The Ignatius Catholic Study Bible New Testament (53 page)

1:5 baptized by him:
The baptism of John signified the need for inner purity but did not effect this in a sacramental way. John was fully aware that his disciples must also receive the greater Baptism of the Messiah, which both signifies and effects spiritual cleansing. Only the Christian sacrament washes the soul of sin, infuses the grace of divine sonship, and regenerates the believer in the Holy Spirit (Jn 3:5; Acts 2:38; Tit 3:5; CCC 718-20).
in the river Jordan:
The main river in Palestine and a suitable location to baptize large numbers. • The Jordan is linked with stories of deliverance in the OT. Here the Israelites crossed over to inherit the Promised Land (Josh 3:1417). Here too Naaman the Syrian (a Gentile) was cleansed of leprosy (2 Kings 5:14). Against this twofold background John's ministry at the Jordan prepares for the salvation of Israel and the Gentiles by the Messiah. 
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1:6 John was clothed:
Garments of animal skin were the distinctive attire of OT prophets (Zech 13:4). • John's appearance recalls that of Elijah (2 Kings 1:8), and his presence at the Jordan recalls the site where Elijah departed into heaven (2 Kings 2:6-11).
See note on Mk 9:11
.
ate locusts:
One of a few clean (kosher) insects that God permitted the Israelites to eat under the Old Covenant (Lev 11:22). This detail portrays John as faithful to the Torah and highlights his renunciation of worldly comforts. His disciplined life-style also included fasting (2:18). 
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1:7 I am not worthy:
Evidence of John's humility. Removing and carrying
sandals
was a menial task reserved for slaves serving their master. John regards himself as unworthy to perform even a slave's task for the Messiah. •
Allegorically
(St. Gregory the Great,
Hom. in Evan.
7): Jesus' sandals, made from the skins of dead animals, represent mankind dead in sin. Once Christ clothed himself with our nature in the Incarnation, the miracle proved so profound that not even John was able to unfasten or explain this mystery of God-made-man. 
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1:9-11
The Baptism of Jesus. As One who is sinless, Jesus has no actual need for repentance (Heb 4:15; 1 Pet 2:22). He nevertheless receives John's baptism to identify with sinners as part of the Father's plan to save them (CCC 536). The
voice
of the Father, the Baptism of the
Son,
and the descent of the
Spirit
mark this episode as a revelation of the Blessed Trinity.
See note on Mt 3:15
. 
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1:10 the heavens opened:
The underlying expression is more dramatic than the translation, since the Greek verb
schizo
means to "rip" or "tear". Heaven was thus "torn open" at the sound of God's voice and the descent of the Spirit (Is 64:1). Elsewhere in Mark this same verb depicts the tearing of the Temple veil (15:38), an episode similarly accompanied by a declaration of Jesus' Sonship (15:39).
a dove:
An image with various associations in the Bible (Song 1:15; 6:9; Hos 11:11; Mt 10:16). • A close connection between the Spirit and a dove is found in Genesis: as the "Spirit of God" hovered over the waters at creation (Gen 1:2), so Noah sent forth a "dove" to hover over the flood waters once creation was cleansed and renewed (Gen 8:10-12). Jesus' Baptism likewise inaugurates a new beginning for the world through the Spirit and prefigures our own cleansing through Baptism (1 Pet 3:18-22; CCC 536, 694, 701).
See note on Mt 3:11
. 
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1:11 my beloved Son:
The Father's announcement echoes several OT passages. •
(1)
Isaiah 42:1 prophecies the coming of God's pleasing Servant, who will rescue Israel (Is 42:7) and be a "light to the nations" (Is 42:6). Jesus fulfills this role as the Suffering Servant (10:45) and light of the world (Jn 8:12).
(2)
Psalm 2:7 portrays King David as the anointed son of God. Jesus is here the royal Son anointed by the Spirit (Lk 4:18; Rom 1:3).
(3)
The same title was once given to Isaac, where the Greek OT translates "only son" in Gen 22:2, 12, as "my beloved son". As Abraham's near-sacrifice of Isaac procured a divine oath of worldwide blessing (Gen 22:16-18), so Jesus is sent by the Father to fulfill this covenant oath and unleash the blessings promised to the patriarch (Jn 3:16; Rom 8:32). 
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Word Study

Repentance
(
Mk 1:4
)

Metanoia
(Gk.): literally a "change of mind". The word is used 22 times in the NT for a conversion of one's entire life to the Lord. Based on similar OT concepts, it involves a twofold movement of the heart: one who repents turns
away from
sin (1 Kings 8:35; Ezek 18:30) and
toward
God (Hos 6:1; Sir 17:25, 26; Heb 6:1). This entails genuine contrition for past failings and a firm resolve to avoid them in the future, and it may be accompanied by bodily disciplines like fasting (Dan 9:3-5; Joel 2:12; 2 Cor 7:10). Because repentance is a gradual process of transformation, God is patient with sinners struggling to make amends and redirect their lives toward holiness (Wis 12:10; Rom 2:4; 2 Pet 3:9). Repentance is inspired by the eternal life offered in Christ (Mk 1:15; Acts 2:38), and its genuineness becomes evident when lives are changed in accord with the gospel (Mt 3:8; Acts 26:20; Gal 5:22-24).

1:12-13
An abridged account of Jesus' temptation. 5 • Jesus faces the same ordeal that Adam and Israel endured in the OT (CCC 538-540). He is thus
tempted by Satan
among the
wild beasts,
as the first Adam was tempted amid the beasts in paradise. He likewise retraces the steps of Israel, being led into the
wilderness
by the
Spirit
and tested for
forty days
as the Israelites marched in the desert for 40 years of testing. In the end, Jesus succeeds where Adam and Israel failed by resisting the devil and proving his filial love for the Father. This initiates an extended campaign against demons, death, and disease throughout the Gospel (1:25, 31, 34; 2:11; 3:5; 5:13, 39-41).
See note on Mt 4:1-11
. •
Morally
(St. John Chrysostom,
Hom. in Matt.
13): Jesus endured temptation to train his disciples how to overcome the devil. No one should be surprised, then, that after our own Baptism the tempter assails us more aggressively than before. Victory is assured if, like Jesus, we commit ourselves to fasting, wait upon the Lord with patience, and have no desire for things beyond our need. 
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1:14 John was arrested:
A pivotal event turning the focus of Jesus' ministry to Galilee. Prior to this, Jesus had an earlier ministry in Judea that overlapped with John's (Jn 3:23).
See note on Mt 4:12
. 
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1:15 the kingdom of God:
God's sovereign rule over all nations through Jesus. • The kingdom of Christ is closely linked with the ancient kingdom of Israel that flourished under David and Solomon. Although David's empire soon collapsed, for a brief time it foreshadowed the glory of Christ's reign over the tribes of Israel (2 Sam 5:1-5; Mt 19:28) and other Gentile nations (1 Kings 4:20-21; Mt 28:18-20). The international kingdom of old is now resurrected and transfigured in the Church, where Christ rules as David's rightful heir (Mt 1:1; Lk 1:32-33) enthroned in heaven (Mk 16:19; Heb 8:1-2). 
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