After Mark (in his gospel) wrote about a prophesied messenger in Mark 1:1-3, we learn in the next few verses that the specific person who prepared the way for Jesus Christ was John the Baptist.
And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, 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. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.
Mark 1:4-6 NIV
https://bible.com/bible/111/mrk.1.4-6.NIV
In case you were wondering, as near as I can tell, John’s dress code and his diet were specific to him, and not necessarily examples that we need to copy! These aspects of his clothes and food seem fitting for someone teaching in the wilderness, living simply and “living off of the land”, as we might say. A commentator [Black, p.44] points out that this camel-hair clothing (which I think would have been itchy) may have been an indicator of John being a prophet, citing Zechariah 13:4.
The gospel of Mark describes John as having “appeared” in the wilderness. For us, having access to accounts like the gospel of Luke, we can learn more about John’s parents and how his birth was foretold by an angel, so this isn’t the earliest information that we have about him. Luke 1:31 also mentions that John and Jesus were related (because their respective moms were related).
However, John probably preached in the wilderness for a while, and then word about him and what he was teaching began to spread. As a result, to most people in the first-century region of Judea, John the Baptist may have seemed to just “show up” in the wilderness one day (i.e., when they first heard about him).
In light of the gospel writer explaining who the forerunner of Jesus was, let’s consider whether, for those of us who follow Jesus, is “preparing the way of the Lord” also a role that we share? While we aren’t getting our neighbors ready for Jesus’ first-century ministry, I believe that we should be helping them prepare for His second coming. That is, there are things that we can do today to make it easier for other people to receive the message of Jesus – and to receive Jesus Himself – into their hearts. So, let’s read the next few verses with an eye out towards what we could be doing to prepare the way for Jesus Christ in the hearts, minds, and lives of those around us.
Specifically, in these first verses from the gospel of Mark (including Mark 1:7-8, to be studied more in the next article), we find several “transferable” activities from John the Baptist that we can also practice, to prepare the way for Jesus to be welcomed into the hearts of lost people around us. We don’t have to dress in camel hair and eat bugs, but I propose that our walk with Jesus can mirror several aspects of John’s ministry, including the following:
- Teaching people – in love – that they need to confess their sins, repent of them, and receive forgiveness (just as we have done).
- Joining with John the Baptist, as well as God the Father and God the Holy Spirit, in testifying that Jesus is the Messiah, and that He is worthy of our respect and obedience. Although John could prophesy about the Messiah, we can teach about Him, having the privilege of more information about His ministry and His sacrifice for our salvation, which happened after John began to preach.
- And, we can be like John in baptizing others who choose to follow Jesus. While we can baptize people for an even greater cause than John’s, those who are baptized in Christian baptism still confess that they are sinners and repent of their sins.
And, like John was making a straight path for Jesus, let’s not add any extra detours or hurdles for those who want to meet Jesus. Salvation is straightforward, and shouldn’t be made any more difficult by us adding a lot of complexity, legalism, or “religiosity” to those who need Jesus Christ as their Savior and Lord.
From Sunday School lesson prepared for August 31, 2025
References:
- Scripture taken from the Holy Bible, NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION®, NIV® Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984, 2011 by Biblica, Inc.® Used by permission. All rights reserved worldwide.
- The College Press NIV Commentary – Mark, by Allen Black. © 1995 College Press Publishing Co.
Those Who Sin Differently 