Living or Pancakes?

Mark 1.4 – 8

John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Jesus came with the Holy Spirit.  The great sign that the Lord was bringing the kingdom to men would be that the spirit would come.  In the Old Testament, the prophets told of the Day of the Lord when his spirit would be poured out on all flesh.  The baptizing of the holy spirit that John is talking about, is the inauguration of the kingdom of God and its king.  Jesus has come to deliver God to men.  The words in Revelation 21 are profoundly obvious in this text as well, God has come to dwell among men.  He has brought the kingdom, he has become their king – King Jesus.

John’s announcement is that there is a rightful king of all men, and that no one, not even a great prophet/preacher can trump the king and his kingdom.  I am encouraged and terrified by this.  Do I announce that Jesus is the world’s king?  Do I say, “I am mighty and Jesus is not” ?  Do I say with my actions that I am the one who is mighty, then relegate Christ to second-citizen status in the kingdom of God?

John recognized his position in the kingdom – proclaiming the king and kingdom.  Pray that we would understand our position is the same as John’s.  We are here to point to one mightier than ourselves and he is the one true king who has brought the kingdom of God to the world.