The Gospel of Mark presents us with a portrait of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (1:1)—he who is undiminished deity and perfect humanity together in one Person forever. He suffered on the cross as the bearer of God’s wrath against sin—a substitutionary sacrifice for all who believe, giving his life as a ransom for many (Mar.10:45), leading them along the way of suffering in this fallen world to the very glories of his full and final kingdom reign in perfect, unending righteousness (Mar.10:29-30).
Mark exploded out of the starting blocks identifying Jesus in the opening verse as Messiah (Christ) and the Son of God—God’s promised Deliverer who was also His unique Son, wholly like the Father, “God of very God” (Nicene Creed). These two designations will be progressively revealed throughout the remainder of Mark’s written record.
But Mark’s statement that this is the beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ (1) spotlights Jesus’ arrival, not so much Mark’s writing. The gospel, here, is the unfolding story of God’s purpose and plan in history. Messiah is coming! And that story begins with the preaching of John to prepare the way (3).
Quoting Malachi 3:1, which echoes Exodus 23:20 and flows into Isaiah 40:3, Mark drew together several expressions of Israel’s hope to introduce their latest prophet—the first in nearly 400 years. He united the prophetic voice of the Law and the Prophets to introduce the forerunner who would introduce Jesus, God’s full and final Deliverer! In the summarizing words of William Lane (46): Ex.23:20 contains God’s promise to send his messenger before the people on a first exodus through the wilderness to Canaan. In Isa.40:3 the messenger announces the second exodus through the wilderness to the final deliverance prepared for God’s people.
Israel spent forty years in the wilderness during the first exodus. Spiritually, they had now spent some 400 years there, not having heard from God since the prophet Malachi. But with his closing words he announced the coming forerunner: Behold, I will send you Elijah the prophet before the great and awesome day of the Lord comes (Mal.4:5). This description assigned a specific identity to Malachi’s earlier prophecy: Behold, I send my messenger, and he will prepare the way before me (Mal.3:1a).
John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Mar.1:4a). He was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist (recalling Elijah [2Ki.1:8]) (Mar.1:6a).
Israel had to go out to the wilderness to meet John—acknowledging their sin, humbling themselves, to get right with God. And they did it! (Mar.1:5) But if John’s wilderness work was for repentance and forgiveness, why (9) did Jesus come out from Nazareth of Galilee (Mar.1:9) to be baptized? Simply put, this is the beginning of the gospel—Jesus identifying with the sin of his people, fulfilling all righteousness (Mat.3:15) by showing that he would endure God’s judgment on their behalf.
But a remarkable thing happened 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 (Mark 1:10).
Isaiah’s prophesies were being realized! His prayer was being answered!
What prophesies? Isaiah 11:1-2: There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord. Isaiah 42:1: 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. Isaiah 61:1: The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor. The Spirit of God is upon Jesus! And it was made visible at his baptism!
What prayer is being answered? Isaiah 64:1-2: Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down, that the mountains might quake at your presence—as when fire kindles brushwood and the fire causes water to boil—to make your name known to your adversaries, and that the nations might tremble at your presence! The prophet was hungry for the presence of God among his people. They had expected full restoration of his presence in the Temple after the exile. They hadn’t yet seen it. But now this happened! At the baptism of Jesus, God rent the heavens, torn them open, and the Spirit descended on him! And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased” (Mar.1:11)
Everything Israel was hoping for, looking for, for centuries, even millennia, was beginning to happen! And the Father declared his good pleasure with it all!
The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan (Mar.1:12-13a). Thus Jesus himself began to prove the nature of his identity that had been now been affirmed by Mark (vss.1-3), John (vss.4-8), the Spirit (vs.11), and the Father (vs.11). And the result would be that Isaiah’s prophesies of the suffering servant would finally begin to mesh with Israel’s long held understanding of a conquering Messiah. And Jesus would call all comers to follow him along the way of suffering toward eventual, unfolding, unending glory that is available the all who will repent and believe in the gospel (Mar.1:15).
No comments:
Post a Comment