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 according to Mark, it was John’s objective to prepare the way for Jesus via baptism and acknowledgment of sins. For that purpose, people from nearby cities, Jerusalem and Judean, were going to John in order to be baptized in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins. This act was the first in the series of events that lead to the God’s acceptance of Jesus as his son and set forth Jesus’ mission.
John himself was living in a dessert and had only necessities on his hand. As described by Marc, “John was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist. He fed on locusts and wild honey”. Thus one can see that John the Baptist was living a simple life with one main objective—to prepare a way for Jesus Christ.
In addition, the hairy garment that John was wearing is considered to be a sign of ascetical and prophetic calling. From this passage a parallel can be drown with the Old Testament, since the same type of garment was the primary clothing of Elijah, as described in 2 Kings 1:8. The expectation of the return of Elijah from heaven to prepare Israel for the final manifestation of God's kingdom was widespread, and according to Matthew 3:4 this expectation was fulfilled in the Baptist's ministry. Thus many believe that John was indeed Elijah, who finally came down to fulfill his journey as found in , , and .
In the further chapters of Mark’s writings there is another reference to the fact that Elijah has indeed returned back to Earth in the person of John the Baptist. “Elijah will indeed come first and restore all things, yet how it is written regarding the Son of Man that he must suffer greatly and be treated with contempt? But I tell you that Elijah has come and they did to him whatever they pleased, as it is written of him”
Another parallel can be drawn between the writings of Mark and those of Mathew and Luke. In his writings, Mathew mentions that the return of Elijah was written in the scribes, but the actual return of him was questioned by many. Hence, Jesus took it upon himself to resolve the confusion. “…But I tell you that Elijah has already come, and they did not recognize him but did to him whatever they pleased. So also will the Son of Man suffer at their hands. Then the disciples understood that he was speaking to them of John the Baptist”. Luke also touches upon the fact that Elijah came back in the body of John the Baptist “to prepare a people fit for the Lord”.
John the Baptist was aware of the arrival of Jesus Christ. He, however, was only aware that someone much mightier than him will appear and continue his doings. Hence he said, “One mightier than is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit”. Thus, one can assume that John was referring to Jesus Christ as something holy and more significant and powerful and anyone who walked the earth, since he had the power to baptize with the Holy Spirit.
As Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, he expressed a wish to be baptized by John in the Jordan River. The purpose of this action was for Jesus to identify himself with the people of Israel. This was the first step of Jesus’ journey to create a new people of God. Hence, Jesus submits himself to John's baptism of repentance and in bearing on their behalf the burden of God's decisive judgment.
John, on the other hand, was well aware of whom he was about to baptize. In John’s opinion, it was supposed to be Jesus baptizing him and not vice versa. But this baptizing was an important part of Jesus’ mission since it was a signal for God to acknowledge him and announce him as his son. In order to be a pure sacrifice, it is necessary that he first submit fully to the Law, and identify both as God and man, Messiah and Jew, worshipping and worshiped. By submitting himself to the baptism of John, Jesus participates in the same act that countless other pious Jews at the time had been involved with. The other synoptic gospels, using Mark as a source, elaborate on the gravity of this event—that God was submitting himself to a man.
After John baptizes Jesus, the heavens are “torn open” and God announces that Jesus is his “beloved Son.” This accomplishes several purposes: it acknowledges from the start that Jesus is strongly affiliated with God (everything prior to this is about John the Baptist—unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark has no infancy narrative), and it assures the reader that Jesus’ mission is successful, because it has the favor of God. This second purpose is tied to the purpose of the gospel: Mark is writing to a persecuted audience, and he wants to assure them that they will triumph in the end, despite all the tribulations that they go through, because they, like Jesus, have the favor of God. Additionally, the words the Evangelist uses for God’s announcement (“You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased”) have their roots in the Old Testament. Isaiah foreshadows Jesus, prophesizing, “Here is my servant whom I uphold, my chosen one with whom I am pleased, upon whom I have put my spirit; he shall bring forth justice to the nations…” Mark deliberately ties God’s acceptance of Jesus to the prophecy of Isaiah, in order to emphasize that Jesus is the Messiah who will bring justice. While Mark does not repeat everything that Isaiah says about the Messiah, his reappropriation of Isaiah 42:1 allows his readers to make the connection themselves.
The connection with Isaiah also accesses the larger theme of providing comfort to the persecuted. Isaiah describes the mission of the afflicted: “The spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the LORD has anointed me; he has sent me to bring glad tidings to the lowly, to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and release to the prisoners.” In order to connect with this text, Mark has the Spirit of the Lord descend “like a dove” upon Jesus to anoint him. Mark is not the only evangelist to draw a connection with Jesus and Isaiah 61—in Luke 4:18, Jesus is depicted as quoting Isaiah 61 and applying it to himself. Moreover, this announcement by God that Jesus is his son also serves to help Jesus identify with the Jewish people. Jesus is the ultimate covenant between man and God, because he is both, and because he is the only perfect means of reconciliation. Previous covenants are described in the Old Testament as God taking on the Jewish people as a son—“You are my son; today I am your father. Only ask it of me, and I will make your inheritance the nations, your possession the ends of the earth.” God’s announcement signifies the beginning of the final covenant—just as the baptism of John is a means by which the Jews could prepare themselves for Jesus, so is it a means by which Jesus prepares himself for his ultimate work of reconciling man and God.
Mark has obvious applicability to modern Christians in persecuted communities (many parts of Africa, China, areas of Russia, North Korea, and elsewhere)—the message that Jesus is the Son of God and is guaranteed victory in the end provides the hope that many Christians need to remain firm in their faith. Modern Christians can also use this passage to appreciate some unifying elements they share with non-Christians—for example, it is absolutely critical for the success of Jesus’ mission that he become a perfect Jew; also, John the Baptist is compared to Elijah, who is important in both Judaism and in Islam. Moreover, modern Christians can see that salvation is a multi-step process; with pop-Protestantism and other pseudo-Christian forces in society preaching a sola-fide superficial salvation, Mark reminds his readers that preparation is required. One must first acknowledge their sins as the inhabitants of Jerusalem did, they must be humble as John was (despite his greatness), and they must submit themselves to God and be recognized as a member of his ultimate covenant, the mystical body of Christ.
The Catholic Study Bible, New American Bible, Oxford University Press,; New York; 1990; Mark 1:6
See Matthew 3:13-17 and Luke 3:21-23. Although not based on Mark, John 1:32-33 emphasizes this asymmetrical relationship between Jesus and John as well.