Advent 2025 Mark 1:1-8 "The King is Coming

Advent is about learning to wait with hope. We remember not only that Jesus came in the flesh, but also that generations of God’s people waited—sometimes for centuries—trusting God to keep His promises. We stand in that same line now, waiting for His return, longing for a world free from sin, sorrow, and death. That’s why I began in Mark. Mark is fast, clear, and relentlessly focused on showing who Jesus really is, inviting us to respond. In Mark 1:1–8, we meet five facets of Jesus’ identity that anchor our waiting with sturdy hope.

First, Jesus is the Christ—the anointed One promised across the Scriptures. “Christ” is not a last name but a title that ties Jesus to the prophetic hope of a king and priest who would rescue and reconcile. Second, He is the Son of God—a title that in Scripture signals royal authority and rightful rule. Mark sets Jesus over against every earthly power; Caesar is not ultimate, Jesus is.

Third, Jesus is the promised Lord whose way is prepared by a messenger. Malachi and Isaiah foresaw a forerunner who would flatten the obstacles and ready hearts; John the Baptist arrives exactly on cue. Fourth, Jesus is the promised Savior. John’s baptism of repentance reveals the problem—our sin—and points beyond itself to the One who brings true cleansing. Finally, Jesus is God. John can immerse with water, but only Jesus can immerse with the Holy Spirit. Only God can reconcile sinners to Himself.

Mark will go on to show Jesus healing, forgiving, commanding creation—proving these claims. The question isn’t whether Jesus is compelling; it’s whether we will bow to the King He is. In Advent, we rehearse that God kept His word the first time, so we can trust Him as we wait for the second. He has come; He will come again. Until then, we turn from sin, trust His name, and live as people of the King.

Key Takeaways

• 1. Advent trains us to wait well Waiting is not wasted time; it is formation. Israel’s centuries of silence were not God’s absence but His preparation, and our present longing for Christ’s return works the same way. Waiting clarifies our loves, exposes our idols, and grows endurance, so that when the King appears, we’re ready to receive Him with whole hearts. [02:45]
• 2. Christ is a title of mission “Christ” means “Anointed One,” linking Jesus to the promised King and Priest who would rescue and reconcile. Treating it like a last name drains it of power; receiving it as a title restores the thread of prophecy that runs from Genesis to Isaiah to Bethlehem. To confess “Jesus the Christ” is to confess God kept every promise in Him. [07:18]
• 3. Son of God announces true kingship In Scripture, “Son of God” is a royal designation that challenges rival thrones. Mark opens by placing Jesus over every earthly empire—ancient and modern—calling us to transfer our deepest allegiance. If Jesus is the true King, compromise with lesser lords is not an option; worship and obedience are the only fitting response. [20:03]
• 4. Repentance prepares room for Jesus John’s baptism reveals that the way to welcome the Lord is through honest turning. Repentance is not self-loathing; it is a decisive reorientation from self-rule to God’s rule, from hiding to confessing. The desert becomes a highway when we stop defending our sin and start naming it before the One who forgives. [27:59]
• 5. Only God baptizes with the Spirit Water can symbolize cleansing, but it cannot unite sinners to God. Jesus immerses His people in the Holy Spirit, doing the one thing no prophet, priest, or king could do. The gift of the Spirit is God’s own presence, proof that reconciliation is real and new life has begun. [34:20]

Youtube Chapters

• [00:00] - Welcome
• [00:45] - Why Mark for Advent?
• [01:08] - What Advent really means
• [02:20] - Waiting then and waiting now
• [03:54] - Why Mark fits our moment
• [04:32] - Reading Mark 1:1–8
• [06:08] - What “gospel” actually means
• [06:39] - Jesus is the Christ (title)
• [12:38] - Jesus is the Son of God
• [20:03] - True King versus human empires
• [24:20] - Forerunner promised: Malachi and Isaiah
• [26:54] - John’s baptism and real repentance
• [32:07] - The Greater One and the Spirit
• [36:59] - Five identities, one King
• [38:01] - Believe and wait with hope
• [39:12] - Closing prayer

Bible Reading

Mark 1:1–8 — 1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way, 3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,’” 4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

Observation Questions

1. What five aspects of Jesus’ identity does Mark introduce in this short passage? How does the preacher summarize those five identities? [36:59]
2. Which Old Testament writers or passages does Mark cite (vv.2–3), and what images do those quotations use to describe the coming of the Lord? [21:23]
3. What specific actions and visible details describe John the Baptist in vv.4–6 (what he preached, how people responded, how he was dressed and fed)?
4. What is the clear contrast John makes between his baptism and the one who is coming (v.8)? What literal and theological differences does Mark highlight? [32:07]

Interpretation Questions

1. How should readers interpret Mark’s pairing of the titles “Christ” and “Son of God” at the very start of the gospel? In what way does this pairing function as a claim about Jesus’ authority over earthly rulers? [20:03]
2. What does Mark’s use of Isaiah and Malachi to describe John’s role tell readers about the purpose of a forerunner? How does that help explain why people responded to John the way they did? [25:34]
3. What theological conclusion does John intend by saying he baptizes with water but “he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit”? What does this imply about who can do the reconciling work and how it happens? [34:20]
4. How does Mark’s fast, action-oriented style contribute to his presentation of Jesus as King and Savior? Why might Mark have chosen speed and urgency as a way to shape the reader’s response? [03:54]

Application Questions

1. Advent trains Christians to wait with hope. Identify one area in your life where you habitually rush ahead of God (decisions, celebrations, control). What is one concrete practice you will adopt this week to practice patient waiting on God’s timing? [02:45]
2. The title “Christ” ties Jesus to the mission of king and priest. Name one decision, loyalty, or routine (work schedule, finances, political loyalty, family expectation) that competes with Jesus’ kingship in your life. What specific, measurable step will you take this week to transfer allegiance to Christ? [07:18]
3. Mark sets up a choice between Jesus’ rule and rival powers (Caesar-style authorities). Is there a person, institution, or fear that functions as a “lord” in your heart? Give one concrete example of how you will reorder your time, words, or commitments to show Jesus is Lord this week. [20:03]
4. John’s call is to repent—turn away—and then be baptized. What is one sin you have been minimizing, defending, or hiding? How will you confess it (to God, to a friend, to a leader) and what is one practical step you will take this week to “bear fruit in keeping with repentance”? [27:59]
5. John contrasts water baptism with immersion in the Spirit. In what specific area of your life do you need the Holy Spirit’s renewing power (anger, fear, selfishness, hopelessness)? What is one concrete prayer you will pray and one small action you will take this week to open yourself to the Spirit’s work? [34:20]
6. Waiting forms us and clarifies our loves. Over this Advent season, pick one spiritual practice (daily Scripture reading, a five-minute morning silence, Sabbath afternoon, serving somebody in need) you will adopt to shape your longing for Christ rather than consumer Christmas. How will you report back to the group or a partner about progress next week? [02:20]
7. Mark points to Jesus as both Savior and King to be proclaimed. Who in your circle needs to hear that Jesus is both the one who forgives and the one who rules? Name that person and one specific way you will begin a gospel conversation with them in the next seven days (coffee, text, invite to worship). [38:34]