The Beginning

Call to Worship

To all who are weary and in need of rest

To all who are mourning and longing for comfort

To all who fail and desire strength

To all who sin and need a Savior

We, Moraga Valley Presbyterian Church, open wide our arms

With a welcome from Jesus Christ.

He is the ally to the guilty and failing

He is the comfort to those who are mourning

He is the joy of our hearts

And He is the friend of sinners

So Come, worship Him with us.

Scripture Reading & Reader

Mark 1:1–13 (NIV)

The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,

who will prepare your way”—

“a voice of one calling in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

make straight paths for him.’ ”

And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

Post-Scripture Prayer

Pray.

Introduction to Sermon

Good morning, my name is Brandon Morrow and I serve as one of the Pastors here at Moraga Valley! So glad to be with you all, — before we jump into our new summer series through the Gospel of Mark, I wanted to give a huge shout out to everyone who served at our Stellar Vacation Bible School this past week. It was a blast! Kids were over the moon about Jesus!

Let’s thank all of those who made the name of Jesus famous this past week!

We’re so grateful for the way you serve Jesus’ church.

And I also have an important announcement to share with you > NAT

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This morning we are beginning a new series in the Gospel of Mark, and we are going to be looking at various segments of Mark’s Gospel over the next several months. For the next handful of weeks we’re going to be looking at Mark 1-4 and we’re calling this little chunk: The King’s Speech.

God’s King, Jesus, has arrived and demands a response and belief in His gospel — His message for the world. His words wield the power of life change. The King speaks. Will we be found listening?

When you’re reading your Bible there’s a difference in the small g gospel and the BIG G gospel — the Big G gospel is an account of the life of Jesus, and the small g gospel is the announcement about Jesus and His death, burial, resurrection, and the welcome of His Kingdom

Mark’s Gospel is an account of the life of Jesus, and you’d think that by the title of Mark’s gospel that John Mark, an early follower of Jesus had written it. Most scholars agree that these are Peter’s words that he told John Mark to write for him.

So it’s an account of the life of Jesus, given to us by Peter, dictated by John Mark — and it’s a fabulous Book of the Bible that we — frankly — don’t read often enough. I’m convinced that it’s the best Book of the Bible to take non-believers through because Mark’s Gospel answers some various specific questions about Jesus: Who was he? Why was He here? And why did He die?

And we should read it — simply for what the Book is about: Jesus. Look with me at Mark 1:1 and we’ll begin our time in the scriptures today answering the question: Why do we have this book of the Bible?

Mark 1:1 NIV

The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God,

The beginning of Mark’s Gospel tells us why we have this book: this is “the beginning of the gospel of Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God.”

It’s supposed to remind us of the opening words of Genesis, Genesis 1:1 “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.”

Mark’s Gospel is opening up for us a new age — an exciting new age for God’s people — like a whole new world that is opening up for us — that happens because of the gospel, because of Jesus’ death, burial, and resurrection.

In verse 1, Mark’s Gospel uses the word, “good news,” and we’ll do our very best to answer some questions about Mark’s gospel: Who is Jesus? Why is He Here? And why did He die? The first question for those reading Mark’s Gospel. Who is Jesus?

To announce the gospel, historically, is to let people know that change is coming, and Mark explains what change is about to come: Jesus has been enthroned as King.

And the way that we know that Jesus is a King is because Mark uses “Messiah,” or other translations might say, “the Christ.”

These are titles given to Jesus. He is God’s anointed one, who has been given as the Redeemer of Israel, and ultimately the world. Mark is clear on who Jesus is. He is God’s Saving and Redeeming King.

Look with at verses 2-4 and we’ll see answer our second question about Jesus: why is He here?

Mark 1:2–4 (NIV)

as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,

who will prepare your way”—

“a voice of one calling in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

make straight paths for him.’ ”

And so John the Baptizer appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

In verses 2-3 Mark quotes Malachi and Isaiah, Old Testament prophets, who foretold of a coming King

And in verse 5, Mark shows how John the Baptizer, is pointing us to the fulfillment of those promises: that someone will prepare the way for the coming King. When Mark quotes the prophet Isaiah, he’s quoting Isaiah 40:3 “A voice of one calling: “In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord; make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

Isaiah is describing to his audience that God Himself is going to show up and shepherd His people and lead them to safety — like Moses leading the people through the Red Sea and through the Wilderness. — John is pointing Israel to the fact that Jesus is God who shows up to shepherd His people, to lead them to salvation. Jesus is the One they’ve been waiting for.

John wants people to be ready for the thing they’ve been waiting for, and he comes with a message of repentance — Isaiah has already said that God is coming to lead the people to their hope, and repentance is God’s people preparing for Him to show up — and if we look at verses 5 and 6 — it’s God’s people preparing for God to show up: Mark 1:5-6

Mark 1:5–6 (NIV)

The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

The way we should read this is that John is calling all of Israel to repentance, and their baptism is to demonstrate their need for cleansing.

So Mark’s gospel is making the statement: all of Israel was unclean — unfit — defiled — whatever it was, they weren’t worthy enough to come before Jesus.

No one escapes this indictment though, — what the Bible calls sin has affected everyone. Sin is the barrier between us and a complete relationship with God, and we need it fixed.

Only God Himself can fix it… and it doesn’t matter how good you think you are, good you think someone else is, how kind, moral, merciful, giving you are… It’s not how important you think your family bloodline is, where you grew up. We are our own barrier to the cleansing, redemption, and worth we really need. The Bible is clear: we got ourselves into this mess, and we can’t get ourselves out of it.

Everyone was unworthy of meeting the long-awaited King. Later in the Book of Romans the Apostle Paul agrees in Romans 3:10 “As it is written: “There is no one righteous, not even one;” — there is no one worthy, not even one.

But remember — this isn’t hopeless, this is Good News, this is Gospel — Help is on the way when we needed it most: Look at verse 7. Mark 1:7

Mark 1:7 (NIV)

And this was John’s message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.

I can’t save me. John can’t save me. But the one who comes after John is more powerful than John — He can!

Verse 8 tells of what Jesus does and how much different it is than what John does:

Mark 1:8 NIV

I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

This is something that the prophet Isaiah also writes about, concerning the coming of a future King. In Isaiah 32:15

Isaiah 32:15 NIV

till the Spirit is poured on us from on high, and the desert becomes a fertile field, and the fertile field seems like a forest.

This is the idea: John was only cleaning on the outside, but when Jesus comes, when the King comes, you will be clean from the inside out — Isaiah explains it as if it’s a radical transformation like a desert becoming a forest. John was immersing people in the Jordan, but Jesus will immerse us in the Spirit. — and being baptized with the Holy Spirit takes place when we believe in Jesus for forgiveness. That’s the point of our rescue, of our salvation, when God shows up to deliver us to safety. That’s what we call the moment of conversion for the Christian, when we cry out to Jesus for our rescue — healing — wholeness, repenting of who we used to be, what situation we’re stuck in, and demanding the promises He has for us.

John has already said, “He is more powerful than me.” John can tell them to repent of their old lives, but it’s only Jesus who can give them new lives. John knows that these people need more than a splash in the Jordan! — And He does, His forgiveness provides us a new life in the power of the Holy Spirit.

It’s not by our own power because that won’t change us. God has to be the one to change us. He has to be the One to provide His Spirit — giving us the power to change that we need.

This all helps to answer the question of why God’s King is here? Jesus is the only one with the authority to forgive sins, to take our blemished lives and make us clean, to radically transform us.

John has made every preparation to tell us who Jesus is, why Jesus is here, and now he tells us why Jesus died.

John the Baptizer is preparing the way for this, and who of course shows up? Jesus!

Let’s look at verses 9-10

Mark 1:9–10 (NIV)

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.

John has said that baptism is a sign of forgiveness. Jesus shows up and He’s baptized… so why does Jesus need forgiveness? Isn’t Jesus perfect? Yes! He’s perfect, and the reason that He is baptized is to show humanity that God Himself has come to identify with their weakness — you know, the thing that defiles us.

We need a King who can identify with us in our weakness — who knows our need for rescue, who understands our deep seeded desires to be made whole, to be made clean — this King does more, He is the means Himself of our much needed forgiveness.

Verse 10 confirms that for us.

As Jesus is being baptized, Mark says that it was like heaven being torn open, and the Spirit of God descended on Jesus like a dove.

Verse 11 says, Mark 1:11

Mark 1:11 (NIV)

And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

The heaven’s opening up signal to us that new age of God’s Kingdom has arrived, — Jesus says this later in verse 15 — and the Spirit comes up on Jesus, setting Him aside for the next task that is to come — which Mark 1:12 says will be Him being sent out into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan for 40 days. Presbyterians often say that the Holy Spirit dos a “sealing” work — meaning that God places His stamp on us for a great work, and it also seals on us our identity.

Verse 11 shows us that identity for Jesus.

“The Son whom He loves, and He is well pleased with Him.”

When the scriptures talk of Sonship, Jesus being God’s Son, they don’t mean that biologically or genetically that Jesus is the Son of God. The scriptures are talking about Jesus’ function or calling: this is the work that He was called to do.

In those days, you did what your Father did. To be called a Son was to fulfill the work of your Father.

God the Father is the sovereign, ruling, creator of the universe, God — you might even say that God is the King over Everything, Seen and Unseen — has now given this title to Jesus, the Son of God, and this is divinely appointed rule.

Verse 11 is a collection of a bunch of other verses, that — if we were good students of the Old Testament — we’d pick up on pretty quick — but they illustrate to us how Jesus is the Kingly Son of God.

Let’s look at verse 11 in little chunks, and to be clear, I got this from another pastor in the United Kingdom — and I hope it encourages you.

Mark 1:11 says, “And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.””

The Father’s Voice

God the Father’s voice at Jesus’ baptism is reminiscent of God’s voice in Genesis 22:2

Genesis 22:2 (NIV)

Then God said, “Take your son, your only son, whom you love—Isaac—and go to the region of Moriah. Sacrifice him there as a burnt offering on a mountain I will show you.”

Like Isaac, Jesus is the beloved Son whose life will be given as a sacrifice for sin. Isaac was spared and a lamb was sacrificed in his place. Jesus will not be spared. He is the sacrificial lamb.

My Son

When Mark 1:11 says, “You are my Son,” it is a quotation from Psalm 2 — which speaks of an all-powerful King who will destroy the dominion of satan who holds the world captive.

With you I am well pleased

When it’s said, “with you I am well pleased,” it’s a quote from Isaiah 42 that continues a chain of thought until Isaiah 53, where Isaiah is describing the suffering servant of the Lord, where the suffering servant ends up laying down His life for the people’s sake

As we continue in Mark’s gospel, we will continue to see who Jesus is, why He has come, and why He has died. He is Heaven’s King, who has come to grant us forgiveness that we desperately could not acquire on our own, and He has done so by His death, the sacrificial death He gives in laying down His life for the sake of all people.

And for Mark, this is only beginning, this is the very good announcement of what God has done through His divinely appointed Son — and much like John’s message of preparing the way, it demands our attention, it requires our response — from not just every person, but from all people.

The coming of the long-awaited King and what He has done requires belief. Do we believe that Jesus has accomplished all that the scriptures say He has accomplished? Do we believe that Jesus is God’s Saving King, who granted us a forgiveness we desperately needed but could not earn due to our sin, and that He did so by laying down His own life for us? If we do, we start by claiming allegiance to the King that God Himself has appointed.

Mark 1:14–15 NIV

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

If you’ve never made a decision to follow Jesus, we invite you to repent and place your belief in God’s King, who has forgiven us of our sins, who has died for us — and I encourage you to let me know so that we can walk hand-in-hand with the King together.

I thought it would be a great idea if we gave this gospel message some legs… I’ve invited my friend Mark Bellingham to share with us His story of belief in what this King has done.

Would you welcome my friend Mark Bellingham?