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JOHN THE BAPTIST

(MARK 1:1-8)
A. FIRST CONTACT WITH THE TEXT
Is Mark 1:1 the title of the whole gospel? Why does he introduce a text from the prophet Isaiah? Is it really from Isaiah? Who is the messenger in charge of preparing the way to the Lord? Who is John the Baptist? Why is he in the desert? What does baptism of repentance for their sins mean? What can we say about Judea and Jerusalem? What do we know about the Jordan River? Why so many people wanted to receive this baptism? Why does Mark tell us about Johns garments and diet? What does the expression not to fit to kneel down and undo the strap of his sandals mean? What is the difference between Johns baptism of water and the baptism with the Holy Spirit?

B. THE TEXT WITHIN THE CONTEXT


Mark 1:1-8 is closely connected with the following two stories (1:9-13): they form a triptych in order to introduce Jesus to us before his public activity. They show Jesus preparation for his future mission. - Mark 1:1-8: John the Baptist and the coming of the Messiah; - Mark: 1:9-11: Jesus baptism at the Jordan River; - Mark 1:12-13: Jesus temptations in the desert.

C. STUDY OF THE TEXT


1. CHARACTERS OF THE STORY AND RELATIONSHIP a. Jesus Christ: the Son of God the main character of the gospel. b. God (without naming him: vv. 2-3): sends a messenger with the mission of preparing a way for the Lord (Malachi 3:1; Isaiah 40:3). 1

c. John the Baptist: the main character in the story; he is the messenger sent by God and announces the coming of the Messiah Much information about his life style, diet, and work. d. The people of Judea and Jerusalem: they go to the Jordan River to be baptized by John: repentance and conversion; change of life style They need John to begin a new life. 2. LOCATION OF THE STORY In the desert: somewhere near Jerusalem, the capital of the region of Judea Spiritual and political center of the country. The Jordan River (short introduction and pictures): the desert should be close to the river, for facilitating the baptisms. Contrast between River (water) and desert (no water). Desert a place for meditation and reflection on their lives leads to confession of sins and the water purifies and gives new life.

3. TIME OF THE STORY This is the first story for Mark, so it must be really important to him. The story progresses from the past to the future: - Past: Prophecy of Isaiah (vv. 2-3); - Present: Activity of John the Baptist (vv.4-6); - Future: the coming of the Messiah (vv. 7-8).

4. CENTRAL THEME AND KEY WORDS The coming of the messenger who will prepare the way to the Lord; The messenger has arrived: He is John the Baptist; John the Baptist proclaims that the Messiah is about to come.

5. COMMUNICATION OF THE STORY Mark narrates the story very beautifully: past present future. He gives us details regarding Johns appearance and diet, which Mark normally does not offer. This story leads and gives more sense to the following passages (Mark 1:9-13).

6. REASONS FOR THE STORY TO HAPPEN

God always keep his promises: In the Old Testament, God promised to send a messenger to prepare the way of the Messiah: John is the messenger and Jesus is the Messiah.

7. RESULTS FROM THIS STORY God keeps his promises (sooner or later will happen); John the Baptist is a model for every Christian: Messengers of Jesus gospel in the world. Accept your part; do no pretend to be someone you are not. The importance of Baptism for those who want to begin a new life. The acceptance of Jesus as our savior.

D. LITERARY STRUCTURE AND GENRE (FORM) OF THE TEXT


1. LITERARY STRUCTURE TITLE OF THE GOSPEL: MARK 1:1 THE ACTIVITY OF JOHN THE BAPTIST: MARK 1:2-8 (A) PAST: Prophecy of Isaiah (vv. 2-3): Send a messenger to prepare way (B) PRESENT: Fulfillment of prophecy: John the Baptist (vv.4-6): John preached a baptism of repentance (C) FUTURE: Johns prophecy: coming of Messiah (vv. 7-8): The Messiah will baptize with the Holy Spirit 2. GENRE (FORM) OF THE TEXT Introduction to the activity of John the Baptist; The future fulfillment of the messianic prophecy: The Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth, is about to come.

E. THE TEXT WITHIN ITS HISTORICAL TIME


PLACE OF IMPORTANCE IN THE COMMUNITY: JOHN THE BAPTIST (messenger from God); JESUS (the Messiah) BAPTISM WITH WATER (JOHN) AND BAPTISM WITH HOLY SPIRIT (JESUS) 3

PASSAGE FOUND IN ALL THE GOSPELS: Matthew 3:1-12; Luke 3:1-18; John 1:19-28: - Johns story is completely different from the synoptic gospels: he focuses on the controversy about Johns identity between the Pharisees and John himself. Even though is different, it still shows the same aspects of Marks story: a) prophecy of Isaiah 40:3; b) John baptizes with water; c) Someone mightier than him is coming and he is not fit to undo the strap of his sandals. - Marks story is entirely found in Matthew and Luke, except for v. 2, taken from Malachi 3:1. - Only Matthew and Mark describe Johns diet and clothing. - Matthew and Luke added an apologetic discourse of John - Luke also added a practical way to show repentance and conversion (crowds, tax collectors, and soldiers).

F. VERIFICATION OF THE RESULTS


There are still some questions we have not answered yet, now is the time to do so by checking commentaries on the Gospel of Mark: 1. Is Mark 1:1 the title of the whole gospel? Yes, it is the title of the whole gospel: Marks purpose is to show his readers that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God, and that is good news for all of them.

2. What does baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins mean? The symbol of water as a sign of purification is well-known in Israel. - At Jesus time, rabbis baptized gentiles who converted to Judaism, but it was not as necessary as the circumcision. - The community of Qumran (Essenes) had frequent baths, signs of the sincerity of the conversion of the new members. Johns baptism was something completely new and original compared to the baths in Judaism traditions: - The context of his baptism: Gods judgment day is coming really soon, it is time to make an option: repent and convert.

Conditions for receiving baptism: confess their sins and promise a radical change of life style (only one time baptism). Everybody can receive it as long as they keep the conditions. Those baptized must go back to their daily lives and work, but live an honest and generous life. John knows that his baptism is just water; he also knows that someone stronger will come and baptize them with the Spirit. Johns baptism is just a preparation for the real one (Spirit).

3. What is the meaning of Johns clothing and diet? Typical clothing of the people of the desert; Some experts say it is a comparison with Elijah (2 Kings 1:8): wearing a hair cloak and a leather loincloth. Many in Israel believed that Elijah had to come first, then the Messiah. The food of the people of the desert Clothing and diet, symbols of simple and ascetic life.

4. What does not fit to undo the strap of his sandals mean? Slave-master relationship: the slaves had to untie the sandals of their masters and wash their feet as they came home. For this reason, John considers himself lower than a slave regarding the Messiah.

5. What is the baptism with the Holy Spirit? Jesus not only offers forgiveness with his baptism, but also eternal salvation: those who accept Jesus preaching will join him through this baptism with Holy Spirit, who will guide them through life until they reach eternal salvation.

G. THEOLOGICAL PRESENTATION
Mark 1:1-8 should be divided in two parts: a) the title; b) the mission of John the Baptist: The title: It is not just the first verse; it is the title of the gospel. When his readers finish reading the gospel, they must conclude that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

The gospel does not begin with the annunciation and birth of Jesus. These three passages are an introduction to how Jesus activity started: John the Baptist Jesus baptism Jesus temptations. John is Gods messenger, the one who prepares the way to the Messiah: fulfillment of Gods promises. He invites people to the desert, to repent and convert, so that later they can receive his baptism with water. People responded well to Johns invitation to repentance: all Judea and Jerusalem (exaggeration): many people answer his call. Johns clothing and diet remind us of the people of the desert. It also reminds us of the prophets of the OT, especially Elijah: according to the Jews, he was the one preparing the way Until now, Mark did not give us much information about Johns preaching; but at this point, he tells us the most important message: the coming of the Messiah baptizing in Holy Spirit. John is aware of his place in the salvation project: he is the messenger, the one who prepares the way Jesus is the Messiah. He is an example of simplicity and humility: he feels like a slave in front of the stronger one, the Messiah. He is also aware of the limits of his baptism of water (external washing). The baptism with the Holy Spirit brought by the Messiah is the one that matters because they will receive the Spirit, the same one that the disciples received at Pentecost. Those who receive this baptism will achieve eternal salvation.

H. MESSAGE FOR US TODAY (ACTUALIZATION)


JESUS IS GOOD NEWS: When I read the gospel, do I feel it is good news or bad news? Does believing in Jesus bring joy and happiness to my life? How can I bring the joy of the gospel to my personal life, my family, my work, my friends everyone? THE DESERT: PLACE FOR CONVERSION: Where do I go when I want to talk to God or know what he wants from me? Can you feel his presence there? Do I truly believe that God forgives my sins if I repent? Am I willing to change my lifestyle in order to achieve Gods peace and happiness? Why is so hard to change my bad actions into good ones? Do I believe that God is on my side to help me in my sufferings and difficulties? JOHN THE BAPTIST: A MODEL AND EXAMPLE FOR US CHRISTIANS: What is Gods mission for me today? Do I pretend 6

to be someone I am not? (wearing masks) How do I keep my egocentrism and pride under control? Do I recognize my limitations and try to improve myself? How often do I tell people about the good news of Jesus? Am I afraid of sharing with others that Jesus is the savior of the world?

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