As Jesus is the cornerstone upon which the Church is built, so are his teachings the unifying cornerstone of Christian doctrine.

Preparing the Way

What does the word Christ mean? It means anointed one and in the Hebrew Scriptures of the Old Testament priests, kings and prophets were all anointed ones. Mark 1:1-8 introduces Christ as a conquering king, anointed priest, and a prophet. What do the words Son of God mean? Greeks may have thought of sons of gods like Hercules a son of Zeus. Jews might have thought of a king. Both may have thought of a conquering hero but the story includes the puzzle that he must be crucified. To understand the conundrum we must read the rest of Mark. John prepares the way for the Lord. Who is the Lord? Mark quoted Isaiah 40:3 where the Lord is Yahweh, our God. John appears as a prophet, wearing garments reminiscent of Elijah. John points to the greater one, Jesus.

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