Advent, Day 9: Baptism of Repentance

The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ.

As it is written in the prophet Isaiah,

“See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you,
    who will prepare your way,
the voice of one crying out in the wilderness:
    ‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
    make his paths straight,’”

so John the baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And the whole Judean region and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him and were baptized by him in the River Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, “The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the strap of his sandals. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

—Mark 1:1–8

LOOK: Waiting for the Messiah by Sister Kim Ok-soon

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LISTEN: “Hallelujah Sang the People” by Bruce Spelman, on You Don’t Know What You’re Paddling In (1972); reissued on the anthology album All God’s Children: Songs from the British Jesus Rock Revolution, 1967–1974 (2023)

John the Baptist came onto the earth
He came by natural birth
Though his parents, they were old and they were gray
John the Baptist called unto the crowds:
“There’s gonna come a day
When Christ the Savior comes down from the clouds!”

John the Baptist went down to the stream
His thoughts were like a dream
Yet he was sure that Christ was soon to come
The people gathered round at Jordan’s side
Where they could be baptized
And no one who came there would be denied

Refrain:
“Hallelujah!” sang the people
God the Son is coming down
“Hallelujah!” sang the people
Our Savior’s coming down

Jesus Christ will come down to the earth
A lowly man by birth
And yet he truly is the Son of God
He will come to earth to set us free
From sin and misery
Oh, and still his life will end in tragedy

But his message will be heard abroad
The teaching of the Lord
And the people will believe the words he speaks
He must surely be the holy Son
The prophet said he’d come
The Father, Son, and Spirit, all are one [Refrain ×2]