Mark 1:9-13

The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus


9At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by
John in the Jordan. 10As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw
heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
11And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with
you I am well pleased."

12At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, 13and he was in the
desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals,
and angels attended him.



BACKGROUND READING:



Psalm 2





Matthew 3:13-4:11





Luke 3:21-22; 4:1-12





John 1:29-34



Devotional Thought

As we read this passage on baptism, it is important to first see it through the
eyes of Mark and the early church. They believed that when YHWH looks on
believers at baptism, that he looks at us in the same way and says the same
thing that he said to Jesus on the day of his baptism: You are my Son (or
daughter), whom I love, with you I am well pleased. God does not see us as
we are in ourselves, but as we are in Christ. We will need to read the whole
story of Mark, including Jesus’ death and resurrection to fully understand that
concept, but this is the core message of the gospel. The early church
understood that Jesus was the Messiah, and that he represented his people.
What is true of the Messiah is true of his people.


The Messiah means ‘the anointed one’; and this was the story of Jesus being
anointed with the Holy Spirit and marked out as God’s son. The Messiah was
referred to as God’s son in some biblical passages, including Psalm 2:7. The
early Christians would come to understand the concept of Jesus being God’s
son in a much deeper sense, but his messiahship was always very important
to them. It is because he is the Messiah, God’s son, that God views us as his
children. It is in this moment of his baptism, that Jesus was set apart; his
vocation as the Messiah had been confirmed by God and his prophet, John.
This is a moment that hold a great deal of significance to who Jesus believes
himself to be as he carries out his mission to Jerusalem.


Mark uses very Old Testament language when he says that he saw heaven
being torn apart. This shouldn’t be taken literally that a door opened in the
sky. The term ‘heaven’ in the Bible usually refers to God’s dimension that is
behind the ordinary, natural reality. It’s more as if what was there all along
was suddenly revealed as though it was behind a curtain that was pulled back
(see 2 Kings 6:17 for an example). It was if, rather than standing in the middle
of the river, Jesus was suddenly standing in the presence of a different reality.
Recognizing this reality and living according to it even when we can’t see it is
a good part of what living by faith is all about. This is anther of the great
themes of Mark that he wants us to see as we read his gospel. He wants us to
learn to see the life of Jesus in these terms. We need to see beyond the
surface, physical reality and see what Jesus was trying to teach and do in the
spiritual reality. This is not to completely exclude the physical reality as
irrelevant, but rather, it is to teach us to see both realms as real and important.


Viewing Mark’s words in this way will help us to see, for instance, why Jesus
went into the desert. He was acting out (acting out scenes representing Israel
was something prophets often did) Israel’s exodus from Egypt, particularly,
their journey through the wilderness into the promised land. He must go
through what Israel went through, become the new Israel in a sense, in order
to take Israel’s place (thus, the significance of him being there for forty days).
He is only able to face this time of loneliness and tempting because he has
heard God’s words of approval, setting him apart as his own son. The same
is true for us. If we don’t understand God’s view of us as his own beloved sons
and daughters, we will not be able to stand up to the siren’s call of temptation.
We will begin to think that the thing tempting us is something that is more in
our best interest, than is following God.


The angels that were with him were not able to keep Jesus from being
tempted, just as they would not keep him from being crucified, but they were
there to assure him that his Father is watching over him. Jesus is able to stand
up to the temptation of Satan, and because of this, His defeat of Satan has
been set in motion. This is a process that will only end in his resurrection.


Mark also adds the detail that he was with the animals. It is quite probable
that Mark wants us to think of this as a new Eden. Sin had, among many other
things, put a wedge between man and animal. Now through the work of
God’s son who has overcome Satan, the creation is about to be put back to
rights. This points to the restored age to come that will be fully realized one
day (see Isaiah 11 for a poetic description of the age to come). Through sin,
man had been separated from God, from God’s will, from other men, and
even from the animals. Mark wants us to see that through the work of Christ,
all of these things are to be restored.


Devotional Thought

Have you ever taken some time to meditate on your baptism as the
moment when God began to view you as you are in Christ, as his beloved
son or daughter? That is an incredible and overwhelming thought. Read
back through this passage slowly and think about your own baptism.
Insert your name into this passage and think of the full extent of God
viewing you as you are in Christ. If you’ve yet to be baptized, then
meditate on what it would mean to experience this, and ask yourself what
you are waiting for.