The Baptism and Temptation of the Servant-King
Mark 1:9-13
Main Idea: Jesus Christ is the eternal Son of God, the Servant-King who fights God’s enemies on behalf of God’s people.
I. The Baptism of Jesus Was a Declaration of Sonship (1:9-11).
A. It inaugurated His public ministry (1:9).
B. It identified Him with sinful humanity (1:9).
C. It associated Him with John’s ministry (1:9).
D. It demonstrated His approval by His Father (1:10).
E. It revealed the triune God (1:9-11).
F. It showed His total dependence on the Holy Spirit (1:10).
G. It declared the type of Messiah He would be (1:11).
II. The Temptation of Jesus Was a Declaration of War (1:12-13).
A. Jesus was submissive to the Spirit (1:12).
B. Jesus was engaged by Satan (1:13).
God’s thoughts are not our thoughts, and God’s ways are not our ways. His ways are higher. His thoughts are higher (Isa 55:8-9). His ways surprise us. His plans often are mysterious. Sometimes they seem downright strange.
The beginning of Jesus’ public ministry is a perfect example. It starts not in a thriving metropolis but in the rugged wasteland of the Judean wilderness near the Dead Sea; not with a press conference but a baptism; not with a parade and feast but with 40 days of solitude and fasting even further in the desolate and dangerous wilderness, being tempted by the archenemy of God.
To be sure, the baptism and temptation of Jesus show us that God’s ways are not our ways, but His ways are, as Romans 12:2 affirms, always good, acceptable, and perfect. What then do we learn from these two critical events in the life of Jesus?
The Baptism of Jesus Was a Declaration of Sonship
Jesus comes to John probably in the middle or latter days of John’s ministry. He comes to be baptized, an event so significant that it is recorded in all four Gospels (cf. Matt 3:13-17; Luke 3:21-22; John 1:28-34). Mark uses the word baptize/baptism six times in the first nine verses of the book. Still, this act is surprising: Why was He baptized? Matthew tells us that John the Baptist was opposed to baptizing Christ, and he had a pretty good argument (Matt 3:14; cf. Mark 1:7). Jesus, however, says it must take place “for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt 3:15). But then, what does that mean?
I believe we can tease out the answer as we look at seven truths His baptism teaches us. The baptism is the beginning of His humiliation as He faithfully submits to the Father’s will and willingly identifies Himself with sinful humanity. It is no more odd for Jesus to be baptized in the Jordan River than for Him to hang on the cross at Calvary as the sinless and spotless Son of God (Dever, “Jesus’ Debut”).
Jesus’ Baptism Inaugurated His Public Ministry (Mark 1:9)
Jesus came from Nazareth, a small town in the middle of nowhere. The region of Galilee was despised because of its distance from Jerusalem and for its infestation of Gentiles. The town of Nazareth was even worse—unknown and unmentioned. Jesus was a nobody from nowhere! But He comes to John and thereby begins His public ministry. He was probably in His early thirties. His public ministry would last only three years or so. The time has come for the Servant King to ascend to the public stage.
Why in the wilderness? God has often met with His people there. Recall the exodus, when God brought His children out of Egypt into the wilderness where He would give them His law, feed them, and lead them by cloud and fire. Again in Hosea 2:14-15 He promised His presence: “Therefore, I am going to persuade her, lead her to the wilderness, and speak tenderly to her. . . . There she will respond as she did in the days of her youth, as in the day she came out of the land of Egypt.”
Jesus’ Baptism Identified Him with Sinful Humanity (Mark 1:9)
In His baptism Jesus joins those who seek a baptism of repentance and who are confessing their sins. Jesus neither repents of sin nor confesses His sin because He had no sin (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15). Still, He aligns Himself with those He came to save. Like Moses in the first exodus (Exod 32:23), He does not set Himself apart from their sins (Lane, Mark, 55).
Jesus’ Baptism Associated Him with John’s Ministry (Mark 1:9)
Jesus does not hesitate to connect Himself to John the Baptist regarding the fulfillment of prophecy and his message of repentance (cf. 1:15!). No one had higher praise for John than Jesus. As the Christ, the Servant King, He makes His public appearance, He endorses the ministry of His cousin John (Luke 1:36).
Jesus’ Baptism Demonstrated His Approval by His Father (Mark 1:10)
Immediately—an important word in Mark’s Gospel (here translated “as soon as”)—the Holy Spirit descends on Jesus through an opening in the sky. Jesus sees the heavens being “torn open.” The word occurs only one other time in Mark’s Gospel, when God the Father tears the temple curtain in two from top to bottom! At His baptism and at His crucifixion the Father intervenes supernaturally, eschatologically, declaring that Jesus is the Son of God.
Isaiah 64:1 had predicted this: “If only You would tear the heavens open and come down, so that mountains would quake at Your presence.” The tearing apart of the heavens signals a significant moment in history and in the life of the Servant King. In this way the Father first gives His approval through action.
Jesus’ Baptism Revealed the Triune God (Mark 1:9-11)
Adrian Rogers said, “The doctrine of the Trinity is not beyond logic and reason—just above it!” And as difficult as it can be to wrap our minds around the concept of a triune God, we clearly see all three persons of the Godhead at Jesus’ baptism. The Son is baptized, the Father speaks, and the Spirit descends into (eis) Jesus “like a dove.” Like the ending of Matthew’s Gospel (28:19-20), the beginning of the Gospel of Mark gives us a brief glimpse into the nature of our God, the great Three in One. It also serves as a confirming witness concerning the identity of Jesus the Son.
Jesus’ Baptism Showed His Total Dependence on the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:10)
The presence of the Spirit on the Messiah was promised in Isaiah 42:1: “This is My Servant; I strengthen Him, this is My Chosen One; I delight in Him. I have put My Spirit on Him; He will bring justice to the nations.” The prophet elaborates on this promise in Isaiah 11:2: “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on Him—a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.”
Jesus is the fulfillment of these promises. Like a dove (it was not literally a dove), in gentleness and purity, the Spirit came into Jesus, and He was equipped for His ministry. Even though the Spirit came into Jesus (Gk eis), this is no “adoptionistic” Christology. He did not become the Son of God at the moment of His baptism. No, He was declared to be and empowered as the Son of God for the Suffering Servant ministry. John Piper says,
When Jesus was baptized along with all the repenting people who wanted to be on God’s side, it was as though the commander-in-chief had come to the front lines, fastened his bayonet, strapped on his helmet, and jumped into the trench along with the rest of us. And when he did that, his Father in heaven, who had sent him for this very combat, signified with the appearance of a dove that the Holy Spirit would be with him in the battles to come. (Piper, “Christ in Combat”)
Jesus’ Baptism Declared the Type of Messiah He Would Be
(Mark 1:11)
Mark 1:11 is surely one of the most important verses in the Bible! It is echoed again at the transfiguration in 9:7, along with the admonition for the disciples to “listen to Him.” It is a combination of three massively significant Old Testament texts. The phrase, “You are My Son” comes from Psalm 2:7, and in quoting this Davidic psalm, the Father announces, “You are the Messiah-King, the greater Son of David who will rule the nations.” In calling Christ “beloved,” we are reminded of the way Abraham saw Isaac, the son he was called to sacrifice (Gen 22:2). It bears the weight of Christ being the “One and Only” Son of the Most High God. The third phrase, “I take delight in You,” comes from Isaiah 42:1, which is the first of Isaiah’s Suffering Servant songs. These passages climax in the great Isaiah 53 text where the Servant is crushed by God as He bears the sins of the world!
This declaration of the Father’s love for His Son cannot be overstated and must not be overlooked. No prophet ever heard words like these! Abraham was a friend (Isa 41:8). Moses was a servant (Deut 34:5). Aaron was a chosen one (Ps 105:26). David was a man after God’s own heart (1 Sam 13:4). But only Israel (Exod 4:23) and the king of Israel (as their representative; Ps 2:7) were called God’s sons. Now they are united in the person of the Servant King, Jesus of Nazareth! James Edwards says, “Jesus is Israel reduced to one” (Mark, 37). As the Messiah and Son of God, Jesus is a second Adam, a new Israel, and a perfect King who will succeed where they each failed!
That we must accept “Son of God” as a declaration of deity is easily demonstrated by the actions of this Son: He forgives sins (2:5), heals the sick (1:40), casts out demons (1:24; 5:1-20), is Lord of the Sabbath (2:28), raises the dead (6:35-43), and ultimately rises from the dead Himself (16:1-8). This declaration coupled with Jesus’ life, ministry, miracles, and resurrection make His deity undeniable.
So the Father has attested, “You are the promised Messiah-King—My Son and My delight. But You will realize Your kingdom by being a faithful Servant to Your Father even to the point of a crushing, painful, and humiliating death.” Would Jesus accept such an assignment? In light of this lingering question, it is no coincidence that “immediately” Satan came to tempt Him, trying to divert the Savior from His mission.
The Temptation of Jesus Was a Declaration of War
A commissioning by God is often followed by a time of testing. In this time of testing, will Jesus continue to “trust and obey” the will of the Father now that the course of His life is made clear? The Gospel of Mark gives us a brief summation of the “war in the wilderness” (cf. Matt 4:1-11; Luke 4:1-13). The battle begins here, but it will rage all the way to a Roman cross and an empty tomb. Here is Christ in deadly combat for the eternal souls of men. If He loses, we are lost!
Jesus Was Submissive to the Spirit (Mark 1:12)
Jesus acted “immediately,” this time going further into the wilderness to be tempted. But He didn’t just decide to go—“the Spirit drove Him” out. He was “impelled” or “cast out.” Mark will use the same word to describe Jesus casting out demons! Jesus’ temptation was no accidental encounter, no chance meeting. It was a divine appointment scheduled by the Father and implemented by the Spirit. It is not what we would expect to happen after the baptism and the voice from heaven. We would expect a reception or some kind of celebration, but instead we see an expulsion further into the wilderness. The same Spirit that descended is now casting Him into the wilderness.
Thankfully, Jesus yields to the Spirit and embraces this test. The Servant King has a job to do, and the Spirit immediately compels Him. Rather than shrinking back, as Israel was so prone to do, our King, our Commander in Chief, the true Israel goes out to fight in the trenches with us and for us. In so doing He turns back the enemy and provides hope and a pattern for us to do the same.
Jesus Was Engaged by Satan (Mark 1:13)
Now we see a snapshot of what this battle looked like. “He was in the wilderness 40 days, being tempted by Satan.” This was the deep wilderness. This was no vacation spot. The conditions were grueling, and Jesus was undoubtedly tired and weak. To grumble, complain, or give in would have been easy.
This reminds us of Israel’s 40 years of wandering in the wilderness, where they grumbled, complained, and failed to trust their God. This also reminds us of Moses’ 40 days on Mount Sinai (Exod 34:28) and Elijah’s 40 days at Mount Horeb (1 Kgs 19:8). Jesus is not only a new Adam and a second Israel, but He is also a better Moses and a superior prophet!
Jesus said in John 8:44, “[The Devil] was a murderer from the beginning and has not stood in the truth, because there is no truth in him. When he tells a lie, he speaks from his own nature, because he is a liar and the father of liars.” Satan (meaning “adversary”), the Devil (meaning “accuser”), meets our King in the desert.
A few things about this meeting in the desert would have made it especially difficult. (1) Satan meets Jesus in the wilderness, not a garden. (2) Jesus has been fasting 40 days (Matt 4:2). (3) Jesus is alone. (4) The wilderness is filled with wild animals. The wild beasts are mentioned immediately following the mention of Satan, suggesting they are in partnership with him. Further, remember Mark’s Roman audience, especially during the Neronian persecution of AD 64–68. The Roman historian Tacitus wrote in his Annals, “[Christians] were covered with the hides of wild beasts and torn to pieces by dogs” (Annals, 15:44). People associated wild animals with adversity and persecution, so including that detail would undoubtedly heighten the horror and danger of our Lord’s 40 days in the desolate and untamed Judean wilderness. It appears from all of these conditions that Jesus does battle with Satan on Satan’s home field. It is a divine invasion of enemy territory.
Christian, be encouraged. Christ knows what you are going through. Even more, His angels came to His aid. They may be sent by God to serve us as well (Ps 34:7; Heb 1:14)! First John 3:8 reminds us, “The Son of God was revealed for this purpose: to destroy the Devil’s works.” In this text we see a wonderful picture of that happening. It is a preview of coming attractions.
What was Satan’s goal? He wanted to defeat the Son! But how? Ultimately it seems that Satan’s goal was to get Jesus not to suffer! Satan was at the baptism I am sure! He saw and he heard it all! The suffering and death of Jesus meant Satan’s doom and destruction, and it meant salvation for you and me. This is what was at stake in the war in the wilderness!
Mark does not record our Lord’s victory with the same detail as do Matthew and Luke. This is just round one of a 15-round bout. The Servant King won this round. The war in the wilderness was not the end. It was just the beginning, or more precisely it was the resumption of a war begun long ago in Genesis 3:15.
Conclusion
God’s ways are not our ways, are they? His ways are often full of unexpected twists and turns we do not see coming. But aren’t you glad His ways are good, acceptable, and perfect? If you doubt this, just look at the baptism and the temptation of the Servant King! God’s will is not always safe, but it is always best!
Reflect and Discuss