The King's Introduction

Share about a time you received really good news. How did you hear the news? How did you respond?

John the Baptist came to “prepare the way for the Lord” (1:3). Why does it matter that this was an Old Testament prophecy? What did John the Baptist do to prepare the way for Jesus?

What was the role of baptism in John the Baptist’s message? Jesus had nothing to repent of, so why do you think he wanted to be baptized? What is the baptism of the Holy Spirit predicted by John in verse 8?

What is the significance of Jesus, the Spirit, and the Father interacting in verses 10-11? How does this build Mark’s argument that Jesus is the Messiah and the Son of God (1:1)?

What does it mean that the Kingdom of God has come near? How is this message still important today? What is our part in proclaiming and demonstrating the truth of this message?