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Wild, rebel, hermit, rough-around-the-edges, a little “off”. Nope, I am not describing Pastor Marty. These are words I have heard commonly associated with John the Baptizer.
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The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'' John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” Mark 1:1-8
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In the book of Mark, we are introduced to John with words like wilderness and crying. We’re told how he dressed and what he ate because it was quite different from what people of the day were doing. I’ve always been intrigued by John. Who is this guy? I had painted a picture in my mind of wildness and yelling and camel hair and bugs. I’m certain his hair was a mess. That picture might be accurate, but I don’t think it’s complete.
Read verse 5. What did you hear? When I skim the surface of the text, it feels chaotic and intense. When I listen closely to the text, I experience a whole different JtB. What I heard this time; hundreds of people traveled from miles around, shared with John their deepest darkest sin and allowed him to thrust them in the water. My take might be a little dramatic. But in order for people to confess, turn, and trust this new, unorthodox way of knowing God, they had to have felt something from John they hadn’t known before. Suddenly, I saw crazy-haired, bug-eating John as kind, trustworthy and understanding. Dare I say gracious.
John came wrapped in a radical and unconventional package, in order to prepare people for a truly radical and unconventional way of understanding God. Everything John did pointed to Jesus. It is Jesus who forgives sins. Jesus is gracious and understanding, kind and trustworthy. And it is Jesus who brought God's presence to each one of us through the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Thanks be to God!
Marlee Robertson
Christian Education Director
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