Beginner's Bible Study - 005

Marks tools

Mark makes it plain that he intends to convince us that Jesus is the Son of God.

Mr 1:1 ¶ The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God;

'Gospel' just means 'good news', and Mark considers it good news that God's Son walked among us.

Remember that Mark reads the Bible like Jesus did, and Jesus thought he was the Son of God.

Direct reference to prophecy

Mark's first tool is to reference prophecy that people would be familiar with. The lack of a direct citation is evidence he expected people to be familiar with it without having to look it up.

Mr 1:2 As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee.

Mr 1:3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

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Mal 3:1 ¶ Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me:

Isa 40:3 ¶ The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Allusion to prophecy

Without saying he was citing prophecy, he cites something that will bring prophecy to mind, such as this reference to the costume that John wore:

Mr 1:6 And John was clothed with camel’s hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;

Which reminded them of Elijah:

2Ki 1:8 And they answered him, [He was] an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It [is] Elijah the Tishbite.

Clarifies prophecy

Mark understands that Elijah and Elisha together are one image of the Messiah and that as John is the ante-type or fulfillment of the Elijah type, then Jesus would be the fulfillment of the Elisha type. Elisha was greater than Elijah:

2Ki 2:9 ¶ And it came to pass, when they were gone over, that Elijah said unto Elisha, Ask what I shall do for thee, before I be taken away from thee. And Elisha said, I pray thee, let a double portion of thy spirit be upon me.

Prophecy fulfilled

For each reference to prophecy, whether it was direct or subtle, Mark cites examples from John and Jesus to show that it was fulfilled.

Simple fulfillment

The prophecy said there would be a forerunner, and John came before Jesus.

Interpreted fulfillment

Mark suggests that preaching repentance fulfills the prophecy to 'prepare the way'.

Hidden fulfillment

There are details in the fulfillment text that are not immediately obvious to be part of the prophecy.

John was clothed with camel's hair is an indicator of more of the costume that John wore to suggest he was Elijah:

2Ki 1:8 And they answered him, [He was] an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It [is] Elijah the Tishbite.

Linking prophecy to prophecy

Because Elisha was greater than Elijah, it was also part of the prophecy that the second would have the prominent place, fulfilled with Jesus being greater than John. The prophecy of Elijah is linked to the prophecy of Esau who was the first born child to Isaac, but Jacob his brother got the inheritance. Esau was also a hairy man.

Ge 27:11 And Jacob said to Rebekah his mother, Behold, Esau my brother [is] a hairy man, and I [am] a smooth man:

We are unaccustomed to this type of context overlap, but it is an essential part of Hebrew interpretation. The assumption is that God is the author, and he teaches us through repetition with variation. Comparing and contrasting verses that have similar references takes on a greater importance as a Christian hermeneutic since Jesus taught that all the scriptures spoke of him. The hairy man in one place is a type of Christ using the same reference as a hairy man in another place. Elijah and Esau together tell us about the 'hairiness' of Christ.

In one layer of interpretation long hair is a shame on man and represents Jesus bearing our shame on the cross.

1Co 11:14 Doth not even nature itself teach you, that, if a man have long hair, it is a shame unto him?

The other meaning is closely related. The camel represents the judge who reveals your shame. The hairiness links Esau and Elijah to the law of the Nazarite, the guy who doesn't cut his hair, and exposes that the Nazarite was a judge in Israel.

Mystery of Christ

You may not be familiar with these references. Don't worry about it now. But just be aware that the details that Mark gives us as part of the fulfillment text, fulfills hidden prophecies. These hidden prophecies make up the mystery of Christ.

Eph 3:4 Whereby, when ye read, ye may understand my knowledge in the mystery of Christ)

Col 4:3 Withal praying also for us, that God would open unto us a door of utterance, to speak the mystery of Christ, for which I am also in bonds:

Mark introduces us to one of the main topics of the mystery when he records that John said Jesus would baptize with the Holy Spirit. This is the fulfillment of the prophecy of Isaiah:

Isa 44:3 For I will pour water upon him that is thirsty, and floods upon the dry ground: I will pour my spirit upon thy seed, and my blessing upon thine offspring:

This prophecy might be considered 'Interpreted fulfillment' but it is included here because Mark has a hidden reference to it:

Mr 1:5 ... and were all baptized of him in the river of Jordan

'Jordan' means 'descender' and is a reference to one come down from heaven. He is baptizing in the literal water of the Jordan, but Jesus will fulfill the hidden meaning of baptizing in the one who came from heaven.

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