Introduction
In the first two Bible studies from Mark 1, you learned God had a plan from the foundation of the world to save humanity from their sin, make them righteous, and give them an eternal home in His kingdom when time is fulfilled. Added to this, you learned Mark’s intention in writing this gospel was to show Jesus to be the Son of God, the Messiah, come to save believers from their sins and eternal death. Mark’s other goal for this gospel was to teach people the cost of discipleship through Jesus’ life. John the Baptist came before Jesus, proclaiming a baptism for repentance. He came to fulfill the prophecy of God that Isaiah proclaimed, “The voice of one calling out in the wilderness ‘Prepare the way of the Lord.’” People prepare the way in their lives to believe in Jesus by confessing and repenting of their sins. John, as the messenger from God telling of the One who is greater than him, proclaimed the Messiah was coming. God introduced His plan for saving humanity from their sins and the punishment of death each person is deserves because of those sins. With Mark 1:9-13, God shows the world how He will save them.
Obey
In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately, coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon Him; and a voice came from the heavens: “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” And immediately, the Spirit brought Him out into the wilderness. And He was in the wilderness for forty days, being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving Him. (Mark 1:9-13 [NASB])
Mark began this section by reminding the readers/hearers of the time in which it was set. He said, “In those days.” Why was it important for Mark to make sure people understood the timing? Because God’s timing is perfect. He sent His Son to earth at the right time to save humanity. The Romans ruled a large kingdom, which included Europe and the Middle East. They required payment of taxes by any means, even indenturing one’s children. It was the right time to show the Messiah coming from a small town raised as a carpenter’s son. A Carpenter would not have excess money. Jesus knew about being poor and being ruled over by self-serving political leaders. Mark showed it was the right time because many people listened to John the Baptist and repented of their sins, too. Even King Herod liked to listen to John preach. People in all walks of life (rich, poor, young, old, slave, and king) heard John or about him and what he proclaimed. The people’s hearts were ready to hear about salvation. They had prepared the way of the Lord in their hearts because of John’s preaching and the Spirit’s convicting/ They awaited salvation only God could give.
More than creating the right setting for suspense, Mark ensured the readers/hearers were eager to understand why God stressed “preparing the way of the Lord.” Why should people repent? For Jews, repentance and sacrifice were normal. They sacrificed ceremonially clean animals night and day at the temple for cleansing from their sins. What differed from John’s proclamation of repentance and the repentance the Israelites sought at the temple? Why did John stress the timing to be now? Why should the people get right with God? Because God was opening the curtain of the era of an eternal and righteous relationship with Him. After John the Baptist had preached a while (“in those days”), God knew the time was right. “Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan” (vs. 9). He was raised as a carpenter’s son from Nazareth and would be shown as more than a carpenter’s son to the Israelites. Jesus came into the public eye where John baptized in the Jordan River, in the lower Jordan River valley. He revealed Himself to the sizeable crowd of people who watched and listened to John. To this large crowd of people, Jesus came to be proclaimed by the Father that He is His Son, “with whom He was well pleased.” These people who came to listen to John would see the Father confirm His Son in two ways and Jesus would become known as shown to be the salvation from the foundation of the world, which God had prepared.
Mark liked to use adverbs like “immediately” and “as soon as” to grab people’s attention. He used them to create intensity. Mark used “immediately” over twenty times in his gospel. With that starting in verse ten, he grabbed the attention of the people who read and heard about John baptizing Jesus in the Jordan River. What was so important about Jesus being baptized? Many people traveled to John to be baptized. Some people say Jesus was just a man, so it is obvious why He went to be baptized. God clarified Jesus’ baptism for the people of that moment and for eternity. He did not wait any longer to reveal His plan for salvation. The time was right to fulfill the prophecies. John did not baptize Jesus for the forgiveness of His sins; Jesus was sinless. Jesus’ baptism was His submission to the Father’s will to be the Head of the body, the Church.
At that ripe time, God revealed Jesus as the fulfillment of the prophecies in two ways. First, He disclosed Jesus as special with “the Spirit, like a dove, descending upon Him” (vs. 10). A dove symbolized peace, gentleness, and innocence. This dove came down from heaven, gently riding the winds of heaven. This dove represented the Spirit of God coming upon Jesus. Besides this, the heavens had never opened before that day. Jesus was the one to open the heavens then and He will be the one who opens them the next time, when He returns from heaven to claim His disciples Let’s consider the metaphors in this verse. The dove was like the Spirit who is gentle, peaceful, and innocent, as is Jesus as part of the Trinity. This dove symbolizes Jesus’ innocence and that He came to the world to bring peace by reconciling humanity to God. The opening of the heavens is a metaphor of the curtain being torn when Jesus died on the cross.
Jesus makes God accessible to each person who believes in Him. His rising from the river at His baptism foreshadowed His rising to life again after His death. Jesus showed Himself to the people of Israel when He walked to John to be baptized and begin His revelation of Himself as the promised Messiah. His opening the heavens, gave a preview of the end times. The Spirit descending upon Him showed the people this man they knew as a carpenter’s son is the Son of God, about whom John spoke and the prophets foretold. If the people watched and understood, Jesus’ baptism and God’s conformation of Him, to the people there and later hearers and readers that Jesus came innocently and brought peace to a hurting and broken world.
God made sure people understood these symbols and Jesus’ actions with what Mark recorded in verse eleven. Mark said, “And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.’” Many people throughout history have wanted and sought the approval of their fathers. They wanted to know they pleased these important men in their lives. God’s pleasure in Jesus was more than His approval for what He would do. It revealed Jesus as His Son, the Messiah. God had always been with the Israelites. He became “God with us,” literally, when He declared Jesus to be His Son living with them on earth. Isaiah proclaimed the prophecy of God in Isaiah 7:14. He said, “Therefore the Lord Himself will give you a sign: Behold a virgin will be with child and bear a son, and she will call His name Immanuel.” Matthew 1:23 explains that Immanuel means “God with us.” With the Spirit coming down like a dove, God had a message for the people. With His voice, God proclaimed to each person nearby that Jesus is His Son. He declared Jesus consecrated (set apart) to His role as Redeemer. God inaugurated Jesus’ public ministry at His baptism. He did it visually so people would believe.
With that triumphal burst upon the consciousness of humanity, the Spirit took Jesus to the wilderness alone. Verse twelve says, “And immediately the Spirit brought Him out into the wilderness.” Notice Mark used one of his favorite writing tools again. He began this verse with the word “immediately.” Mark emphasized Jesus did not wait for another time to begin His ministry. The Father announced His identity at His baptism with His words. The Holy Spirit sent notice of who Jesus is with the dove. Time was ready. So, promptly, the Spirit took Jesus into the wilderness. The wilderness in Israel was typical of most wilderness areas. It held very little water and food. This arid place was probably hot during the day and cool at night. It was located below the salt flats of the Dead Sea. Notice, Jesus did not bargain with the Father and Spirit to say, “Hey, not yet. I’m not ready to minister. Can we hold off just a bit? Let me go pack clothes and put water in skins so I can stay warm at night and hydrated during the day.” Jesus said nothing according to the gospel writers. According to Mark, John the Baptist baptized Jesus, the heavens split, a dove came down and alighted on Jesus, the Father said He was pleased with Him, and then, immediately, the Spirit took Him to the wilderness. Jesus had and took what He needed–the clothes He wore, the Father, and the Spirit. How many of us try to bargain with God to put off or not obey what He told us to do? Jesus is part of the Triune Godhead. The plan God made from the foundation of the world included the three persons of the Trinity. Jesus recognized He did not need to settle things with His family and friends before He went into the wilderness because, knowing all things, He understood, everything was done, and the time had come for Him to be “God with us” and “God for us.” Jesus began showing His divinity in His baptism and being willing to go to a harsh place, where Satan tempted Him. Jesus, the Son, readily ventured with the Spirit into the wilderness.
Jesus’ plan was the Father’s plan. Mark’s primary goal was to show the divinity of Jesus. People understand now. Jesus submitted to baptism, took part in the revelation at His baptism, followed the Spirit to a harsh place, and now would be tempted. He faced situations each person faces. Yet, Jesus kept with the plan He, the Father, and Spirit had to save humanity. He submitted to do and be a part of what would happen to Him on His way to saving the world. Maybe you are thinking being in the wilderness for a couple of days would not be so terrible. The wild animals would be neat to see. You could learn to dig tubers for liquid and food. Jesus stayed in the wilderness much longer than two or three days. He was there forty days and nights. Jesus was tempted by Satan three times (most likely over several days). He knew the animals were wild. Jesus had no place to lay His head. In the Bible, forty days denotes completion. Until His purpose of going into the wilderness was complete, Jesus would stay. He had a mission in the wilderness. The Son of God would be victorious over Satan’s temptations of food and drink, status, and a kingdom. He knew the angels would give Him food and drink. Jesus knew who He was and had no jealousy of the Father and Spirit. His kingdom would not be over a portion of the earth only, like the portion of ground with which Satan tried to tempt Him. Jesus already was King over the entire earth, everything under it, and in the heavens. Until Jesus completed the full-testing period, His wilderness experience would continue. It eventually ended with Jesus the victor over bodily, status, and leadership temptations. One other thing to learn in this verse is about the angels who served Jesus. The word “angels” comes from the word diakanos. This word means to serve actively and practically, as the Lord leads, by caring for other people. The word deacon comes from diakonos. Angels served Jesus by taking to Him what His body needed to survive. The other gospel writers say they brought Jesus food and drink. What’s important to remember about the angels is they are servants to God. They do as they are commanded. Angels are messengers, like each believer in Jesus. Where God sends them, they go.
Application and Conclusion:
As we study Mark, we will see Jesus prove He is the Son of God, the Messiah. Jesus will show Himself having authority in teaching and over illnesses, demons, and manmade religious laws. Sometimes what He does, people will see as negative and sometimes positive. In this lesson, Jesus showed Himself as part of the “now and not yet” scenario. His coming to earth and being baptized initiated the start of the “now,” salvation. No one was saved then because He had not been killed by the Romans and arisen from death. Jesus was heralding salvation for humanity. He made known to the listeners exactly who He is and why He was in the world. The “not yet” part of the scenario is understandable. Because Jesus had not died and arisen yet, salvation by faith in Him was not available. Get what Jesus was doing. He was the Son of God, proclaiming by teaching and actions why He came to live on earth as a man. Jesus was a herald of sorts. If Jesus was a herald, we, as His followers, should respond by being His messengers. A messenger is not a negative thing or a low-status job. Since Jesus is the Savior, the Son of God, who was consecrated for a purpose, endured temptation without sinning, and was a herald, we should have no qualms with obeying God when He tells us to do something. Because Jesus endured Satan’s testing without sinning, then we can have His power to triumph over temptation and obey God, too. We Christians have no reasonable excuse for not obeying God. Jesus commanded us to be heralds and tell other people about Him (Matthew 28:18-20). As Christians, God tells us to go to people, speak to him/her, and help him/her without regard for ourselves. Our consecration came at our baptism. At that point, God told Satan, “This is My daughter/son; you cannot have her/him as I lead her/him to go into the world being My messenger telling people about the salvation I give to each person who believes. Satan, you lose. This one is mine.”
1 1. Will you obey God? Jesus aligned Himself to the Father and Spirit for their plan of salvation of people. Will you take the call Jesus gives each of us and align your life with Him in obedience?
2 2. Are you giving God excuses why you cannot do
what He says now?
3. 3. Are you trying to bargain with Him?
An angel of the Lord appeared to him (Joseph) in a dream saying, “The child who has been conceived in her is of the Holy Spirit. She will give birth to a Son, and you shall name Him Jesus, for He will save His people from their sins.” Now all this took place, so that what was spoken by the Lord through the prophet (Isaiah) would be fulfilled: “Behold, the virgin will conceive and give birth to a Son, and they shall name Him Immanuel, which translated means ‘God with us.’” (Matthew 1:20-23 [NASB])
“In those days,” Jesus came.
He came to earth at the right time.
Now is the right time to believe in Jesus and to confess
and repent of your sins. Today is your day to commit your life to Jesus.
Today is your day to align yourself with God.
God is with us even now.
