Untitled Sermon (17)

The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus

Mark 1:9-13

Welcome (Recap)

Good evening! Welcome to Redeemer. If we haven’t met, my name is Connor Coskery and I have the privilege of leading our student ministry. Tonight we are going to continue our study through the gospel according to Mark, so if you have your bible go ahead and turn to Mark, chapter 1.

Last week, Joel introduced us to Mark. We learned that Mark was a missionary with Paul and Barnabas, but most notably he was a close friend of the apostle Peter. In Peter’s first letter, Peter describes Mark as his “son”. Mark was a beloved helper and scribe for Peter, which is why most scholars believe that Mark’s account of Jesus’ life is written from the perspective of the apostle Peter.

Last week we looked at the first eight verses and tonight we are going to look at verses 9 through 13. The first 15 verses serve as “the preface” of Mark’s account of Jesus’ life. In literature, the point of a preface is meant to draw readers in by presenting the purpose of the story about to unfold.

Mark uses these first verses to tell us some really important information about who Jesus is. He is giving us essential information before he moves on to tell us about Jesus’ public ministry, which he gets to really fast.

For those of us who like context, Mark can be challenging. Mark writes at a fast clip. He doesn’t bog down in ancillary details. He’s straight forward and to the point.

The temptation, at least for me, is to run to the other gospel accounts and cross reference to clear up the parts that get confusing. Tonight, I’m going to try my best not to do that. I’m going to let Mark be Mark, because I really believe that Mark has written his account in this way to give us a picture of who Jesus is. That is what he wants his readers to get!

So, let’s let Mark be Mark and jump in. Last week Joel set the scene…

We met John the Baptist, who is described as the long-awaited messenger prophesied by Isaiah and Malachi — the messenger sent to prepare the way of the LORD.

John the Baptist is in the wilderness, which is the location the prophets predicted God’s deliverance would begin.

Herein the wilderness we learn that revival was in full swing. Mark says, “John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.”

Repentance, here, is best understood in the general sense. Repentance, simply defined, means to “turn around!” So we see mass numbers of Jews responding to John’s call by acknowledging their stiff-necked disobedience and turning around and returning to God in obedience.

These baptisms were unusual as they were more than the typical ritual washings. They were preparing God’s people. John was proclaiming that the Savior — the messiah— was coming. John isn’t the savior. Someone else much greater is on the way, who will not merely baptize with water but will bestow the Spirit.

And who could be so identified with the Spirit that he has control to command the Spirit? The long anticipated Messiah must be God, himself, in the flesh.

This is the setting of our passage tonight. Read with me Mark 1, verses 9 through 13.

Read Mark 1:9-13

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 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.”

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.

Pastoral Prayer

Father we thank you for this evening and the gift it is to gather and sit beneath your Word. I pray that you would bless this time and open our minds and hearts to receive your promises. I pray that words of my mouth, and the mediation of my heart would be pleasing in your sight. In the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen

Introduction

This moment in history is charged with anticipation. We have “the messenger” in “the wilderness” “baptizing in the Jordan River”.

As we begin our journey through Mark it’s important to remember that the Bible isn’t written like a textbook. It isn’t organized into neat and tidy compartments. The Bible is first and foremost a story — and incredible story spanning history that is primarily interested in what God has done, is doing now, and what He promises to do in the future.

A large portion of Mark’s audience was Gentiles. A gentile was anyone born outside of the nation of Israel. This means that a lot of the people listening to his letter didn't grow up hearing the Old Testament stories. So part of their discipleship would have been reading all the scriptures as pointing to Jesus.

Mark is saying, from the beginning, that if are going to truly understand who Jesus is, we are going to need our whole bible. All throughout, Mark is going to draw allusions from Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, the Wisdom Literature, and the Prophets.

In these first few verses, Mark highlights the prophet Isaiah.

Isaiah prophesied during a time of great upheaval in Israel’s history, as rival nations were conquering surrounding territories. Isaiah was especially important because he prophesied about God’s deliverance and restoration, both in the present and future. Isaiah offers a vast, sweeping vision where God himself is active in saving, redeeming, and restoring his people.

Isaiah first prophesied about this messenger to come: “…[who would] make straight in the desert a highway for our God… [where] the glory of the Lord shall be revealed… (Isa 40:3-5).”

It’s actually Isaiah who first coined the phrase “good news or gospel.” Much of his prophetic ministry was preparing God’s people for the arrival of this good news: where God himself would come to mend the broken-hearted, comfort the afflicted, free the captives, and secure everlasting salvation for His people (Isa 61).

Mark engages our imagination with Isaiah and then in verse 9 introduces us to Jesus of Nazareth. From this moment on the sweeping promises of the past are brought into the present. The waiting is finally over. The promised Rescuer has arrived.

Verses 9 through 13 describe two important moments for Jesus — his baptism and his temptation in the wilderness. Both are important to prepare him to begin his public ministry.

Mark has written his account to help us understand and reckon with Who Jesus Is. If we are going to receive this Jesus we have to meet him on his own terms. We have to refuse the temptation to make Jesus into who we want him to be.

Tonight we meet Jesus who is the Messiah, the anointed one. Perhaps he isn’t what we expect from a Savior — he definitely caught the Jews off guard. But my hope tonight is that you walk away trusting that Jesus is the exact Savior that you need.

Let’s walk through each moment — Baptism and Wilderness Temptation — slowly. Look with me at verse 9.

Jesus Baptism

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

In the midst of this revival we meet Jesus who has come from Nazareth. If you don’t know much about Nazareth, you aren’t alone, neither did most people at that time. The town of Nazareth was a backwoods settlement in Galilee. The town of Nazareth receives no mention in non-Christian sources from the Roman Period, meaning it was likely a town only known by the locals.

In true Mark-fashion, he tells us very matter-of-fact that In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

If you have grown up in the church or you are familiar with Christianity it can be easy to read this familiar verse and miss the scandal of it. You aren’t wrong if reading these verses give you pause and ask:

Wait a minute —Why? John is giving a baptism of repentance. Jesus was not a sinner, and he did not need to repent! What is Jesus doing in that water? Anyone else have that question?

The other gospel accounts provide a little more explanation but Mark does not. Mark essentially says, “Jesus was baptized by John.”

I believe the answer lies in the simplicity. Remember, this is happening in the midst of a revival where droves of people were coming from all over to be immersed in the Jordan river to be cleansed both literally of their filth and symbolically of their sins. Every type of person is likely represented — rich, poor, afflicted, destitute. This water would have been filled with all the dirt and muck and impurities as they were washed from their bodies.

And Jesus says, “I want in that water.” Why did Jesus submit himself to baptism? Jesus is baptized to fully identify with the people he came to save. Jesus takes on the filth of the people. Before he even begins his public ministry, Jesus is preparing their imaginations for the type of salvation he is bringing. It won’t look like great political conquest, but instead it’s a beautiful exchange where, as the apostle Paul would later write “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Cor 5:21).”

Perhaps you have made a mess of your life. It can be tempting to think that Jesus, when he looks at you, he treats you like a child touching a bug — holding their nose and reaching out the tip of their finger. When Jesus walks into the water to be baptized, he assures us that, that is not the case. Jesus takes our mess, our failures, our wretchedness, our sin and puts it on himself.

When takes our record or failure and gives us his perfect record. Immediately, without question. Your sins are washed from you and placed on Jesus. Your mistakes no longer define you. The pressure to get your act together is relieved. Faith in Jesus means you are washed and made clean.

The way we do baptism here at Redeemer allows us to visualize the drama that takes place. We walk into the baptismal pool and vow to follow Jesus with all our hearts, souls, and strength. There isn’t something mystical or magical with the water. And the promise of being a beloved child isn’t contingent on our obedience but only because of the perfect obedience of the Son. In baptism, going under the water means dying with Jesus, and coming out of the water means rising with Him to newness of life.

The ritual aspect of it can feel intimidating, but when I am preparing those for baptism I do my best to remind them that this is a moment of great celebration — for those being baptized and those watching.

Each time someone is plunged into that water we all have the opportunity to remember the incredible exchange of the gospel - our sin is drowned in the water and we rise, clothes in righteousness.

Jesus is baptized to fully identify with his people and foreshadow the salvation to come. But verse 10 shows us that Jesus’ baptism was no ordinary baptism. Look at verses 10 and 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.”

Mark describes the heaven’s being “torn open.” This is a very unusual and rare word. Visually, it gives us the sense of the heavens being ripped open for God to come down. Mark also uses it to foreshadow what’s going to happen in the future.

The next time Mark uses this word is when Jesus is on the cross and the temple curtain is “torn” in two, symbolizing humanity no longer being separated from God. So at the beginning Mark provides us a picture of the heavens being torn open and God coming to us. Then later the curtain is torn so that we can go to God.

After the heavens are torn open, the holy spirit descends upon Jesus like a dove and the voice of God calls out, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

In one striking sentence we see the drama of the Trinity on display. The Holy Spirit descending like a dove, the voice of the Father, and the beloved Son. The description of the Holy Spirit’s descent is intentional. The sense is “fluttering or hovering” and it’s meant to evoke the image of Creation where the Spirit hovered over the chaos of the waters.

Just as in the original creation, all are present to announce the arrival of Jesus who will bring about the new creation. And when he comes out of the water he is met with the Father’s love and delight.

The Father’s testimony “beloved son” “with who I am well pleased” is particularly striking. In one phrase he combines Psalm 2 that describes the messiah in royal terms — how he will reign as King over all — and Isaiah 42 that describes the Suffering Servant — who will die for the sin of the world.

In just three verses, Mark covers a ton of ground. In subtle, succinct prose he builds radical expectations and it’s going to take the rest of his gospel to fully understand what this all means.

However, Jesus’ baptism gives us strong clues for what to expect. Jesus isn’t a messiah who is going to save Israel through political and military domination. He has come to rewrite His people’s story and give his life as an atoning sacrifice for the sin of the world.

This was good news for the Jewish people, then, and it is good news for you today. Why? Two reasons.

Jesus is the Messiah we need. The Israelites thought they needed a Messiah who would recuse them through political and military might. But Jesus flips the script. What we need is a substitute — a Savior who doesn’t hold us at arms length but enters our mess to take it from us. What we need is someone to cancel our debt. We need one who obeys fully in place of our disobedience. We need someone to wash us clean from our filth. We need forgiveness in place of our guilt. We need the security of adoption. And already, at his baptism, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit are preparing the way for all of these promises to be accomplished in Jesus, the Messiah who came to represent his people!

When you place your faith in Jesus, a new creation happens, and you are enveloped into Christ, meaning Christ’s imperishable, undefiled, and unfading inheritance becomes yours (2 Cor 5:17; 1 Peter 1:4). Which means that God looks at you and he says to you what he said to Jesus on the day he was baptized. He looks at you, not as you are in yourself, but as you are in Jesus. God looks at you and says, “You are my dear child, and I am delighted with you.”

Do you believe that God looks at you like this? Because he really does! When we believe this it has the power to transform the way we live. We will see this with Jesus in our next section.

But, friends, it’s hard to remember. So we need to find ways to remind ourselves and bring these words to life. That’s one of the reasons that our Home Groups meet every week and not every-other or one-a-month. Because chances are, by the time Wednesday or Thursday get here we have forgotten the promises of the gospel and we need our brothers and sisters to remind us.

One thing that we do in Youth Group at the end of each of our large group gatherings is called a Gospel Identity Catechism. It’s a simple way to remind our hearts that we are defined by Christ and not the world. It goes like this:

Who does the Spirit say that you are? Washed and made clean Who does the Son say that you are? Righteous and forgiven Who does Father say that you are? Adopted child of God Christian, who are you? I am a sinner saved by grace.

When we believe and receive these words it has the power to transform the way we see ourselves and live. In fact, it is the delight of the Father that prepares the way for Jesus to enter the battleground of testing the wilderness. Look with me at verse 12…

II. Jesus’ Temptation in the Wilderness

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.

Jesus doesn’t linger after his baptism but the Spirit immediately “drives” him out into the wilderness, for forty days, to be tempted by Satan.

These two sentences are filled with echos of the old testament. Words and phrases like “wilderness”, “forty days”, “Satan” are intended to take us back to Genesis and Exodus.

If we remember back to Genesis we learn that the Spirit hovered over the chaos of the unformed waters, God the Father spoke creation into existence, humanity was created and launched into the world. And that very soon after creation, Satan entered the scene to tempt Adam and Eve in the Garden of Eden.

In the Garden, God told Adam, “Don’t eat from the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, or you will die.” God was saying, trust me, and Satan tempted Adam and Eve by casting doubt on God’s good word. Adam and Eve failed the test and plunged the human race into a cycle of sin and brokenness.

Perfect harmony is replaced with brokenness. Still, the very first sin is met with a promise of future rescue (Gen 3:15). Despite Israel’s constant disobedience God promises to never let his people go. He goes so far to covenant himself to Israel, ensuring that he will always be their God and they will always be his people (Exodus 6:7).

When the Spirit drives Jesus into the wilderness it reminds us of Israel’s wandering in the wilderness. This is meant to bring to mind that pivotal moment in Israel’s history where God commands Israel, his “first born son” to take the promised land. Instead, they didn’t trust God’s word and the consequence of their disobedience meant they wandered in the wilderness for forty years.

There is an uncanny connection between the waters of baptism and the Exodus. You could say that in the Exodus event, Israel experienced its own baptism when it passed through the waters of the Red Sea and was then tested in the wilderness. Jesus is reenacting the great drama of Israel’s journey from Egypt to the promised land. The difference is where Israel was a “disobedient son”, Jesus — God’s beloved Son — will triumph!

One of the reasons he triumphs, Mark tells us, is because he enters the wilderness equipped with the powerful, life-altering words of love from the Father. Perhaps that’s what the angels are doing here… they are ministering to Jesus by reassuring him that his beloved Father is with him, watching over him, loving him, acting through him, and pouring out his spirit all the time in and through him.

The good news found in this short account is that Jesus goes into the wilderness and does not break. We read of Satan’s tactics in other gospel accounts, how he narrows his scope on Jesus and unleashes an onslaught of terror, threat, and temptation. Yet Jesus perseveres until the end, trusting God’s word and empowered by his Father’s delight.

The author of Hebrews later says Jesus was tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin (Hebrews 4:15). This means that he experienced all of Satan’s tricks and has come out on the other side.

We’ve all had a time when we have messed up and had a friend or a parent say, “I know what you’re going through, I’ve been there.” This is what Jesus says to us! He’s been there. He isn’t cold, far off and distant. He doesn’t try and soothe your pain with platitudes.

Jesus endures Satan’s temptation to the uttermost so that you can go to Him for help. The author of Hebrews describes it as when the flood of temptation comes you can confidently draw near to His throne of grace, and receive mercy and find grace to help in the time of need (Heb 4:16).

___

As we begin our journey through the life of Jesus according to Mark, he makes it clear that Jesus is the Messiah that they’ve been waiting for, and the Messiah represents his people. This means that what is true of him is true of them.

This is the Messiah they needed and it is the Messiah that we need — one who takes our place — who breaks open the heavens to identify with his people so that what is true of Jesus becomes true of us today!

It’s going to take the rest of Mark to fully understand how this incredible news can be true, so settle in. If you are still unsure about Jesus I want to encourage you to keep coming and keep listening. Let Jesus convince you that he is worth following with your life.

And for those who have placed their trust in Jesus the Messiah, I want to remind you of these simple truths:

God love’s you. God delights in you as a dear child. He knows your pain and how hard it is to keep going, but He promises to be with you.

You are washed and made clean

You are righteous and forgiven

You are and adopted child of God

Together, as a family of faith, we are are sinners saved by grace.

Let’s Pray

Meditation Question:

While the band comes up, take a moment and reflect on the truth that God delights in you as a dear child. Perhaps take recite to yourself, inserting your own name, “_____ you are my dear, dear child; I am delighted in you.” Our souls long for these words.