Mark 1:4 Meaning and Explanation
“John did baptize in the wilderness, and preach the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.”
King James Version (KJV)
Read this verse in context with translation switching:
Read Full Chapter →John appears in the wilderness, baptizing and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.
What Does Mark 1:4 Mean?
The promised voice now has a name. John comes baptizing in the wilderness, exactly where Isaiah said the cry would sound, and his message is a summons to turn: a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. The washing in the Jordan gave visible, bodily form to an inward turning back to God.
Repentance here is not mere regret; it is a turning of the whole person, mind and heart and direction of life. And it reaches toward release, sins remitted and the debt sent away. John could call for the turning and administer the washing, but the forgiveness it pointed to would be secured by the One coming after him. Every honest return to God still begins along this road.
Mark 1:4 in the Original Language
metanoia (μετάνοια), 'repentance' -- a change of mind and heart, the turning of the whole person.
Frequently Asked Questions About Mark 1:4
What does Mark 1:4 mean?
John appears in the wilderness, baptizing and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.