Mark 1:1-8

new believers receive water Baptism for salvation and in preparation for the Baptism in the Spirit. 

Jesus baptizes His followers with the Spirit of the Living God.

Christ in us is the hope of glory.

Mark 1:1-8

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. 2 As it is written in the Prophets:

“Behold, I send My messenger before Your face,

Who will prepare Your way before You.”

3 “The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord;

Make His paths straight.’ ”

4 John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. 5 Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “There comes One after me who is mightier than I, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to stoop down and loose. 8 I indeed baptized you with water, but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The name iēsous (Jesus) is the Greek version of the Hebrew name Joshua (yehoshua' or yeshua'), a common Jewish name in the first century ad. The Greek word used here, christos, translates the Hebrew title mashiach, meaning “anointed one.”

John understands himself to be the forerunner of the Messiah. Removing and carrying sandals was the work of slaves. John is stating that he is not worthy even to be a slave of the Messiah (the anointed one of God). John’s baptism was in preparation for the Messiah, through whom God would pour out His Spirit on the people of Israel. John anticipates that Jesus’ appearance would directly precede the arrival of God’s Spirit. Faithlife Bible.

John’s baptism of repentance should not be confused with Christian baptism. The latter always follows conversion and symbolizes the spiritual death, burial, and Resurrection with Christ that is accomplished in a believer’s salvation experience. It is performed in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. John’s baptism, on the other hand, prepared his followers to receive the new message about Christ and His kingdom. John’s baptizing was a recurring popular event that attracted large crowds. Mark vividly portrays the continuous stream of followers who flocked to John. One may visualize throngs making the trek to the wilderness, with people waiting in line to be baptized. As each person was baptized by John, he or she would admit to individual sin and the need for the Messiah.

John’s characteristic message was to promote expectancy and acceptance of the Lord Jesus Christ. He said he was not worthy to loosen the Messiah’s sandal strap. Students often performed menial tasks for their rabbis, but even they were not expected to remove someone’s sandals. That task was left to slaves. John humbly understood and accepted his own role in the coming Kingdom.

The prediction that Christ will baptize you with the Holy Spirit appears in each Gospel and was repeated by Christ in Acts 1:5 as being “not many days from now.”  Though many English translations use the preposition with (with water and with the Holy Spirit), it is also acceptable to substitute the word in. The water is a physical representation of the future life in the Spirit that people who followed the Messiah would have. Presumably the Day of Pentecost marked the fulfillment of this promise. NKJ Bible.

Psalm 2:7  “I will declare the decree: The LORD has said to Me,‘You are My Son,Today I have begotten You.

Isaiah 40:3  The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Isaiah 44:3  For I will pour water on him who is thirsty, and floods on the dry ground; I will pour My Spirit on your descendants, and My blessing on your offspring;

Malachi 3:1  “Behold, I send My messenger, and he will prepare the way before Me. And the Lord, whom you seek, will suddenly come to His temple, even the Messenger of the covenant, in whom you delight. Behold, He is coming, ”Says the LORD of hosts.