1. Advent 1: John the Baptist

2. Surprised by Lectionary suggestion of an Advent reading from Mark’s Gospel!
Luke is the Advent Gospel.
Zechariah and Elizabeth, John’s birth
Gabriel with Mary, the Annunciation
Mary and Joseph, the trip to Bethlehem
Matthew
Genealogy of Jesus
The angel and Joseph
The wise men

3. Mark’s gospel is believed to be the earliest gospel, a primary source used by both Matthew and Luke in composing their accounts. Did they have information he did not? Most certainly. But was Mark also highlighting the primacy of John in Jesus’ story, (as Luke did Mary’s and Matthew did Joseph’s)?? Certainly all three made huge sacrifices to welcome Jesus into this world.

4. Mark 1:1-8 The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah: “See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.’”

5. John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

6. And people from the whole Puget Sound region and all the people of Seattle were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the Hoh River, confessing their sins.

7. Now John was clothed with Gortex, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locally, consuming banana slugs and wild honey.

8. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

9. Why the remote setting? John was born to privilege, only son of a high priest at St Mark’s Cathedral.

10. Why does John humble himself, taking on the form of a prophet, not regarding membership in the Serious Religious something to be grasped?

11. Did the Serious Religious force John into the wilderness
Did the Serious Religious force John into the wilderness? John preached forgiveness without animal sacrifice. This challenged their theology, their understanding of the Bible, their traditions.

12. This also challenged their livelihood
This also challenged their livelihood. Making mandatory sacrifices were a big part of how they earned their living. How could John threaten the very way of life that had paid for John’s own upbringing, his education, those fine suits he abandoned when he left the city??

13. Did John voluntarily relocate
Did John voluntarily relocate? A voice in the wilderness would get Israel’s attention. They had been waiting for that voice for 400 years, since their exile in Babylon.

14. Did John hear from God directly -- as did Mary in Luke’s gospel and Joseph in Matthew’s – asking him to do this hard thing? to trade privilege for hardship? to participate in the story of Jesus?

15. Where might God be inviting us to trade some small part of our privilege for hardship, in order to participate in the ongoing story of Jesus?