As one who signified the termination of the old dispensation with the old culture and religion, John the Baptist preached a baptism of repentance for forgiveness of sins. Repentance is to change the mind, turning it to the Slave-Savior, and baptism is to bury the repenting people, terminating them, for the Slave-Savior to germinate them by regeneration (John 3:3, 5-6). The Greek word rendered “for” in this verse also means unto. Repentance with baptism is for, and results in, forgiveness of sins so that the obstacle of man’s fall may be removed and man may be reconciled to God.
In his preaching John the Baptist emphasized repentance. To repent is to turn our mind from anything other than God, including our culture, religion, knowledge, education, and social life, and turn it to God. Religion, culture, civilization, society, knowledge, and education all distract us from God. Now that the old dispensation has been terminated, we must repent and turn our mind to God.
According to the Gospel of Mark, John the Baptist did not teach the repentant ones what they should do. Instead, he simply buried them. This burial signifies termination. In the wilderness John preached repentance and terminated all those who repented. This is included as part of the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
Mark 1:1 speaks of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. “Jesus Christ” denotes the Lord’s humanity. The gospel is of a Man named Jesus Christ. This Jesus Christ is the Son of God. Mark 1:1 does not say, “Jesus Christ and the Son of God”; it says, “Jesus Christ, the Son of God.” The comma here indicates that “Son of God” is in apposition to “Jesus Christ.” This indicates that Jesus Christ is the Son of God and that the Son of God denotes Jesus Christ. The title “the Son of God” denotes the Lord’s deity. Hence, the fact that the gospel is of Jesus Christ, the Son of God, means that it is of humanity and deity. This gospel is full of humanity and also full of the Godhead. This compound title used in relation to the gospel reveals that both human virtues and divine attributes are in this gospel. This gospel is full of the Lord’s humanity in its virtue and perfection and also full of His deity in its glory and honor. Therefore, the gospel is of humanity full of virtue and perfection and of deity full of glory and honor. All these aspects can be seen in the sixteen chapters of the Gospel of Mark.
If we read 1:1 and 2 carefully, we shall see that the beginning of the gospel was the coming of John the Baptist to preach the baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. When John came out in an uncultured and unreligious way announcing repentance, that was the beginning of the gospel. As we have seen, the beginning of the gospel involves the termination of the dispensation of law and the germination of the dispensation of grace. The dispensation of law ended with the coming of John the Baptist, and the dispensation of grace began also with him.
Among theologians there has been a debate about the beginning of the dispensation of grace. Some say that this dispensation began at the day of Pentecost, and others claim that it began with the crucifixion and resurrection of Christ. Others hold still different opinions. According to the Bible, the beginning of the gospel, which is the beginning of the dispensation of grace, was the coming out of John the Baptist. Hence, the coming of John the Baptist was a landmark dividing the dispensation of law and the dispensation of grace. His coming marked the end of the dispensation of law and the beginning of the dispensation of grace.
Mark 1:2 indicates that John the Baptist came to prepare the Lord’s way, and verse 3 says, “A voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make ready the way of the Lord; make His paths straight.” In these verses we have the way and the paths. To make ready the way of the Lord is to change the mind of the people; it is to turn their mind toward the Slave-Savior and make their heart right, straightening every part of their heart through repentance so that the Slave-Savior may enter into them to be their life and take possession of them (Luke 1:17).
We need to understand the difference between the way and the paths. To prepare the way of the Lord is to repent. We have seen that to repent is to change our mind, to have a turn in our thinking. To turn our mind is to prepare the way for the Lord’s coming. The way in verse 3 refers to our mind. We need to prepare the way, make ready the way, of the Lord through repentance. John the Baptist did an excellent job of preparing the mind of the repentant ones for the coming of the Lord.
The paths are all the minor, inner sections of our being: thoughts, likes and dislikes, intentions, desires, decisions. If we compare the mind to a highway, we may compare the paths to small streets and roads. The highway and all the streets in our being need to be prepared for the Lord.
As human beings we are not simple. Rather, inwardly we are very complicated. Consider how many “streets” and “lanes” we have within us. Consider also how people’s minds are away from God and occupied with things of philosophy and culture. How is it possible, then, for Christ to come into people? In order for Christ to enter into a person, the way and the paths within him need to be prepared.
The gospel is not merely an objective matter, for the gospel is actually Jesus Christ Himself as the embodiment of the living God. As such a One, He is waiting for people to open to Him so that He may come into them. However, people have their minds occupied and filled with many things. Therefore, the best evangelist is one who can cut the way in a person’s mind and thereby prepare him to receive the Lord. If we preach the gospel properly, eventually the way will be prepared for Christ to come into people and occupy them.