The first character we meet in Mark’s Gospel is a strange fellow. John the Baptizer. He is preaching about repentance and the forgiveness of sins. He is dunking them in the waters of baptism. Ultimately he is preparing the way for someone much greater than himself.
Before we get too far … we need to ask, “What are people ultimately repenting of?” “What have they done that is so bad that they need forgiveness?” “Is this personal or private?” It seems that there is some sort of conversion happening in the land of Israel. People are moving from one way of life into another way of living.