Mark used one Old Testament prophecy in the entirety of his writing, and it was in reference to John the Baptist. A more accurate translation would be John the baptizer. He was the “herald†to Jesus’ coming. Like any good king, Jesus had someone go ahead of him to get everything ready. John knew that this was what he was doing. He came preaching judgment against the corrupted religion that had replaced God’s law. He warned that “someone greater†was coming, and He would be the one to baptize (fully immerse) us in the Holy Spirit. John symbolized this process through water baptism. Jews had never seen baptism before; this was the first time. John came to make everything ready so that when Jesus came, the people would be ready to hear His message.

For more on the introduction of John the Baptist and his mission, check out whatsyourmark.org.