Just a Girl With Her Bible

The Gospel According to Mark / Mark 1:2

“As it is written in the Prophets: ‘Behold, I send My messenger before Your face, who will prepare Your way before You.’”

Mark 1:2 (NKJV)

Mark begins by introducing his readers to what the Old Testament prophets said. Some Gentile readers may not have been familiar with the Holy Scriptures; Mark wants to draw their attention to the prophets’ words.

He begins, “As it is written in the Prophets.” He connects Old Testament prophecies to the coming of Jesus Christ. What God promised in the Old Testament will begin to unfold before their eyes.

They couldn’t understand what they didn’t know. So Mark wants to help them understand. He takes them directly to Malachi 3:1 (NKJV):

“Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming,” says the Lord of hosts.

Malachi 3:1 (NKJV)

Malachi, whose name means “my messenger,” was one of the last prophets to prophesy about the coming of Jesus. In the book of Malachi, he then takes his readers through a roadmap of the corrupt priests, idolatry, infidelity, loss of integrity, the Messenger of the covenant, and then the Sun of Righteousness.

But in the middle of it all is the prophecy of Jesus’ coming.

This gives the people hope that the Lord’s love is unchanging. He encourages them to observe the Lord’s laws, given through Moses, and he delivers the Lord’s promise that a messenger would come to prepare the way for the coming Messiah.

Malachi 3:6 (NKJV) leaves us with the truth of who God is:

“For I am the Lord, I do not change; therefore you are not consumed, O sons of Jacob.”

Malachi 3:6 (NKJV)

Malachi is the final book of the Old Testament, and although it is the last book, the New Testament begins approximately 400 years later. During that time, I am sure much has taken place!

Now we return to Mark 1:2, where Mark leads the Gentile people toward the coming Messiah.

Through these prophecies, Mark helps his readers understand the importance of Jesus’s coming. The same loving God who loves Israel loves the Gentiles. Through Jesus Christ, they too would be invited to receive His salvation and deliverance. Mark begins revealing how God’s promises are being fulfilled through the coming of Jesus Christ.

The most beautiful and exciting part of this verse is that the Lord gave His word through Malachi about the coming Messiah, and centuries later, Mark points his readers back to that faithful promise.

John the Baptist was coming to prepare the way for Jesus!

Seeing this prophecy in Scripture come to life humbles me. I feel like the verses are flying off the pages, and every time I read, I feel an urge to know what happens next!

Jesus is the same yesterday, today, and forever (Hebrews 13:8 NKJV).

Through the words of the prophets, Mark is preparing his readers to recognize Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Mark isn’t finished telling us about the coming messenger!