The Gospel of Mark
John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. Mark 1:4 (ESV)
“Start at the waterfall.” I didn’t come up with the phrase, but I have used it many times while teaching writing. A student has an amazing story idea with hundreds of different details, but they can’t get started because they don’t know where to begin. So I tell them, “Start at the waterfall,” meaning start at the part of the story where the action begins.
So, after telling us Jesus is the Son of God, where does Mark begin? He “starts at the waterfall” – the action – the reason Jesus came. He doesn’t start with Christmas, the angels, Jesus’ childhood, or even genealogies. He starts with John the Baptist and the baptism of Jesus. He connects Jesus to the Old Testament, showing how the prophecies were fulfilled. He quotes Isaiah, which says that a messenger will come to prepare the way for the Lord. Then he goes on in verse four telling how “John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.”
Mark spends a total of five verses talking about John the Baptist, and he spends a whole verse talking about John’s clothing and diet. This establishes John as the complete opposite of the religious leaders of the day, who were from Jerusalem, rich, well-dressed, and civilized. But it also connects John to another prophet of the Old Testament, Elijah, who was recognizable by his “garment of hair, with a belt of leather around his waist” (2 Kings 1:8). And God had told the people in Malachi 4:5, “Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes.”
Mark’s Gospel is fast-moving. He has a lot to get through, so he begins with John’s coming, the fulfillment of prophecies, and Jesus’ baptism, beginning Jesus’ public ministry.
Saint John the Baptist points to Thee
And bids me cast my sin on Thee;
For Thou hast left Thy throne on high
To suffer for the world and die.
The Lutheran Hymnal 328:3