A New BeginningSample

Stepping back

“John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness […] 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.” (Mark 1:4-5)

Today, we read about the prophet who was to prepare the way for Jesus' coming. His name was John. To distinguish him from others with the same name, he is often called “John the Baptist.” That is a fitting title, as today's verse shows us.

John was an eccentric figure. He dressed like a typical prophet, lived in the desert, and ate the locusts and wild honey available there (see Mark 1:6). John the Baptist was a kind of peripheral figure, marking the transition to a new age. He stood, as it were, on the threshold of God's kingdom. He was an Israelite but lived in the wilderness, outside of society. People had to step out of their daily lives to go and listen to his message - which they did in droves.

John's extraordinary lifestyle matched his message. He called people to confess their sins, leave their old lives behind, and be baptized as a sign of the change. They needed to distance themselves from their old, sinful habits, detach themselves from everything that kept them from God, and turn away from their sins.

Would it also be beneficial for you to step back from your day-to-day life and critically evaluate it?