A New Beginning. Mark 1:1-3.
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the son of God. As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, Who will prepare your way, The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Prepare the way of the Lord, Make his paths straight.”
Dear Servants of the King of Kings,
We begin today with the gospel of Mark, thought by many to be the earliest of the four gospels to be written.
Proclamation (v. 1). Mark is thought to have written to a primarily Roman audience. He begins his gospel abruptly, much the way Roman heralds (messengers) would proclaim the birth of a son to the emperor, or the ascendance of a new emperor to the Roman helm. The Romans would proclaim it as “good news,” as Mark also does here. However, the good news is of the “son of God,” the Heavenly Emperor.
Prophesied (v. 2).Unlike the son of the Roman emperor, whose beginning would have been his birth, the coming of the Son of God was proclaimed way before the event. Isaiah (40:3) lived 700 years before Christ and Malachi (3:1), whom Mark also quotes, lived 400 years before Christ. They foretold the coming of the herald who would precede the revelation of the new King. Mark is subtly weaving the superiority of the coming Kingdom of God over the Roman realm.
Preparation (v. 3). The herald was to declare “in the wilderness” the anticipated revelation of the new King so that people could get ready for him. The picture is of a king entering a town, so the citizens sweep the paths and level the ground in readiness for his grand entry. It is worthy of note that both Isaiah and Malachi are very clear that it is the Lord God coming.
The Romans thought their emperor a god and addressed him as Lord. Mark is not only citing the prophets – he is telling his readers who really is Lord. It is not too early to ask if he is your Lord, too.
Your Loving Pastor Chris.