Lesson 3253

 (Lesson 3253)(11-29-20) Mark 1:1-5

    “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And there went out unto him all the land of Judaea, and they of Jerusalem, and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan, confessing their sins.”

    Today’s quote is the beginning of Mark’s account of the life and purpose of both Jesus Christ and John the Baptist whom God selected to “prepare ye the way of the Lord” . 

    It is important to note that, as was stated in Matthew’s account, John the Baptist  preached ONLY “the baptism of repentance”. The “baptism of repentance” was an instructed ceremonial washing by which the Jews rutually cleansed their bodies of the “filth of the flesh” in preparation for the coming of the Messiah, Jesus Christ. 

    John the Baptist DID NOT preach God’s plan of salvation. He couldn’t, because that plan did not exist until after Jesus had completed His divine mission as the worthy sacrifice for all sin. Even Jesus’ own apostles did not understand Christianity until after Jesus Had ascended and sent the Holy Spirit to enlighten and empower them.

    It behooves us to make the important distinction between the traditional ritual water baptisms (baths), that were ONLY baptisms “unto (toward) repentance”, and the rebirth baptisms that are INTO the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Ghost and provide eternal life to all who will believe in Jesus Christ. ~