming publicly a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. - Mark 1:1-4

[With a new year comes a new task. Not one as daunting as previously attempted, but in many ways it could be. The church year is Year B in the cycle of the three year lectionary, and since I am working on my Koine Greek, I thought it fitting to do translation of the Gospel of Mark for our study this year. I am hoping to do two verses a day and glean something new as we move along together.]

In order for the Lord to get us ready for Him, He needed someone to prepare our hearts. Like the shrimp cocktail at a steakhouse, John came to get the people ready for the proper meal, for God to come to man. In so doing, John came before Christ. Before, both meaning prior to and in front of. He came to the people prior to Christ beginning His ministry, but did it also before His face (pro prosopou sou) or in His sight so as to say "It is time for You."

Given a specific message, "Prepare the way of the Lord!", John made it an imperative. Even more so he calls us to make straight the beaten paths. The roads or highways are described as "tas tribous": roads that have been walked regularly. In many ways they could be the meandering paths through the mountains and forests that are never straight but go in whatever direction the wind blows. These paths dominated by sin. Sin that takes us in the direction it wishes. More so that when we are to make them straight, we are to move ahead towards the direction he calls away from these sins without wavering. A way in which we go towards a goal. Towards Calvary. Towards the place prepared through Christ for us through His death.

As a forerunner to a washing through the blood of Christ, John "came into existence", came for the purpose of, baptizing in the desert. It is not as though he was born and chose the occupation of nomadic bodywasher. He came to baptize people in a dirty place (in sin?) and make known to them this baptism based on repentance. This repentance then bringing forgiveness for sins. It was not the same forgiveness as what Christ brings. There is no definite article so it speaks of a forgiveness. A temporary happening so that we might taste and see that the Lord is good and desire the forgiveness He offers. One that lasts longer than a momentary bath and one that is the good news for you and for me.

TW