Searchings in Mark 1

Mark waste little time in identifying who the savior is. In verse one Jesus is instantly and appropriately labeled "the Son of God." Why is that important? Why is Mark so quick to let his readers know that Jesus is the Son of God? I don't know if I am smart enough to answer those questions but as I have been reading, the gospel accounts, I have noticed cases where Jesus says I have said such and such so that you may know that I have authority on earth (2:10). Why does it matter if the son of man has authority? Why does it matter if Jesus has authority on earth?

(Through this blog I will seek to ask questions but not necessarily answer them. Sometimes I just don't have a clue what the answer is and the thought just comes to me as i am writing. Sometimes I might have a slight inclination of what the answer may be but I leave it blank because I am not truly satisfied with my thoughts. Then other times I might know but I want the question to speak louder than my answer. 1 John 2:27 says, "But the anointing that you received from him abides in you, and you have no need that anyone should teach you. But as his anointing teaches you about everything, and is true, and is no lie--just as it has taught you, abide in him." I desire that you learn from the greatest teacher, of the word, of all time and forever. I desire that You learn from Christ Himself!!!! What other teacher of the word could ever compare to our Lord Jesus?)

I want to direct our attention to verse 7, "After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie." How important is this? How important is it for John to direct attention to the Christ? I believe it is eternally important for the simple purpose of turning the attention to the Christ. John's hearers and followers considered him a prophet and Jesus answers with the fact that he is and much more. In Matthew 11:11 Jesus says, "Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist." John exalts the Christ and humbles himself to the point of saying that He is not even worthy of doing a task that is most humiliating. He is not even worthy to stoop down and untie the Christ's sandals.

Notice how John directs his listeners to the fact the Christ is mightier than he His. He goes on to tell of Christ's power by saying, "I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." Oh the mighty difference of being baptized with water and being baptized with the Holy Spirit: the blessed comforter who is "the guarantee of our inheritance until we acquire possession of it, to the praise of His glory" (Ephesians 1:14). It is so very kind of the Lord Jesus to baptize us with the Holy Spirit! What a loving gift the Holy Spirit is too the world! His presence instantly makes the world a better place. Oh How great and mighty and powerful the Lord Jesus is! May we emulate John in always directing the attention to the Christ!