This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of Advent. Into this overarching narrative of the grand plan of salvation, we have the curious insertion of John the Baptist. We should note that this fourth gospel never uses the moniker “the Baptist” or “the Baptizer” – in fact John is never called the “forerunner” or “herald.” John has one role and one role only: witness (v.7).
This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of Advent. From the opening Prologue we see the portrait of Jesus as the fulfillment of all of these Targuminic themes. Jesus is personified (vv. 1-2), the agent of God and creation (v.3), the life-giver (v.4), the source of life and knowledge (vv.4-5), the maker of covenants (v.12), the means of salvation (v.16), the same as God and different (God and human natures), and the visible presence of God on earth. John 1:14 says:
“And the Word became flesh and made his dwelling among us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth”
This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of Advent. Jesus was not born into a time of theological vacuum. Jewish theology was robust and with a history of succeeding and competing rabbinic schools. The followers of Jesus and the people of his time were Jews who were raised and lived this theology. It provided the framework for their daily lives and shaped their expectations about the Messiah, the Anointed One, who was to come. Among the gospels, John’s is the writings whose work expresses the fulfillment of those expectations and provides the theology for those that would follow Jesus. The basis of the theology is evident from the opening:
John 1:1 “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and Word was God…”
This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of Advent. As mentioned in a previous post, the prologue and the beginning of John’s gospel appears on this 3rd Sunday of Advent as well as the gospel for the Mass on Christmas during the day (all years) and on the 3rd Sunday of Christmas (all years). So perhaps it is good to consider in detail this amazing text in its own right. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 3rd Sunday of Advent. Last week the Gospel reading focused on the preaching and ministry of John the Baptist as the precursor or forerunner of Jesus, the one who came to “Prepare the Way of the Lord,” by calling the people to turn back to God. The readings often include passages from the Old Testament, particularly from the book of Isaiah, which contain prophecies about a voice crying out in the wilderness, making the paths straight for the Lord. This week John the Baptist is still prominent, but the readings move from penitential in nature to one that anticipates the coming of the Christ child. We also move from the Gospel of Mark to the Gospel of John. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 2nd Sunday of Advent. “One mightier than I is coming after me. I am not worthy to stoop and loosen the thongs of his sandals. 8 I have baptized you with water; he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” John’s message is telescoped to focus upon a single theme, the proclamation of a person still to come who will baptize the people with the Holy Spirit. As seen in the Notes, it is not clear what Mark means by this expression, nor is it clear that John understands the very messianic terms he uses – at least in their fullness. In referring to this new Baptizer, whose dignity overshadowed his own, John avoided traditional messianic terms. The precise identity of the Coming One remained hidden, apparently, even from John. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 2nd Sunday of Advent. John the Baptist is a crucial figure in the history of revelation and redemption. In retrospect, his appearance in the wilderness was the most important event in the life of Israel for more than three hundred years. The absence of a prophet throughout this period had been interpreted to signify that the prophetic task was accomplished. Yet all clung to the hope that the “faithful prophet” would appear, the Prophet like Moses, whose coming would signal the events of the “last days” (Deut. 18:15–19; 1 Macc. 4:42–46; 14:44). The very fact of John’s appearance was an eschatological event of the first magnitude, and signified that the decisive turning point in the history of salvation was at hand. It was John, the preacher of radical repentance, who initiated the messianic crisis. To speak of the gospel of Jesus is to speak of the good news which began with John. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 2nd Sunday of Advent. 2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way. 3 A voice of one crying out in the desert: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths.’”
We often interpret vv. 2-3 in light of Matthew and Luke where they clearly refer to John the Baptist. John is presented before the OT quotes are given. However, in Mark, the only person who has been named prior to the quotes is Jesus. Note also, for those who have difficulty memorizing scripture, Mark’s quote is a hybrid: v. 2 seems to come from Ex 23:20 (LXX) and Mal 3:1 (MT) and v. 3 from Isaiah 40:3, but not quoted exactly. Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 2nd Sunday of Advent. In the previous post we considered some questions that are posed by the very beginning of Mark’s gospel. In the previous post we considered the meaning of the words of Mark 1:1 – “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ the Son of God – taking on the Marcan intent of “beginning” and “gospel.” Now we consider the phrase “Christ the Son of God.” A phrase too familiar to us. But what did the listeners of the 1st century hear, consider, and conclude? Continue reading
This coming Sunday is the 2nd Sunday of Advent. Mark begins his writing with a statement by the narrator: “The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ (the Son of God).” For the people in Mark’s narrative the realization of who Jesus is will come only in starts and stops. As readers of this gospel, right from the beginning, we are given the answer to the question, “Who is he?” We already know this narrative is good news for us; news about what will happen to us and for us. Yet even as the opening answers big questions, we are left with other important questions, ones that will help us to plumb the depth of this good news. Continue reading
friarmusings 