The Herald. Mark 1:4-5.
John appeared baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.
Dear Heirs of the Heavenly Kingdom,
Mark reveals to us the identity of the messenger referred to in the previous passage. It was John the Baptist.
Roll Out (v. 4). That John appeared “in the wilderness” is definitely intended to show him as the fulfillment of the foregoing prophecy. The origin of baptism is not entirely clear to us. Sometime in the 400 years between the book of Malachi and the appearance of John, baptism became a ritual for admitting Gentiles who converted to the Jewish faith. It was symbolic of washing one of one’s “dirty” and defiled past and entry into a new way of life. The difference in John’s baptism is that he was baptizing Jewish people and telling them to respond. This was new.
Response (v. 5). Mark gives us the impression of a countrywide turnout at John’s baptismal events. People came in droves, confessing their sins and submitting to baptism. The message is that the crowds were ready for the new King and were preparing for him. The new era had begun.
Your Loving Pastor Chris.