I sat down this morning to write the first post on my journey through the Gospel of Mark. Like I said earlier I want to primarily ask the questions: “Who is Jesus?” and “What impact does he have on my life today?” I thought that I would write one post per chapter…two posts a week for eight weeks. But as I read through Mark 1 I noticed tons of stuff, too much for one post. So I decided to do only half the chapter. I guess this week there will be at least 3 posts! Note: I will be reading the English Standard Version (Mark 1:1-20).
First off, here are some of the things that caught my attention about “Who Jesus is”. I would love to hear what caught yours. I don’t want this to become a monologue so chime in please!
Okay back to what caught my attention:
- John the Baptist says he is “not worthy to stoop down and untie” the strap of Jesus’ sandals (v. 7)
- John had been baptizing people in the water of the Jordan River, but he says about Jesus that “he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (v. 8 )
- When Jesus was baptized by John, the Spirit descended “on him like a dove” (v. 10) and a voice from heaven said “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased (v. 11)
- The Spirit “drove” Jesus into the wilderness (don’t be thinking SUV…NASB says “impelled”) where Satan tempted him, he hung out with wild beasts and angels ministered to him (vv. 13-14)
- Jesus said to some fisherman, “Follow me, and I will make you become fishers of men.” (v. 17)
Next, I need to ask “so what does this mean for me?” Well clearly if I want to lump Jesus in with regular folks, Mark is not going to be on my side. Jesus is not a regular guy! His connection with God is unique. Maybe some of you will want to dialogue about that some more.
Jesus baptizing people with the Holy Spirit does not seem like an option (maybe hanging out with wild beasts might be). Jesus was impelled by the Spirit, should that be my experience? Is that part of what it will take to become a fisher of men? I believe so.
Your turn!
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As usual I’m catching up but it takes me some time to think this stuff thru. Usually these discussions lead me to more questions so I’m glad to see you doing this as maybe others can shed light on some of this.
You said “Jesus is not a regular guy! His connection with God is unique.”
I think abOut that a lot. The thing that really stands out for me in the description of Jesus’s baptism is “immediately he saw the heavens being torn open”. Perhaps I’ve seeen too many sci-fi movies but it says to me that when God interacts with the world it is an event of momentous power. It is one of the few time in the whole of the bible where this happens.(see Exodus and the clouds & fire)
It also relates to who Jesus is and how this sheds light on the Trinity for me. My understanding here is that Jesus and the Holy Spirit are the means God uses to interact in a physical way with the world(as His own presence would destroy us?), to show and guide, persuade or compell us to do what He has given us to do.
I guess the connection with God is what cofuses me somewhat and I’m left wondering if Jesus is God dwelling in man or a man empowered by God through his spirit and then became “like” God and “driven” by God to do His will.
Wayne, you make some very thought provoking comments. I hope they draw some others into the dialogue.
Let me share a couple of verses, then a comment and end with a question.
Col 2:9 For in him [Jesus] the whole fullness of deity dwells bodily,
Php 2:6-7 Who [Jesus], being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God something to be grasped, 7but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made in human likeness.
It is tough to get our minds wrapped around the unique relationship between Jesus and God. I believe the above verses point to the fact that Jesus was God, embodied as a man. Jesus was not less human than we are, nor was he any less God than God the Father. Those two natures (i.e., human and divine) co-existed in Jesus in a way that knows no duplicate.
You said that you understand Jesus and the Holy Spirit as the means God uses to interact with the physical world. Could you expand on how you understand the word “means”?
Because of the fact that I was not a Jesus follower for the most of my life I see the action part of Jesus’ presense and the indwelling of the Spirit in my life very clearly.
I feel that part of accepting Jesus is, in a sense, recognizing our own sinful nature and giving him permission to change us. I don’t know how it works for others but I’m keenly aware when God makes a change in me. It is most often as a result of the prompting of the Spirit and a heightened awareness of what Jesus asks of me.
I don’t know why God chooses to do it this way (this means) but I do know its Him. He could choose to just change me completely today and be done with it.
GUYS
Help me out here.
Wayne, I will give some room for some others to join the conversation. I am wondering if “influence” is at the core of what you mean by “means”?
Hello David,
Sorry for the late jump in. I’d like to jump in here at the beginning even though you may have moved on in the Chapter. I have some questions too, along with Wayne’s, because as you said David, there’s a lot of information in the first chapter.
I need some clarification on the reason that Jesus was baptized. John was proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. So along comes Jesus, the God-Man who never sinned. Why would He need to be baptized by John? In Matt 3:15 Jesus himself said “thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness”. I’m not sure that I completely understand that: what righteousness? Whose righteousness?
Your comment David on being impelled by the Spirit, to become a fisher of men caught my eye because I am intrigued by the experience of Simon and Andrew and James and John who “immediately” dropped everything they were doing to follow Jesus. This is no simple thing. Fishing was not just their livelihood, but probably the majority of their whole life experience centered around fishing (no country club for them). Now that is some impelling by the Spirit! What went on in their hearts and their minds between the time Jesus called them, and the time they responded and dropped everything and followed Him? When I think deeply about this, I wonder how I would have reacted. How do I react today? How am I doing in the following department?
I’d like to comment to Wayne’s post if I may. I think there is a tie in here with the subject of the Spirit impelling us (I hope). Titus 3:4-6 tells us that “when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, he saves us, ……according to his own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit, whom he poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior…” We can’t follow Christ, we can’t even know who he is without the work of the Holy Spirit in our lives. “For the mind that is set on the flesh is hostile to God, for it does not submit to God’s law, indeed it cannot. Those who are in the flesh cannot please God.”(Romans 8:7,8) The Holy Spirit convicts me of sin. The Holy Spirit drives me to change, to be like my Savior, to be holy as he is holy.
You’re right David, Jesus is no regular guy. What does it mean to me? Everything!
Craig,
In Mark 1 v. 5 and v. 9 similarly speak about people being baptized by John in the Jordan River. Verse 5 ends by noting that the people were “confessing their sins”; that phrase is absent from v. 9, which speaks of Jesus’ baptism. I am convinced that Mark is making it clear by this contrast that although Jesus was being baptized by John it was not for the same reasons. Jesus was sinless and had no need to confess sins. I believe that Jesus submitted to baptism symbolizing: 1) his identification with the people and 2) his obedience to God’s will (which will see him give his life as a ransom for many cf. Mk 10:45). This is the “righteousness” (i.e., the right living) that he fulfills.
Good comment!
Thanks for the answers David. Would it be right to say also that Jesus was modeling the behavior He would ask of us, in terms of water baptism?
Craig, I think you could view it like that as long as you didn’t think that he likewise was modeling the repentance that needs to accompany our baptismal experience.
Copy that, thanks