Jesus Christ in the Wilderness
Truth Taught- Jesus entered into the Wilderness and was baptized by John in the Jordan
There is a misconception in Christian circles. The misconception is that we are not that bad, we can do what God requires, and if you do things a certain way, then you will get the results you’re after. If your health or finances are failing then it’s your fault; you just don’t have enough faith. However, a good study of the Bible and even Church History reveals that some of the apostles and heroes of the faith after them suffered greatly.
The real truth is, we are fallen sinners, unable to do what God commands. We are fallen sinners. Even when we attempt to do what God requires (and we should always) we fall short.
Today, in our text lets watch what Jesus does for us. Let’s be amazed at our Savior and Lord. Let’s praise Him for doing what God requires perfectly for us. Praise the name of Jesus Christ today!
We have seen so far from Mark’s Gospel that Jesus is Savior, Messiah, and the Son of God. The events Mark reports are meant to further display Jesus in His greatness as Savior, Messiah, and God’s Son.
He declares these to be true in the first verse of the Gospel and then through the prologue shows us that these titles are true and accurate where Jesus is concerned. He has shown us that Jesus is the Lord as He shines the spotlight on John the Baptist. He is the one crying out in the wilderness making the path straight for God to come and rescue His people. John is the Elijah who was to come to usher in the new Messianic age. John was out in the wilderness where Elijah was. The people have been called to repentance and they are beginning to turn from their sin…who will they turn to? John the Baptist is not the Messiah. He says that he’s not even worthy to be the Messiah’s slave.
Who will the people turn to when they repent?
Mark 1:1–13 (ESV)
1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,
“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
who will prepare your way,
3 the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
‘Prepare the way of the Lord,
make his paths straight,’ ”
4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
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.”
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.
1. Jesus, Baptized by John (1:9)
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
The Word of God has announced from the Prophet in the Wilderness God is coming. Repent, God is visiting His people. John the Baptist, the prophet crying out also told us that the One coming is much greater than he is.
Now, Jesus appears. He comes from Nazareth of Galilee to be baptized by John out in the wilderness in the Jordan river.
Here is John’s baptism…
Mark 1:4 (ESV)
4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins.
John baptized with water; Jesus will baptize with the Holy Spirit. Jesus is greater than John because Jesus is God’s Son making Him deity as well. Only God can give the Holy Spirit, only God can baptize with the Spirit.
The Baptism of Jesus is the marker for the beginning of His earthly ministry. By it, Jesus is submitting to the Father’s will and being identified with the Holy Spirit.
In the Book of Acts, Peter tells the other disciples that when they select Judas’ replacement, he must be someone who was with Jesus throughout His ministry and he lays out the bookends if you will, from Jesus’ baptism to Him being taken up into heaven…
Acts 1:21–22 (ESV)
21 So one of the men who have accompanied us during all the time that the Lord Jesus went in and out among us, 22 beginning from the baptism of John until the day when he was taken up from us—one of these men must become with us a witness to his resurrection.”
Our Lord’s baptism is the inauguration of His ministry.
Jesus walks out into the wilderness to submit to John’s baptism of repentance. Here, the sinless Son of God receives the sign of repentance on our behalf. Submitting to John’s baptism, Jesus acknowledges the judgement that is upon Israel and the fact that He alone is the Savior of God’s people. Think of it, the sinless Son of God, who needs no repentance, undergoes the sign of repentance for all who believe…
Beloved, in our sinful state we can’t even repent correctly so, Jesus comes through again for us. He repents on our behalf because our repentance is flawed. Church trust in Christ!!!!
Jesus is true Israel and repents for us because our repentance is not in itself sufficient. We need Jesus for everything.
This amazing event signifies a New Covenant and a New Israel. Jesus will bear the judgement of God for all who believe.
I want us to see a wonderful twist Mark has for us here…Mark tells us that all of Judea and Jerusalem were coming out to John to be baptized by him. Yet, they would prove to be rebellious and disobedient to God. Judah and Jerusalem were the places where God’s people were supposed to be and yet they proved to not be God’s people at all. Here comes One from Nazareth, from a place despised. Those from Nazareth were held to low esteem.
Nathanael’s mocking question, “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” foreshadows the fact that Jesus would be mocked more earnestly by others (cf. John 7:42). Nathanael asks the question because the Christ was seen as being the one who would deliver Israel from oppression. The long-awaited Messiah was to be held in the highest esteem. So why would He come from a place like Nazareth?
“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” The surprising answer is “yes.” God chose to have His Son, the Savior of the world, live in Nazareth. “God chose the foolish things of the world to shame the wise; God chose the weak things of the world to shame the strong. God chose the lowly things of this world and the despised things—and the things that are not—to nullify the things that are” (1 Corinthians 1:27–28). We see this often in Scripture: Joseph, Ruth, Gideon, and David all began in lowly, despised places, but God chose them and used them in great ways.
Jesus was foolish and weak and lowly and despised in the estimation of this world (cf. John 19:1–5), and to top it off, He was from Nazareth. Jesus is the ultimate example of God utilizing the weak (according to human standards) to shame the wise (also according to human standards) for the purpose of glorifying Himself.
Nathanael begins his time with Jesus with a gently cynical question: “Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” But his tone soon changes. After an opportunity to speak with Jesus, Nathanael proclaims, “Rabbi, you are the Son of God; you are the king of Israel” (John 1:49).
Mark’s point is all the good guys are supposed to come from Judah and Jerusalem there are none. Out of Nazareth is where all the bad guys are supposed to be but there is One who came from Nazareth and surprisingly, He is the Savior of the world.
Jesus, the Nazarene, is God’s only Son who came to save His people. He identifies with all those who were baptized by John by being baptized for repentance even though His is the only One who does not need to repent…even John can’t say that.
2. The Heavens Torn Open, The Spirit Descends and God Declares This is My Son (1:10-11)
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.”
Three things happen at Jesus’ baptism that fulfill what John the Baptist has been preaching. This is why John is the great prophet. He gets to see the fulfillment of his prophecies. Repent because the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand…
When the Messiah appears and His Kingdom begins…
***Heaven is torn open…
Here we have the image of Jesus coming up out of the water and the Holy Spirit coming down from heaven.
Mark tells us something else that shows us who Jesus is…
immediately he saw the heavens being torn open…
In Isaiah 64:1 Isaiah writes in a longing way that how good it would be for God to tear the heavens and descend to His people. However, Isaiah goes on to declare the terror involved. If God were to tear open the heavens and descend, the people would perish.
Isaiah 64:1 (ESV)
Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down,
that the mountains might quake at your presence—
Mark reports that at Jesus baptism the heavens are torn open…the Messiah is here. This word for torn is a very graphic word. The Hebrew equivalent is used in describing the Red Sea event in Exodus…
Exodus 14:21 (ESV)
21 Then Moses stretched out his hand over the sea, and the Lord drove the sea back by a strong east wind all night and made the sea dry land, and the waters were divided.
The waters were divided…literally they were torn apart by the power of God.
So, at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry the heavens tear open to reveal who Jesus is. At the end of Jesus’ ministry, we see another tearing to reveal who Jesus is…
Mark 15:38–39 (ESV)
38 And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. 39 And when the centurion, who stood facing him, saw that in this way he breathed his last, he said, “Truly this man was the Son of God!”
Now, everything is different. Jesus has come from Nazareth into the wilderness to be baptized of John. Because of Jesus, beloved, God tore open the heavens…immediately after this baptism. Jesus has identified with His people and the heavens are torn open like Isaiah prayed for and longed for. Now, God can fellowship with His people because of the faithful Son.
***God descends from heaven…
Spirit descending on him like a dove.
The age to come or the Last Days…the beginning of the Messianic Kingdom will be marked by the descending of God’s Spirit.
The original is much more intense and significant that the Spirit descended on Him…literally the Spirit descended into Him. Jesus is being filled with God’s Spirit for power and success in His ministry. He is equipped with the Holy Spirit.
God can be with His people. We see the doctrine of the Trinity portrayed…The Father declaring the same truth Mark has already told us…Jesus is God’s beloved Son. We see the Holy Spirit descending and Jesus the Son of God coming up out of the water. What an event. Now everything is different.
All this takes place in the wilderness. There is more significance of this location. God will lead His people up out of the wilderness now in the true Exodus. God has come to His people…I am the God who led you out of the land of Egypt…
Isaiah 32:15–16 (ESV)
15 until the Spirit is poured upon us from on high,
and the wilderness becomes a fruitful field,
and the fruitful field is deemed a forest.
16 Then justice will dwell in the wilderness,
and righteousness abide in the fruitful field.
The tearing of the heavens and the sending of the Spirit signify a new creation and a new cosmic event, God will be our God and we will be His people.
***God’s voice from Heaven…
11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
Here God the Father marks His one and only Son by giving Him the Holy Spirit to help our Lord carry out His ministry. This…right here is My unique Son. God declares with authority what Mark has also told with authority…this Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God.
Jesus is identified as God’s Son. Here, the fulfillment of Israel is complete. Jesus is the Son that Israel was called to be and failed. Jesus steps in and through His ministry always submits to the Father’s will and displays for us what obedience looks like and then obeys for us and keeps God’s commands perfectly.
Then God tells us that His Son is highly qualified…with Him I am well pleased.
Jesus is fully competent to accomplish all God has for Him to do.
Isaiah 42:1 (ESV)
42 Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
Here’s the thought process or better the logic of God in His announcement. Here is My unique and only Son who I have chosen for this task. It’s important to see here that Jesus did not become the Son of God at His baptism, He has always been the Son of God now He is marked and given the Holy Spirit and ready for the task God has for Him.
Conclusion:
Jesus comes from Galilee to the wilderness and meets with John for baptism of repentance. He is the good that comes from Nazareth. He is the God who enters into the wilderness fulfilling Isaiah 40. He is the true Baptizer being baptized for repentance. Jesus associates or Identifies with His sinful people and takes the sign of repentance for those who are His who are guilty and cannot repent the way God commands. He has marked His ministry as one of saving His people who cannot save themselves. Jesus will do for us what we cannot do for ourselves.
Jesus enters into the wilderness to bring us to God.
God declares that His only Son is the One qualified to accomplish this task.
Has Jesus brought you to God? Are you born again?
LORD’S SUPPER
Resources Used:
Mark by Lane
Words of Blessing
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