Mark's gospel was the earliest of the four canonical gospels.

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Mark’s gospel was the earliest of the four canonical gospels. It was written around 70-75 AD, very soon after the Roman Jewish war of 66-70 AD. However other sources claim that the gospel was written shortly before 70A.D. The gospel of Mark, as all the other books in the New Testament, was written in Greek. But as all of the Biblical writings are tied up together, so was this one. Mark’s passages can be widely interpreted and share many common themes and stories with the other gospels. However, each one of the stories in the gospel is written in very unique way directed towards gospel’s audience. The story of John the Baptist and the baptizing of Jesus is a good example of this phenomenon, since it occurs in all the three synoptic gospels and is also linked to the Old Testament.

John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. And all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel's hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son; with you I am well pleased”.

        This passage can be presented in three stages. The first stage is John’s preparation for the arriving of Jesus Christ. The second stage is the act of baptism on Jesus. And the final stage is God’s acceptance of Jesus as his son.

In the first stage Mark introduces John the Baptist, who was a significant figure in preparation for the public ministry of Jesus. References about him could be found in Mathew 3:1, Isaiah 40:3 and Exodus 23:20 as a God’s prelude to the saving mission of his son, Jesus.  “Lo I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me…”, Indeed, God had used John as a messenger to the people to indicate the short coming of Jesus whose mission will be to sacrifice himself in return of God’s forgiveness for all the sin. It seems as if the prophets were aware of the coming of Jesus and hence had to make preparations for his coming. John was the first step in the chain of events that lead to forgiveness of all the sins.

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In the writings of Isaiah it says “In the desert prepare the way of the Lord! Make straight in the wasteland a highway for our God”. This supports the fact that it was John the Baptist in whose hands it is to make all the necessary preparations for the arrival of Jesus. This also parallels with the writings in the Old Testament. The critical passage that indicates the link to Mark’s writings is: “See, I am sending an angel before you, to guard you on the way and bring you to the place I have prepared”.

        In the gospel ...

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