Prepare

DEVOTION

THE GOSEL OF MARK

PREPARE

Mark 1:1-8

1:1 The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.   2 It is written in Isaiah the prophet:

"I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way"— 3 "a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.'" 

4 And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 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. 6 John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 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. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."

NIV

This may be a difficult task working through the gospel and it may require large amounts at one time in order to complete a thought or phrase, but we will find so much in here it will be worth it. We start right of with the account of John the Baptist, no small talk about the birth and childhood of Jesus, we get right into it at the beginning of his ministry. Now we know that all of Israel was looking and waiting for a messiah to arrive. Once again they were a occupied people under the rule of an oppressing government. It really wasn’t much different than when their forefathers were in Egypt. They were not a free serve governing people. They were hoping the Messiah would free them. So it is not surprising the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to John because he was preaching the coming of the Messiah. It did not matter how strange his appearance, or lifestyle, but what he was saying struck deep in the hearts of those people. They needed a Messiah and he was claiming one was coming. It is strange how times have not changed that much. Most of the time we live a fairly normal, go about our own way, life although we know about Jesus, some of us simply leave it at that, knowing about him. We do not spend as much time as we should with him, talking and listening, obeying and serving. We simply know about him, think about him once in a while especially on Sunday Morning. But it is our hour of need that we really search for his help, it is when we really need the Messiah. When we are in trouble, oppressed by health or material matters, that is when we want his relief and seek him. Praise God he is there to save the day. But as John only baptized with water, Jesus baptizes us with the Holy Spirit. This should mean something to us; we are filled with the Spirit of God and should not seek only a Messiah when in need. Jesus is coming, he is coming to save his people, he has come to save us. We are going to see an account of his public ministry, his words, his life and what it means to the whole Judean countryside, what it means to all the people in Jerusalem and all the people of the world, which includes us. Although we know all this account is true and is now history, the words can ring true in our hearts today. Jesus is coming, prepare the way of the lord, and prepare our hearts for the Lord.