New Beginnings (Mark 1:1-8)

The first word of Mark's Gospel (in Greek) is the word 'Beginning.' It is the beginning of the Good News about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. We read in Mark 1:1-8 that John the Baptist inaugurates this new beginning through his proclamation to 'prepare the way for the Lord.' John points beyond himself, and beyond ourselves, to the one who is coming, Jesus. We aren't worthy for Jesus to come to us, but he comes graciously to begin something new: the coming of the Kingdom of God. This sermon was preached on Sunday 4th December 2011 (Advent 2) at St John's Southgate Lutheran Church. It can be used in conjunction with the downloadable Bible Study found at this link. Enjoy!