From Eden to Eternity! (March 6, 2016)

 

1 The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, 2 as it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”—3 “a voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’ ” 4 And so John appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. (Mark 1:1-5)

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          Thus Mark’s account of the good news about Jesus begins. From the start we are told that Jesus is “the Messiah, the Son of God.” (1:1) These two rather lofty titles are, at first, left unsupported; still, it is important that we are informed of them from the beginning, for it will be the purpose of Mark's gospel to provide us with many convincing proofs that these titles do in fact accurately describe Jesus.
          And it is important that we know these claims are true, for the title “Messiah” is not only connected to Israel's history but is thoroughly interwoven with it; in fact, the origin of this title reaches far into the past, through the kings, all the way back to Abraham and, eventually, reaching the garden of Eden. There mother Eve was promised that one day her offspring would crush the serpent’s head, destroying his power. In this promise a historical vigil began as mankind (with Israel eventually selected to represent the rest of humanity) began to watch for the one who would be born of woman and somehow destroy the serpent’s influence in this world. This vigil was later focused more precisely when King David was also promised that the one who would crush the serpent’s head would be a descendant of his; one who would reign as “the anointed one” [“Messiah” in Hebrew, “Christ” in Greek] seated on David’s throne.
          So, the fact that Jesus is the Messiah not only means the coming of the long awaited defeat of the Satan, but it also means that Jesus is now seated on a throne that, like David’s, is invested and supported by God with “all authority...in heaven and on earth.” (Matthew 28:18) Our Savior and our King have arrived and the gospel introduces him to all those who are waiting!