Tempted By Satan

 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 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. Mark 1:12-13 

     
     Seemingly without a moment to dry himself after his baptism, the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. The language is startling not just for its brevity but because it seems to suggest that Jesus was forced to do something against his will. Matthew and Luke tell us that our Lord “was led” into the wilderness while Mark bluntly states that he was driven. The point is not that our Lord was forced against his will to make this sojourn, but that it was urgent he make it. Upon returning from the wilderness he would begin his ministry in earnest but before that time it was essential that he square off against Satan in what had to be the most intense period of temptation ever leveled against anyone. While Mark simply states that Jesus was being tempted by Satan, Matthew and Luke make it clear that Satan joined Jesus in the wilderness to personally oversee the assault (Matthew 4:1-13; Luke 4:1-13).

     Hear Hebrews 2:14-18. Since therefore the children share in flesh and blood, he himself likewise partook of the same things, that through death he might destroy the one who has the power of death, that is, the devil, and deliver all those who through fear of death were subject to lifelong slavery. For surely it is not angels that he helps, but he helps the offspring of Abraham. Therefore he had to be made like his brothers in every respect, so that he might become a merciful and faithful high priest in the service of God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For because he himself has suffered when tempted, he is able to help those who are being tempted.

     Some ask if it was really possible for Jesus to have sinned? Well, if he was truly made like his brothers in every respect, than yes. Some believe that Jesus must have had something to combat temptation that you and I don’t have today. There is no question that he possessed things we do not. His knowledge, power, wisdom, and Divinity are just a few examples. Yet if I understand the Scriptures correctly than these temptations were a test of our Lord’s humanity, not his deity. The temptation to turn the stone to bread and our Lord’s response to it (Matthew 4:3-4) really doesn’t mean much if Jesus were not truly experiencing the same sort of hunger you and I would experience after fasting for forty days (see Matthew 4:2). I have no idea how deity and humanity existed within Jesus and urge you to be leery of any man who claims to understand it. However, I don’t have to understand it to believe it and I believe it with all my heart.

     Think about how you feel when temptation strikes. Think about the battle you fight as you call appropriate passages to mind and draw upon certain principles to help you overcome. Jesus knows all about that because he did it himself. In fact, he did it perfectly and for that reason he became our merciful and faithful high priest to make propitiation for our sins. I can take comfort in my temptations knowing that my brethren around the world experience the same things (1 Peter 5:9). I find even more comfort knowing that my Lord and Savior experienced them as well (Hebrews 4:15-16).

     But of all the lessons we can learn from this let us make sure we learn this one: we don’t have to sin! Temptation can be overcome! Jesus did it by knowing God’s Word, loving it, and committing himself to obeying the will of his Father. In so doing he left behind the template for overcoming every temptation Satan can throw our way. Jesus took Satan’s very best shots over and over again. After the temptations in the wilderness Satan left Jesus to lick his wounds but he was not going to stay away forever. Luke informs us that when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from him until an opportune time. (Luke 4:13) How many opportune times came over the course of our Lord’s ministry we can only guess at. But this one thing we know for certain: Jesus never sinned. Not once. Satan’s greatest failure came at the hands of the one he unloaded everything he had against. He could not make Jesus sin. He cannot make us sin, either! Praise be to our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for showing us how to overcome Satan! Let us take his example and use it against the adversary for he will certainly use everything he has against us.  

You Are My Beloved Son; With You I Am Well Pleased

Mark 1:9-11

     I have long been fascinated by the baptism of Jesus. Everything about it is striking from John humbly seeking to cast Jesus in the role of baptizer (Matthew 3:14), to our Lord’s response to John’s statement (Matthew 3:15), to the heavens being torn open, to the descending of the Spirit, to the voice of the Father speaking to His Son. There are many scenes described in the gospels that modern Christians would love to have been present to witness. This scene stands near the top of my list.

     Mark, in his typical fashion, shows us the scene in just a few words before quickly moving to the events immediately following our Lord’s baptism. However, the little Mark does say about the baptism itself is noteworthy.

     Bible students know that our Lord’s baptism (more specifically, the Spirit descending and resting upon him) was God’s sign to John that the Messiah had come and was standing before him (John 1:29-34). Matthew shows us that God spoke about Jesus at that time (Matthew 3:17), at least for the sake of John and perhaps any bystanders still present. However, both Mark and Luke (3:22) show us that the Father was primarily addressing Jesus Himself. The entire divine family was present in a very special way at this time. The Son was being baptized, the Spirit came and remained with Him, and the Father audibly expressed His love and pleasure in His Son. What an extraordinary family gathering!

     Yet as amazing as it was, I suppose it shouldn’t come as a surprise when we consider the circumstances. The fullness of time had finally come. He who had been prophesied about near the very beginning (Genesis 3:15) and countless times throughout the centuries that followed had finally come into the world. John’s preparatory work was all but complete and the time had come for the Messiah himself to take up his ministry. Centuries worth of prophecy were coming to fruition. Thus, the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit were all present in a very special way at the event that, after a period of intense temptation in the wilderness, marked the beginning of Jesus’ ministry.

     The Father said that He was well pleased with his Son. Why wouldn’t He have been? The boy Jesus had increased in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and man. (Luke 2:52). If he was about 30 at his baptism (as most believe), then he had reached that point without transgressing the law of God even a single time. The question that came from the lips of the boy Jesus, Did you not know that I must be about my Father’s business (Luke 3:49b), was the theme of his entire life (John 8:29). Living a life absolutely free from sin, devoted entirely to fulfilling the Father’s purposes without a single slip, is staggering. It’s something every saint has failed to accomplish. In fact, were every sin we have ever committed written down in detail and set before our eyes I have no doubt the length of the list would shock and shame us. Were Jesus to have such a list it would contain not a single mark. Let that sink in for just a moment. We who have succumbed to sin more times than we can count owe a debt that we cannot begin to repay. Praise be to our sinless Savior who willingly paid it in our stead! While this thought could obviously be pursued further, it is an article for another time.

     I often wonder about everything the Lord’s baptism meant to Him personally. Without revelation on the matter such questions cannot be answered and it is probably best not to try. Yet for us, I believe we see another example of Jesus sharing the circumstances of man. While he did not need to be baptized to have sins remitted, he came to earth so that sins could be remitted. As sins are washed clean in the waters of baptism, it is significant that he who made such cleansing possible preceded us in receiving it. Besides recognizing its significance, let us tread with caution lest we enter the realm of speculation and begin speaking where God has not.

     The baptism of Jesus and the events surrounding it are simply extraordinary. From that point on our Lord worked in earnest preaching, teaching, and preparing. But for now, think about that day so long ago when the divine family gathered at the baptism of sinless Jesus. His was a life that pleased the Father in every way. Let us strive to emulate our Savior in this and all things. 

John Appeared (Mark 1:2-8)

     John did not simply appear out of the blue. He had been the subject of prophecy centuries before his birth (verses 2 and 3). However, to the multitudes it must have seemed as though he came out of nowhere to begin an exciting spiritual revolution. So popular was he that all the county of Judea and Jerusalem was going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. (verse 5).

From whence came his incredible popularity? God did not see fit to answer this question in a single verse. However, it is possible to piece together what we are told about John to help us understand what made him so magnetic and unique. A true man of God always stands out and above all else John was a man of God. Without exception John is set forth as one whose entire life was consumed with performing his duty to God and the Messiah. Every recorded word from his mouth was spiritual in nature. That sort of man is going to be conspicuous no matter where or when he is found.

     John’s appearance was remarkable. Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. A weakling (physically or mentally) does not live out in the wilderness. The man who does will become as rugged as the environment in which he dwells. Our Lord himself emphasized this aspect of John in Luke 7:24-25. Where the people were used to the Pharisees and scribes of their day living comfortably within their cities, John seemed to burst forth from the wilderness like a whirlwind, strong of body and mind, disdaining the comforts to be had within a city like Jerusalem. This, too, would have made John unique.

     John’s commitment to his message was unmatched among those born of human parents. John came proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 3:2). He clearly understood that all men are sinners and need to repent. With John a man’s rank and wealth meant absolutely nothing. Whether it was Herod the tetrarch or a humble shepherd John knew they needed repentance and so his message to both was the same (Luke 3:7-20). Where the Pharisees tended to exclude themselves from the company of sinners in need of repentance, John did not hesitate to lump them in with everyone else. That was startling and did not go unnoticed.

     Taking these things together, along with God knowing precisely when any given “fullness of time” had come; it is not difficult to see why John became so popular and why his fame spread so rapidly in that tiny section of the world. But there is something else about John that needs to be noted. After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. (Mark 1:7-8). John never forgot that he was a messenger and the one he heralded was superior to him in every way. There’s a mighty lesson there for you and I today.

No matter how much Bible knowledge we accumulate, how skilled we become in disseminating it, and how many are led to the Lord through the efforts we put forth, we are unworthy servants, we have only done what was our duty. (Luke 17:10). Should any one of us become the single greatest Bible scholar to walk the earth in the last 1000 years we will still be absolutely indebted to Jesus Christ, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.

     Let us learn from John’s extraordinary concern for spiritual matters and unwavering commitment to fulfilling his duty. Even more, let us learn from his understanding that Jesus Christ is and always will be infinitely superior to us. 

The Beginning

The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Mark 1:1

     The above statement comprises the entirety of Mark’s introductory comments concerning the gospel of Jesus Christ. In this way Mark is very different from the three other gospel writers. Matthew and Luke take the time to consider the events leading up to our Lord’s public ministry by focusing upon his family and genealogy. John’s famous introduction to his gospel considers the great theological foundations upon which it rests. In typical fashion, Mark forgoes any such preamble to jump directly into the mix. We should expect no less from the man who wrote the gospel of “action”, rapidly leading us from one event to the next throughout the life of Jesus Christ.

     Even so, Mark’s stunningly brief introduction is full of meaning. The gospel is of Jesus Christ. It is all about him; what he taught and what he did. Romans 1:16 tells us this about the gospel: For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. The gospel is God’s power for salvation and Jesus Christ stands directly at the heart of the gospel.

     These days a distinction is often drawn between “gospel” and “doctrine”. We are told the gospel contains just the facts about Jesus and has only to be believed (mental assent) to secure one’s salvation. Doctrine, we are told, is that which is obeyed. It is much less important for salvation does not hinge upon obeying doctrine, but believing the gospel. God Himself draws no such distinction as evidenced from Romans 10:16 and similar passages. But they have not all obeyed the gospel. For Isaiah says, Lord who has believed our report? One may rightly ask how facts (which we are told is what the gospel is) are to be obeyed. Paul shows us that obedience and belief are part and parcel of saving faith. In the same verse he shows us that there is more to the gospel than simple facts. Thus, uninspired men largely manufacture the distinction between gospel and doctrine.

     Having said all of this, I want to mention a statement made by a young Christian woman from several years ago that emphasizes a problem that is likely a bit more common than we may think. She had become a Christian and went through a “new Christian” class at the congregation she attended. In the two years required to complete that class she listened to numerous sermons from the local preachers as well as visiting preachers during meetings. At the conclusion of those two years she said the following (this is paraphrased): “I feel like I know all about the church, its organization, and the pattern for worship. I feel like I can talk about instrumental music, institutionalism, church discipline, the head covering, MDR, and many other issues. Now I’d really like to learn more about Jesus Christ.”

     The young woman’s statement caused a tremendous amount of soul searching from the preachers and elders of that congregation and rightly so. While all of the topics that young sister mentioned connect to Jesus Christ, she was simply not hearing much about him. The church that becomes issue driven rather than Christ driven has missed the point entirely. Do not misunderstand, the church that is centered on Christ will seek the truth on any issue that comes before it and will prepare itself for potential errors and battles that could eventually manifest themselves. However, the thing they cling to is the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is his gospel, it is about him, and it is because of him. Jesus Christ must stand at the very center of all of our preaching and teaching.

     As we begin to consider Mark’s amazing gospel, let’s ensure that we keep Jesus where Mark keeps him and where he always belongs—right in the center of everything.