MARK 1:1-8
The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,
“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’ ”
John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
REFLECTION
Advent is that season in the church’s year that prepares us for the gift of God’s incarnation (which is what we celebrate at Christmas). Incarnation is a fancy church word to describe what happened when God’s word became flesh in the person of Jesus — who was born into a particular time and particular place, who navigated life’s opportunities and challenges like we all do, but who also lived in accordance to God’s will like none of us can, and who, ultimately, gave of his life so that we might be saved.
Each of the four Gospels understands the gift of incarnation a little differently, and so this Advent — in worship and through these devotionals — we will be exploring those differences in a series called “Christmas at the Gospel Writers’ Homes.”
The first of those homes we will visit belongs to Mark. Mark’s Gospel is unique in that it doesn’t have any reference whatsoever to how Jesus entered our world. There is no baby or swaddling clothes. There are no choruses of angels or “wise men” from the East. Mark starts to tell the story of Jesus when Jesus was an adult, coming to get baptized by John. Mark’s Gospel then immediately begins to recount Jesus’ work: how he healed people, and stood in solidarity with the vulnerable, and practiced forgiveness. As it relates to Christmas, and compared to the other Gospel writers, Mark would play the character of Scrooge.
If Mark had a house, during the Christmas season, it would be dark. There wouldn’t be a tree, or a wreath, or lights in the bushes, or an inflatable Santa Claus in the front yard.
It’s not that Mark doesn’t care about the incarnation. The point is that, for Mark, Christmas isn’t about sentimentality and comforting stories. What is important to Mark about the incarnation is what it looks like on the ground where incarnation is lived: where the poor are served, and broken are bandaged, and the wounded are made whole.
For us, much of our focus during Christmas is around those things that are bright and shiny and sentimental. All of that can be great. Yet, maybe Mark helps us remember that Christmas… and the good news of God entering our world in the person of Jesus… is mainly about the way love looks when it is active and alive and at work – where God invites us to be, too.
Written by
Rev. Pen Peery
This year’s Advent Devotional series begins each week with a Pastor’s video on the sermon scripture, followed on Mondays by an essay on the same text. Various writers reflect on familiar passages through the lens of the weekly Advent themes on following days. Our Friday prayer and Saturday journal prompt come from Kate Bowler, our 2025 Willard Lecturer.
Join me in daily reading and in the practice of looking for signs of God with us in every facet of our lives.