Mark Week 2 Sermon Manu

Intro/Welcome

The deepest longings we have are ultimately for the Kingdom of God

no matter where you live on the globe

you have the longings

What I want to show you today is that ultimately we are all longing for the Kingdom of God

The Kingdom of God comes with the King.

Bible

We’ll be in Mark 1:9-15.

go there in your bibles

My Name is Justin

Mark’s Purpose

As we look at today’s text we’ll see that Mark doesn’t include details that both Luke and Matthew do

Mark is writing Peter’s account of Jesus

likely writing in Rome to Romans in the mid 50s

That has to do with who Mark is writing to and why

One of the features of Marks’s gospel is it’s fast-paced nature

24 Clock ticking down

It gets right to the point, there’s no birth narrative, no stories of young Jesus getting left behind in the temple, no flight to Egypt.

Mark wants to get us right into the action

into what is most important.

This is what we will see today — some massively significant events.

Three in particular.

The Baptism of Jesus

The Battle (Temptation) of Jesus with Satan

The Beginning of His Ministry and the Kingdom of God.

Each of these are important so let’s begin with the first

Pray

praying that your will be done on earth as it is in heaven.

The Baptism of Jesus

Mark 1:9 (CSB)

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

Now this is puzzling b/c you might immediately ask “Why does Jesus get baptized?”

Last week: John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.

Jesus had no need to repent, and needed no forgiveness

for he was sinless (Heb 4:15, 1 John 3:5, 2 Cor 5:21, 1 Pet 2:22)

Jesus identifies with us

In fact, in Matthews account John the Baptizer raises an objections.

Matthew 3:14–15 (CSB)

14 But John tried to stop him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?” 15 Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John allowed him to be baptized.

He says it is the way to ‘fulfill all righteousness’

What does that mean?

It means Jesus submits to the Baptism of John becuase it is a part of God’s redemptive plan for the world.

In short it means, that although Jesus had no ‘need’ for baptism, he did it in order to identify with his people.

This is a way that Jesus identifies with you and I as men and women.

Jesus was both fully God and fully human

in this way he is exhibiting is humanity by identifying with sinful human beings, yet with out sin.

Hebrews 4:15 (CSB)

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.

God with us

This is so important:

many believe in a God that is distant, who cares not for the the affairs of men.

Perhaps you have felt that way

You have felt that God is not listening, that he is a distant or disappointed father.

But in this we see that God comes to dwell with his people

to take on their infirmaries

to be like them to relate to them to save them and be with them.

This is so amazing b/c of what mark reveals next

The Trinity Revealed | Jesus is God

Mark 1:10–11 (CSB)

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. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well-pleased.”

The heavens are ‘torn’ open

something permanent

not a ziplock back, not a zipper, but a tear.

THE HOLY SPIRIT

The Holy Spirit descends!

not as a dove — but LIKE A DOVE

That is gentle and graceful

THE FATHER SPEAKS

The father speaks

“You are my beloved son (my only begotten son)”

“with you I am well pleased.”

Here again for the second time in the Gospel

Jesus is the Son of God

It means Jesus is God, of the same kind.

So right here we have the Trinity

Father, Son and Holy Spirit

Who heard/saw this?

John 1:32–34 (CSB)

32 And John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and he rested on him. 33 I didn’t know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The one you see the Spirit descending and resting on—he is the one who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

Matthew 3:16–17 (CSB)

16 When Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.”

Evidently this was a voice from heaven that other’s heard and at least John saw the spirit descending.

This was a Vision and a Word from God the Father that essentially anoints Jesus as this long-promised messiah king.

The Significance of the Spirit Anointing

Isaiah 61:1–2 (CSB)

1 The Spirit of the Lord God is on me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. He has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives and freedom to the prisoners; 2 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor, and the day of our God’s vengeance; to comfort all who mourn,

Isaiah 42:1 (CSB)

1 “This is my servant; I strengthen him, this is my chosen one; I delight in him. I have put my Spirit on him; he will bring justice to the nations.

NIVAPP — Creation/New Creation

The beginning of the gospel is then also the beginning of a new creation. This time, however, the Spirit hovers over a human being, not over a formless void, which suggests that God intends to transform humanity. (NIVAPP)

Psalm 2:7 - The Enthronement of Jesus

Psalm 2:6–7 (CSB)

6 “I have installed my king on Zion, my holy mountain.” 7 I will declare the Lord’s decree. He said to me, “You are my Son; today I have become your Father.

Psalm 2 is an enthronement psalm, which celebrates the enthronement of the king to rule over God’s people.

“My son” is a title for the Davidic kings of Israel (see 2 Sam. 7:12–16).

One can interpret the voice at Jesus’ baptism as God’s announcement that Jesus has been chosen to rule over his people and that he assumes royal power as king.

Summary

The significance of this episode is that

Jesus identifies with a sinful people

Jesus is shown to be the Son of God, the 2nd person of the Trinity — therefore God in the flesh

The Spirit descending is the spirit anointing of Jesus which was common of those commissioned to God’s service and empowers Him for ministry

God, the Father’s voice, speaks over him and ‘enthronement’ meant to establish his Kingship over all creation as both God and man.

Now why is this so important?

It was necessary for Jesus to inaugurate the Kingdom of God on earth

look what happens next

The Temptation of Jesus

Mark 1:12–13 (CSB)

12 Immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness. [Luke ad that he was full of the Spirit]

13 He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and the angels were serving him.

The first thing that happens

IMMEDIATELY — one of Mark’s favorite literary devices — keeps us moving

Immediately Jesus is led BY THE SPIRIT into the wilderness.

Mark doesn’t add the details that Matthew and Luke do

Matthew and Luke say he was led “for the purpose of being tempted by the devil.”

Devil = diabolos — lit. slanderer, accuser

Jesus is going to battle against the enemy of God.

But Jesus will succeed where Adam and Eve failed in their temptation by the devil

Jesus would succeed where Israel failed in the wilderness

Jesus succeeds where Adam, Eve, Israel and you and I fail

Jesus does what we cannot do for ourselves.

The Battle

He must defeat the enemy of God

Jesus fasts for 40 days and nights.

Fasting is a way of preparation for ministry

a way of denying our desires and saying yes to God’s

it is a way of saying, “not my will but thy will be done

Luke and Matt both say ‘he was hungry’

How Satan works:

He comes especially when we are weak, stressed, hungry, tired

he knows that is when we are most vulnerable.

His primary weapon is deception.

He uses God’s Word ‘craftily’

It is what he has been doing from the beginning

twisting the Word of God

He is a liar and the originator of Lies (“father of lies”

it is his native tongue.

Three Temptations

So he comes at Jesus and tempts him with God’s word in three ways:

Self Serving:

To use his power to satisfy his own desires and needs (stones to bread)

Jesus — man lives by the Word of God

Matthew 4:3–4 (CSB)

3 Then the tempter approached him and said, “If you are the Son of God, tell these stones to become bread.”

4 He answered, “It is written: Man must not live on bread alone but on every word that comes from the mouth of God.” (Deut 8:3)

Testing God’s Love

To Tests God’s love for him by throwing himself off the pinnacle of the temple so that God’s angels will temp him

(also suicidal — which is demonic)

Jesus — do not test the Lord’s power or love

there is no need — simply trust

Matthew 4:5–7 (CSB)

5 Then the devil took him to the holy city, had him stand on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to him,

“If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down. For it is written: He will give his angels orders concerning you, and they will support you with their hands so that you will not strike your foot against a stone.” (Psalm 91:11-12)

7 Jesus told him, “It is also written: Do not test the Lord your God.” (Deut 6:16)

Worldly Power — to take on his own terms.

Shows him the “kingdoms” of the world and offers them if he would worship Satan

Jesus — worship only the Lord your God and serve him

Matthew 4:8–11 (CSB)

8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their splendor. 9 And he said to him, “I will give you all these things if you will fall down and worship me.”

10 Then Jesus told him, “Go away, Satan! For it is written: Worship the Lord your God, and serve only him.” (Deut 6:13)

11 Then the devil left him, and angels came and began to serve him.

Jesus responds from Deuteronomy — a summary of the first 4 books of the OT

Jesus is tempted in the same ways we are

to use our gifts on our own desires and needs the way we want

to test the Lord’s power and love

to worship anything other than the Lord God

Hebrews 4:15 (CSB)

15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who has been tempted in every way as we are, yet without sin.

Yet Jesus succeeds where we have all failed.

He does what we cannot do

and defeats the enemy

He emerges victorious

D-DAY:

Jesus ‘landing’ on earth through the incarnation and the beginning of his ministry is akin to the allied forces landing on normandy on D-DAY

Having defeated the enemy he now inaugurates his Kingdom.

The Kingdom of God

Mark 1:14–15 (CSB)

14 After John was arrested, Jesus went to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God: 15 “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

Jesus is King

Jesus goes to Galilee and begins preaching the

Good new (gospel) of God (or of the kingdom of God)

The time is fulfilled / at hand / arrived

The kingdom of God has come near / in your midst / at hand / in your presence

The Kingdom of God

What is the Kingdom of God?

The kingdom of God is where ever God is reigning and ruling

the Kingdom comes with the King

What does the Kingdom Look like?

Mark is going to show us what the Kingdom of God is like

What are some of the things we will see in Mark?

It involves preaching that the Kingdom of God is at hand

teaching about the kingdom of God

demonstrating the power of the Kingdom of God

healing of diseases / sickness

authority of the demonic realm

the calling of disciples — citizens of the kingdom.

calling a people to himself.

Matthew gives us a summary of this in his account after the temptation

Matthew 4:23–25 (CSB)

23 Now Jesus began to go all over Galilee,

teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom,

and healing every disease and sickness among the people. (restoration and renewal)

24 Then the news about him spread throughout Syria. So they brought to him all those who were afflicted, those suffering from various diseases and intense pains, the demon-possessed, the epileptics, and the paralytics. And he healed them.

25 Large crowds followed him from Galilee, the Decapolis, Jerusalem, Judea, and beyond the Jordan.

This is a picture of the IN-BREAKING KINGDOM

It is what we all long for in the deepest core of our beings.

A correct understanding of the World and God

Hope, Joy, and peace of the gospel

healing from our infirmaries

freedom from demonic influence

relief from our afflictions, pains

restoration of the epileptics and paralytics

The kingdom of God is about renewal and restoration

it is what we are all working so hard for

peace — shaloam — the present Kingdom.

Our culture

America is some way illustrates this

cry for justice

longing for freedom,

pursuit joy, and peace/wholeness

What has happening in our day is that our culture (post-christian) wants the benefits of the Kingdom of God without the King

It will never work.

What should we do?...

Repent and Believe

We saw that the baptism Jesus will bring is one of repentance and the forgiveness of sins

Repent

Repentance:

to change one’s mind / to turn around

to change allegiance from the Kingdom of Darkness to the Kingdom of Light

Colossians 1:13–14 (CSB)

13 He has rescued us from the domain of darkness and transferred us into the kingdom of the Son he loves. 14 In him we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.

1 Corinthians 4:20 (CSB)

20 For the kingdom of God is not a matter of talk but of power.

Acts 26:17–18 (CSB) [Jesus to Paul]

17 ...I am sending you to them 18 to open their eyes so that they may turn from darkness to light and from the power of Satan to God, that they may receive forgiveness of sins and a share among those who are sanctified by faith in me.’

Believe:

Have faith / trust in Jesus

for the forgiveness of sins that he died in your place for your sins

Gift Exchange

Our gifts of garbage, his gift of eternal life

Trust in the Lord and lean not on your own understanding (Prov 3:5-6)

walk by faith / live by faith

This means don’t give into the lies of the enemy

Just as Jesus did — know the Word

know the voice of the enemy and the voice of God

He has been defeated

Application

The kingdom of God involves:

the calling of disciples

teaching and preaching about the Kingdom of God

authority and freedom over the demonic

healing — spiritual, emotional, mental, physical.

Have you identified with the King?

have you repented?

Get baptized today! come talk with me

Live as citizens of the Kingdom

it changes the way we live.

Live differently

as those who have the truth / do not give in to deception

as those who have hope

The kingdom is available here and now through communion with the king

the one who died for you.

Let’s Pray