Reading the Gospels Together Jesus and John the Baptist – Part 2 Of the gospel writers Mark presents his readers with the least information regarding John the Baptist. Mark introduces his readers to John the Baptist as a part of the dramatic beginning of his gospel. John the Baptist is the “voice of God” crying out in the wilderness preparing the way for the coming one. John is a herald coming before Jesus to announce his coming and his way. And the way in which Mark tells the story alludes to the understanding that John the Baptist is Elijah. John’s only words are to declare that Jesus is mightier than he is and that he is not worthy even to untie the thong of his sandals – something all four gospels include as the words of John the Baptist. John is the one who baptizes Jesus in the Jordan River although Mark does not record any of John’s words and in Mark’s telling of the story, John the Baptist does not see the coming of the Spirit in the form of dove or hear the words of God since they are spoken only to Jesus. And just as quickly and abruptly as John the Baptist appears on the scene Mark ushers John off stage by telling his readers that John has been arrested. The next time Mark mentions John the Baptist in connection with his series of stories in which the deadly opposition of the religious leaders is revealed. Mark’s remark is directed mostly at those religious leaders and John the Baptist is mentioned only because his disciples fast just as the religious leaders do while the disciples of Jesus do not fast. There is an allusion in Mark’s gospel that just as John the Baptist’s arrest ushered in a time of fasting by his disciples there will come a time when Jesus’ disciples will also fast. The allusion is that the fate of John the Baptist is a foreshadowing of the fate of Jesus. Thus, there is no implied criticism of the fasting on the part of the disciples of John the Baptist. The next time Mark mentions John the Baptist is in connection with the missionary journey of his own disciples. As they are off on their missionary journey Mark tells his readers of the fate of John the Baptist who he had announced was arrested in the beginning of the gospel. The reader learns that the one who has arrested John the Baptist was Herod Antipas who was king of Galilee. Herod Antipas is said to have become aware of Jesus and wonders if Jesus might be John the Baptist raised from the dead. Herod Antipas had killed John. Mark uses this occasion to introduce his readers to three mistaken identities that some people are making about Jesus – that he is John the Baptist or Elijah or one of the ancient prophets. None of these possibilities is correct and Mark will revisit this list shortly. Mark then goes on to tell the gruesome story of the beheading of John the Baptist as his readers are told why Herod had arrested him in the first place – John had pointed out Herod’s sin in marrying his brother Philip’s wife. The next time Mark mentions John the Baptist is in the story of Jesus confronting his disciples regarding who others think Jesus is – they name the same three that Herod had listed earlier. Once again thinking of Jesus as John the Baptist is to engage in a mistaken identity. Jesus is not John the Baptist, nor is he Elijah, nor one of the ancient prophets. The disciples make the correct identification – Jesus is the Messiah. The next time Mark mentions John the Baptist is in the aftermath of the Transfiguration appearance of Jesus where Jesus is accompanied by Moses and Elijah. As Jesus and his disciples come down the mountain his disciples ask him why Elijah must come first and Jesus tells them that Elijah has already come in the person of John the Baptist – John the Baptist is Elijah. In a way the Elijah who appears with Moses is reprised in the appearance of John the Baptist. The last time Mark mentions John the Baptist directly is during the great controversy that Jesus engages in with the religious leaders in Jerusalem during the days just prior to his death. As Mark tells of this controversy the opening volley has to do with John the Baptist. The religious leaders want to know where Jesus gets his authority and Jesus turns the tables on them by asking them where John the Baptist got his authority. There is perhaps one more allusion to John the Baptist as Jesus hangs upon the cross. When Jesus cries out in despair one of the bystanders mistakenly thinks that perhaps Jesus is crying out for Elijah to come and save him. But readers of Mark’s gospel know that this bystander is misguided since Elijah has already come in the person of John the Baptist. In all of these reference Mark presents John the Baptist in a very favorable light. John the Baptist is both the forerunner for Jesus – he is Elijah who comes to prepare the way – and the foreshadowing of the fate of Jesus. As goes John the Baptist so will go Jesus. There is no hint of competition or controversy between Jesus and John the Baptist in Mark’s gospel.