The One Who Is Now Here
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Intro:
Intro:
Have you ever read The Tale of Two Cities?
“It was the best of times, it was the worst of times, it was the age of wisdom, it was the age of foolishness, it was the epoch of belief, it was the epoch of incredulity, it was the season of Light, it was the season of Darkness, it was the spring of hope, it was the winter of despair, we had everything before us, we had nothing before us, we were all going direct to heaven, we were all going direct the other way - in short, the period was so far like the present period, that some of its noisiest authorities insisted on its being received, for good or for evil, in the superlative degree of comparison only.”
What about Ice Cube in his NWA days? When the reporters asked him, why is your music so violent? He responds with a sentence so simple yet so deep
“Our art is a reflection of our reality”
In just a line in Ice Cube’s case and a few lines in Charles Dickens case they sum up the culture they live in. I think this is what Mark does in are passage today. He says
“In Those Days”
In what days?
Well in the immediate context it was the days of John the Baptist, when people where coming to the wilderness to get baptized. But is that all he means here?
This is just my personal thought and reflection, but I think Mark may be summing up what his culture was like in the times leading up to John the Baptist & Jesus. Do you know what the last recorded event in Old Testament History? It was after Nehemiah led God’s people to build the walls of the city, they found the Torah, the first 5 books of our Old Testament and read them in an assembly and the people decided to follow God and renew the covenant. After this event Nehemiah went back to Persia and returned for a visit, you know what he found on his return? The people of God breaking God’s laws again, desecrating the Sabbath Day, desecrating the house of God, desecrating God’s servants. Nehemiah says in 13:15 In those days. Jerusalem falls again to the Greeks and Romans. But what we see is the silence of heaven after this event In Nehemiah there is no prophets speaking for God, we have no scripture being written. The heavens are silent for 400 years. We also have an extreme correction by Israel in this time period we see the rise of the Pharisees which is an extreme reaction to their forefathers. What the Pharisees did was take the 613 commandments and added more laws to the laws of God.
The original intent of these additions was to clarify the law, but it ended up adding many layers of complicated regulations. This Midrash was already lengthy in Jesus’ day and continues to grow to this day. So for the Pharisees, they not only tried to follow the 613 commandments of the Mosaic Law, but the literally thousands of new commandments that were created to clarify the original 613 commandments.
For example, in the Mosaic Law, one of the commandments is to keep the Sabbath holy, which means that Jews were not supposed to work on Saturdays. But to clarify this, the Jewish scholars created 39 separate categories of what “work” means, and within those 39 categories there are many sub-categories. So to follow the rule of not working on the Sabbath, there are literally thousands of sub-rules to follow, including how many steps you can take, and how many letters you can write on the Sabbath.
These laws where so outrageous to the point they were burdening and taking advantage of God’s people. The Pharisees in Jesus day were preaching a message do as i say not as i do.
So when Mark says In those days i think he is referring to ...
the days when we were looking for the messiah
the days when heaven was silent
in the days of corrupt religion
in the days of our nation being lorded over by an oppressive government of Rome
It was in those days we see hope, we see a man looking like the prophet Elijah in camel hair preaching repentance and preparing for one greater than him. Now do you see why the people were flocking to John, because in those days....Hope has arrived and his name is Jesus!
I. Jesus Came
I. Jesus Came
A. From Nazareth of Galilee
A. From Nazareth of Galilee
1. The humbleness of Christ
1. The humbleness of Christ
step out of heaven to earth
born in a manger
raised in the region of Galilee, northern Israel which was looked down upon the Jerusalem Jews because they lived among Gentiles and to top it off Samaria was right in between them.
Then who was raised in Nazareth, a town not even mentioned in the OT.
2. The Many vs The One
2. The Many vs The One
Notice what Mark does “5 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.” Then when it comes to Jesus he says “9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.”
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
The Holy Bible: English Standard Version. (2016). (). Wheaton, IL: Crossway Bibles.
B. and was Baptized by John in the Jordan
B. and was Baptized by John in the Jordan
1. notice the subtle shift, in 2-8 John was the subject but now Jesus is the subject and John moves to the background.
1. notice the subtle shift, in 2-8 John was the subject but now Jesus is the subject and John moves to the background.
2. The question has to be asked right? Why in the world does Jesus have to be baptized?
2. The question has to be asked right? Why in the world does Jesus have to be baptized?
If John’s baptism was a baptism unto repentance why does a sinless Jesus need to be baptized? Even John reacts to this in Matthew’s account,
John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.
:14-11
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
Isaiah 53
3. What did Jesus mean here?
3. What did Jesus mean here?
What does Jesus mean to fulfill all righteousness?
Jesus died in your place, on the cross he took your punishment we should have died on the cross. When you study theology they call this passive obedience, passive coming from passion Passion stems from the Latin work pati, meaning "to suffer." The stem pass comes from the word passive meaning "capable of suffering."
In theology we also talk about Jesus’ active obedience and this is what I believe Jesus is referring to by fulfilling all righteousness. Jesus not only had to die in your place but he also had to live in your place. Jesus had to be a sinless saviour, walk in complete faithfulness to God and his righteous requirements. Why? So that when we place our trust in Christ there is an exchange happening a transaction,
Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied;
by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant,
make many to be accounted righteous,
and he shall bear their iniquities.
For if, because of one man’s trespass, death reigned through that one man, much more will those who receive the abundance of grace and the free gift of righteousness reign in life through the one man Jesus Christ.
For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.
C. When he came up out of the water....
C. When he came up out of the water....
D. Immediately
D. Immediately
Mark’s use of the word “immediately”- Here is the first use of Mark’s characteristic adverb εὐθύς, which occurs 11 times in the first chapter alone, and 37 times in the narrative of the gospel as a whole, usually to introduce a new incident, or a dramatic new phase within an episode. Much like a child with excitement who is saying and then we wnet to the park then went down the slide and then....
II. Jesus Confirmed and Commissioned
II. Jesus Confirmed and Commissioned
When Jesus come up from the water Mark describes three things that happen which would be signs to the Jews that God’s kingdom is beginning. These three signs are the opening up of the heavens, the Spirit descending and the heavenly voice speaking. Listen to the testament of Levi, something written about 250 years BC...
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark The Baptism of Jesus (1:9–11)
When Jesus comes up from the water he experiences three things that in Jewish tradition signified the inauguration of God’s eschatological kingdom: the heavens were opened above him, the Spirit descended into him, and the heavenly voice spoke to him. The concurrence of these momentous events at the baptism signals that Jesus is the “more powerful one” (1:7) promised in the OT and the inaugurator of God’s eschatological kingdom.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark The Baptism of Jesus (1:9–11)
The Testament of Levi, composed perhaps in 250 B.C., anticipates Mark’s baptismal narrative by expressly mentioning all three eschatological signs noted above.
The heavens will be opened,
and from the temple of glory sanctification will come upon him,
with a fatherly voice, as from Abraham to Isaac.
And the glory of the Most High shall burst forth upon him.
And the spirit of understanding and sanctification
shall rest upon him [in the water].
For he shall give the majesty of the Lord to those who are his sons in truth forever. (T. Levi 18:6–8; Charlesworth, OTP, 1.795)
The Jewish people were watching for these signs.
A. He saw the heavens being torn open
A. He saw the heavens being torn open
B. Immediately
B. Immediately
Mark’s use of the word “immediately”- Here is the first use of Mark’s characteristic adverb εὐθύς, which occurs 11 times in the first chapter alone, and 37 times in the narrative of the gospel as a whole, usually to introduce a new incident, or a dramatic new phase within an episode. Much like a child with excitement who is saying and then we wnet to the park then went down the slide and then....
1. This stems from Isaiah, after many prophecies Isaiah cries out
1. This stems from Isaiah, after many prophecies Isaiah cries out
Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains might quake at your presence—
Isaiah
C.
C.
2. the interesting thing Mark does is uses a word the other Gospel writers don’t σχίζω
2. the interesting thing Mark does is uses a word the other Gospel writers don’t σχίζω
Schizo describes something torn or split open, Mark is doing his best to describe this event, that God is now here in the person of Jesus.
B. The Spirit descending
B. The Spirit descending
1. the GK intensifies this union “into him” indicating Jesus complete filling and equipping for ministry.
1. the GK intensifies this union “into him” indicating Jesus complete filling and equipping for ministry.
2. Prophetic Fulfillment
2. Prophetic Fulfillment
Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him,
the Spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the Spirit of counsel and might,
the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord.
Isa 11:2
The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me,
because the Lord has anointed me
to bring good news to the poor;
he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;
C. The Father Speaks
C. The Father Speaks
1. “You are my Son, whom I Love, with you I am well pleased.”
1. “You are my Son, whom I Love, with you I am well pleased.”
I will tell of the decree:
The Lord said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
He said, “Take your son, your only son Isaac, whom you love, and go to the land of Moriah, and offer him there as a burnt offering on one of the mountains of which I shall tell you.”
Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
2. The Father’s love and stamp of approval was over his Son.
2. The Father’s love and stamp of approval was over his Son.
The Pillar New Testament Commentary: The Gospel according to Mark The Baptism of Jesus (1:9–11)
To no prophet had words been spoken such as the words to Jesus at the baptism. Abraham was a friend of God (Isa 41:8), Moses a servant of God (Deut 34:5), Aaron a chosen one of God (Ps 105:26), David a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam 13:14), and Paul an apostle (Rom 1:1). Only Israel (Exod 4:23)—and the king as Israel’s leader (Ps 2:7)—had been called God’s Son before. But where Israel failed, Jesus takes its place.
D. We must not miss the Trinity in this passage.
D. We must not miss the Trinity in this passage.
All threes present in the Baptism, the Trinity working to redeem a people of God through Christ Jesus. I want to show you what mark does here do you remember the word that Mark uses when he say the heavens were ripped open schizo, the only other place it is use d in Mark is,
English Standard Version Chapter 15
37 And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. 38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”