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Mark

Mark 
Day 
Day 15

Day 15

Text: Mark 1

"According to His abundant mercy has begotten us again to a living hope through the resurrection of Jesus Christ from the dead." 1 Peter 1:3

UNUSUAL GROWING-UP YEARS

Much about the life of John was very unusual. Let us note the following things:-

1. Born of aged parents

Zacharias struggled very much to believe the announcement of the angel Gabriel that he would become a father (Cf. Luke 1:18).

2. Name of John

When the time came to name the baby, both Elizabeth and Zacharias wanted to call him John, in obedience to the word of the angel Gabriel (Cf. Luke 1:13, 63). That was unusual, for this name was not utilized in Zacharias’ family tree.

3. Upbringing of John

Zacharias and Elizabeth were advanced in age when they became parents. No one knew just how long they lived after John was born. However, we do know this about the growing up years of John from the following text.

“So the child (John) grew and became strong, in spirit
and was in the deserts till the day of his manifestation to Israel.”

LUKE 1:80

a) It is likely that John’s parents died when he was still fairly young.
b) John grew up “in the deserts”.
i) As distinguished from “in the cities”
ii) Or even as distinguished from “in the villages”

4. Good and strong growth

Zacharias and Elizabeth did not need to worry about how John would grow up in the event of their early demise. God Himself would see to his well-being and his upbringing. It was well within God’s purpose that John grew up in the wilderness so that he might have a significant ministry in the environment in which he grew up.

UNUSUAL CHOICE OF PLACE FOR MINISTRY

Why did God plan to have John minister in the wilderness? Let’s ponder the following thoughts:-

1. To fulfil the prophecy of Isaiah’s prophecy literally.

2. The wilderness symbolized the spiritual condition of the nation of Israel.

3. To test the sincerity of the hearers. Only if one was truly sincere would he go out into the wilderness to hear “the voice of one crying in the wilderness”.