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Articles 2018-2020
The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the Prophets: “Behold, I send My messenger (Greek, AGGELOS – mostly translated in the New Testament as “angel”) before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.”
The one who was coming was the Lord himself. Isaiah, quoted by Mark in the next verse identified the coming one as Yahweh. It was His way, His road that John was to prepare. And it was specifically His face, God’s face coming into view. In the Old Testament, when Moses asked to see God’s glory, the Lord told him that no one could see His face and live (Exodus 33:20). As much as mighty men and women of God heard His voice, and walked in intimate relationship with Him, yet there was something missing. A greater revelation was yet to come.
Clearly, there are limitations on how close you can get to someone who has his face turned away. While he may be truthful, honest, and forthcoming, yet there is a certain degree of mystery that an open facial expression would clarify. Did he speak with a smile or a frown? Did he have an expression of concern or a twinkle in his eye?
As awesome as the revelation of God was in the Old Testament, when Jesus of Nazareth walked on the scene, the degree of that revelation increased significantly. One might say that He conveyed the face of God in human terms. God’s people now had access to the clarity of knowing God that the Old Testament saints could only anticipate. And whereas the glory was seen in God’s back in Moses’ day, now it was found in the face of Jesus Christ (2 Corinthians 4:6). As a result, the ministry of the Spirit who has been sent to reveal Christ among us will clearly be more glorious than what could have been made known in those former years (2 Corinthians 3:8).
So here is a question. Why did the Lord use the word “angel” above when referring to John the Baptist? He could just as easily have called him a prophet, a servant, or a man. Perhaps the Lord was revealing something strategic in His purpose. After all, He had sent an angel before His people when they left Sinai to go to the Promised Land (Exodus 23:20). And since the name of Jesus is the New Testament equivalent of the Old Testament name of Joshua, it seems that Mark is picturing for us a more complete and fulfilled entering into God’s promise than could be known in the days of Moses and Joshua.
A new angel (John) was going before the new Joshua (Jesus) into a new place of dwelling where God could be more fully known. If Jesus was leading the way into this place, it raises a question. Where did He live while ministering on earth? Where did He abide? Thankfully, He made himself abundantly clear on this subject.
Do you not believe that I am in the Father, and the Father in Me? The words that I speak to you I do not speak on My own authority; but the Father who dwells in Me does the works. Believe Me that I am in the Father and the Father in Me, or else believe Me for the sake of the works themselves.
Jesus lived in His Father and His Father lived in Him. And everywhere our Lord went God was making himself known flawlessly in Christ among men in a way clearer than ever before.
Then Mark quotes the prophet Isaiah.
”The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.’ “
(Mark 1:3)
The Lord could only prepare His road in the hearts of the Jewish people if He empowered John to call them to repentance.
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.
God had sent John to minister in the spirit and power of Elijah (Luke 1:17). Yet, the Scripture’s testimony is that John did no mighty miracles (John 10:41). So how was God’s power revealed in him?
Though it might have seemed more impressive if John had called down fire from heaven like Elijah had, yet the response from the nation to his ministry really was quite staggering. Multitudes from Jerusalem and from all Judea flocked to hear his word. And when they heard him, the Spirit of the Lord came upon them with such profound conviction of sin that they began openly confessing their sins without consideration of who around them might hear. This event was not Heaven’s introduction of an eloquent and persuasive preacher. It was the national preparation for the arrival of God himself.
As remarkable as it is to call down fire from heaven, or to heal a sick person, or to raise someone from the dead – and these are all indeed very impressive acts – yet from Heaven’s point of view, neither any particular one of them nor even all of them combined would have been sufficient to prepare God’s road.
What was about to occur in Israel was simply too significant and eternally strategic for anything less than an overthrow and realignment of the human heart. Clearly, the greatest miracle among men takes place when individual hearts break, turn from self-centeredness, and come into oneness with their Creator and Redeemer.
Consider Elijah. Did Israel change when the prophet called down fire on the sacrifice and then slew hundreds of false prophets? Initially, it seemed so. Many did cry out that Yahweh was indeed the true God (1 Kings 18:39). But Elijah clearly did not see what he had hoped for. Ahab continued to reign and Jezebel his wife continued in her evil ways. One of her main ambitions had been to kill the prophets of God. And she was still in the palace. In fact, she immediately sent a messenger threatening to kill Elijah. Why did she do that? Why didn’t she just send an assassin to actually kill him? I think the answer is that if she could warp the prophet’s thinking through fear then she could do more damage to the work of God than by just killing His servant. And to a degree, she succeeded. Evil spiritual powers were still permeating the life of the nation.
Suddenly afraid, Elijah ran for his life. And on his journey, an angel appeared to him and fed him lunch (1 Kings 19:1 - 8). At this point, one would think that this man who had moved in such amazing miracles would have an accurate perspective of God’s work. I mean, he had called down fire, he had prayed for a national drought to occur, then he had prayed for rain to come and end it, and then he had lunch with angels. But was his perception of God’s purpose accurate? No. In fact, he thought that he was the total expression of God’s work in Israel. “I alone am left.”
A slight paraphrase of God’s response to him was that what He was doing in Israel was seven thousand times greater than what Elijah saw (Romans 11:4).
Today, many prophetic ministries point to their encounters with angels, or their visions of heaven, or the miracles that God has wrought through them as evidences that His kingdom is breaking in upon us. But neither any of these nor even all of them combined are sufficient to prepare God’s road for Him to arise into our nation. And like Elijah, their various spiritual experiences are not proof that their insight into God’s work is even accurate.
Don’t get me wrong – may the miracles increase! But may brokenness of heart and humility of mind be granted us from Heaven. May the Spirit who brings conviction of sin rest upon our nation. May He arise upon our government, upon our media, upon our institutions of learning, and yes upon our churches.
Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
(Mark 1:6)
With that diet, it is doubtful that John had a weight problem.
But clearly, his attire brought to Israel’s attention the ministry of Elijah in the Old Testament (2 Kings 1:8). God was making a statement even in the way that John dressed.
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.”
(Mark 1:7)
Here was John’s message – the glory and the majesty of the One he was introducing. And notice the ministry of God’s new Joshua compared to John’s.
I indeed baptized you with (Greek, EN) water, but He will baptize you with (Greek, EN) the Holy Spirit.
(Mark 1:8)
Since the Greek word EN can be translated as in, with, or by, the reader must make a choice. But since the Greek word BAPTIZO means to immerse, the best way to understand John’s message is that he immersed people in water. Similarly, Jesus came to immerse us in God (John 1:31 - 34). Here was the promise of the Father. The place of Jesus’ abode the whole time He was on earth was now available to all who would believe. And He was the only way of access. No one comes to the Father except through Me (John 14:6). Most of us thought He was talking about going to heaven when we die. And while that is certainly one application of His words, it seems more likely that He was inviting us to follow Him presently into a newly opened place of intimacy with His Father.
To make the point even clearer, notice His intercessory burden for His disciples.
Father, I desire that they also whom You gave Me may be with Me where I am, that they may behold My glory which You have given Me; for You loved Me before the foundation of the world.
He was not asking that His followers would be with Him in heaven, but that they could be with Him where he was abiding at that moment.
A new place of dwelling has now been opened up and offered to all who believe. And while all of hell is arrayed against us entering in, if we follow our Commander who has led the way, our success is assured. The giants and the strongholds are simply not as impressive as the enemy would have us believe.
Donald Rumble – March 2018
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