In ancient Rome, the gospel was about the emperor Augustus.
So last Sunday, we began our study of the gospel of Mark by studying Mark 1:1 (NIV) which says, "The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God." We established several truths last week.
First, the word gospel was originally a secular word, and never a Christian word at all. The concepts of gospel, evangelion, evangelism, and evangelical meant good news from Rome and good news about the emperor Augustus. When the gospel of Mark was written, it was not unlike today. People were putting their hope in government, in politics, and in the rule of men. Back in the day, hope came from Rome. The emperor Augustus was literally worshiped as a god. People believed that the emperorwould provide bread fortheir stomachs, work for theirhands, health, long life, peace, prosperity, and happiness.
And boy, did emperors take advantage of people’s naiveté! But in exchange for his promises, the emperor demanded complete authority over every aspect of man’s life. The emperor was to be trusted in everything. All eyes were continually turned to Rome— Augustus was the savior, the benefactor of all men, the way, truth, and the life. People’s livelihood andsecurity was anchored to Rome. And this was the only gospel thatRoman citizens knew. It was treasonous to speak of or to trust any other gospel except that decreed by the emperor Augustus.
This is the same situation we find ourselves in today. Our hope is in government. Politicians campaign to save the world from catastrophe, create peace and order, grant life and health, cure disease, right wrongs, eradicate poverty, and save mankind. It’s the same gospel of Augustus repackaged for modern times. It’s the gospel of Rome, or Washington. History demonstrates that people will worship any emperor who promises life, hope, peace, prosperity, or health.
But along comes Mark, the evangelist. Late in life, Mark comes to Rome to be with the apostle Paul. And risking life and limb, Mark commits treason against the emperor by declaring a rival gospel, "...a gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God."
Up to that time, people thought good news and hope came only from Rome. They thought the emperor was god and could save them, and that the emperor’s political rule would grant them life and hope. But no,here comes a gospel about a man named Jesus whose very name means,"God saves." Here is a gospel about one who was truly the Son of God (God in the flesh).
Mark's gospel is the story of how Christ's kingdom begins.
Mark’s gospel is that a new king has taken his throne. A newer and greater kingdom is being established! A kingdom not of political might, or of men, but the kingdom of God almighty. The gospel of Mark is the story of how Christ’s kingdom begins.
Throughout the ages, kingdoms have come and gone. I mean, what is the Assyrian empire today? The Babylonian empire? The Persian empire? The Roman empire? Kings rise and fall. Nations and governments rise and fall.But there is one kingdom that has endured through the ages, and Mark is telling us how it began in Mark 1.
It's a promised kingdom.
First, it’s a promised kingdom. In Mark 1:2-3 (NIV) Mark writes,"It is written in Isaiah the prophet: 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way'—a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' "
Mark 1:2 is a quote from Isaiah 40:3. Centuries earlier, Isaiah spoke of preparing the way for a suffering servant who would bring salvation to mankind. Like politicians, God was making a promise to his people. But unlike politicians, God was faithful in character.
Mark 1:3 is a quote from Malachi 3:1. Malachi was the last prophet who spoke, before the hundreds of years of silence between the Old and New Testaments. Both Isaiah and Malachi had a similar message. "Prepare your way. The Lord is coming."
Another aspect of this promise is that the coming king would be preceded by a messenger. In ancient times, before a king visited any part of his realm, a messenger (officer) was sent before him to prepare the way. This person was to level and smooth any ruts in the road so that the monarch’s journey would be smooth. The messengerwould make accommodations andprepare people.
It's a kingdom within.
Second, it’s a kingdom within. When Augustus wanted to extend his reign, he did it with military might. He threatened lives, he took prisoners, he broke bones, he threw dissenters to the lions, and he executed them on crosses. Augustus coerced people with violence and brutality (subjugated people).
But Christ’s kingdom would not be run like Augustus' kingdom. In Luke 17:20-21 (NIV) Jesus gives us penetrating insight into the nature of his kingdom. "Once, having been asked by the Pharisees when the kingdom of God would come, Jesus replied, 'The kingdom of God does not come with your careful observation,nor will people say, 'Here it is,' or 'There it is,' because the kingdom of God is within you."
Consider these words again-- "...the kingdom of God is within you."Christ’s reign begins in our hearts, in our minds, and in our very soul. Christ doesn’t brutalize the body, or usurp our will, or destroy our soul in order to gain power over us. That’s what emperors do. That’s what men do. They coerce, threaten, manipulate, dominate, lie, and even kill in order to gain power.
Parents, you know the difference between coercing behavior and captivating your child’s heart. You are pleased when your children behave well, but it’s their heart you want. You want joyful obedience. You want their love, their affection, their trust, their respect, and their smile. It’s one thing to control a child’s behavior, but it’s quite another thing to win over their heart. Emperors don’t lead hearts. Theycontrol behavior with laws and fear. They write laws that coerce behavior while never changing hearts. They dream of winning hearts and minds, but seldom do.
But what does the Jesus say in Revelation 3:20 (NIV)? "Here I am! I stand at the door and knock. If anyone hears my voice and opens the door, I will come in and eat with him, and he with me." What king stands at your door and knocks, or eats with you? This is why Christ’s kingdom is so powerful. It'sbecause it begins with heart and with aninvitation. Matthew 6:33 (NIV) says, "But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well." Emperors want authority without relationship, without love, without integrity, andwithout your heart and mind.
It's a kingdom symbolized by repentance, baptism, and confession.
Third, it's a kingdom symbolized by repentance, baptism, and confession. Mark 1:2-5 (NIV) describes how Christ’s kingdom begins with a simple calling."It is written in Isaiah the prophet: 'I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way—a voice of one calling in the desert, 'Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.' And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River."
Repentance, baptism, and confession are three ways we demonstrate Christ’s authority over our lives.
Repentance.
Repentance is a change in attitude about our sins. Repentance is a change of heart and a change of mind. Repentance is always sincere. You can fake a lot of things, but it’s nearly impossible to fake repentance. Repentance includes godly sorry. It includes a demonstration of righteousness. So in Acts 26:20 (NIV) Paul says, "I preached that they should repent and turn to God and prove their repentance by their deeds."If you have a new attitude about sin, it will work itself out in the way you live your life.
You can sense sincere repentance. There is a huge difference between the Christian who struggles against sin and the Christian who goes through the motions of repentance. Sometimes when you struggle you fail. When you fail, you keep getting back up, and you grieve, and you pray for strength. But some Christians' attitudes areinsincere. They just keep on sinning so that grace might increase. It’s willful, it’s prideful, there’s no sorrow, the heart isn’t engaged, the mind isn’t changed, and the will is unmoved.
Baptism.
John the Baptist'sbaptism resembled the ceremonial washing of non-Jews. To be cleansed, they would be immersed in water. Baptism was a way of publically acknowledging one’s need for forgiveness. Baptism was a direct frontal assault on one’s pride. It was terrifically humbling.
John was known as the "John the Baptizer" because his baptism was controversial. Despite all he said and did, baptism became the distinguishing characteristic of his ministry. In essence, John was treating the whole Jewish nation as pagans who needed to repent, confess their sins, and come back to the kingdom of God. The baptism in the Jordan was an objective challenge to the people. It was a clear line drawn in the sandy banks of the Jordan river.
Since the beginning, baptism has always been controversial. It takes courage to demonstrate one’s need for forgiveness. It’s a decision that, as demonstrated in Scripture,no oneelse can make for you. A priest cannot make that decision. A parent cannot make that decision for you. You have to make that decision for yourself. It takes courage and it takes humility.
Sprinkling doesn’t quite capture the totality wtih which a person must be cleansed. John baptized in the Jordan River, andhe practiced total immersion, from head to toe. Why? Because every part of our lives have been touched by sin.
We ask everyone at Lakeside who is a believer to be fully immersed. If you have been sprinkled, we ask that you be immersed. If you're Catholic, Methodist, or Lutheran, we want you to celebrate the rich heritage of faith given by your priest and parents, but we want you to know that you must make the decision for yourself that only you can make. Honor your parent’s intentions by being baptized. Baptism is a heart thing. Do you want to be cleansed?
Confession.
When people came to be baptized, they came confessing specific sins. They had identified specific ways they had offended God, and they wanted to be forgiven. We don’t have a list of people’s sins because those sins were all washed away in the waters of baptism, never to be heard again. What must itfeel like to confess a sin that has haunted a person for his entire life,and to hear those words, "Forgiven. Yes,God can forgive even that."
We humans are an odd bunch. Theoretically, we believe that God forgives us, but we're not confident until someone tells us. This is the grace of confession— hearing those words andtruly knowing God's forgiveness.
1 John 1:9 (NIV) says, "If we confess our sins, he (God) is faithful and just and will forgive us our sins and purify us from all unrighteousness." So repentance, baptism, and confession are responses of the heart. They are symbols of Christ’s authority over a person’s life. They are statements of identity and of kingdom citizenship. They are not to be taken lightly.
But neither are they to be coerced. We should never coerce a person to be repent, to be baptized, or to confess sin. The kingdom of God starts from within.
Johnthe Baptist's life.
There is something else I must say about John the Baptist that doesn’t make a bullet point. There are alot of interesting details in these verses we are studying. For example, John conducted his ministry in the wilderness. Mark 1:4 (NIV) says that he came,"...baptizing in the desert region." Mark 1:6 (NIV) says, "John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey." Another interesting detail is that John baptized people in the Jordan River.
After being delivered from slavery in Egypt, the nation of Israel wandered in the wilderness for forty years, waiting to enter the promised land. It was under the leadership of Joshua, whose name means "God saves," that they were finally able to enter the promised land. And when they finally did enter the promised land,you guessed it, they crossed the Jordan River!
One author says it this way."The 'wilderness' where John ministered is the rugged wasteland along the western shore of the Dead Sea. John was telling the people symbolically that they were in a 'spiritual wilderness' far worse than the physical wilderness which their ancestors had endured for forty years. John called the people to leave their spiritual wilderness, trust their 'Joshua' (Jesus), and enter into their inheritance. The wilderness in Israel’s history symbolized rebellion and disobedience. The nation of Israel, after the deliverance of God and the exodus from Egypt, disobeyed God by not going into the promised land. As a result they wandered in the wilderness for forty years before they actually entered the promised land as God’s people. By coming to the wilderness to be baptized, the people were admitting their wandering from God and their rebellion toward God and their desire for a fresh start."
This series is all about getting a fresh start. A fresh start begins with the heart. That is John’s message— a message of repentance, baptism, and confession! The message is an invitation to a new beginning in Christ’s kingdom for all who hearandwho open the door and invite the King to partake of their life.