Mark 1:3 (LSB)

Passage

The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight.’”

Nearby Context

Mark 1:1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Mark 1:2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: “Behold, I send My messenger ahead of You, Who will prepare Your way;

Mark 1:3 The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, Make His paths straight.’”

Mark 1:4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Mark 1:5 And all the region of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.

Study Lenses

The verse centers on "voice", "crying", "wilderness", "make", "ready", "lord", and "paths". It is saying that the verse draws attention to "voice" and "crying", so its meaning should be read from those terms before moving to application.

The nearby context moves from verse 2's "As it is written in Isaiah the..." into verse 4's "John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness...", so "voice" and "crying" belong inside that flow. In Mark context, the local focus is Christ, faith, and discipleship.

A plain takeaway is to answer the verse's own emphasis on "voice" and "crying" with trust shaped by these words, not by a vague optimism outside the passage.