Week 2
Devotional
Mark 1:9–14 (ESV): The Baptism of Jesus
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately 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 Temptation of Jesus
12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.
Jesus Begins His Ministry
14 Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God,
Introductions. What entails a great introduction? I don’t know if you watched the Grammy’s last night, but if you did, you got a healthy dose of introductions. One famous celebrity is introducing another famous celebrity to present the award, rattle off their accomplishments, and then hopefully pronouncing their name and title correctly. Over the years, introductions have made the front page of newspapers (when those were a thing), or went viral on social media streams not because they were introduced correctly, but incorrectly. Getting all the information, accolades, achievements, and especially their name right is critical.
In the Mark’s Gospel account of Jesus’ life, Mark follows this same pattern. In the very first verse of his book, Mark introduces jesus as the Messiah (or Savior), the Son of God, and the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy. Wow! What an introduction! Then, in verse 7, John the Baptist introduces Jesus as “the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am unworthy to stoop down and untie.” By the time we get to verse 9, we’re at the very beginning of Jesus’ ministry—His baptism, His empowerment of the Holy Spirit, and His temptation and testing in the wilderness.
Baptism is a symbolic proclamation of dying to sin as you are lowered into the water, and then coming up from that same water it’s a symbol of being made new and having a new life and commitment to follow Christ. Let’s be clear, Jesus was God in the flesh, fully God and yet fully human; so there was no need for Him to be baptized. But according to God’s will and God’s plan, Jesus was to be baptized as a way of identifying with us, the very people he came to save. Jesus was obedient so we would follow his lead and walk in obedience and freedom.
At that moment, Jesus came up out of the water and heaven split wide open. The Holy Spirit descended on Him in the form of a dove (notice the Holy Spirit came in the form of a dove; meaning this was not symbolic but real). I imagine a celebration moment right there like none ever in human history. It was the best introduction of of all time. This introduction wasn’t just introducing Jesus, this introduction was introducing you and I as Holy Spirit empowered believers!
But what is perhaps the most powerful part of these three verses are the words of the Father. this is an introduction more amazing than Mark’s or John’s. ‘You are my son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
This too is your introduction when you choose to follow Christ. The empowerment of the Holy Spirit rests on you and dwells within you just as it did Christ; but the validation of God’s pleasure to Jesus is equally God’s pleasure for us as well. When we say yes to Christ, we say yes to the Holy Spirit, and ultimately say yes to God’s will for our life. So what is God’s response to you:
“You are my son/daughter, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Who wouldn’t want the God of all creation and power to say them, “You are my son/daughter and I love you. I’m so proud of you. You give me great pleasure!”
Truth is, that is what he says to you when you choose to follow him in obedience. That is what happens when you choose to let the Holy Spirit fill you and empower you. That is what happens when you trust him with your life.
PAUSE: Reflect on the motivations of your heart. Are you trying to earn love, approval, and validation from God or are you simply following Christ and submitting your life to his lead?
PRACTICE: In order to retain your behavior to operate in love and freedom, be aware of your thoughts and feelings. Identify words like “I should” or “I have to” do this or that. Instead, replace those words with “I could” or “I get to.” For instance, replace “I have to read my Bible” with “I get to read my Bible!”
PRAY: Jesus, thank you for being obedient to the Father’s will and making a way for me to stand in right relationship with God. I’m amazed that before I do anything, You love me! Please help me to understand my identity as a child of God and to rest in the comfort of your unconditional love and approval of my life.