The Gospel of Mark Series
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Confirmation and Crisis Mark 1:9-12 Mark gospel is swift moving and short. Scenes are like those of a movie. Historical evidence shows that Mark’s gospel was his recollection of what Peter had taught. He took time to record Peter’s teaching and wrote it down as a response to those Christians who had made a request for copies of his writings. If the gospel of Mark is truly Petrine in origin, then we know that it was this same Peter who confessed Jesus as the Christ…the Messiah…the Son of the Living God! It was this same Peter who left everything to follow Jesus. Mark’s gospel in this first chapter makes the Lordship of Jesus evident. CONFIRMATION John’s Preaching John the Baptist revealed himself and preached repentance after spending most of his life in the wilderness. John said that his role was simple…he was the voice of one crying in the wilderness “make straight the way of the Lord.” John said this of Jesus…”One is coming after me whose sandals I am not fit to stoop down and loosen” he said One is coming after me who is greater than I because he existed beforeme! HOW? When Elizabeth was 6 months pregnant and Mary came to visit and was with child, John leapt in his mother’s womb. John was confirming the identity and preexistence of Jesus! John’s Baptism John began baptizing in the Jordan River. Many were coming to him and confessing their sins. John’s baptism was with water. His baptism was unique because it signaled something greater than the ritual washings that the Jews traditionally did. John’s baptism had a moral/ethical element to it. The repentance and the confession signified that the one being baptized was turning from their wicked ways! There was no political or ritualistic Knowing that John was preaching repentance for the forgiveness of sins makes it very odd that Jesus would come from the region of Galilee and come to John for baptism. John refused initially. “You should be baptizing me.” But Jesus said to John, “Permit (IMPERATIVE) it at this time so that through us, all righteousness will be fulfilled.” Jesus had no sin and no need to repent so why was he here to be baptized? It was part of his confirmation. John 1:31 “I did not know him, but so that He might be manifested (passive voice) to Israel, I came baptizing with water. Jesus coming to be baptized along with the crowds did two things: 1. It created a public witness to what was going to happen after his baptism and 2. It identified him with the crowds…there were people coming from everywhere to be baptized by John (Luke 3:21 when ALL the people had been baptized…Jesus was also baptized)! HE DID NOT NEED IT BUT HE WAS BEING OBEDIENT TO THE FATHER WHO HAD A PLAN. The Spirit Confirms So Jesus is immersed and comes up out of the water and something miraculous happens. Mark says in verse10 READ The Holy Spirit took the form of a dove so that He could be visible to those who were around. The dove is a symbol of God’s compassion; God’s peace and God’s purity. It was fitting. The other gospels write this passage such that it is the onlookers or John who see the Spirit. Mark writes it differently Verse 10, “HE saw the Spirit like a dove descending on Him.” Mark makes it clear that it was Jesus who saw this happening to Himself! The Spirit coming down from heaven CONFIRMED to Jesus (100% human) that He was indeed the Son of God; ALSO confirmed to everyone watching…He was MANIFESTED to Israel in this moment! God the Father Confirms Verse 11 We see a great illustration of the concept of the Triune God as work. The Spirit and the Father confirming the Son’s mission and work! “You are MY beloved Son. IN YOU I am well pleased” God the Father here is confirming the identity of Jesus AND IS PLEASED…but Jesus had not done anything yet (wow!!) Isaiah 42:1 “"Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Hi m; He will bring forth justice to the nations.” When you hear this confirmation from all these sources…YOU WOULD THINK THAT THE KING WAS ABOUT TO ATTEND HIS CORONATION…but that is not what happens. What we see AFTER the confirmation is a CRISIS!! It does not make sense but it has a purpose! THE CRISIS Verse 12, 13A IMMEDIATELY THE SPIRIT IMPELLED (to lead with an irresistible force) Jesus to go out into the wilderness. 40 days he was in the wilderness being tempted by the devil! We have read this account. It is in all of the synoptic gospels! The other gospels have more details but the premise is the same. This crisis is contradictory to the calling that Jesus just witnessed. HOW CAN THIS BE THE SON OF GOD? There was a reason for this! The 40 days represented the 40 years that the Israelites spent in the wilderness! The DIFFERENCE is, Jesus got it RIGHT! The bible says in Isaiah 49:3 “You are My Servant, Israel, in whom I will show My Glory.” This prophetic word is from the Father to the Son... JESUS did NOT MAKE THE SAME MISTAKES that Israel made! He did not grumble! He did not complain! GOD IS RESETTING HISTORY WITH JESUS AS THE PRIMARY PLAYER TO DEMONSTRATE THE OBEDIENCE THAT GOD DESIRES! He is tempted by Satan for 40 days and yet He did not yield! The crisis did not break Him…IT WAS USED AS COFIRMATION! There is confirmation in the crisis! Jesus is here reliving the desert experience but there is no failure this time! Jesus is true Israel, He is what Israel could never be! How can this be? Because God always has an agenda and in this case, God is setting up salvation through the Son…the one who can sympathize with us in our weakness BECAUSE HE HAS BEEN TEMPTED IN EVERY WAY!! PRACTICAL APPLICATION Many of us have a hard time reconciling our crises with God’s calling on our lives. Let me tell you that THE CRISIS IS NOT SEPARATE FROM THE CALLING…IT IS A PART OF THE CALLING! Jesus Christ is the author and finisher of our faith and so the same blueprint that Jesus laid, we follow! Baptism We are baptized into his death so that we now walk in the newness of life. The baptism of the believer is an outward sign to those who witness it that WE IDENTIFY WITH JESUS CHRIST! Spirit We are confirmed by the Spirit of God! Paul says in Ephesians 1:13 that we are sealed in Christ with the Holy Spirit of promise and that the Spirit was given to us as a pledge (down payment) of our inheritance with a view towards redemption! Paul says again in Romans 8:16 that the Spirit testifies with our spirit that we are children of God! We are not the Son of God but we are sons of God…the Spirit confirms that! God John 1:12 says as many as received them, Jesus gave US THE RIGHT to become children of God, even to those who believe in His name…who were born not of blood not the will of the flesh not the will of man but the will of God! God calls us into fellowship with Himself through Jesus. John 6:37 Jesus says “All that the Father gives me will come to Me and the one who comes to Me I will certainly not cast out! We are hidden in Christ in GOD! WHERE IS OUR CRISIS? Those who are in Christ will be confirmed by crisis!! Paul says in Acts 14:22, through much tribulation we MUST enter the kingdom of God! ALL WHO SEEK TO LIVE A GODLY LIFE IN CHRIST WILL BE PERSECUTED! We are constantly engaged in warfare with the enemy of our souls. He is tempting and testing all the time! Confirmation comes when the pressure is on! Our words under pressure will demonstrate what is IN us. Out of the overflow of the heart the mouth speaks! Under pressure, we speak the WORD just as Jesus spoke the WORD. We believe the WORD Just as JESUS believed the word. We resist the devil just as Jesus resisted the devil! The crisis does not mean that God is absent! The Holy Spirit did not abandon Jesus to the wilderness…He was there the WHOLE TIME! Don’t you know that He is with you and IN YOU!? There is a reward for perseverance! Verse 13B God will confirm you and comfort you in your crisis! He did it for Jesus, we are sons and daughters of God (joint heirs), we are His children, He will do the same thing for us! Religion and Relationship Mark 3:1-7 Introduction Religious: from several terms in the bible…James Thompson defines the word religion or religious in the New Testament as stemming from three Greek roots; As used in Acts 17:6 it could mean superstitious; as used in Acts 26 or James 1:26, the rituals and customs of Jewish worship; As used in the pastoral letters, it refers to godliness or piety…a reverence for God. James says in James 1:27 that true, undefiled religion that is accepted by God our Father is this: to visit orphans and widows in their distress, and to keep oneself unstained by the world.