Last week, we introduced ourselves to the gospel of Mark. Mark is a fast-paced account, mainly of Jesus’ actions and ministry, emphasizing Him as the suffering servant Messiah who has come to give His life as a ransom. Chapter 1:1-13 functions as a prologue to the gospel, revealing Jesus’ identity to the reader before He begins His public ministry in v. 14-15. Last Sunday, we worked our way through 1:1-8 and saw the testimony of Mark (v. 1) that Jesus is the Christ and the Son of God. Likewise, the scriptures testify that He is the Lord long foretold to come, also pointing to a forerunner who would prepare the way for Him. John the Baptist was this messenger, preparing the people by preaching a baptism of repentance and calling them to turn to the one who would come after him. John calls them to repent and trust in the coming Messiah, promising that He would baptize them with the Holy Spirit. Sunday, we will jump back into this prologue, examining v. 9-15. In these verses, we find two events that are very familiar to us but are strange in their meaning. Jesus comes forth from Galilee as the crowds are repenting, confessing, and being baptized, and rather than beginning His ministry to them, He joins them in their baptism. As He does this, the heavens open, the Spirit descends upon Him, and the Father declares His pleasure in His Son. Immediately after these events, the same Spirit that "anoints" Jesus drives Him into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. Only then does Jesus begin His preaching in v. 14-15. Although Mark’s account of these events is significantly shorter than the other gospel writers, he records them for a purpose. These events prepare Jesus, in His humanity, to be the kind of Savior we must have. Only God can be the Holy and perfect fulfillment of His covenant and law, but only a human being can represent humans before the Father. Jesus willingly submits Himself to a baptism of repentance, though He has no sin to repent of, in order to identify with us in our plight. He is anointed by the Spirit and commissioned as Messiah, the only man in whom God is perfectly pleased, and then, He is sent into the wilderness to do what no one has ever done before. He must stand in the place of Adam and Israel who fell to temptation, and emerge victorious to be the kind of Savior we need. We will explore the significance and application of these truths Sunday as we gather to worship and receive the Lord’s Supper.
I. The Preparation Of Our Messiah (v. 9-11)
II. The Testing Of Our Messiah (v. 12-13)
III. The Proclamation Of Our Messiah (v. 14-15)
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