Discipleship 101: Gospel Foundations
Mark 1:9-13
Introduction: The News, these days, can be discouraging. From the suffering and death in Ukraine, to millions facing starvation in Africa, to car jackings and violence in our city, there is a lot of bad news. And then there are the political ads… can’t they just tell us what they believe? Remember Sergeant Friday on the old TV show Dragnet? “Just the facts ma’am, just the facts.”! As we consider Mark’s portrait of Jesus, we get the facts. He’ll tell us who Jesus is and what He did, but always reminding us about what it means to follow Him. Mark keeps our focus on the “Good News,” the Gospel! He won’t give a lot of detail about the teaching of Jesus, but rather he shows that Jesus came to reveal Himself in history and to carry out the Father’s plan. Jesus did not come primarily to teach us how to live a moral and good life. He did that, but the primary aspect of his mission was to save sinners, to do for us what we couldn’t do for ourselves. He came to give His life so that we could be reconciled to God. That is REAL News, and it is really GOOD News! These two short scenes, the baptism and the temptation of Jesus, lay a foundation for the unfolding story of God.
I. Jesus came in humility to meet the need of sinners: He was baptized not because of His own sin, but to identify with sinners
(9). “In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and
was baptized by John in the Jordan.”
It was “in those days,” i.e. during
the preparatory ministry of John the Baptist, that Jesus appeared publicly,
ready to initiate his messianic ministry. Paul pointed to this moment when he said to
the Galatians, “When the fullness of time
had come...” Remember the setting
in Judaism of the first century. After 400 years of prophetic silence, the Jews
were now again under foreign oppression, this time. the Romans. There was a
widespread longing for the Messiah, a yearning for the Rescuer spoken of in
Scripture. Precious few, however, linked His coming with the problem of sin. Most did not understand that the Messiah
must suffer and die (cf. Mark 8:31-33).
Mark tells us nothing about Jesus’ early
life, and like John, He doesn’t even mention that Jesus was born in Bethlehem
in Judea. Simply, “...Jesus came from
Nazareth of Galilee...” John
makes a big deal of it, starting in the first chapter when Nathanael asks, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?”
(John 1:46). Later, at the feast in Jerusalem,
40 When they heard these words, some of the people said, "This really is
the Prophet." 41 Others
said, "This is the Christ." But some said, "Is the Christ to
come from Galilee? 42 Has not
the Scripture said that the Christ comes from the offspring of David, and comes
from Bethlehem, the village where David was?" (Jn
7:40:42).
John mentions this
apparent conflict, but then never explains that Jesus was, in fact, born in
Bethlehem. It seems he is assuming that the tradition of Jesus’ birth is so
well known that his readers already knew the answer. Mark never mentions the place
of His birth, he simply picks up the story when Jesus came from Nazareth, from
Galilee.
Without giving any details, Mark only
states Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan. Consider how shocking this is
based on the information we already have! John was announcing the Messiah, he
was the forerunner who would prepare the way.
His baptism was associated with a call to repentance. Now put those facts up against what we know so
far about Jesus. He is Messiah, Son of God, and more than that, in light of
Mark applying Mal 3:1 and Isa 42:3 to Him, verses that spoke of YAHWEH, Jesus
is the Lord God, He is God the Son!
God is Holy, sinless. If John’s ministry was preparing the way for Jesus’
ministry, why in the world would Jesus go to him and submit to baptism?
That points to the heart of the Gospel. Jesus
was without sin. But He came to save sinners. He would do that by being our
substitute. So even as he went down
into the waters of the Jordan, the water symbolically polluted by the sins of
the people who were being baptized by John, Jesus indicated His purpose, to
take our sins in His body. He who was
sinless, would be made sin for us. That is the BIG Idea: Whereas
Adam brought sin and death on all humanity, Jesus came as the last Adam, but
without sin, who by His obedience would make possible forgiveness and life for
all who will believe.
II. He is God the Son, sent by the Father and Anointed by the Spirit (10-11). 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being
torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven,
"You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased."
Just a side point on the phrase at the
beginning of verse 10, “...when he came
up out of the water...” Most naturally that describes a baptism by
immersion. It seems clear that was what John was doing, and it seems certain
that that is what the post-Pentecostal church practiced as well. It may seem a
little radical, to be immersed in water, but it symbolizes our unity with
Christ in his death and resurrection (see Rom 6).
An earlier version of the ESV was a
little weak on translating the verb, “...he
saw the heavens opening...” I’m glad they changed it to “torn
open.” It’s the verb schizo that
usually has that stronger sense, “split, tear open.” Mark only uses this verb
twice. The first is here, near the beginning of the gospel. The second is near
the end, Mk 15:38, when the veil of the Temple is torn in two, from the top to
the bottom. Think of the symbolism: the veil, separating the Holy of Holies,
the place of God’s presence, was ripped open, from the top to the bottom, only
God could do that. Here in our context, Jesus sees heaven itself “torn open,” as the Spirit descends, anointing
Him for his messianic work. See Isa 64:1, “Oh that you would rend the
heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence!” That
is the image here, Almighty God is reaching down into His fallen creation. John
said it in his gospel: “The Word was
God... and the Word was made flesh and dwelt [tabernacled] for a while among
us...”
Mark speaks of Jesus seeing the Spirit’s
descent as a dove and hearing the voice of the Father. Whether John or the others present heard it he
leaves as an open question. In comparing the gospel accounts, we can be sure
that at least John the Baptist did hear. Mark wants to emphasize what the
Father said, the full import of His declaration. God brought together three OT texts
to make it clear who Jesus is. God said in Mk 1:11, “You
are my beloved Son, with you I am well pleased.” We are invited to think of the OT…
1) He alludes to
Psalm 2:7b, "...You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.”
2) He may
allude to Genesis 22:2, where God tells Abraham, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go
to the land of Moriah, and offer him there...” Mark is showing us who Jesus is, and he is
reminding us why He came. As Abraham was prepared to offer his beloved son
on the mountain, the Father in fact offered His beloved Son, as the sacrificial
Lamb.
3) A third text reflected here is Isaiah
42:1,
“Behold my
servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights [i.e. “with whom I am well pleased”]; I have put my Spirit upon him...”
Remember he just referred in Isa 40:3 in Mk 1:3, so the reader is already
“attuned” to that context. Mark’s reader also has just heard the reference to
the Spirit descending on Him.
If God indeed wanted us
to think of Ps 2, Gen 22, and Isa 42:1, then he has brought together the three
sections of the Hebrew Bible, The Law, the Prophets, and the Writings. The
whole Bible points to Jesus. The reformer John Calvin eloquently said,
He is the great priest
and bishop Melchizedek, who has offered an eternal sacrifice once for all. He
is the sovereign lawgiver Moses, writing his law on the tables of our hearts by
his Spirit. He is the faithful captain and guide Joshua, to lead us to the
Promised Land.
He is the victorious
and noble king David, bringing by his hand all rebellious power to subjection. He
is the magnificent and triumphant king Solomon, governing his kingdom in peace
and prosperity. He is the strong and powerful Samson, who by his death has
overwhelmed all his enemies.
This is what we should
in short seek in the whole of Scripture: truly to know Jesus Christ, and the
infinite riches that are comprised in him and are offered to us by him from God
the Father. If one were to sift thoroughly the Law and the Prophets, he would
not find a single word which would not draw and bring us to him. . . .
Therefore, rightly does Saint Paul say… that he would know nothing except Jesus
Christ, and him crucified.
Jesus,
is the culmination of all the revelation of God! The whole Bible points to
Him. He is at the heart of God’s story and His redemptive plan. That is the
Jesus who took a human nature, and came to make possible our redemption and our
reconciliation with God. Does that stir your heart? He loved you that much!
Since the Fall every human stands guilty
before God. Jesus was without sin, and by His obedience made possible
forgiveness and life for all who believe.
III. Where Adam failed, Jesus stood firm against the temptations of the
Enemy (12-13). “12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness
forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the
angels were ministering to him.”
Mark’s account of the
temptation of Christ is very concise. We don’t have the details of the
temptations and the responses of Jesus.
The paragraph begins in v.12 with the words, “And immediately the Spirit drove Him out into the wilderness...”
There was no delay, no time for basking in the anointing of the Spirit and
the confirmation of the Father. There was work to do. The word “immediately” [euthus] is used more in Mark than in the
rest of the Bible combined. He want the reader to know that mission requires movement.
The word describing the Spirit sending Jesus into the
wilderness here is quite strong, often translated “cast out.” So, the ESV translates, “...drove Him out...” Matthew and Luke use a different word, and report
that the Spirit “led” Jesus into the desert. The word in Mark is the word in the LXX that
describes God driving Adam and Eve from the Garden (Gen 3:24). It is also used
to the Egyptians driving out the Israelites after the tenth plague (Exod 11:1; 12:33,39).
Are we to think of Jesus as the last Adam, who would now be tempted where the
first Adam had failed? Are we to think of Christ, our Passover, who would be sacrificed
for us? He came to undo the Fall, to save sinners by His blood.
Again,
Mark is emphasizing the urgency of the mission. Jesus didn’t just come
for a visit, there was work to do! Think about our situation in the world. We too
are “on assignment.” And sometimes we can feel the pressures of living in a
fallen world. Have you ever looked up and asked, “Lord, is this a test?” It
probably was! “Count it all joy, my
brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, 3 for you know that the testing of
your faith produces steadfastness...” (Js 1:2-3; cf. I Pet 1:6,7).
The duration of the temptation in the
wilderness is expressed as “...forty
days...” That again evokes the OT. After the Exodus from Egypt, the spies were
sent by Moses to spy out the promised land. They came back with a mixed report: abundance
and prosperity of the land, but ten spies were also intimidated and frightened
by the fortified cities, and the “giants” in the land. Only two, Joshua and
Caleb, said “We can take these guys [with the Lord on our side!].” The people
did not accept the minority report. Because of their unbelief, the Jews were in
the wilderness forty years, one year for each day the spies were in the land
(Num 14:34). It was a 40-day period of
testing, a call to believe, and they failed.
Moses was also on the mountain with God for forty days (Exod 24:18;
34:28). While Moses was there, getting the Ten Commandments, the people had
Aaron make a golden calf and were having a wild party. They failed that time of
testing. We don’t know how long it took
Adam and Eve to sin—could it have been forty days? Maybe. But now Jesus is
tempted by the devil, and He stands firm in the face of the testing. By the
way, that wasn’t the last time the devil tied to tempt Jesus. One of the other
gospels says “...he departed until an
opportune time...” Have you ever
been in the midst of trial or temptation and asked, “How long O Lord?”
Remember we have a High Priest who can sympathize with our weaknesses, he was
tempted in all points like as we are, yet without sin. Because of Him, we can have victory. 1 Corinthians 10:13, says “No temptation has overtaken you that is not
common to man. God is faithful, and he will not let you be tempted beyond your
ability, but with the temptation he will also provide the way of escape, that
you may be able to endure it.”
Only Mark mentions the detail, “...and He was with the wild animals...” It
may be that Mark is simply saying he was alone, no other people were with Him,
only the “wild animals.” Likely Mark
was noting that there was an element of danger in his being alone in the desert
(cf. Ps 91:9-14). But consider this: in
the Septuagint, the Greek translation of the OT that was in common usage in the
first century, the word translated “wild animals” [therion] first appears five times in Genesis 1 and 2, describing
the animals that were part of God’s good creation. Then, the sixth usage is in
Genesis 3:1, where we meet the Serpent, who was more subtle than “all the therion...” That is an
interesting connection, since that is the context of the first temptation, a time of testing that Adam and Eve failed. Their
sin brought the curse on creation. And so there would be danger in the
wilderness as the man and his wife were driven from the Garden. The animals that once were docile would now be
a threat to humans. Now Jesus was “cast into the desert,” and He was “with the wild animals.” There may be a
hint, an anticipation of the coming messianic age of blessing spoken of through
the prophet,
19 Behold, I am doing a new thing; now it springs forth, do you not perceive
it? I will make a way in the wilderness and rivers in the desert. 20 The wild beasts will honor me,
the jackals and the ostriches, for I give water in the wilderness, rivers in
the desert, to give drink to my chosen people,
21 the people whom I formed for myself that they might
declare my praise... (Isaiah 43:19-21).
A new beginning, a new
age, is being initiated through the presence of the Son, of that there can be
no doubt. Aspects of His kingdom will await His second coming, when
6 The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with
the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a
little child shall lead them. 7
The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the
lion shall eat straw like the ox. 8
The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child
shall put his hand on the adder's den... (Isaiah 11:6-8).
Now, as Mark begins his
gospel, as he is introducing the public ministry of Jesus, we see a hint of
what one day will be realized in the Messiah’s kingdom.
As I was looking back in Genesis at the
story of the temptation, and considering the reference to the “wild animals,” I
looked across the page to another scene (Genesis 4), picturing a temptation
being experienced by the third human, the first son of Adam, Cain. God spoke to
Cain after he was apparently jealous that his brother’s offering was accepted
by God, and his was not. The LORD said,
“If you do well, will you not be accepted? And if you do not do well, sin is
crouching at the door. Its desire is for you, but you must rule over it...” (Gen 4:7).
Sin is pictured as an
animal (or a demon!) crouching, ready to attack. But notice, Cain was not
helpless: “...you must rule over it...”
We know what happened, Cain killed his brother Abel. In Christ, we are not
helpless. The Spirit indwells us. Because of Jesus we can have victory over the
temptations of the enemy. Because Jesus stood firm, and made possible our
justification by grace through faith, we don’t have to battle the enemy in our
own strength. He has given us His Spirit to fill, guide, and empower us.
“...and
the angels were ministering to Him...” Could it be an allusion to Ps 91:11, “For he will command his angels concerning you to guard you in all your
ways...”? We don’t “see” angels a
lot in the NT, but they are present, not guarding the entrance to Eden
preventing access to the tree of life, but as ministering spirits, sent by God
to do His will.
What is God saying to me in this passage? Since
the Fall of Adam every human stands guilty before God. Jesus was without sin, and
by His obedience made possible forgiveness and life for all who believe.
What
would God have me to do in response to this passage? There isn’t a lot of “good news” being reported
in the media these days. I am thankful for the “Good News” that gives us a
sure hope and peace even in the midst of chaos. Adam sinned, bringing death
and separation from God on all humanity. Paul said, “By one man sin entered into the world and death through sin. And so
death spread to all men, because all have sinned.” As Abraham told Isaac,
God, Himself, has provided the Lamb. Because of Jesus, the One who took our
sins in his own body on the Cross, because of Him we can be reconciled with
God. He identified with sinful humanity in submitting to John’s baptism. And he
did not succumb to the temptations of Satan. The end of the story? “Jesus
wins!” And if you trust Him, so do you, for we are more than conquerors
through Him who loved us! Remember
who Jesus is and why He came. Consider what it means to you, to your calling to
be His witness: Go home and tell your
people what great things the Lord has done for you! AMEN.
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