When introducing John the Baptizer, Mark simply states that “John appeared”(Mark 1:4), skipping the details about John’s familial relationship with Jesus that are recorded by Luke in his gospel account (Luke 1:36). Some skeptical commentators have seen this as evidence that Luke simply invented the relationship between the two men, but there could be many other legitimate reasons for this missing detail. The short and abrupt introduction to John, which is characteristic of how Mark introduces others in his gospel, brings the baptizer into the story as if he were a man who needed no introduction. In fact, this points to the idea that John the Baptizer actually was a man who needed no introduction to Mark’s intended readers. It is true that in a sense, all of the scriptures were written down for us, but sometimes we forget that they were also written to a specific community, in a particular place, at a precise point in history. The gospel of Mark, which was likely the earliest of the gospels we find in our Bible, was written to a community of followers of Christ who were already familiar with many of the people, places, events, and circumstances that are recorded in this account. For this reason, specific details are sometimes left out of the text.

This Precise Point in Israel’s History

John the baptizer’s sudden appearance comes at a time in history when people had been back in the promised land and waiting for the Jewish Messiah to finally arrive. In the Jews long history, they were led out of Egypt by Moses, into the promised land by Joshua, into exile by Nebuchadnezzar after their prolonged disobedience, back into the promised land by Ezra and Nehemiah, and then had fought long and hard for independence under the Maccabees, but had eventually been conquered by Rome.

From the last books of the Old Testament (like Malachi) until the birth of Jesus, more than 400 years had elapsed. Although there is nothing in the Bible during this time (unless you count the deuterocanonical books), that doesn’t mean history stood still. During this time, the Jews had been waiting for the Messiah, struggled against competing Greek empires, enjoyed a short period of self-rule, and eventually fell to Roman imperial legions. In the beginning pages of the New Testament, this is where the story picks up, with the Jews still hoping for their long-awaited Messiah.

This Particular Place

Mark tells us that John appeared “in the wilderness” (Mark 1:4). Now this location, the wilderness by the Jordan, also had special historical significance for the Jewish people. Jacob had crossed the Jordan before he met Esau and came back home. The ministries of Elijah and Elisha had been focused around the Jordan. The Israelites had come out of slavery, through the Red Sea, and into the wilderness. After spending 40 years in the wilderness the Israelites finally crossed the Jordan on their way to the Promised Land.

Now John appears “in the wilderness a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins”. He is calling the Jews to come back to the Jordan river and start over; he is calling them to cross once-again into the promised land.

A Specific Community

It is very possible that Mark wrote his gospel with a specific community of early Christians in mind like many of the other New Testament scriptures had been written. His quick introductions to people, places, and events demonstrates that his original audience was probably already had some general knowledge about the events surrounding Jesus and his ministry in first-century Palestine. But just because it was written to a specific community (or specific communities) doesn’t mean that the message contained within is only for them. No, the call of John the Baptizer for people to repent and start over is for all of us. Just as Israel had passed through the waters of the Jordan on their way to the God’s promised inheritance for them, just as John’s first-century hearers were called to repent and be baptized, we too must repent and pass through the waters of baptism on our way to God’s promised inheritance. We too face the same choice they faced – repent and turn to God or continue down the path that ultimately leads to destruction.