Mark 1
The translation was based of the Greek text from NA28
The beginning of the glad tidings of Jesus Messiah [Son of God] (1)Earliest manuscripts omit this. Son of God is a significant honorific title for Jesus in Mark and is synonymous with “Christ (Messiah)” meaning Anointed One (cf. 3.11). It thus has the connotation of being God’s authoritative agent (cf. 2 Sam 7.13–14; Ps 2.7) but does not by itself attribute a divine status. . As it is written in the prophets: (2)The quotation conflates material from Isa 40.3 with Ex 23.20, Mal 3.1. Some manuscripts have only “in the prophets” while others have “in Isaiah the prophet”. The latter therefore slightly misattribute the verses. Moreover, the passages take on a new meaning not in their original contexts; here the author reads them as allusions to John the Baptist.
Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare the way, the voice of one crying from the wastelands: ‘Prepare the way of the LORD, make his paths straight,’
John appeared, baptizing in the desert and proclaiming a baptism of heart reorientation (3)Literally, change of mind (metanoia). The meaning is akin to a transformative change of heart or a fundamental transformation of outlook and life. for the absolution of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside 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 and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. (4)John’s attire is evocative of that of Elijah (2 Kings 1.8; but cf. Zech 13.4), whose return was sometimes regarded as a sign of the end of the age (Mal 4.5–6; see also Mk 9.11–13; Lk 1.17). And he preached, saying, (5)cf. John 3.5 where Jesus tells Nicodemus that he must be baptized with spirit and water.
After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with holy spirit.
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. (6)Presumably, Jesus came to the surrounds of Jerusalem where John was baptizing. And immediately as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, (7)This is a chiasmus bracketing the whole of Mark cf. Mark 15.38-39 where the centurion witnesses to Jesus being \enquote{[a]? son of god} and the temple curtain is \enquote{torn in two}. This seems to be a deliberate literary choice so what is the point Mark is trying to make? Is Mark making a point that Jesus’ own did not recognize him, but that the Gentiles did?
You are my beloved son, with you I am well pleased.