July '22
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Scripture
Mark 1:9-11
The Baptism of Jesus
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And 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. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
Mark 1:12-13
The Temptation of Jesus
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.
Devotional
When I was seven or eight years old I was baptized by my Great Grandfather. He was a minister and had built the German-English church he served in until his retirement. The home he had bought for his wife was the same house my family would end up living in years later after becoming homeless just weeks before her death.
Leading up to the baptism, I remember my mom taking me and my sister to Dillards to pick out a new outfit. I carefully wove my way between racks searching for the perfect outfit for such a glorious occasion. In the end, I fell in love with a two-piece skirt and shirt outfit that was colored deep blue.
The day of the baptism, I submerged into the smell of old perfume as I timidly entered my great grandparent’s home with my hair crimped and outfit dawned. It was there in their living room, that he filled a bowl of water, prayed, and with dripping fingertips, touched my forehead.
Weeks later, he passed away. It would be another ten years before I learned that he sacrificed the remaining energy he had to baptize us before succumbing to colon cancer.
I was young when I was baptized. I was baptized by my mother’s initial desire to have her grandfather be the one undertaking the honor. I was baptized in a living room by a man I had hardly begun to know. And yet, despite all of these factors, I chose to be baptized that day. In the capacity I was able to then, I knew who my God was and I had no doubt that I belonged to him. My baptism was a personal choice amidst the requests of others.
I don’t know if I changed that day, if I was old enough, or educated enough, to fully understand what the depth of baptism meant, but I do remember the day feeling magical.
Now, as an early adult, I can look back on my baptism and see how it has carried me through my life. I can stand in front of any obstacle, take a deep breath, and remember that I have always belonged to my God. I can remember the feeling of water dripping down my nose and know that the God who walked through my childhood, is the same God who is walking with me now. We have a history and no matter how hard the devil might try, that can’t be broken.
In Mark 1:9-13, we see Jesus take the final steps of preparation before fully launching his ministry. In five short verses, Jesus is baptized and sent to the wilderness to undergo temptation. While these two events seem wildly different, together, we will uncover how they worked in coordination to prepare Jesus for what was to come.
Mark 1:9-11
The Baptism of Jesus
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And 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. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
In the introduction to our series in the Book of Mark, we discussed how Mark’s text is often abbreviated comparatively. Because of this, we will be relying on supplemental scripture from Matthew to provide more detail on both Jesus’ baptism and temptation.
Matthew 3:13-17
The Baptism of Jesus
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.
And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Before John the Baptist appeared from the wilderness, the action of being baptized was reserved for gentiles who wanted to enter the church of God’s chosen people. Baptism was not performed on those who were Jewish. Knowing that the Jewish community sought out John to be baptized, shows his credibility and how serious they were in acknowledging who he was.
When Jesus came to be baptized by John, he lowered himself in humility, set an example for his people, and before their very eyes, created a symbolism they would not yet understand.
We are baptized by water to symbolize dying and being reborn through Christ. It’s a physical representation of our sins being washed away, and emerging cleansed, and renewed. Jesus died, baptizing us with his blood so that we might be fully received by God regardless of our sinful nature. He died so that we could rise again.
When we choose God, and choose to be baptized, we are acknowledging that through God, we can repent and through that action, have our sins washed away. Through repentance and the cleansing of our sins, there is nothing in our past that can hold us back and contain our pursuit of God’s kingdom. When we hand the darkest parts of ourselves over to God, the evil one loses his leverage of fear and shame, and can no longer hold us against ourselves.
After choosing to become baptized as though he was a sinner, Jesus, the only one who walked this earth sinless, went into the wilderness to face sin itself.
Mark 1:12-13
The Temptation of Jesus
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.
Matthew 4:1-11
The Temptation of Jesus
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
But he answered, “It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”
Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”
Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
As Jesus walked amongst God’s people in flesh and blood, he became a living example of what it means to live under God’s law. In doing so Jesus willingly allowed the Holy Spirit to guide him into an uncomfortable situation. Jesus had the power to avoid the discomfort he experienced while in the wilderness, but he trusted God the Father and allowed Him to lead him.
When we follow God, we won’t always be led into comfortable situations. In fact, the more you follow God, the more you might start to face temptation, trials, and uncomfortable situations.
Why? Because the evil one will do everything he can to try and prevent you from pursuing and expanding the Kingdom of God. Because God, out of his great love, will take you where you need to be, not where you want to be.
While Jesus was being tempted by the devil in the wilderness, he faced three main types of temptation. Thanks to Jesus and his willingness to sit with temptation, we can learn how to not only face temptation but defeat it.
The first temptation Jesus faced was the devil leaning into the unmet basic human needs he had.
Matthew 4:1-3
Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. And after fasting forty days and forty nights, he was hungry. And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
Satan saw an easy outlet to tempt Jesus by preying on the basic needs that weren’t being met. Think about the last time you were hungry. Not just snacky but genuinely hungry. Your body feels weak, your brain gets foggy, and your ability to maintain your emotion and sound judgment begins to waver. The snickers slogan “you’re not you when you’re hungry” exists for a reason.
Jesus had been living in the wilderness and had been fasting for a substantial amount of time. He was likely covered in dust from living and sleeping outdoors, exhausted from not having a comfortable spot to sleep in, and understandably feeling the pains of hunger. It was in this compromised position, where his basic needs of food, shelter, warmth, and safety weren’t being met, that the devil saw his opportunity.
Satan didn’t approach Jesus with something that seemed outrageously sinful. He merely said, “I see that you are hungry, I hear that you claim to be the Son of God, use your power and make yourself a meal.”
Eating in and of itself is not sinful, but satan tried to utilize a moment of inherent human weakness, to pull Jesus’ vision away from the Kingdom of God. The next time an unlikely scenario, question, or potential temptation comes your way, start by asking yourself: “Are my basic needs met? Do I feel swayed to make this decision, action, or speech, because I am hungry, tired, cold, and/or feel afraid?”
Jesus responded to satan with scripture stating:
Matthew 4:4
“It is written, “‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’”
Satan, being low in power, but high in cleverness, saw Jesus’ response as a means to his second trial.
Matthew 4:5-6
Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written, “‘He will command his angels concerning you,’ and ‘on their hands they will bear you up, lest you strike your foot against a stone.’”
Just as Jesus had used scripture as his weapon of choice against satan, the evil one reflected Jesus’ weapon and used it for a counterattack. This second form of temptation is why it’s so important for us to go to church, study the Bible, and strive to understand God’s laws, intentions, and examples.
Satan used God’s word to try and corrupt Jesus. But Jesus, being perfect in his knowledge of his Father’s word, was able to see how His word had been twisted.
Jesus once again responds by deflecting satan’s attack with scripture. This time, making sure that satan is well aware that he cannot twist God’s word.
Matthew 4:7
Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’”
When was the last time you fell prey to temptation by acting or speaking sinfully because you misunderstood God’s word? An unfortunately common and widespread example is when God’s word is twisted to say that same-sex relationships are good. This isn't something we have time to get into this month, but I guarantee that if you took the time to study scripture with your personal bias removed, you’d see that God does not endorse what the world says he does.
If we don’t know and understand scripture in-depth, we are powerless in our ability to have God’s word as our sword against temptation.
The third type of temptation that Jesus faces while in the wilderness, is the promise of power and control
Matthew 4:8-9
Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”
This third temptation that Jesus faces, feels like it was designed specifically for us to learn from. The evil one offered Jesus something he already had: power and dominion over all. Jesus was the Son of God. We read time and time again throughout scripture that the Son of God had the same power and authority as God the Father. Satan’s offer to Jesus was invalid from the start because Jesus already had dominion over the entirety of the world. However, we don’t.
We don’t have the same authority, power, or dominion as God. We, created in God’s image, were given a different dominion.
Genesis 1:26
Then God said, “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness. And let them have dominion over the fish of the sea and over the birds of the heavens and over the livestock and over all the earth and over every creeping thing that creeps on the earth.”
God created man in his image and gave man dominion over all the creatures and beings of earth. This means that we were designed with an innate calling to care for God’s creation. And if we have been created to rule over the creatures of this earth, we have already received all of the power we were intended to have.
God gave humankind exactly what they needed, through the highest of callings. It’s because of the dominion He willingly handed man, that we are called to go forth into this world, with God’s armor protectings us, as we expand His kingdom.
Satan tempted Jesus with power. Not because Jesus lacked power, not because we lack adequate power, but because man is greedy and always searches for more.
If you’ve ever cared for a small child, or even a pet, you know the feeling of wishing you could control their actions. Perhaps you have sought to control outcomes within your workplace. Maybe you’ve even found yourself attempting to control those around you. Power can be alluring, full of false hopes and promises…but it’s just that. False.
Friend, God intentionally created you. He sent his Son, to set the example for how to fight on the battlefields of temptation. He has provided for your basic needs, stood by your side in the valley, and given you dominion over his precious creation. If you are in God, you have all the power you could ever need through Him.
The next time you feel the temptation to lean into power, to seek control over the things you can never have control over, react as Jesus once did:
Matthew 4:10
Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written, “‘You shall worship the Lord your God and him only shall you serve.’”
Ultimately, Jesus’ baptism and temptation allowed him to be prepared for what was to come. We have the opportunity to study God’s word through the Bible, become baptized, and arm ourselves with the knowledge or armor of God. If we arm ourselves with God’s truth, there is no temptation that we cannot stand against. Each temptation and trial we face is only making us stronger, wiser, and more prepared for greater trials to come. By exercising our ability to stand with God against small temptations, we become prepared for the greater temptations that will inevitably come our way as we pursue the Kingdom of God.
What does this mean for us, you might ask? If you haven’t been, be baptized. Dedicate yourself to studying God’s word. Use the tools God has laid out for you to arm yourself in Him.
Ephesians 6:10-18
The Whole Armor of God
Finally, be strong in the Lord and in the strength of his might. Put on the whole armor of God, that you may be able to stand against the schemes of the devil. For we do not wrestle against flesh and blood, but against the rulers, against the authorities, against the cosmic powers over this present darkness, against the spiritual forces of evil in heavenly places.
Therefore take up the whole armor of God, that you may be able to withstand in the evil day, and having done all, to stand firm.
Stand therefore, having fastened on the belt of truth, and having put on the breastplate of righteousness, and, as shoes for your feet, having put on the readiness given by the gospel of peace.
In all circumstances take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming darts of the evil one; and take the helmet of salvation, and the sword of the Spirit, which is the word of God, praying at all times in the Spirit, with all prayer and supplication.
My friends, dawn your armor and go forth.
Bible Study Questions
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Jesus went to John the Baptist to be baptized before being led into the wilderness and being tempted. What does this teach you about being baptized by both water and blood?
If you have been baptized, take the time to recall that glorious event. What do you remember? What led to that personal decision?
If you haven’t been baptized, why do you think it might be important for you to do so? How do you feel about choosing that bold declaration of faith?
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While in the wilderness, Jesus faced three different types of temptation: basic needs, scripture, and power.
Which of these three temptations do you feel like you face the most? How does Jesus’ approach to temptation help prepare you for facing, and overcoming, temptation in the future?
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Each time satan tried to tempt Jesus, Jesus responded by quoting scripture and relying on God’s truth.
Be honest with yourself when you answer these two questions:
Whose truth do you rely on when responding to temptation?
When was the last time you read your Bible?
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Ephesians 6:10-18 tells us to “take up the whole armor of God”. Within this armor, we are supposed to fasten the belt of truth, put on the breastplate of righteousness, have the readiness of the gospel of peace as our shoes, a shield of faith, helmet of salvation, and a sword of the Spirit.
Take a minute and imagine what this armor would look like. Imagine yourself being wrapped in God’s armor as you walk towards each moment of your life.
How does God’s armor change your outcome in battle?
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Prayer
Father,
I pray for all of your children, sinful in nature that we are. I pray that we would learn to rely on you more and more every day. That we would take the time to read your written word, absorb it, and seek out opportunities to understand it. I pray that as we lean into your truth. As we learn from Jesus’ example may we begin to put on your holy armor.
Prepare us to fight back against sin, temptation, and any ploys, deceptions, or tricks the evil one might try to play on us. May we become wise, generous, kind, and aware of deception at play in our lives.
Father, you created us in your image, that we might have dominion over your precious creation and spread your kingdom across the earth. Through you and you alone, are we worthy of such a calling.
May the words that have fallen upon this page be guided from you and through you. Forgive me Father for anything I said that leads your people away from you.
I pray for the forgiveness of our sins. May we fall on our knees and worship you!
Father. You are great, you are holy, you have dominion over all. You are righteous and just. You have compassion and kindness that we cannot even fathom the depths of.
Have mercy on your children!
In your powerful name I pray,
Amen.
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