Day and Night Mark 1 1 11

Like Day and Night

In Genesis 1:1-5, God calls the darkness night and the light day, separating the light from the darkness. It is the first major distinction recorded in the Bible; Light and darkness, day and night.

God does it by speaking.

God said, "Let there be light."

"God called ..."

It is something everyone recognizes.

In Psalm 29, the 

singer praises the power of a a God whose voice shakes everything up in heaven and earth.

"The voice of the Lord causes the oaks to whirl

and strips the forest bare,

and in his temple all say, 'Glory!'"

"The Lord sits enthroned over the flood;

the Lord sits enthroned as king forever.

May the Lord give strength to his people!

May the Lord bless his people with peace!"

Throughout history, God was revealing himself to people. The Hebrew scriptures zero in on his revelations to a people who are descendants of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, although others from outside that fold sometimes get a word from God.

The prophetic tradition traces the role of men, and, sometimes, women, who spoke for God. These exhortations were always a message for their times, but usually had implications for times to come and all times.

They almost always had a call to action. That action was repentance, namely a change of heart, mind, will, and direction.

The scriptures are hopeful. The writers of scripture, inspired by God, believed that people could change.

Sometimes, outsiders would want to become insiders. After the Babylonian Captivity, converts to Judaism would declare their intention to move from night to day and change their allegiance to God by being baptized. Jews who had been ceremonially defiled would be baptized for cleansing.

When the Apostle Paul went to Corinth in Acts 19, he found a group of believers who had been baptized in the tradition and under the message of John the Baptist and he introduced a question to them: Were you baptized in the Spirit or just on water?

In asking this question, he elevated the call to conversion to a reality beyond mere human choice. It was a spiritual transformation or nothing more than a bath.

So, we go back to a point in time, not the beginning of the ritual, but the beginning of the gospel.

We go to Mark 1.

"The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ.

"As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,

“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,

who will prepare your way,

"the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord;

make his paths straight,’ ”

Continuity is noted, but also a dramatic change.

Night is turning to day.

Darkness is turning to light.

The Star in the East has been made visible to those who are afar.

We have entered the days of Epiphany.

"so John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And the whole Judean region and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him and were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed,

“The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove upon him. And a voice came from the heavens, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

Sins are forgiven. The debt is cancelled.

Christ is proclaimed and Jesus, the Christ goes first.

The Spirit is descending and the Spirit transforms those who desire change.

God is well pleased.