COMMENTARY ON MARK
LESSON NUMBER 4
JOHN THE BAPTIST'S MINISTRY
“ Mark 1:7 And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose. 8I indeed have baptized you with water: but He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.” (Mark 1:7-8)
INTRODUCTION
We know much of a person by what he preaches, what he thinks of Jesus, and what he thinks of himself. This text will provide some insights concerning John in these areas. John the Baptist is a key figure in history, yet he is not the focus of attention among worldly historians. The Britannica Encyclopedia, for example, lists fifteen historical figures with the name “John.” It does not have an entry for John the Baptist. Yet, according to holy men of God, he was a pivotal figure in God’s great salvation: Isaiah (Isa 40:3), Malachi (Mal 4:5-6), Matthew (Matt 3:1-6,11-16; 4:12; 14:1-12), Mark (Mk 1:2-11; 6:14-29), Luke (Lk 1:11-20,57-65, 76-80; 3:2-7,15-22; 7:29, John (John 1:6-8,15,22-40; 3:23-36; John 5:32-35), Jesus (Matt 11:4-15; 21:32; Mk 11:30-32, Lk 7:22-28),the disciples (Lk 11:1), the scribes and Pharisees (Lk 5:33-35; 20:6), and Paul (Acts 13:24-25; 19:4). McClintok and Strong’s Encyclopedia of Bible Knowledge has twelve pages on John the Baptist.
John was not noted for the longevity of his ministry, like Moses, David, Daniel, Hosea, Peter, and Paul. Historians tell us John was beheaded by Herod approximately one and a half years after he began preaching in the wilderness. The foundational part of his ministry lasted sixth months – until Jesus was baptized by him. Yet, though brief from a purely human point of view, John’s ministry sent a wake of influence throughout many generations. Twenty-seven years after he died, there was a group of believers’s in Ephesus, a Roman province in Asia, who were still following him (Acts 19:1-3). Our text will give us an idea of why his influence was so powerful, and why he accomplished so much within such a brief period of time. He started preaching at thirty, and died before he was thirty-two.
THE ONE COMING AFTER JOHN
“ Mark 1:7a And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I . . . ”
HE PREACHED. Other versions read, “he was preaching,” NASB “this was his message,” NIV “he proclaimed,” NRSV “he announced,” NLT and “his announcement was.” Weymouth At its core, preaching is a message, an announcement, a declaration, a broadcast, and a proclamation. In John’s case, the announcement was of One who was to come. Yet that announcement was declared just as though it had already occurred. His message was firm, with no room for interpretation, opinion, or some neutralizing view.
John was “a voice,” thus he was noted for his preaching. Some people are called preachers, but few people know what they are saying. They are preachers only by title. However, John is known because of what he said, not for great works that he did – for he “did no miracle” (John 10:41). He was not noted for feeding the poor, building an orphanage, administering as large church, or the likes. He was noted for what “he preached.”
THERE COMETH ONE. At the beginning, John did not know who this “one” was. He confessed, “And I knew Him not: but that He should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water” (John 1:31). The Lord had told him that the one on whom he saw the Spirit descending and remaining, was the one he had been sent to announce (John 1:33). He was to prepare the people for the reception this one. John did not know when this “One” would come, or how long he would minister before God manifested Him to Israel. He did not know if he would be used for a long time (like Daniel), or a brief time (like James the brother of John). I gather that he preached with the fervency of one whose ministry would be brief, and with the faithfulness of one whose ministry would be long.
John did not know the name of the coming Messiah, even though it had been revealed to Mary and Joseph (Matt 1:21; Luke 2:21). Although related, there apparently had not been a lot of contact between John and Jesus, even though he knew Jesus was a righteous man (Matt 3:14). While Jesus was being raised in Nazareth (Matt 2:23; 26:71), John was in the deserts (Luke 1:80), being prepared for his brief but essential ministry – a ministry that had been prophesied approximately 740 years before his time (Isa 40:3). While Jesus was a carpenter (Mk 6:3), John was eating locusts and wild honey “til the day of his showing unto Israel” (Lk 1:80). Both grew “strong in spirit” during their youthful years (Luke 1:80; 2:40), yet apparently had no close affiliation during the time of their obscurity.
There are not many men who can be trusted to faithfully announce someone they do not know, or speak confidently of someone who is coming, yet has not yet been made known. But John could be trusted. He was “counted faithful” like Paul, and thus “put into the ministry” (1 Tim 1:12). Jesus could not be preceded by a messenger who did not carry out his commission. The Savior could not enter into a place that had not been prepared for Him. Thus John came preaching. He was not a political reactionary like Barabbas (Mk 15:7), but a man with a message concerning one who was coming – a promised One sent by God Himself.
MIGHTIER THAN I. Other versions read, “more powerful than I,” NIV “greater than I,” BBE “stronger than I,” GENEVA “more important,” IE and “He Who is stronger (more powerful and more valiant) than I.” AMPLIFIED Matthew and Luke both say the coming One is “mightier.” The Gospel of John records John as saying, “is preferred before me” (John 1:27).
The angel Gabriel said of both John and Jesus, “he shall be great.” Of John he said, “he shall be great in the eyes of the Lord” (Lk 1:15). Of Jesus he said, “He shall be great, and shall be called the Son of the Highest: and the Lord God shall give unto Him the throne of His farther David” (Lk 1:32). In both cases, the greatness was in the eyes of God, not in man’s consideration. Actually, Jesus was “despised and rejected of men” (Isa 53:3). Although John the Baptist was taken to be a prophet (Matt 21:26), there was no public outcry when he was beheaded by Herod. Yet, Both were considered “great” by God, and Jesus was “greater” than John. That is, they were “great” in comparison to all other men, yet Jesus was “greater,” or “mightier,” than John – and John knew it. It is because Jesus was greater in God’s sight that His accomplishments were greater, His works were greater, and His influence was greater. This forever puts to death the false notion that God sees everyone alike, and that no one is of greater value to Him than anyone else. Before God, John the Baptist was a giant among men (Matt 11:12), yet Jesus was greater than him.
We do not know how much of these sayings were known by John. From the historical narrative concerning the younger life of Jesus, it appears as though the awareness of Jesus’ relation to God waned (Lk 2:48). I gather than John had reasoned in this manner: “The Person whose way I am preparing is by nature mightier and greater than myself. If my role is to introduce Him, we cannot be equals.” This, of course, is one of the keys to the successful ministry of John the Baptist. He did not get in the way of Jesus, of shine the light on himself.
HUMILITY – THE RESULT OF PERCEPTION
“ 7B . . . after me ,the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.”
AFTER ME. John stood as a line of demarcation. From heaven’s viewpoint, he was a reference point for Divine workings. Jesus said, “And from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of heaven suffereth violence, and the violent take it by force. For all the prophets and the law prophesied until John” (Matt 11:12-13). The prophets were not mere commentators on world events. Further, the greater light of which they prophesied began to be revealed when John appeared on the scene. That light would rise to its zenith in Jesus, making all other lights inferior, though essential. Luke quotes Jesus as saying, “The law and the prophets were until John: since that time the kingdom of God is preached, and every man presseth into it” (Luke 16:16). Jesus Christ, the Savior of the world, was the thrust of the Prophets. Their ministry pointed primarily to Him. The regenerative work of God started “after” John. The greatest work began “after” John. The mightiest Person was “after” John.
I AM NOT WORTHY. Other versions read, “I am not fit,” NASB “I am not good enough,” BBE and “I am unworthy” Weymouth Here was a man who was greater than all before him, yet he confesses to being “not worthy.” He is a man who was foretold by holy prophets more than seven centuries before he appeared, yet he says he is “not worthy.”
The expression “not worthy” means not good enough, not able, not sufficient in ability, and not meet, or fit. The expression is reminiscent of something Jacob once said: “I am not worthy of the least of all the mercies, and of all the truth, which thou hast showed unto thy servant” (Gen 32:10). You may remember the centurion who said to Jesus, “I am not worthy that Thou shouldest enter under my roof” (Lk 7:6).
This saying is so significant that Paul referred to it in a word delivered in a synagogue in Antioch of Pisidia. “And as John fulfilled his course, he said, Whom think ye that I am? I am not he. But, behold, there cometh one after me, whose shoes of his feet I am not worthy to loose” (Acts 13:25). What is it that constrains a holy man to say something like this? The psychiatrist might say it was “low self esteem” – a phrase invented by men, that has greatly corrupted the religious environment of our time. Actually, what the worldly wise call “low self-esteem” is promoted by the Spirit. This is what Jesus was talking about when He said anyone following Him must “deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me” (Matt 16:34). From the higher view, God looks at the impressive nations of the world and says they are “are nothing; and they are counted to Him less than nothing, and vanity” (Isa 40:17). This is an altogether true assessment. It is not an exaggeration or a hyperbole.
This does not mean God has no regard for mankind, or that He will not provide a great salvation for them. Rather, these assessments of nothingness and not being worthy are the result of a comparison of man with his Maker. In John’s case, when he considered his own person and ministry next to that of the Lord, he concluded “I am not worthy.”
John knew he did not earn the right to prepare the way of the Lord, or make His paths straight. His calling was not the result of a kind of heavenly survey through which human excellence was seen in him. In the world, wrong comparisons are made that cause men to think more highly of themselves than they ought to think. Keenly aware of this situation, Paul refused to participate in such assessments. “For we dare not make ourselves of the number, or compare ourselves with some that commend themselves: but they measuring themselves by themselves, and comparing themselves among themselves, are not wise” (2 Cor 10:12). John did not compare himself with the harsh Pharisees of his day, or the rigid doctors of the Law. He compared himself with the One whose way he was preparing and concluded, “I am not worthy.” We know his appraisal was correct, for God used him for one of the most unique ministries in the history of mankind.
TO STOOP DOWN AND UNLOOSE. And what was it John said he was not worthy to do? It was to “stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals.” NRSV This was the work of the lowliest servant – to put on and take off the shoes of the master he served. But there is something more to be seen here. John is here speaking of the humanity of Christ, and of his own unworthiness in comparison to the Man Jesus in his lowest state. Around 1128, St Bernard observed, “The majesty of the Word was shod with the sandal of our humanity.” Yet, even in that low and humble state, “in the likeness of men,” and in “the form, of a servant” (Phil 2:7), John saw himself unworthy of the lowliest service to the coming Messiah. Methinks it would cause many men to become better ministers of the Word if they would see themselves in this way. As Paul would say it, “Unto me, who am less than the least of all saints, is this grace given, that I should preach . . . the unsearchable riches of Christ” (Eph 3:8).
JOHN’S BAPTISM VERSUS THAT OF CHRIST
“ 8 I indeed have baptized you with water: but He shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.” Here is a statement that has caused all manner of controversy within the body of Christ. In my judgment, it has been greatly confused by the machinations of men, who have thought to boost their denomination rather than glorify the Lord. I will endeavor to approach this saying independent of the theological clutter that surrounds it, confessing that this is no small effort.
I INDEED HAVE. Other Versions read, “Truth it is,” GENEVA John points to a facet of his own remarkable ministry – his baptism. The word “indeed” means “truly, surely, or certainly.” This is not something he talked about, but something he did: “I indeed have!”
BAPTIZED YOU WITH WATER. This was a prominent part of John’s ministry. John elsewhere confessed that God “sent me to baptize with water” (John 1:33). Compare this to Paul’s statement, “Christ sent me not to baptize” (1 Cor 1:17). Matthew affirms John said, “I indeed baptize you with water unto [or for] repentance” (Matt 3:11). John records John as saying, “I baptize with water” (John 1:26).
The manner in which he spoke is important. John does not say he baptized “in” water, but “with water.” With the exception of the American Standard Version, Williams Translation, and Montgomery’s New Testament, all versions read the same: “with water.” While it may appear inconsequential on the surface, John is emphasizing who does the baptism, and the agent with which that baptism is accomplished. He is not referring to how men are baptized, but the substance with which they are baptized. In my judgement, the word “with” better suits this context, although it is unworthy an extended argument.
HE SHALL BAPTIZE YOU. John affirms that the one coming after him would also baptize. All four Gospel writers make a point of this. “He shall baptize you” (Matt 3:11; Mk 1:8; Lk 3:16). This was a revelation given to John before he embarked upon his ministry. “He that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, the same is He which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost” (John 1:33).
This does not refer to the baptisms accomplished by Jesus and His disciples prior to His death. As Jesus’ ministry got under way, John tells us He “baptized more disciples than John,” adding that “Jesus Himself baptized not, but His disciples” (John 4:1-2). This was reported to John the Baptist (John 3:26). But this is not the baptism to which John referred.
WITH THE HOLY GHOST. Matthew and Luke add the words, “with the Holy Ghost, and with fire” (Matt 3:11; Lk 3:16). Both follow the word with an explanation of the fire: “He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (Matt 3:12; Lk 3:17). Two comparisons are made. First, the baptism of John with the baptism of Jesus. Second, a comparison of the effects of Christ’s ministry upon the saved and the lost, or the wheat and the chaff. Spiritually that happens at conversion, when the dross is removed from us. Ultimately it will take place when the unrighteous are removed from the presence of the Lord.
It is commonly taught by many that the baptism Jesus would accomplish occurred only for the Apostles, even though they are not the ones to whom these words were addressed. This would mean that John baptized “all” who came to him (Mk 1:5;Lk 3:21), while Jesus would baptize only some who came to Him. Jesus did say His Apostles would be “baptized with the Holy Ghost” (Acts 1:5). Peter observed that the same baptism was experienced by those of the household of Cornelius (Acts 11:15-16). Paul says we all were “baptized by one Spirit into one body,” and were “made to drink into one Spirit” (1 Cor 12:13).
John spoke in broad terms concerning Jesus baptizing with the Holy Spirit. He was saying that the changes effected in salvation would be accomplished by the Spirit. A statement of the Spirit’s role is found in First Corinthians: “but ye are justified in the name of the Lord Jesus, and by the Spirit of our God” (1 Cor 6:11). Neither John nor Jesus spoke of accompanying signs of this baptism – although men are prone to do so. Neither of them spoke of “the baptism of the Holy Ghost.” Nowhere in Scripture is the phrase, “the baptism of the Holy Ghost with the evidence of speaking in tongues” used. Jesus related this baptism to “the promise of the Father” (Acts 1:4-5). He also said of that event, “ye shall receive power after that the Holy Ghost is come upon you: and ye shall be witnesses unto Me” (Acts 1:8). Peter did say that Jesus pouring forth His Spirit on all flesh would result in sons and daughters prophesying, young men seeing visions, and old men dreaming dreams (Acts 2:17). It ought to be noted that there were no “daughters” or “handmaidens” among the Apostles. Because of the nature of this subject and the confusion that has resulted from the sectarian views of men, I will deal further with this matter in our next lesson.