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Mark 1:1-4 - Heralds of Jesus
Scripture:
Mark 1:1-4
1 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 preaching a baptism of
repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
NASU
Thoughts:
Mark, believed to be writing for Peter, begins his gospel with a
proclamation of Christ as the Messiah and therefore God. He makes this
claim not only by referring to Jesus as the Christ and the Son of God,
but also by pointing to fulfilled Messianic prophecy (verses 2-3):
Isaiah 40:3
3 A voice is calling,
"Clear the way for the Lord in the wilderness;
Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God.
NASU
Malachi 3:1
1 "Behold, I am going to send My messenger, and he will clear the way
before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple
NASU
What a privilege John had to be the forerunner of our Lord! Of the all
the people who have ever existed, John was chosen for this task, even
miraculously coming into the world as other gospels record (see Luke
1:11-20).
But then I think of Christians, today. Though we may not have
miraculously entered the world, we each have had a miraculous entrance
into new life in Christ. Each testimony, a work of the Lord. And we
too were prophesied of, long before it came to pass:
Romans 9:24-26
24 even us, whom He also called, not from among Jews only, but also
from among Gentiles. 25 As He says also in Hosea,
"I WILL CALL THOSE WHO WERE NOT MY PEOPLE, 'MY PEOPLE,'
AND HER WHO WAS NOT BELOVED, 'BELOVED.'"
26 "AND IT SHALL BE THAT IN THE PLACE WHERE IT WAS SAID TO THEM, 'YOU
ARE NOT MY PEOPLE,'
THERE THEY SHALL BE CALLED SONS OF THE LIVING GOD."
NASU
We too have a special place in God's plan. We too, like John, are
heralds for Jesus, only we proclaim
Him after His completed work.
Matthew 28:18-20
18 And Jesus came up and spoke to them, saying, "All authority has been
given to Me in heaven and on earth. 19 "Go therefore and make
disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father
and the Son and the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that
I commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the
age."
NASU
Prayer:
Thank You Lord! How awe-inspiring to know that I as a Gentile
Christian am not a mistake or after-thought, or even plan B. I was
always part of Your marvelous plan along with my Jewish Christian
brothers and sisters. Hallelujah!
As Your herald, help me to be active in evangelism. Help me to be
expectant and ready as opportunities come. I too, want to tell others
of Jesus!
Amen
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