Jesus the Messiah

Introduction: Good News Paper

Good News

The gospel of Mark opens with these words: This is the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God. If the Good News Paper were printed in Jesus’ time, the Gospel of Mark would be the front page story. But why is this such good news?

The gospels (good news’s) are essentially biographies. But why would a biography be labeled good news? Who is this guy?

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Messiah/OT Quotes

Well, first, he is the Messiah. This is what the quote from the Old Testament is all about. Verse 3 is a quote from want to read it because it helps us understand what this is all about:

Isaiah 40:9–11 NLT

O Zion, messenger of good news, shout from the mountaintops! Shout it louder, O Jerusalem. Shout, and do not be afraid. Tell the towns of Judah, “Your God is coming!” Yes, the Sovereign Lord is coming in power. He will rule with a powerful arm. See, he brings his reward with him as he comes. He will feed his flock like a shepherd. He will carry the lambs in his arms, holding them close to his heart. He will gently lead the mother sheep with their young.

:9-

The OT idea of salvation was that God himself would come. When God came, he would perfectly care for his people like a perfect shepherd, and he would do it through his Messiah (the Christ). The idea of the Messiah that there would be a king over Israel that was so much like God that it was as if God himself came.

It’s like when you had a babysitter and your parents were like, OKAY JOHNNY, MISS OLIVIA IS IN CHARGE. They represent your parents. But most of them aren’t exactly like your parents. You know this. It’s why you get away with

Mark is saying that Jesus is the king. He’s the Messiah.

Son of God/Baptism

But, then, goes on to say that he’s not just the Messiah, he’s the Son of God. And this is what the baptism is all about.

Here’s the deal: We’ve got John the Baptist, and he’s the messenger. He’s preparing people for the coming of this Messiah—the king who is so much like God that it’s almost like God himself is there. He’s preaching that God is going to forgive people for their sins, but also that this comes through radically changing the way they live. And the way they show that they are changing their lives is through baptism.

But, if the point of baptism was to say that people were changing their lives so that they no longer sinned and that they wanted to be forgiven, then WHY DID JESUS GET BAPTIZED?

Because if there’s one thing everybody knows about Jesus, it’s that he’s perfect. He never sinned.

Baptism

Good News

Baptism

Good News