“Jesus Christ, the Son of God” – Mark 1:1-8

Have you ever had one of those conversations where the person who is doing the talking is going on and on about something and you keep thinking to yourself, “Just get to the point”? Usually, but not always, the person who does this tends to monopolize the conversation so that it becomes less a dialogue than a monologue. The person can start telling their story then get distracted by something not really germane to the story—“What was that person’s name?”—or is reminded of something somewhat related to the story but not really. That person can decide the story needs enough background to make it relevant when really they’re just talking.

In today’s passage, Mark announces from the get-go that his account of Jesus’ life is going to be to the point. This favors his audience, the Christians in and around Rome. These were people that liked action, short and to the point stories.

Mark lets us know this from the very first verse. In his introduction to this Gospel, Mark showed that he had a story to tell and would tell it quickly.

Background

We mentioned last week that had Mark’s Gospel account been made into a movie, it would be an action film like Marvel movies. His account, the earliest written record of Jesus’ life, is the shortest of the four Gospel stories and focuses on the theme that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God.

In his introduction, Mark got right to the point and only gave enough of a background to let the readers know the significance of Jesus and His ministry to our world.

Central Truth: Mark’s Gospel account is written to show Jesus, as the Son of God, was greater than a prophet.

In Mark’s introduction, we find that:

1. Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God (1)

The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

When my children were in school, there were times I thought they were simply being taught how to take standardized tests. What particularly annoyed me was when they would bring an essay home they had written. The introductory paragraph would be something along the lines of, “I am going to tell you how to make a peanut butter sandwich. I will tell you how to get the bread on the plate. Then I will tell you how to spread the peanut butter on the bread. Finally, I will tell you how to put the pieces of bread together to make the sandwich.”

I would read these and think the lessons on essay writing had nothing to do with writing an essay that would grab the reader’s attention and keep it until the end.

I think of this as we read Mark 1:1. From the outset, Mark told his readers exactly what he was going to write about. The difference between what my children were taught and what Mark wrote is in the substance of Mark’s words. With each word, the writer conveys a message that gives the reader a profound understanding of who Jesus is.

“The beginning of the gospel” is a good example. When Mark wrote his gospel account, the word “gospel” was used in his world to describe a bit of good news accompanied by a gift. It was something a person could look forward to. What Mark and the other Gospel writers did was transform the word into a message of hope and revelation of God’s great love as demonstrated through His Son, Jesus, and the love Jesus demonstrated in living His life before us.

This good news that Mark was writing about was about Jesus. “Jesus” was a common name in the Jewish world. The Hebrew name is “Joshua,” and the Aramaic name is “Yeshua.” The Greeks transformed the word into Jesus. Regardless of the language, the name means “God saves.” It was the name God told Joseph to give to the Son Mary was carrying. It was fraught with significance in that this Son brings salvation to all in the world who will believe in Him. This salvation was gained at the great cost of Jesus’ crucifixion. It fulfilled God’s plan to provide reconciliation between Him and us.

“Christ” is the Greek word that the Hebrew language called “Messiah.” “Messiah” means “anointed” and was understood in Jewish culture to refer to the One who was to come from God to re-establish David’s kingdom. This anointed one was to fulfill God’s promises to His people and was sent by God specifically for the purpose of redemption and restoration. As an anointed messenger, the messenger spoke on behalf of the one who sent him, and acted as the one who sent him. It was believed that one who received God’s anointing acting as God before men. This was true of the high priests and the prophets. It comes to its fullest meaning in the person of Jesus, who is God’s Anointed One who is the exact representation of God’s being (cf. Hebrews 1:3).

“Son of God” continued the idea of Jesus as the Christ. It was believed in Roman and Jewish culture of the time that the son represented the father, that a father’s characteristics would be seen in the son, and that the son would carry on the father into the next generation. The idea was that the eldest son would bear a double portion of his father’s qualities and characteristics. Jesus, as the One and Only Son of God, is God with us—Immanuel. As God’s Son, Jesus holds the unique position of living God’s life before us. It is why Jesus could tell Philip, “Anyone who has seen Me has seen the Father” (John 14:9b).

By introducing his letter to the Roman world in this way, Mark told his readers and tells us today that this biography is no ordinary story, but is one that tells a message of good news that introduces us to the singular person who alone is God with Us. He is Jesus, Christ, Son of God.

2. John’s ministry was the culmination of God’s plan for salvation through Christ (2-6)

It is written in Isaiah the prophet: “I will send My messenger ahead of You, who will prepare Your way”—“a voice of one calling in the desert, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for Him.’” And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he at locusts and wild honey.

Going back to the introduction to this sermon, there are times when it is necessary to give a long backstory in order to make sense of what is ultimately being said. It depends on how knowledgeable someone is on the subject and how much they need to be informed.

In God’s plan for redemption, God knew it would need a long buildup from our perspective. It would have been possible for Jesus to have died on the cross at the outset of creation, but we needed to learn what it is to sin and how sin destroys our relationship with God in order to understand the significance of Jesus’ sacrifice.

So God told the long story leading up to Jesus’ birth and ministry. Beginning from the fall of Adam and Eve, God began laying the message of redemption and hope through Christ. Mark chose to cite some passages of Scripture from Isaiah and Malachi to let us know that God had a plan all along to redeem mankind.

These and other passages in the Bible pointed to one man coming to prepare the way of the Lord. The role of the messenger was not only to proclaim the coming of the one who sent the messenger, but it was also his responsibility to make sure the roads were safe and passable. He had the responsibility of making reservations and providing food and shelter. In addition to this, the messenger had the privilege and responsibility to proclaim the coming of the more important person. This John fulfilled.

Mark gives enough description of John to let the readers know John was the fulfillment of the coming of a prophet like Elijah to proclaim the coming Messiah. John dressed like and dined like Elijah did. His message was the word of God delivered to His people in a language that was both simple and forceful.

John’s ministry was successful in part because the people were yearning for a word from the Lord. They had waited for over 400 years since the messages from Malachi. Now that someone was proclaiming God’s word and announcing the coming kingdom, the people flocked to where John was. The people responded to John’s message of baptism for repentance.

Even as John preached baptism of repentance, he was pointing people to the coming Messiah, to Jesus, Christ, Son of God, and he wanted the people to know that true repentance would come only when they followed Jesus.

3. Jesus is greater than John the Baptist (7-8)

And this was his message: “After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.

Success can be a hard thing for people to handle. As we become more successful, we can begin to become more confident in ourselves and less reliant on other people. We can take our success for granted and decide to rest on our laurels.

That was not the case with John. Though genuine revival seemed to be breaking out in Judea and Jerusalem, John never lost sight on the fact that his real purpose was to prepare the way for Jesus. Accordingly, John’s message, while of baptism of repentance, was focused on the One who would come and bring full forgiveness of sins.

John’s statement that he was not worthy to untie Jesus’ thongs from His sandals told the people of his day that John considered himself even less worthy than a slave. So great was Jesus John could not fathom a place where he could even begin to compare himself to the coming Messiah.

The reason John knew that Jesus’ ministry would far surpass his own ministry was in what Jesus would bring to the repentant sinner—baptism with the Holy Spirit. The role of the Holy Spirit was and is to impart the mind of Christ into us by allowing us to be filled with His presence in the Holy Spirit.

Because Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit, we are able to recall what Jesus taught (cf. John 14:26). We are able to allow Christ to minister through us (cf. John 15:5). The Spirit testifies about Christ (cf. John 15:26-27), giving us the words we need to speak to others about Jesus. The Holy Spirit also brings conviction (cf. John 16:7-11) and lead us into all Truth (cf. John 16:12-15). There is so much more that the Spirit does for us and in us and through us, but this is just a taste.

Because Jesus baptizes with the Holy Spirit, His ministry is superior to John the Baptist.

Conclusion

Things go fast with Mark’s account of the life of Jesus. He introduced us not only to a new understanding of the word “gospel,” but also revealed that Jesus is Christ, Son of God. Jesus is worthy of praise and honor because He brings us redemption and forgiveness and empowers us with His Holy Spirit.

We can celebrate the birth of Jesus because of what Mark has told us.