New Beginnings (Mark 1:1-11)

Human nature does not like change … throughout my ministry I have tried to emphasize that change is the only thing that is constant is change.

Change is going to happen.

For example … I had prepared everything for worship last week … and then we had the weather reports.

In my younger days … I would have plowed ahead … driven to St. Peter’s and conducted worship for those who ventured out.

I did feel guilty about canceling services … but then my home state of New Jersey declared a state of emergency …

So … that relieved my guilt a bit.

But then I thought about my sermon that I had prepared and I thought I would just save it for another time.

However … this past week brought some new challenges physically — (as you can hear from my voice) — so plans changed again … and I was not able to prepare a new sermon for today.

(I am not a natural preacher and it takes me a while to prepare a Biblical message.)

Since I generally preach from one of the appointed lessons for the day … I then decided to use last weeks prepared message … from Mark 1:1-11 …

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Turning back the clock … on January 1, 2017 … I started my Interim work at St. John’s by- the- Sea in Ventnor, New Jersey.

As I was preparing for my first Vestry meeting just prior to the inauguration of Donald Trump to his first term as President …  one of the Vestry members … a proud union member … said quite clearly the mantra that others were repeating … “he’s not my President.”

It gave me a chance to educate him as to what the Bible says about those in authority.

Fast forward to 2025 … last week we saw the peaceful transition of power as a new President — Donald Trump — was inaugurated for the 2^nd time.

Some have called it the greatest political comeback in US history.

Many people are excited about the prospect of the new President.

Many people are despondent about the new President … and although many have promised to leave the country … they never follow through and they are still here … even with the offers of plane tickets …

But … I digress …

What should be the Christian’s response be to those who are our elected representatives?

Some say that the Christian should NOT be involved in politics.

I like what C.H. Spurgeon … known as the prince of preachers said … and which you see printed in our bulletin …

““I often hear it said, ‘do not bring religion into politics.’ This is precisely where it ought to be brought.””

He also said: “““Every God-fearing man, should give his vote with as much devotion as he prays.””

In his sermon on Christianity and Politics from April 24, 1881 his text was St. Matthew 5:15-16:

““Nor do they light a lamp and put it under a basket, but on a lampstand, and it gives light to all who are in the house. Let your light so shine before men, that they may see your good works and glorify your Father in heaven.””

He said … among many things … ““I long for the day when the precepts of the Christian religion shall be the rule among all classes of men, in all transactions!””

Pretty clear where he stood …

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And so … Monday began the next chapter in the life of our nation … again … a new beginning … if you will.

In Mark 1 … we read of another “New Beginning.” 

(And so I read … Mark 1:1-11)

If we look at Biblical history we see that there is about a 400 year period between the close of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament.

In that time period … while we know that God was completely sovereign over all the events that happened … He was basically silent as far as direct revelation through the prophets and others … and … we have nothing written during that period.

The New Testament begins with the birth of … first … John the Baptist … or as I prefer … John the Baptizer … and then a few months later the birth of Jesus.

The next picture that we have in the Scriptures is the boy Jesus at 12 years old in the Temple … which is the last time we see a mention of Joseph.

Fast forward … and the Biblical record then picks up with the ministry of John the Baptizer in Mark 1 … which can be described as the beginning of the earthly ministry of our Savior … the Lord Jesus Christ.

Mark 1 tells us of the one who prepared the way for the Lord Jesus Christ.

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The Gospel of Mark is the shortest of what we know as the Synoptic Gospels – Matthew, Mark and Luke.  

The Synoptic Gospels — which means “same eyes” — cover basically the same thing, from the different perspectives of the writers.  

They cover the bulk of the three years of our Savior’s earthly ministry.  

The Gospel of John … on the other hand … spends about half of the time … on just the last week of our Savior’s life — so there is a different emphasis and they really do compliment one another.

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We don’t know a lot about Mark.  

It is believed that he is the John Mark that we read about in Acts 12.  He was not one of the Apostles as was Matthew and John … but then Luke was not an Apostle either.  

… they were simply eyewitnesses to the person and work of Jesus Christ.

As we begin the book of St. Mark, we see first of all, what it is all about — verse 1.  

““The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.””

Two things must be clearly noted here — what he is about to write is: 

““THE BEGINNING of the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ”” 

— the Gospel meaning simply “good news” — and it is the good news that Jesus Christ came to bring salvation to all who would believe in him as Savior and Lord.  

But … as we shall see … it is John the Baptizer who begins to tell the people who Jesus is and what he would do.

We also see something else VERY important here in verse 1 —  ““The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, THE SON OF GOD.””

Let me repeat that … the Son of God …  

In Mark, we do not read about the conception or birth of our Savior … we don’t read any genealogy of Jesus  — Jesus appears on the scene as an adult.  

But in these words — ““the Son of God”” — we see his DIVINE origin.  

We see that he is no ordinary person.

(As one commentator says: “This title was used here to attract attention, and secure the respect of those who should read the gospel. It is no common history. It does not recount the deeds of man — of a hero or a philosopher — but the doctrines and doings of the Son of God. The history, therefore, “commands” respect.”)

As Mark continues … he then introduces us to John the Baptist.  

Now … John … was not just someone who happened on the scene — he was one who was prophesied in the Old Testament to proclaim the beginnings of the Savior’s ministry, as we read in Mark 1:2,3: 

““As it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, Who will prepare Your way before You.” The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’””

The two passages here in Mark are quoted from Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3.  

Malachi 3:1 says in full: ““Behold, I send My messenger,  And he will prepare the way before Me.  And the Lord, whom you seek,  Will suddenly come to His temple,  Even the Messenger of the covenant,  In whom you delight.  Behold, He is coming,”  Says the Lord of hosts.”” 

And Isaiah 40:3 says: ““The voice of one crying in the wilderness:  “Prepare the way of the Lord;  Make straight in the desert  A highway for our God.”” 

These verses show that our Savior’s coming with all that he did should NOT have been a surprise to the people of Israel — and neither should the coming of John the Baptist.   

The ministry of John was the introduction to the Savior who would soon follow.

And his coming and ministry was announced to his father, Zacharias which you can read about in Luke 1 were we read the purpose of the birth of John the Baptist:

“And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God. He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.””

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… ““to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.””  

Remember … God had been “silent” for about 400 years … but His people still had the promises of the Messiah …

But there was also a promise of the preparation before Messiah’s coming … and 

this was the purpose for John’s birth … ““to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.””

The ministry of John the Baptist was ordained from before his conception in the womb of Elizabeth.

And this is exactly what we see in the next verses in – Mark 1:4-5:

““John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.”” 

In these verses we see a number of things that are important for us.  First, John was preaching a baptism of repentance.  

In Matthew 3:1-2 we read: ““In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea,  and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!””  

Luke … and later on in Mark, they call it ““the kingdom of God”” — these phrases ““the kingdom of God”” … ““the kingdom of heaven …”” 

… are the same … and notice that at the time of the writing it was a present reality … NOT something in the far off distant future!

And so … the important fact that John was proclaiming … was that it marked the long awaited arrival of the Savior.

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John was the last of the Old Testament Prophets … we see this in what we read in Mark 1:6:

““Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.””  

This is exactly what Elijah wore, as you can read in 2 Kings 1:8.  

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But … as we continue … we see John’s importance in the next verses — Mark 1:7-8:  

““And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.””

John KNEW exactly who he was … what he was to do … and what Jesus would do.  

He recognized that Jesus was greater than him — and that he was simply preparing the way for him and his ministry.

Jesus knew that John the Baptist was great — but he knew also the place of John in the order of things.  

As Jesus said in Matthew 11:11: ““Assuredly, I say to you, among those born of women there has not risen one greater than John the Baptist; but he who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”” 

Again … although John knew who he was and what he came to do … he initially refused to baptize Jesus as we read in Matthew 3:13-15: 

““Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.  And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.”” 

And as we read in the Gospel of John — remember that I said they compliment one another — we read this: John 1:29-31: 

““The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!  This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’  I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.””

John knew who he was and what he was commissioned to do.  

He also knew who Jesus was and what he came to do — ““Jesus was The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!””

This is what we see as John baptized Jesus – Mark 1:9-11:

““It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.””  

Think about this for a moment.  

John was preparing the way for the new beginning — and as he did what he was supposed to do … we hear the voice from heaven – ““You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.””

We go back to verse 1 — ““The beginning of the GOSPEL of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.””  

And that my friends is what this is all about.  

An introduction to the one and only Jesus Christ … the Son of God.

It heralded the coming of ““The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!””

Only Christianity has a Savior … only Christianity … has the person and work of Jesus Christ …

““The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!””

And … just as John the Baptist introduced the world to Jesus … as Christians … we have that same privilege and opportunity!

Only those who know Jesus by faith as Savior and Lord can tell others.

We know that it is God who does the saving … but we are His instruments in telling others about Jesus.

Remember … as I have told you time and again … witnessing is NOT something that we do … it is something that we are … 

… we are those who know … by faith … ““The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!””

Let us live that truth in our lives.