KINGDOM OF GOD IS AT HAND. ["WHAT IS KNOWLEDGE AT BEST; BUT IGNORANCE WITH A LIBRARY!]

 THE NEW TESTAMENT STATES THAT JESUS FULFILLED THE HOPES THE JEWS HAD CHERISHED FOR CENTURIES. IT INSISTS HE WAS THE MESSIAH. THAT CLAIM RAISES SOME CRUCIAL QUESTIONS: WHAT KIND OF A MESSIAH WAS JESUS? WHAT WAS THE NATURE OF THE MESSIANIC AGE HE ESTABLISHED?  THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO ST.MARK PROVIDES ANSWERS TO THESE AND RELATED QUESTIONS.
 MARK GIVES NO INFORMATION ABOUT JESUS BIRTH. HE BEGINS HIS ACCOUNT OF JESUS LIFE WITH THE SIMPLE WORDS" THE BEGINNING OF THE GOSPEL OF JESUS CHRIST, THE SON OF GOD," MARK 1:1.
THE "GOSPEL" (GOOD NEWS) IS THAT THE NEW AGE THE JEWS HAVE BEEN EXPECTING FOR CENTURIES HAS ARRIVED. JESUS (SAVIOR) CHRIST (" THE ANOINTED ONE", " (THE MESSIAH")  MESHACH) HAS COME. (  HE IS  THE "SON OF GOD,"  AND THAT MEANS THAT OLD ISRAEL IS NO LONGER " THE SON OF GOD." EXODUS 4:22.
WHEN MARK USES THE TERM "GOSPEL" HE IS NOT SAYING THAT WHEN JESUS CAME, GOD BEGAN TO FORGIVE SINS IN EARNEST, OR SAVE PEOPLE ON SOME NEW WAY. GOD ALWAYS HAS, AND ALWAYS WILL, SAVE PEOPLE BY GRACE THROUGH FORGIVENESS OF SINS. HE IS SAYING THAT IN JESUS THE JEWS DREAMS WERE FINALLY FULFILLED. THE MESSIAH  AND THE AGE OF THE MESSIAH HAD FINALLY COME TO SUPPORT HIS CLAIM, MARK QUOTES EXODUS 23:20 AND MALACHI 3:1 IN VERSE 2, AND ISAIAH 40:3 IS RICH IN MEANING ADDRESSED TO THE EXILES IN BABYLON JUST PRIOR TO THEIR RELEASE FROM EXILE AND RETURN TO THEIR OWN LAND. IN QUOTING IT, MARK STATES THAT JESUS WAS ABOUT TO CARRY OUT A RESCUE MISSION THAT WOULD FAR SURPASS THOSE WHICH HAD FREED GOD'S PEOPLE FROM EGYPT AND BABYLON. GOD PREPARED HIS PEOPLE FOR JESUS MINISTRY THROUGH THE WORK OF JOHN THE BAPTIST 1:4-8. " IN HIM WAS LIFE; AND THE LIGHT WAS THE LIGHT OF MEN AND THE LIGHT SHINETH IN DARKNESS;  AND THE DARKNESS COMPREHENDED IT NOT. THERE WAS A MAN SENT FROM GOD, WHOSE NAME WAS JOHN. THE SAME CAME FOR A WITNESS TO BEAR WITNESS OF THE LIGHT, THAT ALL MEN THROUGH HIM MIGHT BELIEVE. JOHN CONDUCTED HIS WORK IN THE WILDERNESS, THE PLACE OF EXPECTATIONS AND NEW BEGINNINGS, THE PLACE WHERE GOD TAKES PEOPLE TO TEAR THEM AWAY FROM THE DISTRACTIONS OF DAILY LIFE. JOHN 1:28 STATES THAT JOHN THE BAPTIST WORKED ON THE EAST BANK OF THE JORDAN RIVER., THUS INVITING HIS AUDIENCE TO LEAVE THE PROMISED LAND AND ENTER IT AGAIN THROUGH A BAPTISMAL EXODUS AND CROSSING OF THE JORDAN. "NOTE WELL":  JOHN BAPTIZED JEWS, MATTHEW 3:1-1O; MARK 1:4,5.  THIS PRACTICED WAS UNHEARD OF, FOR ONLY GENTILES WERE BAPTIZED  WHEN THEY CONVERTED TO JUDAISM. JOHN SUMMONS TO BAPTISM REMINDED JEWS THAT THEY WERE NOT AUTOMATICALLY  CHILDREN OF GOD BY VIRTUE OF THEIR PHYSICAL DESCENT FROM (ABRAHAM, MATTHEW 3:9) GOD WAS NOT INTERESTED IN NATIONAL CREDENTIALS. HE WAS LOOKING FOR REPENTANCE!
 JOHN POINTED BEYOND HIMSELF TO SOMEONE MUCH GREATER WHOSE MISSION WOULD TOTALLY TRANSCEND HIS OWN. THEN SAID JESUS TO THOSE JEWS WHICH BELIEVED ON HIM, IF YE CONTINUE IN MY WORD, THEN ARE YE MY DISCIPLES INDEED; JOHN 8:31).  JESUS DID NOT SUBMIT TO JOHN'S BAPTISM TO RECEIVE THE FORGIVENESS OF SINS. HE DID NOT SIN, AND NEEDED NO FORGIVENESS, JOHN 8:46.
 HE SUBMITTED TO IDENTIFY WITH THE NEW MOVEMENT HIS FATHER IN HEAVEN WAS BEGINNING THROUGH JOHN'S WORK, WHICH WOULD CULMINATE IN HIS OWN DEATH AND, BURIAL, RESURRECTION. THE EVENTS OF JESUS' LIFE REPEATED IN BROAD OUTLINE THOSE OF OLD ISRAEL. HE PASSED THROUGH WATER IN HIS BAPTISM, AND THEN WENT INTO THE WILDERNESS TO BE TESTED BY SATAN.