Mark 1:6-10

Mark 1:6 (KJB)
And John was clothed with camel's hair, and with a girdle of a skin about his loins; and he did eat locusts and wild honey;

(Mal 4:5 KJV) Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and dreadful day of the LORD: Elijah the prophet and John the Baptist were similar in physical appearance. John had not only the inward witness of being a prophet but he also had the outward appearance. He had his raiment of camel’s hair. (Zec 13:4 KJV) And it shall come to pass in that day, that the prophets shall be ashamed every one of his vision, when he hath prophesied; neither shall they wear a rough garment to deceive: John wore the rough garment not to deceive but to bring the truth of the coming Messiah. Then John had on the same type of leather girdle that Elijah wore. (2 Ki 1:8 KJV) And they answered him, He was an hairy man, and girt with a girdle of leather about his loins. And he said, It is Elijah the Tishbite. His diet was one of locusts and wild honey. Locusts were permissible to eat under the law. (Lev 11:22 KJV) Even these of them ye may eat; the locust after his kind, and the bald locust after his kind, and the beetle after his kind, and the grasshopper after his kind. The locusts were also eaten by the very poor and the wild honey would be found in trees and even in the dried river beds. The Locust was called the Great Eastern locust. They were not just grabbed off of plants and eaten but were prepared and then roasted over a fire. The fact that locusts were also a food of the poor, it showed the poverty and simple life of John the Baptist.

Mark 1:7 (KJB)
And preached, saying, There cometh one mightier than I after me, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to stoop down and unloose.

Here John begins to state the difference between his ministry and that of the Lord Jesus Christ. John’s ministry was a limited one which was a baptism in water unto only repentance as the people came to him and made verbal professions of their sins and their repentance from those sins. Then John begins to speak about the Lord Jesus Christ. He now begins his ministry of introduction and states that He which will come after him is mightier than him. John was born about six months before Jesus for the purpose of the ministry of introducing the Messiah. Jesus was mightier because He was God in the flesh and John is not necessarily speaking about physical strength but strength which is not found on this earth. Strength to raise the dead, strength to be meek, strength to face His adversaries, strength to pay for the sins of all the Elect, etc. John was speaking about the divine strength of the Lord Jesus Christ.

He then states that he is not worthy to bear His sandals. When someone carried another’s sandals, it was a sign of subordination and humiliation but here John says that in comparison to who Jesus is, he is not even worthy to carry his sandals. John knows that Jesus is the Son of God who came to dwell among them.

Mark 1:8 (KJB)
I indeed have baptized you with water: but he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost.

Then John goes on to reveal a little about the ministry of the Lord Jesus Christ. When Jesus will save someone they will be baptized with the Holy Ghost and fire. When a person becomes saved, they are baptized into the body of Christ, that is, they become one with all the other believers. (1 Cor 12:13 KJV) For by one Spirit are we all baptized into one body, whether we be Jews or Gentiles, whether we be bond or free; and have been all made to drink into one Spirit. The baptism is a uniting together by the witness of the indwelling Holy Ghost. Below are two verses which speak of the believers being baptized, that is, immersed in the Holy Ghost.

(Acts 1:5 KJV) For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.

(Acts 11:16 KJV) Then remembered I the word of the Lord, how that he said, John indeed baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost.

Then John states that the believer will be baptized by fire. Fire in the Bible always has to do with judgment. First, it would be through the Lord Jesus Christ where every true believer would be judged and that judgment was taken on Calvary and because of Calvary, all the believers would be found not guilty and would be saved eternally. (Rev 1:15 KJV) And his feet like unto fine brass, as if they burned in a furnace; and his voice as the sound of many waters. Secondly, all true believers would face persecution in one way or another. (Rom 6:3 KJV) Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? As Jesus died to self, so must we. We will face the opposition of the unsaved world as we bring the Gospel and many will suffer just like Jesus did, giving their lives for the Gospel. Thirdly, the believer’s works will also be judged by fire and if they are wood, hay, or stubble, they will be burned up but the believer will be saved by fire, that is, the wrath of God the Lord Jesus Christ took on Calvary on behalf of all those who will inherit eternal life. (1 Cor 3:15 KJV) If any man's work shall be burned, he shall suffer loss: but he himself shall be saved; yet so as by fire. (Mat 19:29 KJV) And every one that hath forsaken houses, or brethren, or sisters, or father, or mother, or wife, or children, or lands, for my name's sake, shall receive an hundredfold, and shall inherit everlasting life.

Mark 1:9 (KJB)
And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

Jesus had appeared in the temple at the age of twelve and nothing was heard about Him until now which was about eighteen years later. Jesus now appears to John at the Jordan river for the purpose of being baptized by him, symbolizing the baptism of death which He must undergo for all the Elect. A tremendous contrast between religion and true Christianity. The Pharisees and Sadducees had come to criticize what was going on and Jesus was there to begin His earthly ministry. (John 1:28 KJV) These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing.

Mark 1:10 (KJB)
And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

After Jesus had become baptized, He immediately went up out of the water and then the heavens being opened meant that a divine revelation was happening. The Lord Jesus then saw the Holy Spirit descend from Heaven and come upon Him. Notice that He descended like a dove. The dove represents a new era coming. Just as in Noah’s time when he sent out the dove and came back with an olive leaf in its mouth. (Gen 8:11 KJV) And the dove came in to him in the evening; and, lo, in her mouth was an olive leaf plucked off: so Noah knew that the waters were abated from off the earth. The end of judgment of the world was at hand and soon Noah and all the animals would be let go into a new world. Well the dove represents the coming of the kingdom of God and eternal salvation for all the Elect of God. The old ways of the Mosaic law will be over in three years as the Lord Jesus Christ will fulfill all the requirements of God’s Holy Law, resulting in salvation by grace.

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