Imagine going through life, to you it seems like just another day, but suddenly you step onto a scene that just rocks your world. There is a man who offers you the greatest business opportunity ever. There are promises of success, wealth and freedom. When you hear the offer it sounds great, looks like something worth your time, but you want to know if it’s real or a scam. Is there evidence this is real, is there real people who have tried and succeeded, is there witnesses who will give testimony to this opportunity?

To the nation of Israel witnesses were vital to get to the truth. We are told in the Old Testament  law,

“A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offense that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two witnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established. (Deut. 19:15 ESV)

For a matter to be settled one witness wasn’t enough, they needed the evidence from two or three witnesses. If you read further in Deuteronomy, you will discover if there was a malicious witness and it was discovered he was lying, the malicious witness was to receive the punishment of the one falsely accused. The reliability of a witness and the number of witnesses were important in Jewish law, this is one of the reasons why when the Pharisees and Sadducee’s were trying to convict Jesus they were trying to find multiple witnesses against him.

We see the importance of witnesses here in the book of Mark, as you remember from last week, what we have in the book of Mark is an apologetic a defense that Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God. What does Mark do after writing Mark 1:1? He introduces the reader to four witnesses. Let’s take a quick look at them.

The Witness of the Writer

What we have before us in the book of Mark is the testimony and recordings of the memories of the Apostle Peter. Mark is compiling and testifying the account of the apostle Peter concerning highlights of what Jesus said and did. How do we know this, here is extensive evidence from J. Warner Wallace pointing to this truth.

What we discover as we read Mark is the recollections of our first witness, this isn’t just any witness, he was an eyewitness, someone who was with Jesus, almost from the very beginning of his ministry. He was not only one of the first disciples, but he was a member of the 12 apostles, to dig even deeper, he was one of the three in Jesus’ inner circle. Peter knew Jesus, Peter was transformed by Jesus and by the inspiration of The Holy Spirit through Mark we have with us Peter’s recollections, our first witness testifying Jesus is the Christ, the Son of God.

The Prophetic Witness

Mark continues presenting his case, but this time he records a prophetic witness, he reminds us of the words from Isaiah the prophet,

As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way,the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight,'” – Mark 1:2-3

Mark is putting the spotlight on words written hundreds of years before Jesus. The words are a messianic prophecy written by Isaiah the prophet, he was pointing out when the Messiah comes, there will be one before him to “prepare the way of the Lord”.

The reason Mark is reminding us of this prophetic witness is because he is about to introduce us to “the voice of one crying in the wilderness”, this “one” who is sent to prepare the way of the Lord, this person is known as the forerunner, he is our next witness.

The Witness of the Forerunner

Mark’s next witness was a contemporary of Jesus, his cousin, born a few months earlier, John the baptizer.

John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” – Mark 1:4-8

John the Baptist enters on the scene calling on people to turn from their sinful ways and turn to God for forgiveness. People from Jerusalem and the region of Judea were drawn to this guy in the wilderness dressed in camel hair and a leather belt, eating grass hoppers and honey. Mostly they were drawn to his message of repentance, they were turning to God and were being baptized. Revival was breaking out in the wilderness.

What does John do? Does he open up offices and start First Baptist Church of the Wilderness? Does he open John the Baptist ministries? No far from it, John the Baptist tells the crowds of people, there is one coming who is greater than me, I am not even worthy to tie the shoe laces on his Air Jordan’s and this man who is coming, he will baptize you in the Spirit.

Mark puts the spotlights on Isaiah’s words because they are intended to put the spotlight on John the Baptist, letting everyone know the prophecy has been fulfilled before our very eyes and we missed it.

A Witness From The Heavens

So far Mark has given us three witnesses, the voice of Peter through his writings, the prophetic witness of Isaiah, and the fulfillment of Isaiah’s words through the life of John the Baptist. To dot the I’s and cross the T’s, Mark pulls out the heavy hitter, his final witness is God Himself.

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” – Mark 1:9-11

Mark says when Jesus came up out of the water and God’s voice comes booming from the heavens like thunder from a storm and proclaims “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” The Father lifts up the Son and lets everyone know, he is the one y’all. The Father testifies on the Son’s behalf as the ultimate witness.

What Say You?

Mark has presented four witnesses, but his case isn’t closed yet, Mark is just getting started. My question, is it enough for you? Do you believe? Or are you like the people in Jesus’ day, missing the truth even though it’s before your very eyes?