Mark 1:1-8
John the Baptist Prepares the Way for Jesus
1The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2It is written in Isaiah the prophet:
"I will send my messenger ahead of you,
who will prepare your way"—
3"a voice of one calling in the desert,
'Prepare the way for the Lord,
make straight paths for him.' " 4And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. 6John wore clothing made of camel's hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7And this was his message: "After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus and His ministry... The prophets Isaiah and Malachi tells us a messenger, a voice in the desert would go ahead of Jesus and make a straight path for Him...John would give us hope and great expectation...After him, One would arrive whose sandals John would not be worthy to untie...One who would baptize us with the Holy Spirit...
John was close to God...It seems the closer we are to God and the more we know about the LORD the more we know of our own failings and our own sins...God is perfectly Holy and man and his ways are not...John the Baptist knew this and his humility and humbleness is expressed by him...John says he is unworthy...
John would prepare the way...God would send the Treasure of Grace...
John would ask preach a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of our sins...We are to forgive others of their issues, debts, and trespasses against us...This forgiving (others) can be difficult for us...
Forgiveness is God's way of pardoning us and those who are sorry for their sins...