What Jesus Did! 'Turn from Your Sins!' — Mark 1:4

Wednesday, January 3, 2024

This messenger [to prepare the way for Jesus] 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.
— Mark 1:4 NLT

Key Thought

God's messenger was John. He was called "the Baptist," or the Baptizer, because he baptized folks who came to him wanting to change their lives to align with the will of God. John's mission was to prepare people for the coming of the promised Christ. The purposes of this baptism were to demonstrate people's turning from sin to God and to receive God's forgiveness. What can John's mission teach us for our lives today?
  • God uses human messengers to reach the hearts of those seeking to find him. Someone is out there seeking for God, and God can use you or me to be that messenger!
  • Seeking God involves two things: We turn away from our sins and turn to God.
  • Everyone needs the forgiveness of God; none of us is righteous and holy on our efforts. In other words, we need God's gracious forgiveness.
So I guess that each of us can choose the message that he or she needs to hear most clearly today. Have I truly turned to God and away from sin? Have I come to God to receive his forgiveness and grace? To whom will I be God's messenger?

Today's Prayer

Father in heaven, you are holy and awesome. Your power is beyond my comprehension. As I think about praying to you, I am humbled that you would hear me. Thank you for your gracious forgiveness that you have given to me through the gift of your Son. I commit my life to you, and I turn my back on sin in an effort to flee its grip on me. As a recipient of your grace, please help me see the person, or people, for whom I can be your messenger. In Jesus' name. Amen.

Related Scripture Readings

  • Acts 19:4
  • Acts 3:17-21
  • Acts 2:36-39

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7 Related Resources by Heartlight

God's Good News Always Begins with a Servant
Devo: A Year with Jesus
"Dear Servant of God, I love the way Mark begins his good news story about Me:This is the beginning of the good news of Jesus, the Anointed One, the....."
Prepare Him Room
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'Prepare Him room': Inviting Jesus to reign in our hearts is how the strange beginning of the Gospel of Mark fits into the Advent season. Phil Ware shares how Mark's gospel, which doesn't even mention the birth of Jesus, fits into the Advent season.
Preparing Hearts for Jesus
Article by Phil Ware
The sequence of grace — serving before saving! Phil Ware shares insight on the beginning of Mark's gospel and how salvation is preceded by service, serving comes before saving, and the gospel always begins with a servant.
Preparing Your Heart for Me
Devo: A Year with Jesus
"Dear Friend, My cousin John the Baptist "appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins" (Mark 1:4 NIV)......"
See All 7 Related Resources about Mark 1:4

Illustration

Illustration of Mark 1:4 NLT — 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.

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About This Devotional

What Jesus Did! is a series of one-year devotional guides through each gospel, using one short scripture passage each day and following the Gospel in sequential order. Each devotional consists of a scripture passage and a reflection and a prayer which open up the day's scripture and show how it challenges you to live for Jesus.

What Jesus Did! is written by Phil Ware and is available in book form.

Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright ©1996, 2004, 2007, 2013, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Inc., Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.

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