An Unusual Start - Longing
| The beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 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.' " (Mark1:1-3) |
John begins with a prologue that frames the birth of Jesus in epic cosmic and spiritual terms.
Mark jumps from Old Testament longing to the launch of Jesus public ministry.
The passage he quotes from is Isaiah 40. It is an iconic expression of the longing that gets louder and louder through the OT. You'll recognise it from Advent readings and Handel's Messiah. It's written during Israel's exile in Babylon, arguably their lowest and most devastating setback. Their moral and spiritual failures produced a socio-political decline which the warnings of multiple prophets did not avert. The ruthless Babylonian enemy came, Jerusalem and the temple were reduced to rubble and their people were decimated and exiled.
Yet the weeping Jeremiah believed that God's faithful love would be renewed.
The mourning Ezekiel believed that the dead bones would rise again.
And the lament-singing Isaiah was certain that God would send someone.
We think Mark wrote his gospel around 65-68AD. The timing is important:
- This is some 30 years after the ascension of Jesus.
- The original Apostles (Disciples) are getting older and some are dying violently.
- The church is moving into the next generation.
- Nero burnt Rome (64AD) and blamed Christians
- Jerusalem would be destroyed in (70AD)
This period marked the start of severe persecution for the church.
Mark realised that the next generation would be experiencing longing.
They'd need to be reminded that in dark times there is hope.
And so he starts his gospel with the expression of promise fulfilled.
He frames the coming of Jesus in the fulfillment of longing.
Are you in a tough spot right now?
Take heart - Jesus comes into our heartache and pain.
He comes into our longing.
