Lesson 862

(Lesson 862)(01-07-14) Mark 1:1-8;

"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. And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey; And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost."

Today's lesson is Mark's account of the coming of John the Baptist. As this lesson clearly demonstrates, it was the divinely appointed duty of John to "prepare" the Jewish people, and the world, for the coming of our Lord Jesus.

John preached, "the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins". We should pay very close attention to what Mark said John did, he preached the baptism OF repentance, not FOR repentance.

It is "repentance", or the act of changing one's mind from the rules of the Law, and thereby taking on the new law of faith in Christ that provides the "remittance" of sin.

Almost ALL religious isms, teach that the term "baptism", as it is applied in the lesson, implies some form of a water bath can remit sin. Nothing could be further from the truth. If you carefully analyzes this statement it becomes clear that that particular use of the term "baptism" has nothing to do with water.

One cannot "preach" a water baptism, something that is preached is simply something that is taught. One can however "preach" a message. Therefore the "baptism of John", as it appears many times in the New Testament, most often refers to the message John taught, which was that those Jews should come to "repentance". Which is to change one's way of thinking, or to alter one's way of approaching their commitment to God.

In essence, John taught those Jews that the way they had been approaching God was about to be completely changed and that they should spiritually and physically, prepare themselves for that change. Now in order to approach, or draw near to God for prayer or worship, the Law of Moses provided that the Jews were to ceremonially wash themselves with pure running water in advance of that prayer of worship.

John did indeed also administer water "baptism"(baths). However, that water "baptism" was simply provided so that those Jews could remain obedient to the Law as they approached the coming of the Messiah. (The Law of Moses remained in effect until Jesus completed His divine sacrifice, His death, burial, resurrection and ascension.) As is very clearly demonstrated, the water portion of John's "baptism" had nothing to do with either repentance or remittance of sin, it was simply a preparatory action taken so as to remain in obedience to the Law of Moses until that law was changed, through Christ, into the new law of grace through faith.~
NOTE: Tomorrows lesson will be taken from this same text and will deal with John's having said,"I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost."