02 - 2nd Week of Advent

Readings and Gospel

Lectionary for this day - This has all the readings and Gospel

Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11 - Promise of Salvation

(2nd Letter of Peter) 2 Peter 2:8-14 - Preparing for the 2nd Coming of Jesus

Mark 1:1-8 - The Preaching of John the Baptist

Isaiah

His name means "God is Salvation".
Isaiah is one of the prophets in the Old Testament -- around 742 BC to 701 BC, and it may have continued even longer, until 687 BC. He appeared at a critical moment in Israel’s history.
More information here.

Jerusalem

Zion

In the Bible, it is another name for Jerusalem or the land of Israel. Other names are City of David and Mount Moriah.
Genesis 22 - Abraham brought Isaac as a sacrifice in Mount Moriah.
2 Chronicles 3:1 - Solomon built the temple in Jerusalem on Mount Moriah in 957 BC
The same location where the second temple was built under the authority of Zerubbabel in 516 BC, completed in the leadership of Ezra and Nehemiah in 349 BC, modified by Herod the Great in 20-18 BC, and destroyed by the Romans in 70 AD
The same location where the current temple mount is in Jerusalem, City of David

Judah

Courtesy of Wikipedia

Mark

He was the travel companion and interpreter of Peter. He was one of the 12 apostles of Jesus.
- - 12 Apostles - the first 12 people that Jesus called to follow Him.

Peter or Simon Peter

Also known as Peter the Apostle, Peter the Rock, Simon Peter, Simeon, Simon, or Cephas
He was later given by Jesus the name Cephas, from the Aramaic כֵּיפָא, Kepha, 'rock/stone'.
He was one of the 12 apostles of Jesus.
- - 12 Apostles - the first 12 people that Jesus called to follow Him.
Considered as the first Pope of the Catholic Church.

John the Baptist

He is a cousin of Jesus.
His mother is Elizabeth, whom Mary visited. Both were pregnant with their respective sons. (Luke 1:39-45)
He encouraged the Jews to repent. This was marked by the baptism in the Jordan River. He baptized many Jews including Jesus. (Matthew 3:13-17)

Jordan River

This is a 251-kilometre-long (156-mile) river in the Middle East that flows roughly north to south through the Sea of Galilee and on to the Dead Sea.
This is where John the Baptist preached about repentance and where he baptized the Jews.
In the Old Testament, the Israelites crossed the Jordan River when the Israelites traveled from Egypt (out of slavery from the Egyptians) to the Promised Land.
Also in the Old Testament, one of the greatest prophets, Elijah, was taken up to the heavens, and passed on his mission to Elisha, another prophet. This happened in the Jordan River.
As Elijah disappeared in the Jordan River, John the Baptist started his ministry there. Both lived in the wilderness. Both wore a garment of hair and leather belt. Both ate locusts and honey. As Elijah came before Elisha, John the Baptist came before Jesus Christ.