Mark is my favorite of the 4 gospels! His youthfulness and
accuracy shine forth in his writings as he seeks to share the many details of the
life of Jesus – His Master. Throughout his
gospel, he portrays Jesus as the ultimate Servant and yet the Son of God.
Mark’s topical narrative on the life of Christ is the
shortest and simplest of the four Gospels. He provides a crisp and fast-moving
account of the life of Christ. The miracles of Jesus play a prominent role in
the book. Mark highlights 18 miracles, demonstrating Jesus’ power and
compassion. Mark show Jesus’ accomplishments and calls us to follow in His
steps of servitude, even if suffering is part of the journey.
Throughout the next many blogposts, we are going to be discovering
lessons from the book of Mark. May you be blessed as you read. 😊
Mark chapter 1:1-8 – The Mission of John the Baptist
Come with me in your imagination to the edge of the Jordan
River, deep in the wilderness. A huge crowd has gathered around a simple, fearless,
humble messenger of the Lord. We crowd closer to the front to get a better
look. He is not clothed in the rich, luxurious robes of the priests, but is
wearing a modest garment of camel hair with a leather belt. Wondering what he
eats, we are told he is surviving on wild honey and locusts (carob pods) found
in the wilderness. But why not preach in the ornate, great synagogues of the
day? No, he has chosen his cathedral for preaching the vast valleys and the
great Jordan River.
As we stand there listening, we heard him boldly and
courageously challenging people to repent and confess their sins and prepare
the way for the coming of the great Messiah. We hear him tell people to make
restitution to those they have wronged and show in their heart and life that
they are ready for the Messiah. Then he leads people into the Jordan River and
baptizes them as the public demonstration of their death to sin and promise of
a new life - ready to meet the Messiah.
We marvel at this simple prophet, (John the Baptist) fearlessly
doing what God had called him to do – prepare the way for Jesus’ coming. Malachi
3:1 had predicted his coming. “Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall
prepare the way before me…” John was a fulfillment of prophecy.
John was born as the miracle son to the aged parents
Zachariah and Elizabeth. Luke calls them “both righteous before God, walking in
all the commandments and ordinances of the Lord blameless.” (Luke 1:6) Truly
godly people! Just as God had given a son to Abraham and Sarah in their old
age, so John the Baptist had been born to his aged parents. God surely still
does miracles!
Obviously, Zachariah and Elizabeth faithfully taught their
son about the principles and truths of God’s Word. Luke 1:80 says, “And the
child grew, and waxed strong in spirit, and was in the deserts till the day of
his shewing unto Israel.”
Desire of Ages, page 100 says, “John was to go forth
as Jehovah's messenger, to bring to men the light of God. He must give a new
direction to their thoughts. He must impress them with the holiness of God's
requirements, and their need of His perfect righteousness. Such a messenger
must be holy. He must be a temple for the indwelling Spirit of God. In order to
fulfill his mission, he must have a sound physical constitution, and mental and
spiritual strength. Therefore, it would be necessary for him to control the
appetites and passions. He must be able so to control all his powers that he
could stand among men as unmoved by surrounding circumstances as the rocks and
mountains of the wilderness.”
We’re going to consider 7 things that John the Baptist was
an example of:
1.
John the Baptist was an example of country
living
Where was John living? Crowded somewhere in the busy streets
of Jerusalem? No! Luke 1:80 told us, “… he was in the deserts till the day of
his shewing unto Israel.” That’s where John grew up – away from the noise and
bustle and confusion of the busy cities.
Desire of Ages, page 101 says, “It was a lonely
region where he found his home, in the midst of barren hills, wild ravines, and
rocky caves. But it was his choice to forgo the enjoyments and luxuries of life
for the stern discipline of the wilderness. Here his surroundings were
favorable to habits of simplicity and self-denial. Uninterrupted by the
clamor of the world, he could here study the lessons of nature, of revelation,
and of Providence.”
We are called to follow John’s example. Selected
Messages, Vol 2, pages 355, 356 says, “By beholding the scenes of nature,
the works of the Creator, by studying God’s handiwork, imperceptibly you will
be changed into the same image. … Get out of the cities as soon as possible and
purchase a little piece of land where you can have a garden, where your children
can watch the flowers growing and learn from them lessons of simplicity and
purity.”
Evangelism, pages 77, 78 adds, “As God’s
commandment-keeping people we must leave the cities. As did Enoch, we must work
in the cities, but not dwell in them.”
John was an example of country living. As you and I are God’s
end-time messengers, we are also called to live in the country.
2.
John the Baptist was an example in dress
reform
How was John dressed? In the most fashionable, rich robes of
his time? No! He wasn’t even dressed as a priest, though his father was one. “His
dress was that of the ancient prophets, a garment of camel's hair, confined by
a leather girdle.” Desire of Ages, page 102. Simplicity in dress.
Why was John like this? He was seeking to draw the attention
of people away from himself and to look to Jesus. Instead of focusing on the
outward, he was more concerned with the inward. We are also to follow John’s
example. 1 Peter 3:3, 4 says, “Whose adorning, let it not be that outward
adorning of plaiting the hair, and of wearing of gold, or of putting on of apparel;
But let it be the hidden man of the heart, in that which is not corruptible,
even the ornament of a meek and quiet spirit, which is in the sight of God of
great price.”
“There is no need to make the dress question the main point
of your religion. There is something richer to speak of. Talk of Christ, and
when the heart is converted everything that is out of harmony with the Word of
God will drop off.” Evangelism, page 272
“Our sisters should clothe themselves in modest apparel,
with shamefacedness and sobriety. Give to the world a living illustration of
the inward adorning of the grace of God.” Selected Messages, Vol. 3,
page 242.
People need to see that God’s people, living at end-time are
different even in how we dress. Modesty of dress will do more for helping
people believe the truth than many other things.
3.
John the Baptist was an example in health
reform
What did John eat? Mark 1:6 says, “…and he did eat locusts
and wild honey.” Definitely a simple diet!
Desire of Ages, page 100 says, “In the time of John
the Baptist, greed for riches, and the love of luxury and display had become
widespread. Sensuous pleasures, feasting and drinking, were causing physical
disease and degeneracy, benumbing the spiritual perceptions, and lessening the
sensibility to sin. John was to stand as a reformer. By his abstemious life and
plain dress, he was to rebuke the excesses of his time.”
Though locusts are considered “clean” foods to eat (see Lev.
11), I don’t believe that’s what John the Baptist was eating. Locusts are the
bean (carob) pods that hang from the tree. It is safe to assume that John the
Baptist was eating a plant-based diet.
We are also called to eat a plant-based diet! “True temperance teaches us to dispense
entirely with everything hurtful and to use judiciously that which is
healthful.” Patriarchs and Prophets, page 562.
“God is trying to lead us back, step by step, to His
original design – that man should subsist upon the natural products of the
earth.” Counsels on Health, page 450.
“Many who are now only half converted on the question of
meat eating will go from God’s people, to walk no more with them.” Review
and Herald, May 27, 1902.
We cannot be a powerful end-time witness for the Lord if we
are sickly and weak because of eating flesh foods. God is calling us to come up
higher and eat a plant-based diet.
4.
John the Baptist is an example of humility
How was John humble? He was always pointing people to Jesus!
He could have been proud and puffed up that he was the one to prepare the way
for Jesus. But he wasn’t! John 3:30 says, “He (Jesus) must increase; I (John) must
decrease.” Is that our attitude? When someone comes along and crosses us, do we
think – they must increase and I decrease? When someone lower than you and less
qualified than you are gets promoted to the position you should have had, how
do you react? He/she must increase and I decrease? Are we seeking to attract people’s
attention to us? Or are we seeking to draw people’s attention to Jesus?
And what John did, we also must do! God is calling us
to be humble also!
“We must behold God, and in
beholding Him, lose sight of self…. Those who are true to their calling as
messengers for God will not seek honor for themselves. Love for self will be
swallowed up in love for Christ.” Upward Look, page 308.
“The mind must be trained to dwell
upon heavenly things. Humility will come as the result of discerning the
loveliness of Jesus Christ. When we look at the cross of Calvary, we will not
exalt self, but keep constantly in view our unworthiness and how much our
salvation cost heaven; we will discern Christ’s love.” This Day with God,
page 261
Instead of being a proud, arrogant
messenger for the Lord, we need to be humble and esteem others better than
others. As Philippians 2:4 says, “Look not every man on his own things, but
every many also on the things of others.” That’s what I want, don’t you?
5.
John the Baptist was an example of bold,
courageous witnessing
John was not afraid to speak for God. Desire of Ages,
page 104 says, “God does not send messengers to flatter the sinner. He delivers
no message of peace to lull the unsanctified into fatal security. He lays heavy
burdens upon the conscience of the wrongdoer, and pierces the soul with arrows
of conviction.”
That’s what John was called to do. He had been waiting and
watching for the right time to speak. And when the time God had appointed had
come, John was ready. He emerged from his solitude and began fearlessly
preaching and teaching others how to get ready for the Messiah.
And John was not just willing to preach for God among the
crowds of people around the Jordan. Mark 6:18 says, “John said unto Herod, ‘It
is now lawful for thee to have thy brother’s wife.” Imagine how much courage it
would take to go into the palace of the greatest king on earth at that time and
rebuke him! It was no easy task to go before that king and tell him that what
he had done was wrong. Yet, John was not afraid. He went where God sent him and
spoke what God asked him to.
God is calling us to be this kind of messenger too!
We have the most important message of truth to share to the world! Why should we
be afraid and scared to share the gospel to others?
Desire of Ages, page 822 says, “Christ gave His
disciples their commission. He made full provision for the prosecution of the
work, and took upon Himself the responsibility for its success. So long as they
obeyed His Word, and worked in connection with Him, they could not fail. Go to
all nations, He bade them. Go to the farthest part of the habitable globe, but
know that My presence will be there. Labor in faith and confidence, for the
time will never come when I will forsake you.”
That is our commission! Even if we are worried or scared or
feel that God is calling us to share with someone “great”, He has promised to
help us and bless us!
“Prayer and effort, effort and prayer, will be the business of
your life. You must pray as though the efficiency and praise were all due to
God, and labor as though duty were all your own.” Testimonies, Vol. 4,
page 538.
That’s what we need to be – a busy, earnest worker for the
Lord, willing to speak whenever God calls!
6.
John the Baptist was an example in knowing
and understanding the Scriptures
John the Baptist knew the Scriptures! During his time
growing up in the wilderness, he had been carefully searching to know God’s
will for his life and the nation of Israel. John 1:23 says, “I am the voice of
one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the
prophet Isaiah.”
Desire of Ages, page 103 says, “With awed, yet
exultant spirit he searched in the prophetic scrolls [the Bible back then] the
revelations of the Messiah’s coming.” He was very diligent to know and
understand the prophecies found in the Scriptures.
God is calling us to follow John’s example of having a
faithful devotional life! As we spend time with Jesus each day in His Word,
we will be transformed to be like Him and to be a more effective witness for
Him.
“None but those who have fortified the mind with the truths
of the Bible will stand through the last great conflict.” Great Controversy,
page 593, 594.
“Christians should be preparing for what is soon to break
upon the world as an overwhelming surprise, and this preparation they should
make by diligently studying the Word of God and striving to conform their lives
to its precepts.” Prophets and Kings, page 626.
We cannot help prepare others for Jesus’ coming, if we are
not ready ourselves! So, we need to spend time each day in the Word – seeking to
conform our lives to its precepts.
7.
John the Baptist was an example of pointing
people to Jesus
Yes, John was looking for Jesus and always sought to point
the attention of the people to Jesus. John 1:29 says, “The next day John seeth
Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold, the Lamb of God, which taketh away
the sin of the world.”
It would have been so easy for John to reason to himself
that now was his time to shine. The people had come out to see him – not Jesus.
They weren’t even aware Jesus had come. Why not let him have his moment to have
the attention of the people focused to him only? That was not John’s
motivation. He wasn’t preaching for people to admire or flatter him, no!! He
was preaching to prepare the way for Jesus to come and when Jesus came, he
gladly stepped aside to made room for Jesus. What a lesson for us!
God is calling us to be lights in the world – pointing people
to Jesus. Not ourselves, but to Him, the light of the world.
“It would be well for us to spend a thoughtful hour each day
in contemplation of the life of Christ.” Desire of Ages, page 83. The
more we spend time with Jesus and behold Him, the more we will be changed into
His image.
We must learn to surrender ourselves fully and completely to
Jesus and follow His leading for our lives. “One brief day is given you. As if
it were your last on earth, work during its hours for the Master. Lay all your
plans before God, to be carried out or given up, as His providence shall
indicate.” Testimonies, Vol. 7, page 44.
1 Peter 2:9 says, “But ye are a chosen generation, a royal
priesthood, an holy nation, a peculiar people; that ye should show forth the
praises of him who hath called you our of darkness into his marvelous light.”
As ambassadors for Jesus, Christians do indeed have a high
calling! John the Baptist helped prepare people for Jesus’ first coming and God
has called His people today to live holy lives as they help others prepare for
Jesus’ second coming.
Are you willing to be a unique “voice in the wilderness” and
witness through a godly lifestyle to prepare others for Jesus’ second coming?
That’s what I want and hope you do too!
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