Jesus embodied and proclaimed the Good News

February 18, 2002

BaptistWay Bible Study for Texas lesson for March 3

Jesus embodied and proclaimed the Good News

__Mark 1:9-15, 29-39
___⁹At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰ As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. ¹¹ And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."
___¹² At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert, ¹³ and he was in the desert 40 days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.
___14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ¹⁵ "The time has come," he said. "The kingdom of God is near. Repent and believe the good news!" ...
___²⁹ As soon as they left the synagogue, they went with James and John to the home of Simon and Andrew. ³⁰ Simon's mother-in-law was in bed with a fever, and they told Jesus about her. ³¹ So he went to her, took her hand and helped her up. The fever left her and she began to wait on them.
___³² That evening after sunset the people brought to Jesus all the sick and demon-possessed. ³³ The whole town gathered at the door, ³⁴ and Jesus healed many who had various diseases. He also drove out many demons, but he would not let the demons speak because they knew who he was.
___³⁵ Very early in the morning, while it was still dark, Jesus got up, left the house and went off to a solitary place, where he prayed. ³⁶ Simon and his companions went to look for him, ³⁷ and when they found him, they exclaimed: "Everyone is looking for you!"
___³⁸ Jesus replied, "Let us go somewhere else--to the nearby villages--so I can preach there also. That is why I have come." ³⁹ So he traveled throughout Galilee, preaching in their synagogues and driving out demons.

____By John Park Jr.
___The first convert of Gunsight Baptist Church insisted on being baptized even though it was winter. The small church did not have a modern baptistery, but instead used a galvanized water trough normally used to water horses. Several of the ladies of the church had been heating water on the stove top and pouring it in the trough during the sermon, but when it was time for the candidate to enter the baptistery, two men held up a bed sheet to obscure the view from the congregation.
___The newly converted town drunk stepped into the galvanized tank and gasped for air as the cold water enveloped his leg. He began to reconsider his baptism but then sat down on the concrete brick in the tank trusting that the same God who had delivered him from alcohol would also help him in this time of need. The sheet was dropped and he was baptized.
___In the 20 years since then, the church has grown, built new facilities and has baptized many folks in their modern baptistery. But many of the folks who knew the town drunk before and after his conversion still laugh about the cold water baptism and credit it for the profound life change they witnessed in their friend.
___Understanding the context
___We regard baptism as a symbol of the death and burial of the "old man" and the resurrection of the "new man." The Gospel of Mark is similar. In our Bibles, Mark is one of the four gospels that delineate the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament. Although it is the second gospel in sequence, it probably was written around 60 A.D., placing it as the first gospel written. It is not so much a biography of Jesus as it is a character sketch. It does not begin with the infancy of Jesus but with the ministry of John the Baptizer preparing the way.
___The Gospel of Mark begins by announcing "the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God" (Mark 1:1). After that profound introductory sentence to a primary audience of Gentiles, he quotes from the book of Isaiah concerning "the one who would prepare the way," and he writes of the ministry of John the Baptist.
___John's ministry was about a "baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins," but he also emphasized there would be a mighty One coming after himself, who baptized with the Holy Spirit. It is in the context of this prophetic announcement and the fulfillment of this prophecy that Jesus enters this gospel, not as an infant, but as an adult at the Jordon River.
___Leaving home
___Before Jesus could arrive at the river and begin his ministry, he had to leave home. Verse 9 is laden with meaning. It says that "Jesus came from ..."
___In order for Jesus to begin writing this new chapter in his life, in order for him to make atonement for our sins, in order for him to preach the gospel, gather and teach disciples, heal the sick and more, he had to leave home. He had to leave his family, his friends, his village, his early occupation in order to accept the ministry for which he was incarnated.
___Now the young men, cousins, stood together in the Jordon River, the sinner baptizing the sinless One, a human baptizing the Son of God. In the next verse, Mark uses the word "immediately" for the first of 41 times in this gospel. Mark's use of words usually conveys a vividness and action-oriented scenes.
___Immediately after Jesus came up out of the water, three things happened. First, he saw the heavens open. Second, the Spirit descended upon him like a dove. What a beautiful affirmation from God to his divine Missionary to earth. Heaven opened, and that which resided in heaven left home and descended upon Jesus. Here we have in the first 11 verses of the Gospel of Mark what is probably the first of all the gospel references to the Trinitarian aspect of the Godhead. God was not just partially involved in this mission; he was fully invested in the ministry of Jesus.
___The divine blessing
___The third thing Jesus experienced following his baptism was hearing his Father speak an exhilirating personal and touching sentiment: "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased."
___As we read this passage, we hear God articulate the relationship of the Divine Father and Divine Son. It helps us form our theology of the Trinity. The word translations regarding the "voice from heaven" indicate the primary message of the voice was directed to Jesus. God's voice may or may not have been heard by others, but his primary purpose was to bless his Son.
___Some recent Christian books have underscored the tremendous power of blessings. The writer encourages parents to bless their children, but this is nothing new. The relationship of God and Jesus and the appreciation of God for Jesus is deeper than humans can comprehend.
___As humans and faithful followers of Christ, we hope to stand before God one day and hear his voice speak personally to us the ultimate compliment, "Well done, thou good and faithful servant." Oh, the bliss of hearing from the God of the Ages speaking a personal word. The Apostle Paul heard from God, and it changed his life--not only eternally, but also moment to moment; "If God be for me, who can be against me?"
___After the riverside ordination service of baptism, Jesus began his earthly ministry. Through his baptism, Jesus identified himself with the sins of the world. He did so at his Father's will and with his blessing. God's Spirit then led Jesus into the wilderness, where he was with the wild animals, tempted by Satan and cared for by the angels for 40 days.
___The wilderness experience for Jesus was anything but a retreat. Mark does not elaborate on the details of the experience, but upon its completion, Jesus begins preaching and healing.
___God's kingdom
___The kingdom of God was the main subject of Jesus' teaching. The kingdom is not an abstract principle--the kingdom comes. The kingdom of which Jesus spoke is the reign of God, his sovereignty over mind and heart and will, and in the world.
___The kingdom of God speaks to our relationship to God and also to mankind, not only in the future, but in the present as well. As believers gather together, they form the church, which is the fellowship of those who have accepted the offer of the kingdom, submitted to its rule and entered into its blessings.
___It's near!
___The verb used in verse 15 regarding the timing of the kingdom is best translated as "is near" or "has begun to arrive." Therefore, those who are not a part of the kingdom still have time for repentance, but the time is short. The window will close at some time, and no one can know when that time will come.
___After Jesus called his first disciples, they went to Capernaum for the Sabbath. Jesus taught with authority in the synagogue, he cast out an evil spirit, and the people were so amazed the news about him spread quickly all over the region. This is the first mention of the news of Jesus spreading. It never has stopped.
___After leaving the synagogue, they went to the home of Simon and Andrew, where Simon's mother-in-law was sick with fever. The compassion of Jesus is obvious in this passage as he reaches out to a woman who would be considered among the lowest of society. As he took her hand and helped her up, the fever left her.
___By that evening, the whole town was gathered at the door of her house, and Jesus healed many that were sick and demon-possessed. The news of Jesus continued, and it continued to grow in scope.
___Notice the lifestyle of Jesus in verse 35. Early the next day, he left the house to find a solitary place to pray. I don't think Jesus did this just to model devotional times for us. Even though he was God's Son, even though there were hordes to minister to, even though his time on earth was severely limited, even though his disciples were slow learners, even though there was so much to do, personal prayer and solitude was a priority with Jesus.
___Progressive revelation
___While this gospel begins with the proclamation that Jesus is the Son of God, his introduction is also his inevitable conclusion. The work of God in the life of Mark and of modern believers is a gradual process. It took a while for even Mark to accept this reality. Jesus showed himself to be the Son of God by his behavior and sinless life, by fulfillment of the prophecies, by his teachings and by the miracles he performed.
___When Jesus came to the earth, he fulfilled the messianic prophecies of the Old Testament. God kept his word to his people, God sent the Word and the Word became flesh. The hope of the Jews and the Gentiles was realized in the arrival and example of Jesus and atonement that could only come through him.
___God came to earth in the form of a man. He demonstrated to mankind how to live as a spiritual being in a human body, how to live in response to God's love, and then he did what was impossible for humans: He redeemed us. Old Testament sin was dealt with by the offering of sacrifice, but because of the sacrificial death of Jesus, atonement has been accomplished once and for all. One time and for all people through one God-man, Jesus.
___John Park Jr is minister to married young adults and married median adults at Trinity Baptist Church in San Antonio

Questions for thought and discussion
___ What have you witnessed or taken part in that has changed you spiritually in a way that you will never be the same?
___ Is there a clear delineation between the "old you" and the "new you"? Did it take place at your baptism, or was it at a different juncture in your life?
___ Does God still ask us to leave places and things in order to do his work?
___ Do you think it was difficult for Jesus to leave?
___ When did John the Baptist became aware that Jesus was the fulfillment of his wilderness message?
___ It would have been easy for John to feel himself unworthy or unqualified for his task. Is there a task you are being called to but you have said, "I'm not worthy" or "I'm not qualified?"
___ What did Jesus have to gain by praying?
___ People began to know that when they heard Jesus speak, he would speak about the kingdom of God. What do people know you are going to talk about? Is it sports, your job or your grandchildren?
___ What would it take the make God's kingdom a priority?

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