Last Sunday, we considered Mark’s Christmas story. Mark wants to make sure you don’t forget to unwrap the present on Christmas morning.
Christmas programs tend to focus on the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. In Matthew, we find angels, Herod, and the enigmatic Magi. If you’re a fan of Peanuts, then you know that Linus chose to quote Luke. “And, the glory of the Lord shone round about them and they were sore afraid.”
But, we find no nativity scene in Mark. Instead, Mark moves immediately to the wilderness and John the Baptist.
“Immediately”, sometimes translated “straight-way,” or “at once,” by the way is one of Mark’s favorite words. Forty two of 59 this word (immediately/ straight-way / at once, Grk: euthus) appears in the New Testament are in the Gospel of Mark (see this Pyro post).
So why Mark does make such a quick dash to the desert?
Mark’s theological agenda cannot be fully developed in a blog post. However, part of Mark’s purpose was to immediately confront readers with the need to respond to the Lord Jesus Christ. We only have to read to Mark 1:4 before we hear the challenge of the Gospel from John the Baptist, “Repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins.”
Mark’s immediate call for readers to respond to the Christmas story is one we need to hear. Of course, we also treasure the other Gospel accounts. But, I wonder sometimes in our culture if people don’t spend a lot of time sentimentally reflecting on the Christmas story, apart from repentance and faith (Acts 20:21).
It isn’t enough to wrap the nativity scene in a package and put it under the Christmas tree. The Gospel must be unwrapped. And, this is done by recognizing that we are in the wilderness apart from Christ. He came out into the wilderness with us, that he might win our salvation. We must turn in repentance to him for forgiveness of sins. Do so immediately.
Beautifully said. I came across this post while doing research for a similar article and will credit and quote you if the need arises.