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David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
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Guzik - "We often fail to appreciate how important the preparatory work of the Lord is. Any great work of God begins with great preparation. John wonderfully fulfilled this important ministry." Luke quotes from Malachi 3:1+ " - “This is the one (Lk 7:26) about whom it is written, ‘BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE (kataskeuazo) YOUR WAY BEFORE YOU.’ “I say to you, among those born of women there is no one greater than John; yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.” (Lk 7:27,28+, cf almost identical passage in Mt 11:10-11) JOHN THE BAPTIST SUMMARY G J Goldberg - John the Baptist and Josephus Who was John the Baptist in the Bible? Was John the Baptist really Elijah reincarnated? - (Excerpt click link at left for full explanation) - John did for Jesus what Elijah was to have done for the coming of the Lord, but he was not Elijah reincarnated. Jesus identified John the Baptist as Elijah, while John the Baptist rejected that identification. How do we reconcile these two teachings? There is a key phrase in Jesus’ identification of John the Baptist that must not be overlooked. He says, “If you are willing to accept it, he is Elijah.” In other words, John the Baptist’s identification as Elijah was not predicated upon his being the actual Elijah, but upon people’s response to his role. To those who were willing to believe in Jesus, John the Baptist functioned as Elijah, for they believed in Jesus as Lord. To the religious leaders who rejected Jesus, John the Baptist did not perform this function. Did John the Baptist lose his faith in Jesus as the Messiah (Matthew 11:3; Luke 7:19)? In what way was John the Baptist the greatest (Matthew 11:11)? What was the meaning and importance of the baptism of John the Baptist? Why did John the Baptist refer to the Pharisees as a brood of vipers? Whyte's Dictionary of Biblical Characters - John the Baptist Baker Evangelical Dictionary John the Baptist Easton's Bible Dictionary John the Baptist Fausset Bible Dictionary John the Baptist Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible John the Baptist Hastings' Dictionary of the NT John the Baptist Watson's Theological Dictionary John the Baptist International Standard Bible Encyclopedia John the Baptist Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia John the baptist The Jewish Encyclopedia John the Baptist A number of passages concerning John the Baptist can be somewhat enigmatic or confusing. So here is a good summary by William Simmons... Apart from Jesus Christ, John the Baptist is probably the most theologically significant figure in the Gospels. As was the case with Jesus, his birth was meticulously recorded (Luke 1:5-25+). His entrance into the world was marked by angelic proclamation and divine intervention (Luke 1:57-80). John's birth not only parallels that of Jesus, but echoes the momentous occasion of the birth of Isaac to Abraham and Sarah (Genesis 17:15-22 ; 21:1-7). John is clearly a pivotal figure in the salvation history of God. Although his formative years were lived in obscurity in the desert (Luke 1:80), his public ministry ended nearly four hundred years of prophetic silence. John was that voice crying in the wilderness preparing the way for the coming Messiah (Isaiah 40:3 ; Matthew 3:3+ ; Mark 1:2-3+; Luke 3:3-6+). In this sense his message and ministry marked the culmination of the law and the prophets, but heralded the inbreaking of the kingdom of God (Matthew 11:12 ; Luke 16:16+). So John was truly a transitional figure, forming the link between the Old and New Testaments. He spans the ages with one foot firmly planted in the Old Testament and the other squarely placed in the New. The central theme of his ministry was, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near" (Matthew 3:2+). He was called "The Baptist" because his practice was to baptize those who responded to the message he proclaimed and sincerely repented of their sins (Matthew 3:1+; Mark 6:14; Luke 7:20+). John was an end-times prophet. He conducted his ministry with an eschatological authority that demanded immediate action. He taught that judgment is at hand. The axe is laid to the roots and God will thoroughly purge his threshing floor (Matthew 3:10-12 ; Luke 3:9,17+). And the authenticity of repentance was evidenced in very practical terms: share with those in need, eliminate graft, and prohibit extortion (Luke 3:11-14+). John's lifestyle was as austere as his message. He was an ascetic living in the wilderness, clothed in camel hair and subsisting on locusts and wild honey (Matthew 3:4+ ; Mark 1:6). Unlike Jesus, he expected people to come to him, rather than he going to them (Matthew 3:5). John was no "crowd pleaser." He willingly confronted the hypocrisy of the religious establishment (Matthew 3:7+ ; Luke 3:7+). He did not hesitate to expose the immorality of Herod and chose to die a martyr's death rather than compromise his convictions (Matthew 14:3-12 ; Mark 6:17-29+). All of these characteristics portray John as a fiery prophet proclaiming the apocalyptic message of God. Indeed, Luke says that John came "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17+) (ED: see Was John the Baptist really Elijah reincarnated? ). He goes on to allude to Malachi 4:5+, which states that Elijah will return "before that great and dreadful day of the Lord." In fact, some contemporaries of John inquired if he were Elijah (John 1:21+). The belief that Elijah would return and prepare the way of the Lord can be traced to Malachi 3:1+, Malachi 4:5+. Such belief is also found in the extra-biblical accounts of Sirah 48:10,2 Esdras 6:2 f. The Gospels also indicate that many believed that Elijah would come first, and then the Christ (Matthew 11:14 ; 17:10 ; Mark 6:15 ; 9:11 ; Luke 9:8+). John flatly denied that he was Elijah reincarnated (John 1:21,25+). Nevertheless Jesus affirmed that Elijah must come first and that he had come in the person of John the Baptist (Matthew 17:11-13 ; Mark 9:12-13). John fulfilled Malachi's prophecy in a spiritual sense, rather than in a literal way. ADDITIONAL NOTE ON JOHN'S RELATION TO ELIJAH FROM JOHN MACARTHUR - The question about his being Elijah introduces some important truth. At every orthodox Passover ceremony even today a cup is reserved at the table for Elijah. At the circumcision of orthodox Jewish baby boys a chair is placed for Elijah. The anticipation is that, if Elijah would ever come and sit in the chair or drink from the cup, the Messiah’s arrival would be imminent. That belief is based on Malachi 4:5–6, in which the prophet predicts, “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. And he will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children, and the hearts of the children to their fathers.”....The Elijah prophesied by Malachi was not to be a reincarnation of the ancient prophet. Rather, as the angel of the Lord told Zacharias regarding his son, John the Baptist, the prophesied forerunner would come "in the spirit and power of Elijah" (Luke 1:17+). John would not be the ancient prophet come back to earth but would minister in much the same style and power as had Elijah. In that way, as Jesus had told the disciples at least once before, "[John] is Elijah, who was to come" (Matt. 11:14).Why then, some wonder, did John himself disclaim being Elijah? When the priests and Levites from Jerusalem asked him, '"Are you Elijah?'... he said, "I am not'" (John 1:21). He denied being Elijah because, though he knew of the prophecy of Luke 1, like Jesus, he realized the question was about a literal, reincarnated Elijah. And, though John did not share Jesus' omniscience, he doubtlessly also realized that the questioning of the priests and Levites originated from unbelief, not sincere faith. They were not interested in learning the truth but of finding a way to discredit John, just as they would later seek ways to discredit the One whose way he came to prepare. (MacArthur New Testament Commentary – Matthew) ADDITIONAL NOTE FROM HENDRIKSEN on the meaning of in the Spirit and power of Elijah asking "Does this mean that John was Elijah? The answer is both "No" and "Yes." Not literally, as is clear from the fact that when John was asked, "Are you Elijah?" he truthfully answered, "I am not" (John 1:21+). But figuratively, so that Jesus even calls him Elijah (Mt. 11:13, 14; cf. Mt 17:12; Mark 9:12, 13). The solution is given here in Luke 1:17+: The "spirit and power of Elijah" was going to be clearly displayed in John the Baptist. Cf. Elijah's boldness, "I have not troubled Israel but you [Ahab] have" (1 Ki 18:18), with the Baptist's (Mt. 14:4), "It isn't right for you [Herod Antipas] to have her [your brother Philip's wife Herodias]." And see also Mt. 3:7+; Lk 3:7+, Lk 3:19+. (Baker New Testament Commentary – Exposition of the Gospel According to Luke) In this way Jesus acknowledges the central role that John played in God's plan of salvation. He was the greatest born among women because he had the privilege of pointing to the Lamb of God (John 1:29-34+). Yet as the last great prophet of the pre-Christian era, he was the least in the kingdom of God (Matthew 11:11 ; Luke 7:28+). John fully accepted his subordinate role to Christ. He denied that he was the Christ and repeatedly emphasized that he was simply a witness to the Light (John 1:19-23+; cf. also John 1:6-9+ ; John 3:27-30+ ). John stated that Jesus was greater than he, and that Jesus had a more powerful ministry and baptism (Mark 1:7-8 ; Luke 3:16+ ; John 1:26-27+). He did not want to baptize Jesus, but rather desired to be baptized by Jesus (Matthew 3:13-14). John allowed his disciples to leave his own leadership and follow after Jesus (John 1:35-39 +). But for all of his greatness, John was merely human. In this sense he too joined in the popular speculations about the identity of Christ. It may be that John's vision of the Messiah varied so much from what he heard and saw in Jesus, that he came to question if Jesus were really the Christ (Matthew 11:1-2 ; Luke 7:1+). The fact that Jesus was not an ascetic, and that he actively sought the fellowship of publicans and sinners may have been an offense to John and his disciples (Matthew 9:9-17 ; Matthew 11:18-19 ; Luke 7:33-34+). Jesus may have rebuked John in this regard when he said, "Blessed is the man who does not fall away on account of me" (Matthew 11:6 ; Luke 7:23+). Finally, even though John was merely a witness serving as a transitional figure, the impact of his life and ministry should not be underestimated. During his lifetime he had a following of disciples who shared common practices such as fasting and prayers (Matthew 9:14 ; John 1:35-37+ ; Jn 4:1-2+). John's disciples survived his death and spread throughout the Mediterranean world. Apollos was from Alexandria in North Africa and at one point knew only of the baptism of John (Acts 18:24-25 ). Similarly, upon arriving in Ephesus, Paul encountered about a dozen disciples of John. They too had only experienced the baptism of John (Acts 19:1-7). These instances indicate that the Baptist's movement may have had more influence than what we are able to glean from the New Testament.... In conclusion, John the Baptist is of great theological importance in the New Testament. He ended nearly four hundred years of prophetic silence and paved the way for the Messiah. In the spirit of Elijah, he preached a message of repentance and baptism. In his darkest hour he questioned if Jesus was the One who was to come, or whether there would be another. He inaugurated a spiritual movement that had influence long after his death and extended throughout the Mediterranean world. (Baker's Evangelical Dictionary of Biblical Theology) Mark 1:3 THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.'" Isa 40:3-5 Mt 3:3 Lk 3:4-6 Joh 1:15,19-34 John 3:28-36 Map of ministry of John the Baptist Mark 1 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries PREPARATION FOR THE MESSIAH Mark quotes the dramatic words of Isaiah 40:3 "A voice is calling, “Clear the way for the LORD in the wilderness; Make smooth in the desert a highway for our God." Luke's Gospel gives the longer quote from Isaiah "As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, “THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ‘MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT. 5 ‘EVERY RAVINE WILL BE FILLED ("every valley shall be exalted" KJV) , AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL WILL BE BROUGHT LOW; THE CROOKED WILL BECOME STRAIGHT, AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH; 6 AND ALL FLESH WILL SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD.’” (Lk 3:4-6+, quoting Isaiah 40:3-5) Play Handel's masterpiece Every Valley Shall be Exalted The voice of one crying in the wilderness - Voice of one is a description of John the Baptist which alludes to his specific mission and the place where his mission was to be accomplished. John was not prepared by God to pastor a church, to write theology books, to compose religious music, etc, but was called to call, to cry out! The present tense indicates this was John's pattern -- continually crying out. John the Baptist was not whimpering, crying softly and quietly! He was crying out like the HERALD (see below) he was born to be (Lk 1:15, 16, 17+), as one who had a strong voice, a clear message and a Spirit enabled bold demeanor giving public witness concerning the Messiah Jesus Christ. Imagine the Jewish people who walked up and heard John crying out this message at the top of his lungs! It would have been a striking scene. A T Robertson on voice of one crying - When the committee from the Sanhedrin came to ask John who he was, he used this very language of Isaiah (John 1:23+). He was only a voice, but we can still hear the echo of that voice through the corridor of the centuries. THOUGHT - Just as God had a plan for John even in the womb of his mother (Lk 1:15, 16, 17+ and from eternity past) to be the forerunner to prepare the way for God's "invasion" of planet earth to accomplish redemption, so too God has a plan for your life. Paul wrote "For we are His workmanship (His "masterpiece"), created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand so that we would walk in them." (Ephesians 2:10+). Not our works, but His pre-planned works, prepared for us from eternity past! How foolish we are to seek to walk in our puny works when we could join God in His great work by walking in those works which He has prepared for us and prepared us for in Christ Jesus (cf Jn 15:5+)! In tennis when I used to hit the backhand, it was so satisfying to hit the ball in the "sweet spot" of the racquet and it flew effortlessly across the net. God has a "sweet spot" for each of His children and His desire is to fling them like that tennis ball into the lost world doing His good and acceptable and perfect will (Ro 12:2+). Are you in God's "sweet spot?" Don't you long for a sense of "divine destiny" a God given desire to be connected to something with a higher purpose, something "other worldly" (so to speak) rather than the worldly way of just surviving the "rat race?" Ask God and keep asking (Mt 7:7+ - ask, seek, knock all present tense = keep on asking, etc) until He reveals His purpose for your life. I was in my late 50's (and had been a believer for almost 20 years) before He revealed His plan for my life (or perhaps before He opened my eyes to see it!) and I began working on the website you are reading. Now I work on it daily and the only way to describe it is pure joy, made even more joyful when I receive letters from men and women who say they are beginning to learn how to truly walk with Christ enabled by His Spirit and are growing in the grace and knowledge of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ to Whom be the glory forever and ever. Amen (2 Peter 3:18+). Dear reader following in the footsteps of the Messiah, I pray you will soon find your "sweet spot" and one day in eternity future we can share wonderful fellowship discussing how God gave us the privilege to participate in His good works which brought glory to His Name (Mt 5:14-16+). Play Steve Green's The Plan which goes well with this devotional thought. Crying (994)(boao from boé 995) means raise a cry, crying out loud with unusually high volume as a manifestation of feeling. John's preaching was undoubtedly passionate and full of emotion and feeling. He had been preparing his entire life for this purpose! And so he cried out from the depths of his heart in hopes that his message would reach the hearts of his Jewish hearers. And lest we miss it, we should emphasize that John was simply a divine mouthpiece, so the One Who was really crying out to Israel was Jehovah Himself. Remember that Israel was the wife of Jehovah and had gone astray from the Mosaic covenant, "My covenant which they broke, although I was a husband to them,” declares the LORD." (Jer 31:32+). Now after 400 "silent years" God was using His mouthpiece, John the Baptist, calling them "Return, O Israel." (Hos 14:1, Jer 3:14, Joel 2:12-13+). Wilderness (2048) see map of Judean Wilderness and also the note on eremos. (Used 9x in Mark - Mk. 1:3; Mk. 1:4; Mk. 1:12; Mk. 1:13; Mk. 1:35; Mk. 1:45; Mk. 6:31; Mk. 6:32; Mk. 6:35). In a way this word is a double entendre because John was himself in a literal wilderness crying and pointing out to the Jewish nation the way out of the spiritual wilderness and darkness which had enshrouded the nation of Israel for centuries. BUILD A GREAT ROAD FOR A MAJESTIC KING! Make ready the way of the Lord - Make ready is a command in the aorist imperative calling for his hearers to do this now and not to delay or procrastinate. Their need is urgent! As
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Guzik says "Building a road is very much like the preparation God must do in our hearts. They are both expensive, they both must deal with many different problems and environments, and they both take an expert engineer." If we compare the parallel passages in Matthew, we see that this quote from Isaiah 40:3 followed John's call to the people to "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Mt 3:2-3+) It follows that the way to make ready the way of the Lord is by personal repentance! And ultimately the only way natural men and women could obey these supernatural commands was by being enabled by the Spirit (See discussion of the Need for the Holy Spirit to obey NT commands or "How to Keep All 1642 Commandments in the New Testament!"). ESCHATOLOGICAL THOUGHT - It is interesting that in the Last Days, at the end of the Great Tribulation (Jer 30:7+), the Jews will (belatedly) obey this call of John with national mourning and repentance, Zechariah 12:10-14+ recording "I (JEHOVAH) will pour out on the house of David and on the inhabitants of Jerusalem, the Spirit of grace and of supplication, so that they will look on Me whom they have pierced; and they will mourn for Him, as one mourns for an only son, and they will weep bitterly over Him like the bitter weeping over a firstborn." And at that time when Israel recognizes and receives her King, Jehovah goes on to declare "I will bring the third part (OF THE NATION OF ISRAEL) through the fire, Refine them as silver is refined, And test them as gold is tested. They will call on My name, And I will answer them; I will say, ‘They are My people,’ And they will say, ‘The LORD is my God (THESE STATEMENTS BY ISRAEL AND BY JEHOVAH ARE THE LANGUAGE OF COVENANT, specifically the FULFILLMENT OF THE NEW COVENANT TO ISRAEL AND TO JUDAH - see Jer 31:31-37+)’” (Zechariah 13:9+, cf Ro 11:26-27+) J D Jones on make ready - We are not to suppose that John was the only one who prepared the way. In a very deep and real sense all history prepared the way for Jesus. The Jewish nation, with its unconquerable hope of a coming Redeemer; the Greek nation, with its incomparable language; the Roman nation, with its system of law and its unifying of the peoples—all prepared the way for Jesus. And the preparation that we see on the broad field of world history, we see still more clearly when we concentrate our attention on sacred history. What is the Old Testament? It is just a record of how God had been preparing the way. Begin in Genesis with the first promise of the “seed of the woman” who is to bruise the serpent’s head, and read on till you come to Malachi with his announcement, “The Lord … shall suddenly come to His temple” (Mal. 3:1), and you will see how by means of prophet and psalmist and seer, God had been preparing the way. In this respect John only comes at the end of a long line. And yet John was in a very special sense our Lord’s forerunner...How did John prepare the way for Christ? By preaching the baptism of repentance. John’s preaching was terrible preaching. Sin was his theme, and repentance his call. And by this terrible preaching he made straight the way of the Lord. It was sub-soil ploughing. He broke through the hard crust of conventionalism and self-righteousness, and made the ground of the heart soft and ready to receive the good seed of the Kingdom. And it is noticeable that it was from the ranks of those who had been baptised by John that our Lord gathered His first disciples. John had created within them a genuine sorrow for sin, an eager expectation of Messiah, and so when Jesus appeared they were ready to leave all and follow Him. Luke also alludes to John's mission while he is still in the womb writing "It is he (JOHN THE BAPTIST) who will go as a forerunner before Him (MESSIAH) in the spirit and power of Elijah, TO TURN THE HEARTS OF THE FATHERS BACK TO THE CHILDREN, and the disobedient to the attitude of the righteous, so as to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.” (Lk 1:17+) NET Note comments that "These two lines (in Lk 1:17) cover all relationships: Turn the hearts of the fathers back to their children points to horizontal relationships, while (turn) the disobedient to the wisdom of the just shows what God gives from above in a vertical manner." Make ready (2090)(hetoimazo from heteos = fitness - see study of related word hetoimasia) means to make ready, specifically to make ready beforehand for some purpose, use, or activity. Mark's uses of hetoimazo - Mk. 1:3; Mk. 10:40; Mk. 14:12; Mk. 14:15; Mk. 14:16. This same verb is used by Paul who charges us to do some spiritual housecleaning that we might be useful vessels in the hands of the Lord "Therefore, if anyone cleanses himself from these things, he will be a vessel for honor, sanctified, useful to the Master, prepared (hetoimazo) for every good work." (2 Ti 2:21+) Thayer says when it is used as here to prepare the way (hodos = road) of the Lord, it is used as a figure “drawn from the oriental custom of sending on before kings on their journeys persons to level the roads and make them passable,” thus, “to prepare the minds of men to give the Messiah a fit reception and secure His blessings.” The verb is plural and is thus addressed to Israel. Lord (master, owner)(2962)(kurios from kuros = might or power, related to kuroo = to give authority) primarily means the possessor, owner, master, the supreme one, one who is sovereign and possesses absolute authority, absolute ownership and uncontested power. Kurios is used literally 1000's of times in the Septuagint for the name Jehovah or Yahweh. THOUGHT - Edwards comments that "The imagery given in verse 3 from Isaiah 40:3-5 is also very pertinent for us. If Christ is going to continue His advance in our lives, then many things must be cleared away. The hills and mountains of pride and unrighteousness must be leveled. The valleys of things we lack must be filled up. Rough spots must be smoothed out until all which hinders us from reflecting God's glory is removed. Then our lives will no longer be a wilderness, but a highway upon which the King of glory may be clearly seen." Make His paths straight - Make (poieo) is in the present imperative, a command in the present tense and in the plural thus calling for this to be continuously obeyed by the people of Israel. As
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Guzik - In this God the Father also expressed His approval of Jesus’ life up to this point. “By the divine proclamation at the baptism God announced the presence of the King, and set the seal of His approval on the years already lived.” (Morgan) You are My beloved Son - Note the fact that God calls Jesus His Son indicates that He Himself is God the Father. "God the Father loves God the Son, and communicated that love by God the Holy Spirit." (Guzik) In His declaration of divine love, God affirms that Jesus is His Son. Therefore Jesus is God. Folks say Jesus never claimed to be God (which is incorrect) but this testimony is as good, for it comes from the Father Himself. Jesus is God. Period! The psalmist prophesied of the Father's blessing of His Son... “I will surely tell of the decree of the LORD: He said to Me, ‘You are My Son, Today I have begotten You. ‘Ask of Me, and I will surely give the nations as Your inheritance, And the very ends of the earth as Your possession. (Ps 2:7-8) NET has ""You are my one dear Son; in you I take great delight." (Mk 1:11NET) John Trapp on My beloved Son - “God so loved his Son, that he gave him all the world for his possession, Psalm 2:6,7,8; but he so loved the world, that he gave Son and all for its redemption.” J C
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Guzik notes that "Jesus was baptized so to be identified with sinful man, but He was also baptized to be identified to sinful man." So assuming there were Jews present to witness this event and to hear the supernatural affirmation from Heaven (compare the voice of the Father from Heaven in Jn 12:28, 29 and Jn 12:30 “This voice has not come for My sake, but for your sakes." indicating the Jews heard the Father speak from heaven in that context), this would have been strong, supernatural evidence to the Jews that Jesus was not just any man, but that He was God! So from the very outset of His ministry, there was evidence of His divinity, even while He clearly was fully Man. The fact that most of the Jews refused Him says a lot about the depths of depravity and anti-God attitude of their (and our) hearts! Well-pleased (take great delight)(2106)(eudokeo from eu = well, good + dokeo = to think) means literally to think well of and so to be well pleased, to take pleasure or delight in. To delight means to take great pleasure, to give keen enjoyment, to provide a high degree of gratification. Note that five of the first six uses of eudokeo refer to the Father's taking pleasure in His Son (Mt 3:17; Mt 12:18; Mt 17:5; Mk 1:11; Lk 3:22+; cf 2 Pe 1:17+). John
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Guzik notes that Jesus "was a preacher and He brought the message of God’s rule on earth, though not in the manner that was popularly expected or desired. Most people wanted a political kingdom that would replace the oppressive occupation of the Romans.. Contrary to the expectations of most people in His day, Jesus brought a kingdom of love, not subjugation; of grace, not law; of humility, not pride; for all men, not only the Jews; to be received voluntarily by man, not imposed by force." (Mark 1 Commentary) Related Resource: What Messiah did the Jews Expect? - Alfred Edersheim The gospel of God - This means either the good news from God or the good news about God and both are true but the emphasis is probably on the fact that it is from God. Gospel conveys the idea of a royal pronouncement of the arrival of a King and His Kingdom. Gospel of God - 8x in NT - Mk. 1:14; Rom. 1:1; Rom. 15:16; 2 Co. 11:7; 1 Thess. 2:2; 1 Thess. 2:8; 1 Thess. 2:9; 1 Pet. 4:17 Gospel (2098)(euaggelion from eú = good + aggéllo = proclaim, tell) is literally good news or glad tidings. In the NT euaggelion is used only of God's message of salvation. The word euaggelion was commonly used in the first century as our words "good news" today. The idea then and now is something like this - “Have you any good news (euaggelion) for me today?” In modern secular use Gospel has an interesting meaning of something accepted as infallible truth or as a guiding principle (e.g., such and such is "the Gospel truth"). This is not a bad Biblical definition! Mark's uses of Gospel - Mk. 1:1; Mk. 1:14; Mk. 1:15; Mk. 8:35; Mk. 10:29; Mk. 13:10; Mk. 14:9; Mk. 16:15 Keep in mind that Mark is writing to a mixed audience of Romans (Gentiles) and Jews. When he used the term Gospel, he did not define it. But each of these groups would have had some understanding of the word "Gospel" because it was used not in a secular sense (which the Romans would understand) and in the Septuagint (which the Jews would understand). Regarding the Jewish understanding the related verb euaggelizo (to bring good news) is found in the Septuagint and so it would have bee a word familiar to the Jews who had access to the Greek translation of the Old Testament. Here are some passages they would have known... (Isaiah 40:9) Get yourself up on a high mountain, O Zion, bearer of good news, Lift up your voice mightily, O Jerusalem, bearer of good news; Lift it up, do not fear. Say to the cities of Judah, “Here is your God!” (Isaiah 52:7) How lovely on the mountains Are the feet of him who brings good news, Who announces peace And brings good news of happiness, Who announces salvation, And says to Zion, “Your God reigns!” (Isaiah 61:1) The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me, Because the LORD has anointed me To bring good news to the afflicted; He has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to captives And freedom to prisoners;
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Guzik - Typically, the synagogue had no set teachers. Instead they had the custom of “the freedom of the synagogue,” where learned guests were invited to speak on the Scripture reading for that day. This custom gave Jesus the opportunity to preach.(Enduring Word Bible Commentary – Mark) Began to teach (1321)(didasko from dáo= know or teach; English = didactic; didaskalia; didaktikos) means to provide instruction or information in a formal or informal setting. Synagogue teaching, as illustrated by that of Jesus, was basically expository. Scripture was read and explained section by section, often verse by verse. (Matthew 1-7) Mark's uses of didasko - Mk. 1:21; Mk. 1:22; Mk. 2:13; Mk. 4:1; Mk. 4:2; Mk. 6:2; Mk. 6:6; Mk. 6:30; Mk. 6:34; Mk. 7:7; Mk. 8:31; Mk. 9:31; Mk. 10:1; Mk. 11:17; Mk. 12:14; Mk. 12:35; Mk. 14:49; Related Resource: What is the significance of Capernaum in the Bible? | GotQuestions.org H A Ironside on the Synagogue in Capernaum - All this took place in the synagogue at Capernaum. When I was visiting Palestine some years ago, I think the greatest thrill I had, next to visiting "the place called Calvary," and the garden tomb just outside the Damascus gate of Jerusalem, was when standing on that very platform of the synagogue in Capernaum where this event and other events recorded in the Gospel took place. It was at Capernaum, we are told, that a Roman centurion built the Jews a synagogue, and for many, many centuries Capernaum had been entirely hidden from view. Archaeologists were unable to identify its site, until some years before the First World War a group of German monks built a monastery on a hill north of the Sea of Galilee, and when the World War broke out they were interned within the monastery grounds and were not permitted to leave until the war was over. While interned, in order that they might keep physically fit, they began to dig about on the hill where their monastery stood, and soon they began uncovering great blocks of limestone. The work went on with great interest, and by-and-by they uncovered an ancient synagogue. There was the entire floor, the great stones of the side walls, and the platform and pillars that had once upheld the roof. Now they have restored a great part of that synagogue, set up those pillars in place again, and though, of course, the roof is not on, you can enter the building, can look out over the vast floor capable of seating several hundred people, and you can stand on the platform back of the stone reading-desk. As I stood there with one of the monks by my side and my wife and daughter on the other side, how sacred a spot it seemed! I knew that my feet were standing on the very place where my blessed Lord had stood so long ago. They were able to identify it as the synagogue of Capernaum by this: They found on the great stones of the foundation all kinds of Hebrew signs. For instance, you can see cut in the stone Aaron's rod, and the golden bowl that was placed in the ark, the five-pointed star of Solomon and the six-pointed star of David, the olive, the fig, and vine-leaves which are used as symbols of Israel, and a great many other signs that were distinctly Jewish, and yet the synagogue itself is definitely Roman in architecture. But there is only one Roman sign to be seen. That is the great eagle. Evidently some Jew who revolted at this had chiseled off most of the eagle. The Jew did not like the sign of the eagle on a synagogue devoted to Jehovah. There is little question but that it is the synagogue built by the Roman centurion, that the Jews might have a suitable place of worship. There it is, bearing silent testimony to the Word of God. As I stood there at the reading-desk, I could look down, and I said to the monk, "Somewhere near there was that man with the unclean spirit. I can almost imagine I see him rising to his feet, and hear him screaming, 'Let us alone, what have we to do with Thee, Jesus of Nazareth? Art Thou come to destroy us?'" The monk said, "And Jesus rebuked him." I said, "Yes." So we went on, mentioning one thing after another that had taken place in that synagogue. It is a very real thing when you read the Bible in the light of what you can see, even in present-day Palestine. You realize how wonderfully accurate everything is. Mark 1:22 They were amazed at His teaching; for He was teaching them as one having authority, and not as the scribes.
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Guzik has a similar thought - Some people think that repentance is mostly about feelings, especially feeling sorry for your sin. It is wonderful to feel sorry about your sin, but repent isn’t a “feelings” word. It is an action word. Jesus told us to make a change of the mind, not merely to feel sorry for what we have done. Repentance speaks of a change of direction, not a sorrow in the heart.. Repentance does not describe something we must do before we come to God; it describes what coming to God is like. If you are in New York, and I tell you to come to Los Angeles, I don’t really need to say “Leave New York and come to Los Angeles.” To come to Los Angeles is to leave New York, and if I haven’t left New York, I certainly can’t come to Los Angeles. We can’t come to the kingdom of God unless we leave our sin and the self-life. (Mark 1 Commentary) Similarly a drowning man who is clinging to a scrap of wood needs to do two things when a lifeguard reaches him. He needs to release the wood and entrust himself to the lifeguard. Spurgeon said it this way - Repentance and faith are like Siamese twins. If one is sick, the other cannot be well, for they live but one life. Lloyd-Jones says "You cannot drive repentance out of the teaching of Christ without destroying his teaching utterly and entirely." Hiebert rightly says "The call to repentance will never become obsolete until human sin has been completely vanquished. The hearers must also put their continuing trust in the gospel." (Mark Commentary) John Blanchard says "Repentance and faith are graces we have received, not goals we have achieved." THOUGHT - I would add that a natural man cannot obey either of Jesus' commands unless he is supernaturally enabled by the Holy Spirit Who gives us the desire to repent and believe and the power to repent and believe (Php 2:13NLT+)! See the discussion of our continual need to depend on the Holy Spirit in order to obey the NT commands (or "How to Keep All 1642 Commandments in the New Testament!") Matthew
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Guzik - The scribes of Jesus’ day rarely taught boldly. They would often simply quote a variety of Rabbis as interpreters. Jesus taught with boldness (ED: FRUIT OF FILLED WITH SPIRIT - cf Lk 4:1+). i. Jesus taught with authority because He had authority. He brought a divine message and was confident that it was from God. He wasn’t quoting from man, but from God. ii. Jesus taught with authority because He knew what He was talking about. You can’t teach with authority if you aren’t familiar with your material. iii. Jesus taught with authority because He believed what He taught. When you believe what you teach, it comes through to your audience with authority. iv. We first saw the submitted Jesus – submitted to His Father in baptism, submitted to the Holy Spirit in going out to the wilderness. Now we see the authority of Jesus. Authority flows from submission. We aren’t safe with real authority from God unless we are also submitted to God. Jesus showed authority when He was with the wild beasts. Jesus showed authority when the angels served Him. Jesus showed authority announcing the presence of the kingdom of God and commanding men to repent and believe. Jesus showed authority calling disciples after Himself. Jesus will show many more striking displays of authority. (Enduring Word Bible Commentary – Mark) Related Resources: Who were the scribes that often argued with Jesus? | GotQuestions.org Torrey's Topic - Scribes Bridgeway Bible Dictionary Scribes Charles Buck Dictionary Scribe Easton's Bible Dictionary Scribes Fausset Bible Dictionary Scribes Hastings' Dictionary of the Bible Scribe Scribes Hastings' Dictionary of the NT Scribe Scribes Smith Bible Dictionary Scribes 1911 Encyclopedia Britannica Scribes International Standard Bible Encyclopedia Scribes Kitto Biblical Cyclopedia Scribes McClintock and Strong's Bible Encyclopedia Scribe Mark 1:23 Just then there was a man in their synagogue with an unclean spirit; and he cried out,
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Guzik on lepers - The Jews thought two things about a leper: (1) you are the walking dead and (2) you deserve this because this is the punishment of God against you. Jewish custom said that you should not even greet a leper. Custom said you had to stay six feet (two meters) from a leper. If the wind blew toward a person from a leper, they had to keep 150 feet (45 meters) away. One Rabbi bragged that he would not even buy an egg on a street where he saw a leper, and another boasted that he threw rocks at lepers to keep them far from him. One other Rabbi didn’t even allow a leper to wash his face. The only thing more defiling than contact with a leper was contact with a dead body. For these reasons leprosy was considered a picture of sin and its effects. It was a contagious, debilitating disease that corrupts its victim and makes him essentially dead while alive. Therefore society and religious people scorned lepers. Rabbis especially despised them (Enduring Word Bible Commentary) William