Mark's gospel begins in a desert region.
This morning we pick up our study of Mark in Mark 1:7. It is interesting that the gospel begins in a desert region.Somerefer to it as a barren wilderness or a rugged wasteland. Out of practical necessity, John the Baptist wore garments woven of camel hair, ate locusts (grasshoppers), and would find mountain honey hidden away in the crevices of rocks by bees. The wilderness was a lonely place, a place of isolation. And it was a dangerous place. There were wild boars, jackals, wolves, foxes, leopards, hyenas, and lions.
A lot of God’s servants are drawn to urban centers. People don’t feel called to the wastelands. Yet this is where the gospel begins. This is where a tiny mustard seed is planted, and grows until it overtakes the world. Scholars say 300,000 people from the Judean countryside and Jerusalem went out to be baptized by John the Baptist.
The religious leaders in John’s day were adept at preaching the law and amplifying people’s guilt. What was unique about John is that he met people in their guilt and shame. He met them in their spiritual wilderness, and brought them to grace. To be sure, John confronted sin, but he didn’t leave people in their sins. He urged them to confess their sins, demonstrate their repentance, and demonstrate their sincere desire to be forgiven by being baptized.
John's message was that someone greater than Augustus was coming.
But what excited people even more was John’s message in Mark 1:7-8 (NIV)."And this was his message: 'After me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.' "
John’s message was that one greater than the emperor Augustus was coming. It was the duty of slaves to stoop down, untie the thongs of sandals (shoe laces), and to wash the feet of those in power. It was a menial, humiliating task, a responsibility most people thought they were above doing. But John the Baptistsaid that someone was comingwhoJohn was not worthy enough to even wash the feet of.And, "I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit."
God himself, the Son of the living God, is coming to meet you in your guilt, and meet you in your spiritual wilderness. God himself, the Son of the living God, is coming toforgive you and cleanse you and make you as white as snow. But more than that! The Son of the living God is coming to baptize you with the Holy Spirit. He is coming toanoint you, to empower you, to create in you a new life, and to grant you a new beginning.
The Holy Spirit was promised to us in the Old Testament.
The wilderness was a fitting place to talk about Jesus' baptism of the Holy Spirit. Do you remember God’s promise in Isaiah 44:3-5 (NIV)?"For I will pour water on the thirsty land, and streams on the dry ground; I will pour out my Spirit on your offspring, and my blessing on your descendants. They will spring up like grass in a meadow, like poplar trees by flowing streams. One will say, 'I belong to the LORD'; another will call himself by the name of Jacob; still another will write on his hand, 'The LORD’s,' and will take the name Israel."
There was a similar promise made by the prophet Ezekiel in Ezekiel36:22-23 (NIV). "Therefore say to the house of Israel, 'This is what the Sovereign LORD says: It is not for your sake, O house of Israel, that I am going to do these things, but for the sake of my holy name, which you have profaned among the nations where you have gone. I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes."
The first part of this passage in Ezekiel 36 is that the sovereign Lord is going to demonstrate the holiness of his name, and then act on behalf of his profaned name.But look at Ezekiel 36:24-32 (NIV)." 'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land. I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God. I will save you from all your uncleanness. I will call for the grain and make it plentiful and will not bring famine upon you. I will increase the fruit of the trees and the crops of the field, so that you will no longer suffer disgrace among the nations because of famine. Then you will remember your evil ways and wicked deeds, and you will loathe yourselves for your sins and detestable practices. I want you to know that I am not doing this for your sake', declares the Sovereign LORD. 'Be ashamed and disgraced for your conduct, O house of Israel!' "
What part of God’s promise of the Holy Spirit in Ezekiel 36 wouldn’t excite you? The Spirit will gather us to God, cleanse us of our impurities, and give us a new heart and new spirit. God will put his Spirit in us to move us to follow his laws and decrees.
It wasn’t just that God would forgive sinful man. The sovereign Lord was coming to completely renovate sinful man through the baptism of the Holy Spirit. Forgiveness is only one half of the good news. The other half is the power of the Holy Spirit to give us victory over sin, and the power of the Holy Spirit to make us holy and glorify the holy name of our Sovereign Lord.
Jesus came to demonstrate the power of the Holy Spirit.
Back to our text, Mark 1:9-13 (NIV)."At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.' At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert,and he was in the desert forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him."
Notice Jesus’ identification with the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit descends on Jesus like a dove. Notice the confirmation from heaven of Jesus' messianic identity, "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."And notice the sheer power with which Jesus was sent by the Holy Spirit, "At once the Spirit sent Jesus out into the desert..."
You would never know this without examining the Greek text. The same word that is used to describe the Spirit sending Jesus into the desert is the same word used eleven times by Mark to describe Jesus casting out demons. The Holy Spirit powerfully sent Jesus into the desert.
In the desert Jesus was assaulted with temptation. He was in constant danger of wild animals. But the angels attended him, God’s power protected him, and God’s Spirit led him. In Jesus of Nazareth, we have a demonstration of Holy Spirit’s power— the same Spirit he freely gives all who call upon the name of Lord.
Now you know why300,000 people went out to be baptized by John! Now youknow why300,000 people lined up to receive the anointing power of the Holy Spirit! 2 Corinthians 5:17 (NIV) says, "Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, he is a new creation; the old has gone, the new has come!" Isn’t this what we really want? A new beginning? To be forgiven? Cleansed? For the power of the Holy Spirit to make us holy, to make us new?
In Acts 2:38-41 (NIV) Peter preached a simple gospel, " 'Repent and be baptized, every one of you, in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins. And you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. The promise is for you and your children and for all who are far off— for all whom the Lord our God will call.' With many other words he warned them; and he pleaded with them, 'Save yourselves from this corrupt generation.' Those who accepted his message were baptized, and about three thousand were added to their number that day."
First God forgives us,but then he gives us his Holy Spirit. Both are the essence of the gospel. Both are the essence of salvation.
At communion, we celebrate the gift of forgiveness and the gift of the Holy Spirit.
Just now we are going to celebrate communion. When Jesus came to be baptized by John the Baptist, he didn’t come confessing his sins. Jesus was without sin. He was the Son with whom the Father was well pleased. Jesus brought forgiveness by becoming the perfect sacrifice for our sins. He broke his body, symbolized by the communion bread, and shed his blood, symbolized bythe communion juice. At communion, we celebrate the gift of forgiveness through our acceptance of Christ's sacrifice.
But we also celebrate the gift of the Holy Spirit. In addition to forgiving us, Jesus came to anoint us with his Holy Spirit. If you think you can muster up enough willpower to make holy changes in your life, you will fall back into your sins. Our gospel is that Holy Spirit makes us holy and that we cannot make ourselves holy.
With sincere faith we come to receive salvation. We come confessing our sins, repenting of those things that displease the Father. We come inviting God to give us a new heart and new spirit. We come asking him to move us, to empower us, and to enable us to live like Jesus through his Holy Spirit.