Mark 1:1-11
The good news of Jesus Christ—the Message!—begins here, following to the letter the scroll of the prophet Isaiah.
Watch closely: I’m sending my preacher ahead of you;
He’ll make the road smooth for you.
Thunder in the desert!
Prepare for God’s arrival!
Make the road smooth and straight!John the Baptizer appeared in the wild, preaching a baptism of life-change that leads to forgiveness of sins. People thronged to him from Judea and Jerusalem and, as they confessed their sins, were baptized by him in the Jordan River into a changed life. John wore a camel-hair habit, tied at the waist with a leather belt. He ate locusts and wild field honey.
As he preached he said, “The real action comes next: The star in this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will change your life. I’m baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. His baptism—a holy baptism by the Holy Spirit—will change you from the inside out.”
At this time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. The moment he came out of the water, he saw the sky split open and God’s Spirit, looking like a dove, come down on him. Along with the Spirit, a voice: “You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life.”
May 21st, 2007 at 3:28 pm
Using our new regime I’ve been sitting with this passage ofr several days now and loving the experience.
Today it struck me that in preparing the way for God’s arrival, John appeared in the “wild”.
Perhaps to prepare for God’s arrival in my life and through me into the lives of those around me I need to live more in the wild where it is scary, dangerous, uncomfortable, lonely and different.
The more I seek comfort, safety, conformity and security the less straight and smooth the road for God
May 23rd, 2007 at 12:50 pm
That is quite helpful for me at the moment. I feel that the sands are shifting all around me at the moment, with waiting to change job and looking for somewhere new to live and some difficult relationships- things are just so turbulent. But I’m aware that God often appears in times and circumstances like these and uses them to draw me on. I’m also aware of some ‘dove-like’ moments; little things that are like a touch from Heaven- seeing something beautiful, or someone’s kindness…