Baptised, Tempted: Jesus?
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Transcript
Recap and introduction
Recap and introduction
Author
Audience
Setting
Rome
Persecution
The message
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But … why gathered here today?
Why are we listening to this reading and explanation, of this ancient document?
Tears and fears, of mothers and fathers,
for our children!
for ourselves
-because worldly answers don’t cut it
(TV, fitness, mental health, world order)
Show us a Saviour!
(“Show us Jesus!”
And so, we turn to the Bible!
That, special revelation!)
Heavenly Author
Heavenly Author
Jesus Himself claims the Bible’s authority!
27 Then beginning with Moses and all the Prophets, he interpreted for them the things concerning himself in all the Scriptures.
And here, in the centre of our passage, is another claim:
11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”
Can you see?
Do you want to see Jesus?
11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”
Friends, if this still leaves you somewhat doubtful, or perhaps, very …!
You are not alone.
In the year 60 something in Rome
… people were doubtful!
Romans, of course! (False gods)
Jews … surprisingly so! (Pharisees, Temple, Law)
BUT, THE ABSURDITY BECOMES THE CONFIRMATION!
Counter intuitive! Then … and now!
The age of skepticism!
James Taylor!
There was a time that it was impossible not to believe
Then, a time when it became possible to not believe
And now, it has become almost impossible to believe!
And the search, continues ...
“Please sir … let us see Jesus ...
Show us in whom we might believe?
And so Mark, who HAS seen, writes down the proof texts. His share of the proof texts:-
“Long, long ago ...” (He does not say it that way) :-)
Mark 1:9
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.
Nazareth ...
Galilee ...
The Jordan river … !
*(Illustration)
But, was John’s babtism not a baptism of a confession of sins?
Jesus, Baptised?!
An almost anti-climax moment!
*Describe the scene of the baptisms in the Jordan river.
And here we are, looking to find a Saviour?
(Show us a true leader, a sinless leader!)
((Do you know someone like that?))
If you did, would you come into such a person’s presence, with a cheeky, “MATE! ..” attitude?
Sinlessness, is holiness!
Sinfulness, is death!
Will a sinful person come before a sinless judge and not be afraid?
* Judge and Accused
(*What sin are you accused of this morning?)
No! We need a sinless Judge (else how would he judge fairly!)
But we need a judge who is perfect in love!
We need a judge, who is able to be merciful!
Show us such a judge? Show us Jesus, because, maybe, He is THAT judge ...
And so:
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan by John.
He came, from Nazareth (the prophecy of a Savior)
worthy … (The Son of God)
and yet … able to associate with mankind, in every way!
NB! And when He is baptised, it is like demonstrating:
(Look at me! As I am baptised, I take on the sins of the world - YOUR SINS, TOO!
and I will take your sins to the Gallows
… pay the penalty
and yet remain worthy
by remaining sinless!
I am being baptised for the sins of the world
with which I must associate on every dimension
(fully man!)
yet fully God!
And then we have this super-natural, Epiphany!
10 As soon as he came up out of the water, he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
6 After forty days Noah opened the window of the ark that he had made,
7 and he sent out a raven. It went back and forth until the water had dried up from the earth.
8 Then he sent out a dove to see whether the water on the earth’s surface had gone down,
9 but the dove found no resting place for its foot. It returned to him in the ark because water covered the surface of the whole earth. He reached out and brought it into the ark to himself.
10 So Noah waited seven more days and sent out the dove from the ark again.
11 When the dove came to him at evening, there was a plucked olive leaf in its beak. So Noah knew that the water on the earth’s surface had gone down.
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But then ...
If Jesus was to associate on every level with the human condition
He would also have to experience
the force which still threatens us!
The very force that sets out to destroy God’s creation, daily. Still!
The devil!
And the devil’s *1 tool
Temptation!
12 Immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness.
Now where did we hear that word before?
The wilderness!
(Israel, in the wilderness … how long?)
40 years!
(The Ark, on the wilderness of water. How long? 40 days and 40 nights!)
The wilderness … that place where God turns His face away from us?
*The blessing!”
The place of
Guilt
Anger
Jealousy
Hate
13 He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving him.
… Are you starting to see Jesus, friends?
See Jesus:
In the crib, in Bethlehem (a star above)
In Nazareth, with His parents, and siblings - fully human!
In the river Jordan, fully human, and yet: “The Son of God!”
In the desert, tempted ...
On the Cross, still obedient, still sinless (the Son of God)
and yet, despised, pierced, killed
paying the penalty for us who could not resist the temptation - The Son of Man!
Do you see … Jesus?
Amen!