The Question of Mark’s Missing Christmas Narrative
Last time, we raised the question of why Mark’s Gospel is the only one not to have a Christmas narrative. The other Gospels at least include the Incarnation. In place of the persons and events of the historical Christmas narrative, Mark cites two Old Testament prophecies of the forerunner to the Messiah, John the Baptist.
In order to answer the question of why Mark excludes any Christmas story, we will now examine the contexts of each of the Old Testament passages quoted in the opening verses of Mark’s Gospel. This will allow us to “hear” the unique tone each one brings.
The Context and Tone of Isaiah’s Prophecy
The first Old Testament passage Mark quotes is from Isaiah chapter forty. In that chapter, there are four exhortations that help us grasp the tenor of the context of Isaiah’s prophecy.
This chapter opens with words of comfort to the true people of God. “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: …” (Isaiah 40:1-2).
The comfort is proclaimed by, “The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3).
So, briefly, the first command is:
Take Comfort!
The voice in the wilderness cries out to prepare. However, the preparations demanded here are not just for any visitor or guest. No, the idea here describes a royal visit, and the triumphant arrival of a great and honored king.
This is similar to the grand inaugural processional the people gave Jesus into Jerusalem as they “Took branches of palm trees, and went forth to meet him, and cried, Hosanna: Blessed is the King of Israel that cometh in the name of the Lord.” (John 12:13).
Before He arrives, however, there are many preparations to be made. The voice calls the workers to action. “Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:” (Isaiah 40:4).
So, this can be boiled down to:
Prepare! – the King is coming!
Likewise, although believers in Jesus can take comfort in His victorious Second Coming, we discover the voice also cries to us that there is much work to do before the King returns. We must all enter the work of removing obstacles, smoothing rough places, and preparing, “in the desert a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3 c).
This is done through all the prayers and acts of service and kindness for others done in the name of the Lord. “For God is not unrighteous to forget your work and labour of love, which ye have shewed toward his name, in that ye have ministered to the saints, and do minister.” (Hebrews 6:10).
In other words:
Get to Work!
Finally, the message of the voice crying from Isaiah prophesies the future glory of the Lord (Isaiah 40:5). It also contrasts the brevity of life with, “the word of our God,” which, “shall stand for ever.” (Isaiah 40:8).
As a side note, Word and Spirit folks will observe the two sides of our movement (“the spirit of the Lord,” and “the word of our God”) mentioned in the Hebrew parallel found in verses seven and eight (Isaiah 40:7-8):
The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: because the spirit of the Lord bloweth upon it: surely the people is grass. The grass withereth, the flower fadeth: but the word of our God shall stand for ever.
Both the Word and the Spirit operate together and in every generation among God’s people because they both are eternal.
The prophecy concludes with the, “good tidings” that ‘the Lord is come,’ as exclaimed by the words, “Behold your God!” This promise follows: “Behold, the Lord GOD will come with strong hand and his arm shall rule for him: behold, his reward is with him, and his work before him.” (Isaiah 40:9-10).
Put simply:
Behold your God!
Amen! These are words of comfort and good tidings to the people of God indeed! The Lord is coming back and his reward is with him!
So, Isaiah’s prophecy speaks words of comfort to the true people of God.
This is also a veiled reference to the Incarnation, because the forerunner will proclaim Emmanuel as the very “…Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” (John 1:29 b).
In the next part, we will examine the other Old Testament prophecy of the forerunner cited at the beginning of Mark’s Gospel: Malachi chapter three.