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SERMON TIMELINE

1. Introduction

2. John the Baptist

Today is Sunday. January 12^th, 2024

SCRIPTURE REFERENCE

Mark 1:1-8

“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You,

Who will prepare Your way;

3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness,

‘Make ready the way of the Lord,

Make His paths straight.’”

4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness [d]preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the region of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. 6 And John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and was eating locusts and wild honey. 7 And he was [e]preaching, saying, “After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the strap of His sandals. 8 I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

INTRODUCTION

The Gospel of Mark begins with the work of John the Baptist, which was foretold by Old Testament prophets (Mark 1:2-3)

His ministry was very successful, as we see in verse 5, “…all the region of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.”

We also know that he would have continued to be successful if his life had not been cut short. (Mark 1:14). When John was put in custody, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the Gospel and saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and [LIT: put your trust in] believe in the gospel.” Mark 1:15

We’ve discussed the difference between “believe” and “put your trust in.”

Though John’s work was cut short, it was clearly necessary. Each of the four gospels prefaces Jesus’ ministry with that of Johns. Mark describes it as “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ.” Mark 1:1

It makes sense, then, that if we are to understand the ministry of Jesus Christ, we must start with understanding the ministry of the one who was sent to “prepare the way of the Lord.”

I. THE PREACHING OF JOHN THE BAPTIST

a. John’s purpose was to “prepare the people for the coming Messiah.”

i. This fulfilled the prophecy of Isaiah and Malachi

1. As the Lord’s messenger to prepare His way (Malachi 3:1)

2. Elijah also came to prepare the people

a. Malachi 4:5-6 “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and awesome day of Yahweh. 6 And he will turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, lest I come and strike the land, devoting it to destruction.”

3. When the confused disciples asked Jesus about this prophecy in Matthew, Jesus explained to them, “His disciples asked Him, saying, “Why then do the scribes say that Elijah must come first?” 11 And He answered and said, “Elijah is coming and will restore all things; 12 but I say to you that Elijah already came, and they did not recognize him, but did to him whatever they wished. So also the Son of Man is going to suffer at their hands.” 13 Then the disciples understood that He had spoken to them about John the Baptist.” Matthew 17:10-13

ii. John the Baptist also fulfilled the prophecy in Isaiah 40:3 “A voice is calling, “Prepare the way for Yahweh in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.”

iii. First Elijah, then John the Baptist, both sent to “prepare the people for the coming Messiah.”

b. John’s message

i. Mark 1:4 tells us John the Baptist came, baptizing in the wilderness

1. Matthew 3:1 lets us know it was the wilderness of Judea

2. Matthew 3:6 tells us it was in the Jordan River

3. In Bethabara (Bethany) on the east side of the Jordan (John 1:28)

ii. In John 3:23 we are told John later baptized in Salim on the west side of Jordan because there was more water there.

iii. In Mark 1:4, we read that John the Baptist preached a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

1. A baptism of repentance literally means a “change of mind.”

a. Which is prompted by “godly sorrow.”

i. 2 Corinthians 7:10 “For godly sorrow produces a repentance without regret, leading to salvation, but the sorrow of the world brings about death.”

b. This is followed by a zealous desire to “do right.”

i. 2 Corinthians 7:11 “For behold what earnestness this very thing—this godly sorrow—has brought about in you: what vindication of yourselves, what indignation, what fear, what longing, what zeal, what avenging of wrong! In everything you demonstrated yourselves to be innocent in the matter.”

c. Do you have a zeal and an insatiable drive to do what is right?

i. No? Then, you have not experienced a godly sorrow for your sin.

1. If you had experienced godly sorrow for your sin, it would have produced “repentance without regret” (2 Corinthians 7:10)

2. And that would have led to salvation, which leads to the zeal and the insatiable drive to do what is right.

ii. Instead, you have the sorrow of the world; you turn from sin out of guilt and have regrets because your mind did not change; you did not repent.

1. That sorrow is of the world and brings about death.

2. Lots wife had this sorrow and regret and desired not to do what is right in the sight of God but return like a dog to her vomit, longing for the sins she had left behind.

iv. A baptism of repentance, a change of mind, with godly sorrow, brings salvation and forgiveness.

1. The sins are washed away by the death of Jesus Christ (Hebrews 9:15)

2. This is what Jesus Christ and His apostles taught

a. Mark 16:15-16

b. Acts 2:38

c. Acts 22:16

v. John’s message called for repentance and baptism for the remission of sins.

c. John’s success

i. Mark 1:5 tells us that all of Judea, Jerusalem, etc., went to him

ii. They were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins

d. John’s lifestyle

i. Most of us have read the stories of John the Baptist dressed in camel hair and a leather belt. (Mark 1:6)

ii. Eating a diet of locusts and wild honey. There was a reason for this.

iii. It was so the Hebrews would know this was of God. How?

1. Luke 1:17 tells us that John the Baptist came “in the spirit and power of Elijah.”

2. Compare this reference to the description of Elijah in 2 Kings 1:8 “a hairy man wearing a leather belt around his waist.”

iv. Even when you cannot see or understand, there is purpose. God is sovereign.

v. John’s lifestyle, like Elijah’s, drew the attention and reflected the seriousness of his message. (Charles Erdman Bible Commentary)

e. John’s promise to those who will listen is

i. “One is coming who is mightier than I,” Mark 1:7

1. “and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the strap of His sandals.”

2. Do we have the same humility and attitude when approaching Jesus Christ, our Lord, our Savior, the Creator of all that is?

ii. “I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Mark 1:8

iii. Jesus also promised this promise of the Holy Spirit, which was fulfilled on the Day of Pentecost. Acts 1:4-5; Acts 2:1-4; Acts 2:16-17; Acts 2:33

iv. With lasting effects for ALL who come to Christ! Titus 3:4-6; 1 Corinthians 12:13

II. WOULD WE HAVE RECEIVED JOHN’S PREACHING?

a. From a man who

i. Required people to go into the wilderness to hear him? Mark 1:4-5

1. How many sacrifice truth for convenience?

ii. He dressed and ate like an eccentric hermit, some even saying he was possessed because of this! Mark 1:6; Matthew 11:18

1. How many are drawn to extraordinary buildings, high towers, beautiful sanctuaries, and well-dressed ministers with high-profile lifestyles?

2. In today’s narcissistic society, many would be ashamed to say they listened to such a man, though he spoke the truth of God’s word.

iii. He called the religious people coming to be baptized a “brood of vipers.” Matthew 3:7

1. Religious people who think they are right with God and believe they need not change because they said the words once, did the magic prayer, ate the cracker, and drank the grape juice, all is good.

2. Religious people who think so highly of themselves and look down on all others, thanking God they are not like the man who confesses his sins and has to ask for forgiveness.

3. Their pride keeps them in their sin and in opposition to God.

iv. Would we have listened to someone like John the Baptist?

b. It is doubtful

i. Too many judge the clothes others wear.

1. We judge their appearances.

ii. When I was preaching at the First Baptist Church about 20 years ago, a few congregation members complained to the Elders because I wasn’t wearing nicer dress suits to preach.

1. The Elders approached me about this complaint.

a. It wasn’t that I didn’t wear suits and ties, but they were older and not expensive.

2. Another time, a pastor who wanted me to give the Sunday message because he was leaving had a change of plans. He didn’t go but wanted me to provide the message anyway.

a. He was upset with me after the service, not because my message was poorly constructed, or my scripture references were incorrect, or my message was too long

b. But because I wore white socks instead of dress socks with my dress shoes.

iii. What is the reason for coming to worship?

iv. 1 Samuel 16:7 “But Yahweh said to Samuel, “Do not look at his appearance or at the height of his stature, because I have rejected him; for God does not see what man sees, for man looks at the outward appearance, but Yahweh looks at the heart.”

c. When the word of God reveals our faults and sins, we get upset or offended

i. I have even been approached by an older man asking me to preach only about heaven and “good stuff.”

ii. Matthew 23:13-15 “But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you shut off the kingdom of heaven from people; for you do not enter in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in. 14 [Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you devour widows’ houses, and for a facade you make long prayers; therefore you will receive greater condemnation.]

15 “Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites, because you travel around on sea and land to make one convert; and when he becomes one, you make him twice as much a son of [Gehenna] hell as yourselves.

CONCLUSION

The preaching of John the Baptist had an essential purpose. To “prepare the way for the Lord; make His paths straight.” John did this by emphasizing repentance and baptism.

Because of John, people were more likely to heed the call of Jesus.

To repent of their sins, put their trust in the Gospel, and be baptized. (Mark 1:15)

John the Baptist’s manner of living and style of preaching should be remembered.

Too many turn the message of Jesus Christ into a form of “easy believing.”

John reminds us of the need to bear fruits in keeping with true repentance.

As Jesus said in Luke 6:46, “…why do you call Me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ and do not do what I say?”

NEXT WEEK: “Part 3: The Baptism of Jesus”

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Tuesday, January 14, 2025

Gospel of Mark Part 2: John the Baptist