Malachi 3.1 says, “See, I am sending my messenger to prepare the way before me, and the Lord whom you seek will suddenly come to his temple. The messenger of the covenant in whom you delight—indeed, he is coming, says the Lord of hosts.”
Isaiah 40. 3 says, “A voice cries out:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”
Exodus 23.30 says, “I am going to send an angel (or a Messenger) in front of you, to guard you on the way and to bring you to the place that I have prepared.”
Mark was quite the Biblical scholar…he knew his scriptures…and he knew how to “use them” and “combine them” for his “own purposes.” It was well done! It was planned. It was done with purpose. He had a proclamation to make!
While taking them out of their original context…he did make them say, exactly what he wanted them to “convey…”
And in this case, Mark “used scripture” as “a reference to” and as “a vehicle of” his proclamation.
It was a “creative way” to start out his “good news” or his Gospel. “Pretty slick,” if you ask me.
By using Exodus, Isaiah and Malachi he invoked the very “spirit of the Hebrew Bible and its people.”
He was attempting to “very subtly” say that Moses, the prophets and the other spirit-led-people-of-Israel were all preparing the way for the coming of the Messiah. It was written. It was there in the book. All you had to do was read and look for it!
They all acted as “advance people” for the “coming one”- Moses, Isaiah and Malachi. They were God’s “original emissaries.” …All a part…of the “divine plan!”
And, at the same time, he “used them” to introduce the ministry of John the Baptizer as a “traveling herald” – preceding the “coming dignitary” – the Messiah!
The contemporaries of Jesus were accustomed to hearing their “news” from “heralds.” (Especially local town heralds)
Every major town it seemed had a “town herald” who would share the local news in the “streets and marketplaces.” The people counted on hearing the latest word…
Visiting officials would also send their “advance men” who would prepare and proclaim their visitation. It gave people something to look forward to and something to plan for.
It was big news. It was good news. Such a visit always became a major event or “a thing” that people looked forward to.
Besides the “advance men” there would also be “another herald” who would immediately precede (or quite literally to “walk before”) the official to proclaim his arrival…
This was the job of John, the Baptizer. He was called and appointed.
This was big stuff…
Town gathering…
Coming together…
Stop working…
Come running…kind of stuff. Check this out. See who is coming. Hear a “new word” or a hear a “new idea” from outside of the area or territory.
It was major. It was huge. It was exciting.
Mark did not mince words. He saw Jesus as being the Christ, or the Christos (in Greek,) or as the Messiah (in Hebrew,) the “chosen one of God.”
This was bigger than “big news.” This was “life-changing,” “life altering news.” It was “good news” for all people.
For Mark, this meant that Jesus had a unique relationship with God, a relationship unlike any other.
Jesus was the one who would lead his people (and all peoples) back to God again!
Jesus was given a title of “high honor,” a “unique status”…actually a title and an honor equal to that of Caesar Augustus.
And John was his advance team and his herald. John merely was coming before him.
And, John was a desert dweller, someone who embodied and mirrored all the traits of a prophet of old.
God was again acting. God was again sending forth prophets. God was again sending word to his people Israel. This was big stuff…it was a major…and it is how the first gospel began.
Amen.