Mark 1:9-13 Amplified Bible
The Baptism of Jesus
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 [a]Immediately coming up out of the water, he (John) saw the heavens torn open, and the [b]Spirit like a dove descending on Him (Jesus); 11 and a [c]voice came out of heaven saying: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased and delighted!”
12 Immediately the [Holy] Spirit forced Him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted [to do evil] by Satan; and He was with the wild animals, and the angels ministered continually to Him.
The Word of God for the Children of God. Gloria! In Excelsis Deo! Alleluia! Amen.
The first chapter of Mark has it all. God, Jesus, the Holy Spirit, Angels and even Satan are all compacted here in the very same place at seemingly the same time, during the baptism of Jesus by John the Baptist and Jesus’ temptation by Satan.
The presence of John the Baptist arriving on the scene was the sign, the signal, and the moment that told the man Jesus to leave Nazareth, begin his ministry.
So, the Narrator Mark, speaking to his audience of readers, begins to present to them a step by step recitation of first introducing Jesus, then relating to readers a strong recommendation how they are to respond to God and this Good News.
First – Recognize that these Word’s of God are the Truth of God – spoken by God and are therefore trustworthy and true. God is active and attentive to their need.
Second – Recognize that God Himself, through His Son Jesus Christ, through His messengers -God’s Prophets Isaiah and Malachi through John the Baptizer has a prophetic message of promise and fulfillment for them – God needs them!
Third – God through His Son Jesus Christ, through His Messenger Mark, is now in need of their fullest possible attention – begin to shape the Kingdom of God.
The called of God, those children of God, in the first century moment respond – “We hear God – we believe on His Son Jesus Christ, what must we do now?”
A great expression of affirmation of faith followed by and even greater question.
Mark’s response is to follow in the example set by John the Baptist and Jesus:
Mark 1:9Amplified Bible
The Baptism of Jesus
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
First: Come willingly from wherever you are and recognize the authority of God.
Second: Make a decision to service unto the Kingdom of God and your neighbor.
Third: Recognize the absolute sovereignty of Jesus Christ over your entire life.
Fourth: Fully, Maximally, Utterly, Surrender the entirety of your life unto God.
Fifth: Present your whole body as a living sacrifice unto Christ and get baptized.
God needed His Son, the man, Rabbi Jesus to be “seen of man by man,” baptized as the necessary first step or visual sign of the beginning of his earthly ministry.
As one commentator said: It was a moment of decision; it was a moment of identification; it was a moment of God’s approval; was a moment of equipping.
Mark 1:10-11Amplified Bible
10 [a]Immediately coming up out of the water, he (John) saw the heavens torn open, and the [b]Spirit like a dove descending on Him (Jesus); 11 and a [c]voice came out of heaven saying: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased and delighted!”
When he Jesus, came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
A voice, and a message for the people came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son, whom I am delighted in, in whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
This is one of the only places in the Bible where all three persons of the Trinity are in the same place at the same time communicating to those who are there!
Immediately Connecting, Immediately Relating, Immediately Identifying with:
The most significant moment of all – the first Moment of “God’s First Contact!”
This makes it one of the more important events in Jesus’ life and the people’s.
By visualizing the moment – the people are visualizing connecting their lives with God in the same way – to hear the exact same words Jesus heard from God.
“You are my beloved children, whom I am delighted in, in whom I love and with whom, by this act, your choice of obedience – to this baptism – I am well pleased!”
The people visualize, gain their most important “first impressions” of the man: why they should sacrificially, willingly, joyfully, utterly graft their lives into his.
The man, just like every other man present in the moment – the man, Jesus is immersed into the every day events of humanity, subjected to all the very worst.
Sixth: Repent and Prepare the entirety of yourself for maximum service by God.
Mark 1:12-13Amplified Bible
12 Immediately the [Holy] Spirit forced Him out into the wilderness. 13 He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted [to do evil] by Satan; and He was with the wild animals, and the angels ministered continually to Him.
The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. “…and he was in the wilderness forty days, being mercilessly tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and all during that absolute worst misery: “the angels attended him.”
Here we see that Jesus was tempted and triumphed, something humanity could not do because mere man couldn’t overcome the worst of the worst absent God.
The people visualize that despite the worst of the worst – Jesus endured it and did not surrender one ounce of his faith in God – did not yield to Satan 1/8 inch.
The people can visualize for themselves that the worst of the worst is a definite possibility when they are seen as being for Jesus Christ and not for the Emperor.
But we can visualize ourselves enduring that worst of the worst because we can visualize Jesus doing it.
When the worst of the worst arrives, we can identify with it and instead of our submitting to the inevitability of being overcome by it – we identify with Jesus.
We visualize Jesus being continually administered to by the Angels.
We visualize ourselves – during our own worst of the worst – being continually administered to by the Angels also.
We identify with the moment of continuous comfort because it’s God’s promise.
It is God’s faithful promise of His continuous presence and continuous comfort.
Because: “The Word of God for His Beloved Children” is the absolute TRUTH!
We identify with God.
We identify with Jesus.
We identify Jesus with God
We identify Jesus’ victory over the very worst Satan can throw at us.
We identify with Jesus’ victory over the very worst Satan can throw at us.
Through that identification we can endure all things through Christ who is our strength through every single “worst of the worst” circumstance Satan inflicts.
Our faith remains sure and our faith remains strong, steadfast and immovable.
We are united in Christ, so that his victory might be our victory; so that when we are tempted, we can look to him and the living example Jesus first set for us.
Why was it important for Mark to provide these details?
Mark wanted to stress to his readers that Jesus is the only road to salvation.
The Maker of Heaven and earth declared His only begotten Son, Jesus to be his anointed one, His chosen one. He is real; He is credible; He is alive in us today!
Through these four rather short verses from the Gospel of Mark’s narrative ….
First: we can immediately identify with the absolute truth of that reality!
Second: we can immediately identify with the absolute truth of His credibility!
Third: we can immediately testify to the absolute truth of His being 100% alive!
Fourthly: we can immediately identify with the love of God and Jesus’ efforts towards preparing us for our ministry, mission: finish the Great Commission!
In the name of God, the Father and God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,
Let us Pray,
Lord God, Father to my Savior Jesus Christ, my Way-maker, my promise keeper. I know you have a destiny for me to achieve in this life. I want to follow the plan that you have laid out. Help me to understand and follow your call. Show me your will for my life and what I need to do right now to get started. Enable me to know who I am in Christ alone, and the special gifts and abilities you have given me. Give me the spirit of wisdom and revelation as I seek to know you more intimately. Amen.
Loving God, Living God, Loving Hope, Living Hope, Loving Living Life His Way! "Many things are possible for the person who has hope. Even more is possible for the person who has faith. And still more is possible for the person who knows how to love. But everything is possible for the person who practices all three virtues." - Brother Lawrence (1605-1691), Practicing the Presence of God (1692). 