Sermon – Mark 1: 1-11 – Preparing for The Coming of Jesus

Rev. Jeffrey T. Howard

Sermon – Mark 1: 1-11 – Preparing for The Coming of Jesus

Pitts Creek and Beaver Dam Churches

Second Sunday of Advent

December 4, 2011

We are continuing today with our celebration of Advent. Through our weekly meditations on scripture, read and proclaimed, and our daily prayers we are filled with hope and anticipation for the coming of Jesus even as we prepare to remember his birth from some two thousand years ago. That's why we are singing Christmas carols. We are filled with hope, peace, joy and love and so we praise God in song and worship joining our voices with the angels celebrating the birth of our savior. Today we will prepare ourselves for the coming of Jesus by experiencing some of the excitement of the first hearers of the good news. But first, let's pray.

“Grant unto us, O Lord, to be occupied in the mysteries of thy heavenly wisdom, with true progress in piety, to thy glory and our own edification. Amen.” (John Calvin)

Pretend that you are a rabbi living in a small village in Galilee around 70AD. The times are bad and tensions are rising. Jewish Zealots, determined to throw off the Roman occupation and create a Jewish kingdom, have been attacking Roman military installations. The Roman army has responded with a heavy hand against the civilian population. Add to this the political instability in Rome. Nero has been dead for a year and his four successors have all been assassinated. General Vespasian, who has been leading the Roman Army in Galilee, has been named the new emperor. You have no idea how this will affect your family and your life. All of this has affected your village because the Romans suspect that some Zealots are hiding there. You and your extended family live in constant fear that the Romans will break down the door of your house and carry you away.

One day you hear that a scroll has arrived from Rome. It has been brought by someone named Mark and supposedly is based on the teachings of Simon-Peter who once live in the neighboring village of Capernaum about 40 years ago; some of the old timers in town remember him as fisherman. The title of the scroll is “The Beginning of the Good News of Jesus Christ.” You really need to hear some good news with all the bad news going around these days. So you decide to go to hear the scroll read on Sunday morning.

When you arrive Sunday morning you are surprised to see that the group is composed of both Jews and Gentiles, and women are participating equally. You have heard that this group's leader was crucified by the Romans a generation ago, but they seem to believe that he is somehow still with them. Mark is here from Rome to read his scroll and everyone is really excited. So you take a seat near the back to listen to what he has to say.

He begins by saying, “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” (Mark 1:1) When you hear these words you nearly fall out of your chair. This is treason. “Everyone here will be killed by the Romans,” you think. “Only Caesar is the Son of God in Roman Empire. To give anyone else this title is a capital offense.” But you stay in your seat and listen for more.

Mark continues reading the scroll with these words: “As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’ ” (Mark 1:2-3)

You think for a moment about these texts from the Hebrew scriptures. You are reminded of the words of the Prophet Malachi.

3 See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom

you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you

delight--indeed, he is coming, says the LORD of hosts. (Malachi 3:1)

So you think that a messenger is coming to proclaim that God will return to his temple and save his people. If true, this is really good news because this is what you have been praying for for so long that God would come to earth and put an end to this war and rule the nations with justice and righteousness.

As Mark continues speaking you are reminded of the writings of the Prophet Isaiah:

Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from the LORD’s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” (Isaiah 40:1-5)

You marvel at the brilliance of this Mark reminding people that when Israel was held in exile in Babylon, a messenger, Isaiah, came to them with the good news that they were just about to be freed and permitted to return to Jerusalem to rebuild their city and temple. “Make a pathway straight through the wilderness back home,” he said. “Could this Mark be a Prophet like Isaiah? Could he be here to proclaim the end of the war and victory over the Romans?”

With these questions on your mind you continue listening to Mark.

4 John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. (Mark 1:4- 6)

When you hear this you realize that it is not Isaiah who is returning. No. It is the Prophet Elijah who is returning. The great Elijah who confronted the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel. Elijah has returned to prepare God's people for the coming of God by calling them to repent for the forgiveness of sins. Now that's the good news you have been waiting for. God is returning to set everything right. So you listen carefully for what Mark has to say next.

7 He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:7-8)

“Who is this?” you think, “Who is more powerful than Elijah?”. “What is this baptism of the Holy Spirit? And Mark goes on to answer your questions.

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the

Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart

and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are

my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1: 9-11)

Then you remember Rabbi Jesus. Your father had talked about the great crowds who followed him as he taught throughout Galilee. He had been executed by the Romans when he was teaching in Jerusalem. And some of his followers claim he is still alive. This is the man Mark is claiming to be superior to Caesar, the true Son of God. And Mark wants us to be prepared for his coming which could come at any time.

When Mark finishes reading the scroll he has written you realize that this Jesus is truly the Son of God and is the savior the world has been waiting for. This scroll is truly the good news that everyone needs to hear. So after the reading you ask Mark if it would be okay to copy his scroll onto papyrus sheets so that the village could continue to study it after he left. You are thrilled when Mark agrees to stay in town for a few weeks while the copy is made, and you look forward to the conversations that you will have with Mark about his travels around the Mediterranean proclaiming this goods news to other groups of Christians.

You leave the group that Sunday morning filled with hope and anticipation for the coming of God in Jesus Christ. You want to bring this good news to all the people in the community, Jews and Gentiles, Men and Women, Slave and Free. You want everyone to hear the good news and prepare themselves for the coming of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Lord Jesus, we wait for your coming. The world around us seems to be falling apart. Europe is plagued with a debt crisis. The streets of the Middle East are filled with violence. We are struggling with high unemployment and high debt here in America. But we wait with anticipation and hope for the peace you will bring when you return to save us. And so we joyfully praise your name. Amen.