Mark 1:1-8Amplified Bible

The Preaching of John the Baptist

1 The beginning of the [facts regarding the] good news of ^[a]Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

² As it is written and forever remains in the [writings of the] prophet Isaiah:

“Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You,
Who will prepare Your way—
³ 
A voice of one shouting in the wilderness,
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
^[b]Make His paths straight!’”

^4 [c]John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins [that is, requiring a change of one’s old way of thinking, turning away from sin and seeking God and His righteousness]. ⁵ And all the country of Judea and all the people of Jerusalem were continually going out to him; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins. ⁶ John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a [wide] leather ^[d]band around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷ And he was preaching, saying, “After me comes He who is mightier [more powerful, more noble] than I, and I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the straps of His sandals [even as His slave]. ⁸ As for me, I baptized you [who came to me] with water [only]; but He will baptize you [who truly repent] ^[e]with the Holy Spirit.”

The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.

For everything under the sun – there is a time and a season.

For everything under the sun – there is a beginning and there is an ending.

For everyone under the sun – there is a time and a season.

For everyone under the sun – there is a beginning and there is an ending.

And then there is Jesus, the Son of God – the Son of Man who was there in the very beginning, by whom and through whom all things were created, He was continually existing, all things came into existence through Him, and without Him not even one thing was made that has come into being – Fathom all of that!

In Him was life [and the power to bestow life], and the life was the Light of men.

He was there in the beginning of all things – Co-Eternally with God the Father.

And of His Kingdom – there shall be NO END. (Luke 1:33)

He has NO ending – He is Eternal – Forever and Ever – Alleluia! Alleluia! Amen.

Like all of the Gospel writers – they tried to Fathom the eternal Son of God.

Like all of the Gospel writers – they tried to communicate their understanding of the eternal Son of God, to the everyday men and women of their times, to a specific targeted audience – they desired for the everyday person to know Him!

Like all the Gospel writers Mark introduces us to Jesus Christ, the eternally begotten Son of God and prophesied Savior of the world, but we discover Mark’s specific focus is upon the humanity of Jesus, as servant of all – and the divinely appointed name of “Jesus’, which is specifically linked with His humanity, His name specifically means “God is Salvation’.

Luke 1:26-38 Amplified

Jesus’ Birth Foretold

²⁶ Now in the sixth month [of Elizabeth’s pregnancy] the angel Gabriel was sent from God to a city in Galilee called Nazareth, ²⁷ to a virgin ^[a]betrothed to a man whose name was Joseph, a descendant of the house of David; and the virgin’s name was Mary. ²⁸ And coming to her, the angel said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” ²⁹ But she was greatly perplexed at what he said, and kept carefully considering what kind of greeting this was. ³⁰ The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. ³¹ Listen carefully: you will conceive in your womb and give birth to a son, and you shall name Him Jesus. ³² He will be great and eminent and will be called the Son of the Most High; and the Lord God will give Him the throne of His father David; ³³ and He will reign over the house of Jacob (Israel) forever, and of His kingdom there shall be no end.” ³⁴ Mary said to the angel, “How will this be, since I am a virgin and have no intimacy with any man?” ³⁵ Then the angel replied to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you [like a cloud]; for that reason the holy (pure, sinless) Child shall be called the Son of God. ³⁶ And listen, even your relative Elizabeth has also conceived a son in her old age; and she who was called barren is now in her sixth month. ³⁷ For with God nothing [is or ever] shall be impossible.” ³⁸ Then Mary said, “^[b]Behold, I am the servant of the Lord; may it be done to me according to your word.” And the angel left her.

The personal name “Jesus’ was given to Him at the time of His birth, for He will be great and eminent and will be called the Son of the most high and God shall give Him the Throne, God and shall save His people from their sin, He himself shall redeem a lost world by means of His sinless life and substitutionary death.

And although the Lord Jesus was the eternal Son of God, and equal in honor and glory with the Father.. Mark announces the beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ from the human perspective – tracing the gospel of Jesus from His lowly birth in a lowly stable unto His glorious resurrection and ascension into heaven.

While Matthew wrote his narration to identify Jesus as the Jewish messiah and King of Israel, Mark’s narrative audience was primarily to the Romans, where their connection, relationship to Jesus is portrayed to them as the Servant of all.

John’s principal desire was to emphasize the deity of the eternal Son of God, while Luke’s narrative aim was to bring out the empathetic ministry of the lowly Son of Man – but from the beginning.. Mark’s emphasis is on Christ’s servant-hood, for we read that: even the Son of Man came not to be ministered unto, but to serve and to give His life as a ransom for many. (Mark 10:35-45)

The gospel of Jesus Christ continues today and will extend into the eternal ages to come, and Mark simply records the beginning section of this good news.

From the beginning Jesus was the prophesied child of an everyday common woman of her times and her seasons and declared to be the promised Saviour..

Who came at the appointed time to tabernacle in the world with His creation. He came as the suffering servant of God, Whose life, death, burial and resurrection would be good news for all who would trust in His sacrificial death for salvation.

The Gospel Narrator Mark tells us all of Jesus’ historical beginning – when the eternal, uncreated God stripped Himself of the glory He had with the Father and stepped into time, by taking upon Himself mortal flesh and becoming a man.

And throughout His life the man Jesus demonstrated the only way humanity can live in fellowship, relate, connect, with a holy God:- by saying and doing those things He heard from the Father – by abiding in the Father; living in total dependence upon Him – and walking in complete obedience to the Father’s will.

Although Christ was the eternal Son of God… we discover Him to be the humble servant of God, Who walked in spirit and truth, lived in humble submission to the leading and guidance of the Holy Spirit and became servant of all – so that by His coming, by His life, His death, His burial and His resurrection, all who believe on Him should not perish but be saved by grace through faith in HIM.

The Gospel of Jesus Christ continues unabated, unhindered, unashamedly, to this day and we who have made our heartfelt full throated confession, came to belief, trusted in Him as Saviour, have been made ministers of this good news.

Let us tell of this glorious truth, locally and abroad, of the glorious truth of the Gospel of our Savior Jesus Christ Who came, gave His life as a ransom for many.

In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,

Let us Pray,

My Heavenly Father, thank You for Your Word and the wonderful truth that it contains. Thank You that Jesus set aside His heavenly glory and took upon Himself the humble status of a Servant of all.. so that He could identify with our humanity and pay the price for our sin – a price that we are unable to pay. Thank you for this Gospel of Mark, through which the common man may find a way to relate and to connect and identify with the deity He has always had. I pray that I may follow in His footsteps and live in humble submission to Your Holy Spirit all the days of my life, and only do those things that I hear from Your – this I ask in Jesus name, AMEN.

https://translate.google.com/