Ericson D. Pendoy, P1 Professor: Bro. Pio Cle ente, !"#Cap.

Subject: Synoptic Gospels and Acts of the Apostles

MARK 1:1-8 A BASIC EXEGESIS AND APPLICATION

I. BASIC EXEGESIS $his pericope is the be%innin% of the & Gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God ' ().1* accordin% to #ar+. $his prolo%ue of #ar+ does not be%in ,ith an infancy narrati)e section does not discuss the parenta%e, the early en)iron ent, the birth, the education of .esus Christ or his fa ily, no %enealo%y - ,hich is /uite different fro the other Synoptic Gospels0 ,hich

fortells the reader that the ,hole %ospel is a historical narrati)e rather than a bio%raphy of .esus. $hree short e)ents in the prolo%ue ser)e as the preparatory to .esus1 preachin% and public inistry: 213 the appearance of .ohn the Baptist, the precursor of .esus, in the ,ilderness of .udea bapti4in% people and preachin% repentance ()).5-6*0 253 .esus1 baptis ,ith the descent of the 8oly Spirit ().19*, anointin% 8i for 8is by .ohn (1:7-11* inistry and God1s

ac+no,led% ent of .esus as the "ather1s uni/ue Son ().11*, the object of 8is lo)e ,ith ,ho 8e is ,ell pleased0 and 2:3 .esus1 te ptation by Satan in the desert (1:15-1:*. #ar+ i ediately

introduces the adult .esus throu%h .ohn the Baptist, 8is forerunner. After the one-)erse title of the Gospel, the readers are brou%ht to the dra a of .esus1 acti)e inistry, indicatin% .esus1

iraculous po,er )s. conflicts ,ith those ,ho fail to understand, until the Paschal #ystery, the Death and ;esurrection of .esus ,hich is the final unfoldin% of the po,er. ystery of conflict and

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$he Gospel is brief - clear cut - forceful - and de)oted to one person, .esus Christ. $he entirety of this pericope deals ,ith the credentials of .esus, ,ho ,as endorsed by .ohn the Baptist. $he subject of the Gospel is su ed up ,ith the openin% )erse: &The be innin of the

ospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.' ().1*, the &%ood ne,s' of sal)ation in and throu%h the person of .esus Christ, crucified and risen, ac+no,led%ed by the #arcan co unity as both

#essiah (6:570 1=:>1->5* and Son of God (1:110 7:?0 1@::7*. $his crucified and risen Christ is the source of hope and stren%th for li)in%. 8o,e)er, so e the be%innin% )erse. $he openin% )erse ().1* is not just a po,erful title but it announces the Gospel1s ain or anuscripts o it the Son of God in

central the e: .esus Christ, the Son of God0 that this .esus of Aa4areth is indeed and truly ali)e as the risen Christ, the Son of God0 that throu%hout the ,hole si<teen 21>3 chapters of #ar+, all persons, iracles, happenin%s or e)ents point to .esus as the Son of God, as cli a<ed on the an ,as the Son of God.'

centurion1s procla ation at the foot of the cross that &$ruly this

(1@::7* $hrou%h the title e<pressed in the openin% )erse, the purpose or the ulti ate end of the Gospel of #ar+ is to let the Christian co unity, as ,ith the #arcan co unity durin% that

ti e, to +no, .esus as the Son of God, belie)in% that 8e is the sufferin% #essiah B Sufferin% Ser)ant of Cah,eh, ,ho died on the cross and no, is truly risen and ali)e. "or #ar+, no one ,ill be able to reco%ni4e .esus1 true identity as the Son of God e)en if one is li)in% ,ith 8i ,itnessin% 8is po,erful teachin%s and and

iracles ,ithout as+in% one1s o,n faith con)ictions in 8is ,ay of lo)in%

about this )ery .esus0 that this )ery .esus ,ants 8is disciples to follo, 8i ser)ice to all e)en to death.

$he re ainin% )erses of this pericope ()).5-6* tal+s about the appearance and preachin% of .ohn the Baptist in the Desert of .udea, as+in% the people to &prepare the ,ay of the Dord,

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a+e strai%ht his paths', ().:* proclai in% a baptis

of repentance for the for%i)eness of sins.

().=* $his .ohn the Baptist is the & essen%er' ().5* and &...)oice of one..'().:* referred to the !$ /uotations, attributed by #ar+ to the prophecy of Esaiah, to be God1s precursor to the sa)in% ission of 8is Son. E say !$ /uotations because althou%h #ar+ treated the prophecy as a sin%le prophecy ()).5-:* attributed to Esaiah, the te<t is actually a co bination of #al. ::1 &Do, E a sendin% y essen%er to prepare the ,ay before e0', Es. =9:: &A )oice cries out: En the desert

prepare the ,ay of the DordF #a+e strai%ht in the ,asteland a hi%h,ay for our GodF' and E<. 5::59 &See, E a sendin% an an%el before you, to %uard you on the ,ay and brin% you to the

place E ha)e prepared.' $he ,ay of the Dord in Esaiah is applied to the co in% of .esus and .ohn the Baptist is the forerunner, the one referred to as the )oice in the desert and the an%el in E<odus. A description of .ohn ().>* recalls the Prophet Elijah (5 G%s. 1:6*. .ohn is the ne, Elijah referred to .esus in the later chapter of #ar+ (7:11-1:* that ,ill prepare the ,ay of 8is co in% and inistry. $his referral of .ohn to !$ Elijah ,as clearly e phasi4ed by 213 his call for and for%i)eness of sins0 and 253 his clothes of ca el1s hair

con)ersion to God throu%h baptis

,ith a leather belt and food of locusts and ,ild honey. En this portion of the pericope, .ohn points to .esus as the #essiah, the Son of God, the &!ne i%htier...is co in% after e' ().?*, the one ore po,erful soon to co e after hi that inistry

&,ill bapti4e you ,ith the 8oly Spirit.' ().6* .ohn +no,s his subordinate role in .esus1

e)en if he bapti4ed .esus. 8e +no,s that his ,hole life ,ill be dedicated to the preparation of .esus1 inistry e)en if in so e part of the Gospels he has doubted on .esus. .ohn1s ,or+ as althou%h

precursor can only be seen in this short pericopes of his preachin% and .esus1 baptis

#ar+ presents .ohn a%ain in his death at the hands of Gin% 8erod (>:1=-57* B the fate of .ohn,

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the forerunner, ,hich sho,s the fulfill ent of .ohn1s role in pointin% to .esus1 death. As ,e can see, .ohn1s ,hole coura%eous life and death still points to .esus and he (.ohn* is a ,itness to Christ.. odel of total

II. APPLICATION $here are t,o salient points in this pericope that E ,ill %i)e focus on application to our daily Christian li)es, na ely: 213 on C!AHE;SE!A and 253 8I#BDE JE$AESSEAG. "irst, .ohn appeared in the desert callin% for con)ersion throu%h baptis of sins. E)ery call for con)ersion is a desert e<perience0 that is fro and for%i)eness

nothin%ness, see in%ly hot

and a feelin% of disco fort. $his con)ersion is not just a &one day auto atic con)ersion' or an &instant clic+ con)ersion' but a continuin% process of chan%in% the etanoia, acceptin% the Dord .esus,

indset to the Dord, reco%ni4in% refor ation of one1s o,n personal life and settin% y life here in the yself to,ard

up clear )ision and %oal e<periences to,ard total and co plete con)ersion. En se inary, E ,as in)ited by .ohn to a continuin% participation of for in% con)ersion fro y old and sinful ,ays to be ready to

eet the Dord .esus in the hi%h,ay of y se inary life

perfection0 that e)eryday stru%%les for con)ersion is al,ays part and parcel of to test y %oals and intentions in follo,in% the Dord. Second, .ohn +no,s his subordination to .esus1

inistry that he e)en acclai s that he is

&...not ,orthy to stoop and loosen the thon%s of his sandals.'().?* But despite of this, e)en to his )ery o,n death, he re ains faithful to God1s ,ord and pro ise of sal)ation he has seen in the Dord .esus Christ. 8e has hu bled hi self and slo,ly co es out of the scene in #ar+1s Gospel to lift up and ele)ate .esus and 8is public inistry0 tellin% people that 8e is ore %reater than E

Basic E<e%esis and Application: #ar+ 1:1-6

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a . $his hu ble ,itnessin% of .ohn re inded

e and each one of us that despite trials,

hardships, persecutions and e)en hu iliations one has to suffer e)eryday, one is to loo+ on .esus as the Sa)ior, the )ery 8ope on ,ho .ohn places his trust e)en to his death at the hands of

Gin% 8erod. $he life E ha)e in this se inary should be a )enue for other people to loo+ and find the Dord .esus throu%h hu ble ,itnessin% and not a source of public scandal or for other people to co it sins0 that ,hate)er E do, all ust point to .esus just as .ohn1s life is al,ays pointin%

to,ard .esus. Are ,e ,illin% to heed .ohn1s call for con)ersionK And, are ,e ,illin% to li)e a life of hu ility, ,itnessin% the Gospel )alues to all people re%ardless of con)ictions, beliefs and culturesK As follo,ers of .esus, the Son of God, ,e are challen%ed to these calls of con)ersion and hu ble ,itnessin%.

Basic E<e%esis and Application: #ar+ 1:1-6

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