THIS IS THE BEGINNING:

1. The beginning of the Gospel about Jesus.
2. God is fulfilling his promises (prophecy from OT).
3. John the Baptist is this great prophet preparing for Christ.
4. Jesus' baptism shows us the Trinity all at once.
5. He is tested in the wilderness by Satan, led there by the Spirit.

JESUS CHRIST IS GOD, SON, & SAVIOR.
ΙΧΘΥΣ = ichthus "fish" in Greek.
You know the "fish" symbol for Christians?
In ancient times, it was sometimes drawn as a wheel with eight spokes.

Meaning of Ichthus (ΙΧΘΥΣ)
Ι (Iota): Iēsous (Jesus)
Χ (Chi): Christos (Christ)
Θ (Theta): Theou (God's)
Υ (Upsilon): Yios (Son)
Σ (Sigma): Sōtēr (Savior)

Who is Mark?
You may have heard claims that the gospels are all anonymous, or that the authors didn't even know Jesus or any apostles.

The text of the gospel (like the verses themselves) do not claim an author.
However, every ancient manuscript titles this gospel with Mark's name.

THE MOST REASONABLE CONCLUSION REGARDING AUTHORSHIP:
John Mark, who traveled with Paul and Barnabas in Acts, later became a close disciple of Peter. Peter testified to the events of the gospel and Mark wrote them down.

Tradition (early church leaders, aka "church fathers") is unanimous that this gospel was written by John Mark, and that Peter was the primary source of his information.

This is the beginning (genesis) of the good news (euangelion = gospel) about Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God

Thesis statement about this gospel: this text contains the good news that Jesus (Yeshua/Yehushua = "YHWH/The LORD is salvation")
is the Messiah (christos = "Christ" = anointed one)
and is God's Son (meaning that he is God).

He actually quotes two prophets here: Malachi, then Isaiah.

This style of quotation (only referencing one of them specifically) would fit the convention of that time.

This is both fulfilled in John the Baptist in the following verses,
AND true of Mark's recounting of the Gospel, which prepares the way for Christ to return.

John's baptism is not salvific, it does not save. It was a Jewish ritual baptism to be cleansed in anticipation of Christ who was about to show up.

BUT IT BRINGS UP SOME IMPORTANT POINTS:

Baptism does not save you.
Baptism is more than just a "symbol".

There is salvation in placing our faith in Christ as savior (from our sins).
This act of placing our faith in Him and trusting Him to forgive and cleanse us is by both confessing verbally and being baptized in water.

Baptism is part of the spiritual act of receiving salvation and becoming one with Christ and one in the church.

Here we have all three members of the Trinity: Father speaking, Spirit like a dove, Jesus in the water.

The good news is that the Kingdom of God is near... because the King (God, YHWH, Jesus, the Holy Spirit) is in you (if you believe).

Our response is to believe and repent, and to show our faith by being baptized.

because JESUS CHRIST IS GOD'S SON, & SAVIOR.

Our declaration and invitation is to be people who represent our King to the world, and bring the Kingdom of Heaven with us wherever we go.