I - THE BEGINNING

Summary

The first main division, which is made up of three little sections closely joined together, relates those events which immediately preceded the opening of the public ministry of Jesus and at the same time serves as a prologue to the gospel, providing the reader with essential clues to the understanding of what follows. It tells of John the Baptist, underlining his Elijah role as the forerunner of Messiah in accordance with O.T. prophecy and indicating his twofold message, the summons to repent and the pointing to one coming after him; it introduces Jesus of Nazareth as the one to whom John had pointed, recording his submission to the baptism of repentance, the messianic gift of the Spirit, and the declaration of divine Sonship, thus putting the reader in the way to know the secret of his person-the Servant, the Messiah, the Son of God; and lastly it tells of his going forth as the Spirit-impelled champion to meet the enemy of God and man, this preliminary encounter pointing forward to the warfare which the whole gospel will relate and the ministration of the angels providing an anticipatory hint of the final victory of chapter xvi.