Jesus' Opening Act

The Warmup Act

Most concerts have at least one opening act. Usually you have to sit through 45 minutes of some unknown up-and-comer before the performer you paid your money to see hits the stage. You give them polite applause but you while you check your watch. You can bet the farm that the warmup act hopes to be a headliner one day.

That was NOT the case for Jesus’ opening act. In the opening chapter of Mark’s Gospel, we meet John the Baptizer (Mk 1:4-8). He understood his place in the pecking order. John’s goal was never to have his name at the top of the bill. All he wanted was to get people ready for the real Headliner.

Peter’s Ghostwriter

Let’s back up just a bit for a little context. God is using a man named Mark to write a fast and furious bio of Jesus for a mostly Roman audience. Folks a lot smarter than me believe the author has an impeccable source for his material. We’re talking about Peter. Yeah, THAT Peter. The Apostle Peter.

While Mark gets the credit, he’s really a ghostwriter for the legendary leader of Jesus’ crew. So as we read the document we call the Book of Mark, put yourself in Pete’s sandals. You’re witnessing the story of Christ through the eyes and ears of the hotheaded commercial fisherman from Galilee.

Holy Road Construction

Mark uses the opening lines of his Gospel to broadly describe the holy road construction needed before Messiah arrives (Mk 1:1-3). Before Christ gets here, someone’s coming to prepare His way. There’s an opening act who will get everybody ready.

The writer then gets specific and reveals the identity of the one who took the stage just before Jesus. “This messenger was John the Baptist. He was in the wilderness and preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven” (v4).

This is Mark’s way of introducing Jesus’ opening act. Ladies and gentlemen, give it up for John the Baptizer! 

It Runs in the Family

Without naming names, prophets like Malachi and Isaiah have hinted about the opener for centuries (Mal 3:1; Is 40:3-5; Mk 1:1-3). Jesus Himself compares John to the one and only Elijah (Mt 11:14; 17:10-13; Mk 9:11-13).

Dr. Luke tells us that Jesus and John are related. Cousins maybe. You see, their mothers are kin (Lk 1:36). The two boys actually met before they were born (Lk 1:41)! I guess you could say they were in adjoining wombs. Okay, maybe not.

The Rabbi/Carpenter from Nazareth goes out of His way say John is the greatest person who’s ever been born (Mt 11:11). Coming from the Son of God, that’s kind of a big deal.

Rocking the Wilderness

John’s not appearing at a huge stadium, large arena, or even the local amphitheater. “He was in the wilderness” (v4). No, this isn’t the name of a trendy new outdoor venue. He’s in the desert. He’s rocking the Judean wilderness somewhere near Jerusalem. That’s because this isn’t about the where but the Who and what of his message.

Mark tells us that the location doesn’t stop the crowds from coming. “All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John” (v5). Big crowds. Long lines. The prophet packs them in.

A Trunk Load of Churchy Baggage

In order to get folks ready for Messiah, John doesn’t tickle the ears and tell people what they want to hear. He tells them what they need to hear. He “preached that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven” (v4).

What they needed was to repent. What they needed was to turn from their sin and turn toward God. Repent. Boy, talk about a word that’s fully loaded with a trunk load of churchy baggage! For many of us, it conjures of memories of angry evangelists in three-piece polyester suits trying to scare us away from hell and into heaven.

Doing a 180

But let’s take a closer look at the word the writers of the New Testament use. “Repent” is a Greek word (μετανοια/metanoia) which means a turning around, about face, change of direction. It’s making a U-turn. Doing a 180.

It’s actually a compound word that literally means “after (Gr. μετα-/meta-) thinking (Gr. -νοια/-noia).” Repentance paints a picture of a correction of direction after reconsideration. It’s when we turn ourselves around. Maybe the Hokey Pokey IS what’s all about!

A Radical Change

In preparation for the coming of the Son of God, John the Baptizer makes folks aware of who exactly is on the way. His love. His mercy. His grace. His holiness. As a result, many make a radical change of heart which results in a radical change of life.

Once we understand who God is and what He expects from us, we think again. God’s Holy Spirit flips on the light bulb in our head and heart. We pull a U-ey. We turn FROM our own selfishness. We turn TOWARD the forgiveness only found in Christ.

The First Southern Baptist?

It’s about this time you can see how Jesus’ cousin earns the nickname John the Baptist. “All of Judea, including all the people of Jerusalem, went out to see and hear John. And when they confessed their sins, he baptized them in the Jordan River” (v5).

Don’t freak out. I understand why some of you might start to squirm when you see that description. I grew up in a Southern Baptist church. As our friends in recovery like to say, the first step to getting help is admitting you have a problem.

No, John’s not the founder of the Southern Baptists. His title has nothing to with a denomination and everything to do with dunking. Mark uses a Greek word we translate here as “baptized” (Gr. βαπτισμα/baptisma), which means submersion or going completely under.

Overwhelmed by God

One ancient writer uses this word to describe a sinking ship. Let’s be clear. I don’t think God really cares whether you’re sprinkled, dive headfirst, or soaked by a firehose. But can’t we all agree Jack and Rose weren’t exactly sprinkled after the Titanic hit that iceberg?

The best way to understand the idea behind baptism is something that completely and absolutely overwhelms. John’s message totally engulfs his audience in the love and grace of God. The result was a permanent change that prepped people to meet Messiah.

A Weird Wardrobe and Wacky Diet

Suddenly Mark drops in a crazy little commentary on John’s weird wardrobe and wacky diet. “His clothes were woven from coarse camel hair, and he wore a leather belt around his waist. For food he ate locusts and honey” (v6).

It’s pretty clear that John the Dunker wasn’t exactly into fashion and food. He was all about function. I’m pretty sure you won’t find clothes made from camel hair at Abercrombie & Fitch. And “locusts and honey”? We’re talking a seriously paleo diet!

NOT the Star of the Show

It’s at this point that John wants to make it clear that he’s NOT the star of the show. He’s only the opening act. The REAL Headliner is yet to come!

“John announced: ‘Someone is coming soon who is greater that I am—so much greater that I’m not even worthy to stoop down like a slave and untie the straps of His sandals” (v7).

This reminds me of the scene from “Wayne’s World” when Wayne and Garth are blown away meeting Alice Cooper. They drop to their knees and shout, “We’re not worthy! We’re not worthy!”

Trending on Twitter

Let’s cut to the chase. Put yourself in John’s sandals. It would be so easy to get the big head and begin to believe you’re a pretty big deal at this point. Have you seen the traffic coming out of Jerusalem? Check out the long lines for baptism! He’s trending on Twitter!!

But the Dunker refuses to be fooled by the massive crowds coming out of the city to see him. For those of you who think he’s hot stuff, just you wait. John doesn’t think he’s even good enough to help the Star of the show take off His shoes.

Getting in the King’s Grill

Don’t make the mistake of thinking he was some sort of self-deprecating shrinking violet. The guy had the guts to poke his finger in Herod Antipas’ chest and when he started shacking up with his brother’s wife (Mk 6:16-20). While this sounds like an episode of “The Real Housewives of Jerusalem,” getting in the king’s grill cost John his head (Mk 6:21-29).

The One on the Way

The Baptizer knew his role was to point people to the One coming from heaven. This is the long-awaited Savior God had promised for thousands of years. The Snake Killer (Gen 3:17). God’s Blessing to and through Abraham (Gen 12:1-3; 13:14-17; 15:5-5; 17:2-8). David’s Undying Descendant (2Sam 7:8-16).

All throughout the Old Testament, God drops some incredible hints about the Hero who was on the way. The coming Christ is THE Point of OT. Are there cool stories in these ancient documents? You betcha. But the big idea is the arrival of the Second Person of the Trinity.

Making Jesus Famous

With Messiah just about to take the stage, John’s job is to get everybody ready. Don’t mistake him for the headliner. If you think he’s something, just you wait.

In many ways, God calls Christ followers to be like the Dunker. Our job is not to be the star of the show. Our job is to point to Jesus. Our job is to make Him famous. So just politely step out of the spotlight as soon as you can.

The Jams of Air Jordan

John says his baptism may be pretty cool, but it’s nothing compared to the what the Son of God is about to do. “I baptize you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit” (v8). Getting drenched in the Jordan to symbolize turning from sin is sweet. But just wait until you’ve been overwhelmed by God’s Spirit!!

What’s the difference between John’s and Christ’s baptisms? Let’s see if this helps. Remember back when the NBA Slam Dunk Competition was still cool? The contest was the highlight of All-Star Weekend.

It always looked like Dominique Wilkins and Clyde Drexler were unbeatable. The crowd went crazy when the Human Highlight Reel and the Glyde rattled the rims.  That was until Michael Jordan cleared himself for launch from the free throw line. They don’t call him Air Jordan for nothing.

Forgiveness for the Past, Power for the Future

In the same way, you might think the Dunker had serious skills until you saw Jesus jam. John’s baptism only took care of the sins of our past. Jesus brings a baptism that preps us for the future with the power of the Spirit!

For Mark, John, and the folks in the lining up along the Jordan, Jesus’ baptism of the Holy Spirit is still to come. Dr. Luke writes all about the time it first happened just after the Lord headed home to heaven (Acts 2:1-4).

The Slam Dunk of Salvation

Since that crazy day at Pentecost, Jesus has been baptizing every one of His followers with the Spirit of God. Paul tells the Corinthians that each believer’s body is actually a temple for the Holy Spirit (1Cor 6:19).

God’s overwhelming message leads to the slam dunk of salvation! I guess you could say Jesus is the undisputed champ of the eternal dunk competition.

So What Do WE Do?

So what in the world does what Mark has to say about John the Dunker have to do with you and me? For Pete’s sake, I don’t even wear sandals.

If you don’t mind, allow me to ask a few questions? Have we repented? Have we done a 180 from our selfishness and turned to the grace of God?

Have we confessed our sin to others? Jesus’ kid brother James says it’s really important to have a group of friends we can tell about what we’ve done wrong (James 5:16).

We need to remember that repentance and confession aren’t a one-and-done kinda thing. No, we don’t need to run to the front of the church each time the preacher offers the Gospel. But it’s a great idea to stay in a continual attitude of turning from sin and telling others we trust all about it.

Jesus Loves You More than Momma

If I’ve turned to Jesus, I can be sure He’s baptized me in His Spirit. Just because I don’t feel overwhelmed doesn’t mean He hasn’t. The Third Member of the Godhead will not only give you faithfulness you didn’t think you had but will constantly remind you about the One who loves you more than your own momma.

Know Our Role

Finally, John gives a great example of knowing our role. He realizes he’s not the headliner. He’s not the star of the show. Over in the Gospel of John (not THAT John, but one of Jesus’ apostles), the Dunker goes so far as to say his rep must reduce while Jesus’ glory gets greater and greater (Jn 3:30).

Rick Warren is right. The opening line in The Purpose Driven Life reads, “It’s not about you.” It’s not about me. It’s not about the Dunker. It’s ALL about Jesus.

Like John, we’re only the opening act.

©2017
Jay Jennings