Don’t Get Stuck in “Preparation Mode”

Today’s passage is Mark 1:1-20. With a humble heart, see what sticks out to you in this passage.  Is there a verse, a phrase, or a lesson you think the Holy Spirit may be highlighting for you in this passage?  After you’ve thought about the passage yourself a bit, read the GAME sharing below.  Let’s go!

Today we begin the Gospel of Mark.  Though the author does not identify himself in this gospel, early church writers unanimously claim Mark (also known as John Mark – see for example Acts 12:12, 25) as the author, which in some respects would be a strange choice if it were not true.  Mark was a close co-worker of Jesus’ disciple Peter, whom Peter even calls “my son” (1 Peter 5:13).  Thus many scholars believe that Mark wrote his gospel based at least in part on the eyewitness testimony of Peter.  It is also believed by many scholars that Mark wrote this gospel while in Rome between approximately 57 and 63 A.D. (although some scholars have suggested an earlier date).  Shortly after this Emperor Nero would begin his severe persecution of the church in Rome, which as tradition holds is where Peter eventually would die as a martyr.

Many scholars agree that the gospel of Mark was probably the first of the New Testament gospels to be written and was an important reference book for Matthew and Luke to refer to when they wrote their gospels.

Today’s passage is Mark 1:1-20.  Let’s go!

Mark 1:1-8 (NIV)
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.”

On verses 1-8:  Compared to Matthew, Luke and John, Mark is the shortest gospel.  It’s not hard to see why.  Whereas the other gospels take their time in terms of setting up the background to Jesus’ public ministry, Mark goes straight into the action.   The pace of Mark is incredibly fast compared to Matthew, Luke and John.  By verse 9 of chapter 1 we’re reading about Jesus’ baptism.  By verse 13 Jesus has encountered and overcome temptation from Satan.  By verse 14, Jesus is preaching the good news.  (By contrast, Matthew and Luke does not have Jesus preaching until the end or middle of chapter 4.)

Still, despite the fast pace, Mark does take time to set up Jesus’ story by talking about John the Baptist, how pursuant to Isaiah’s prophecy John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus.  It’s the only “setting up” Mark will do before going straight into Jesus’ public ministry.  This should suggest to us how important John the Baptist was in Mark’s eyes.  It’s as if Mark is saying that without the ministry of John the Baptist, the ministry of Jesus does not happen the way it does.

Just as Mark takes the time to honour John for preparing the way for the world to meet the Saviour Jesus, may you take the time to honour those who prepared the way for you to meet Jesus.  Maybe it was a parent, a pastor, a friend, a teacher, a relative, someone in your church.  Had God not used them the way He did, your story would not be what it is.  So even in the midst of the busyness and the action of life, take time to thank God for those who made it possible for you to meet Jesus and to be who you are today.

Mark 1:9-11 (NIV)
⁹  At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
¹⁰  As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
¹¹  And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

On verses 9-11:  Jesus’ baptism was also important enough for Mark to mention in this short gospel.  Here we see, in what is now generally understood to be the earliest gospel, the importance of baptism – how Jesus was baptized not because he was a sinner, but as a way to identify with us sinners and to set an example for us to follow in baptism as well.  We also see Mark’s understanding of God as a Trinity (Three-in-One), as all 3 Persons of the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – are involved at Jesus’ baptism.

Mark 1:12-20 (NIV)
¹²  At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert,
¹³  and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.
¹⁴  After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.
¹⁵  “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!”
¹⁶  As Jesus walked beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his brother Andrew casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen.
¹⁷  “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will make you fishers of men.”
¹⁸  At once they left their nets and followed him.
¹⁹  When he had gone a little farther, he saw James son of Zebedee and his brother John in a boat, preparing their nets.
²⁰  Without delay he called them, and they left their father Zebedee in the boat with the hired men and followed him.

On verses 12-20:  From Jesus’ baptism and temptation in the desert, we’re now into Jesus preaching (v14-15) and calling his first disciples (v16-20).

When I read the first chapter of Mark, I get the sense that Mark is trying to quickly get through the preparation phase of Jesus’ ministry (including John the Baptist, Jesus’ baptism, Jesus’ temptation, and Jesus calling His disciples) so that he can get straight to what he considers the material most pressing for the reader to know: the amazing things Jesus did and said as a public minister.  In verse 10 the Spirit of God descended upon Jesus like a dove and what we’ll see next is Jesus ministering in the full power of the Spirit.

The way Mark speeds through the preparation process for Jesus’ ministry causes me to wonder: do some of us live way too long in “preparation mode” that we never get to living, doing and being as God wants us to soon enough?  How many times have I heard people say, “I’m not ready yet”, whether the topic is about receiving Jesus, getting baptized, serving in a new ministry, going on missions, sharing Jesus with others, committing to a local church, or something else that God wants them to do.  That is not to say that preparation is not important.  But it’s a sobering thought: is there something that I know I should do where “I’m not ready yet” has become my excuse?  May we not use “I’m not ready yet” as an ongoing excuse, lest we and those nearest to us miss the blessing because of our delay.

Father, thank You for Jesus Your Son.  Thank You that You didn’t delay in sending Him.  Rather at the perfect time You sent Jesus Christ so that we could know Him.  Thank You also for the John’s You have brought to my life to prepare the way for me to know Jesus.  In Jesus’ name, AMEN!