Sermon Tone Analysis

INTRODUCTION

We are looking again at Mark’s gospel

Today we are considering verses 9-11 of chapter 1

Mark moves from the preaching and baptism of John to the baptism of Jesus

Listen to verses 9-11

I.

The Time (v.9a)

“In those days”

A. Matthew 3:1 begins with the same phrase

The NIV translates it “At that time”

This is referring to an unspecified point during John’s ministry

John had been baptizing before Jesus’ baptism for six months or longer (MacArthur)

So Jesus...

B. Jesus initiated the meeting

He came when the time was right for Him to make His public appearance

According to Luke 3:23, He was about thirty years old when He came from Nazareth in Galilee to be baptized and begin His ministry (MacArthur)

II.

The Place (v.9b)

“Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan”

A. Jesus was from Nazareth

Matthew 2:23 says He lived there: “and came and lived in a city called Nazareth.

This was to fulfill what was spoken through the prophets: “He shall be called a Nazarene.””

Luke 4:16 says He was brought up there: “And He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up...”

Nazareth was a small village located in the region of Galilee

It was about 70 miles North of Jerusalem (MacArthur)

This was largely populated by Gentiles

It also had an unfavorable reputation - John 1:45-46, “45 Philip found Nathanael and said to him, “We have found Him of whom Moses in the Law and also the Prophets wrote—Jesus of Nazareth, the son of Joseph.”

46 Nathanael said to him, “Can any good thing come out of Nazareth?”

Philip said to him, “Come and see.””

This may be a local proverb expressing jealousy among the towns (NETBFEN)

Or it was an insignificant village without seeming prophetic importance (MacArthur)

Nathaniel knew nothing of any mention of Nazareth with regard to the Messiah in the law of Moses and in the prophetic promises to which Philip had made such strong references (Lenski)

Albert Barnes says, “The character of Nazareth was proverbially bad.

To be a Galilean or a Nazarene was an expression of decided contempt.”

Remember John 7:52, The Pharisees answered Nicodemus saying, “You are not also from Galilee, are you?

Search, and see that no prophet arises out of Galilee.””

This small village was so obscure that it’s not mentioned in any ancient Jewish literature of the first century

It was not even mentioned in the Old Testament, by Josephus, or in the Talmud (Hiebert)

So Mark accommodates his Jewish readers by adding “In Galilee” so they may know where Nazareth lies (Lenski)

Mark says...

B. Jesus came to the Jordan River

This is where John was baptizing (v.5; Mat.3:6)

This was at the height of John’s ministry

Luke 3:21, “Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized...”

I remind you that the Greek word baptizo means “to dip, to plunge, to immerse something in water”

This is the commonly recognize and standard meaning of the term in ancient Greek literature both inside and outside the Bible (Grudem)

“Immerse” makes better since here

Verse 9 says that Jesus “was baptized by John in the Jordan”

The preposition “in” (en) means “in,” not “beside” or “by” or “near” the river” (Grudem)

It is a preposition of motion (Wuest)

Jesus and John went “in the Jordan” (v.9)

Verse 10 says they came “up out of the water”

“Up” (ek) means He “out of”, not that He came away from it

The fact that John and Jesus went into the river and came up out of it strongly suggests immersion (Grudem)

Acts 8:38-39 uses similar language: “38 And he ordered the chariot to stop; and they both went down into the water, Philip as well as the eunuch, and he baptized him.

39 When they came up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord snatched Philip away; and the eunuch no longer saw him, but went on his way rejoicing.”

Baptism by immersion is the only satisfactory explanation of this narrative (Grudem)

We said last time that...

Immersion best describes the symbolism of our union with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection

Romans 6:3-4, “3 Or do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus have been baptized into His death? 4 Therefore we have been buried with Him through baptism into death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, so we too might walk in newness of life.”

Paul uses this same language in Colossians 2:12, “having been buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised up with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.”

The mode of baptism is immersion not sprinkling

And to state again what I said last time, baptism does not save you from sin

It symbolizes the work of Christ just mention in His burial and resurrection

It also symbolizes cleansing from sin

Acts 22:16, “‘Now why do you delay?

Get up and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on His name.’”

Both the Jews and Gentiles understood this

To prepare for the Messiah’s arrival, you had to repent and be baptized demonstrating a washing away of your sins and your trust in the coming One for salvation

John understood how important baptism was that’s why it was called a “baptism of repentance” (v.4)

We, as believers, are commanded to be baptized

After the Gentiles received the gift of the Holy Spirit, Peter said in Acts 10:47-48, “47 “Surely no one can refuse the water for these to be baptized who have received the Holy Spirit just as we did, can he?”

48 And he ordered them to be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ.

Then they asked him to stay on for a few days.”

The Greek word for “ordered” (prostasso, aor.act.ind.)

means, “to order with official authorization” (LRLGNT)

Peter had the authority to command them to be baptized

We find prostasso also translated “commanded” in Mark 1:44 and Matthew 1:24.

It’s used in the LXX in Genesis 50:2 of Joseph “commanding” his physicians to embalm his father after his death

A different word is used in Matthew 28:19, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit”

The command is found in the verb matheteuo (aor.act.imp.), “make disciples”

This verb is in the imperative mood

They were commanded to make disciples by baptizing and teaching them what He taught (v.20)

Since baptism was seen as a symbol for the cleansing or washing away of sin, we now come to...

III.

The Problem

The problem is noted in Matthew’s account of Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:13-17.

First we read that after Jesus arrived from Galilee and coming to John to be baptized that...

A. John tried to prevent Jesus’ baptism (v.14)

Matthew 3:14 begins by stating that “John tried to prevent Him

The word “prevent” is used in the imperfect tense suggesting a continued effort on John’s part

He kept trying to prevent Him

John said in Matthew 3:14, “...I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?””

John’s statement highlights his bewilderment

John had refused to baptize the Pharisees and Sadducees because they were totally unworthy of it because they would not repent

Now he was almost equally reluctant to baptize Jesus because He was too worthy for it (MacArthur)

John’s attempt to prevent Jesus from being baptized is a testimony to Jesus’ sinlessness (MacArthur)

So John didn’t want to baptize Jesus...

Because Jesus had no need for cleansing

Because He needed no baptism of repentance