“Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Son of God”.

 “Beginning of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, Son of God”. Would Mc be worried about highlighting the beginning of a book? Do you want to start your own work? Certainly not. Before him, he has the Event called Jesus Christ, the One who lived, taught, loved like no one else, suffered, died and rose again for everyone. Mc has no doubt that the entire life of Jesus was the “Good News”, the “Joyful Announcement”, the “Good News” for the salvation of humanity, and also, the fulfillment of all the prophecies, the right moment of intervention of God and the definitive choice of humanity. Much more important than the victory of a king, his birth, or even accession to the throne, is the historical presence of the Son of God, involved in the cause of the transformation of each man and woman. When writing the text, Mc conveys his enchantment with the person of Jesus and does so with the burning desire for the reader to discover what moves him most: the discovery of the identity of Jesus, the Person of Jesus himself.

To understand this identity, Mc inserts the figure of John the Baptist, the herald, the one who “prepares the way for the Lord”. Knowing Ex 23,20 (sending an angel to take care of the path and be a guide), Ml 3,1 (sending a messenger to prepare the way) and Is 40,3 (a voice that shouts, so that, by in the middle of the desert, let the way be opened for the Lord), Mc traces the profile of the prophet both in his words and in his life, that is, everything about him expressed prophecy: in words (denouncing the rottenness of the world and calling for a change of life, openness to the Messiah), in clothing and food; and presents him as one who, carrying a great mission, knowing the importance of the one who would arrive, acts to combat all types of injustice, oppression and sins in general (cf. Ez 36,25-27; Jer 31, 34), performing a prefigurative gesture of confession and baptism as a sign of a true inner transformation. John the Baptist is the one who prepares the decisive time of the Savior's presence, demanding a true change of mentality through repentance, confession of sins and baptism in water.

“After me comes one who is stronger than I, before whom I am not worthy to stoop down to untie the strap of his sandals.” Mc presents John the Baptist as being oriented to the Messiah, turned towards Him, and not the other way around. Is not John the Messiah, the Savior, “God with us”; he is just “a voice in the desert” (place of encounter with God), the herald of the highest News of all time. When he makes comparisons, Mc highlights, for example, the type of baptism of one (in water) and the other (in the Spirit). The first linked to the impulse of a new time, through repentance; the second to the new reality, the new history, to the new man according to the Holy Spirit, with Jesus Christ being the NEWNESS for everyone. Jesus is the “strongest”, because he is the Messiah, conqueror of sin, death and the devil; liberator, therefore, and protector of the weakest and the oppressed, he who does not prepare, but carries out the Father's project.

A strong and affectionate hug.