Lessons 18-22

Lesson 18 – Mark 1:9

Mark 1:9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

"In those days..." --in the days that John was preaching in the Jordan valley (v 5, 7-8).

Jesus came from Nazareth... Although Jesus was born in Bethlehem, He didn't grow up there. His parents moved to Egypt and then later to Nazareth in the region called Galilee. Matt 2:23 And he (Joseph, Jesus' guardian, and Mary and the Child Jesus) came and dwelt in a city called Nazareth: that it might be fulfilled which was spoken by the prophets, He shall be called a Nazarene.

Why did Jesus come to be baptized? The Holy Spirit told Him to do so. Jesus always listened to what God told Him and He obeyed.

Why didn't Jesus insist that John the Baptist come to Him, since He was the greater? Jesus was a humble Person. He did not let pride control Him. Secondly, it wasn't God's plan. Jesus had already been told what He was supposed to do.

Why did God want Jesus to be baptized? Jesus wasn't a sinner. He had no sins to repent of or confess.

In other scriptures we see that Jesus is described as sinless:

Hebrews 7:26 For such an high priest (Jesus) became us, who is holy, harmless, undefiled, separate from sinners, ...

1 John 3:5... in Him (Jesus) is no sin...

1 Peter 1:19 Forasmuch as ye know that ye were not redeemed with corruptible things, as silver and gold, ... 19But with the precious blood of Christ, as of a lamb without blemish and without spot:

2 Cor 5:21 For he (God) hath made him (Jesus) to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might become the righteousness of God in him.

Heb 4:15 Seeing then that we have a great high priest, that is passed into the heavens, Jesus the Son of God, let us hold fast our profession. 15For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin. (Being tempted is not a sin. Giving in to the temptation by doing wrong is a sin. Jesus was confronted with temptations just as you and I are, but He didn't give in to them. Neither should we.)

1 Peter 2:22 For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 22Who did no sin, neither was guile (deceit) found in his mouth: 23Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not;

Principle: Notice this last verse says that we are to follow Jesus' example, even in how we speak to others. This is a major way we can show that Jesus is truly Lord in us and Lord of us.

Principle: When confronted with temptation, Jesus chose to honor His Father by doing right. His heart's desire was to please God. When you're faced with the temptation to do wrong, choose to follow Jesus instead. Show your love by your obedience to the Lord.

We'll stop here. In the next lesson we'll look at why God had Jesus participate in this baptism.

Lesson 19: Why Jesus had to be baptized by John

From the information in lesson 15, we saw that Jesus wasn't commanded to be baptized of John for repentance, since Jesus was sinless. Therefore, there must have been another reason for God to want His Son to be baptized.

According to the law that God gave Moses, only those who were descendants of Aaron, the first high priest of the Israelites, could be priests. (Aaron was Moses' older brother.) John the Baptist's parents, Zecharias and Elizabeth, were both descendants of Aaron. (Luke 1:5) That fact made JB's parents in the line of the priesthood (Luke 1:8-9) which, in turn, made their son, John the Baptist, a priest.

Now read Luke 3:1-2, Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene, 2Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness. The unusual way Luke 3:1-2 is stated leads me to believe that, even though the Romans had appointed two men, Annas, and later Caiaphas, to hold the office of high priest, God recognized only John the Baptist as the true high priest of Israel at that time.

If this was so, then John had to be the one that Jesus came to for baptism, because Jesus was going to become High Priest for all believers.

Heb 5:4-6 And no man taketh this honour unto himself, but he that is called of God, as was Aaron. 5So also Christ glorified not himself to be made an high priest; but he(God the Father) that said unto him(Jesus), Thou art my Son, to day have I begotten thee...(also said) Thou art a priest for ever ...

In order to become our High Priest, Jesus had to be baptized by the retiring high priest, according to Exodus 40:12-13: And thou shalt bring Aaron and his sons unto the door of the tabernacle of the congregation, and wash them with water. 13And thou shalt put upon Aaron the holy garments, and anoint him, and sanctify him; that he may minister unto me in the priest’s office.

In this case then, Jesus had to be baptized by John to fulfill the requirements of His new office of High Priest. In fact, Jesus said something similar to that in Matt 3:13-15, Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14And John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?" 15But Jesus answered and said to him, "Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Jesus fulfilled one of the requirements necessary for becoming our High Priest by His act of obedience in being baptized.

Lesson 20: The actual baptism of Jesus

I'm going to print all the gospel accounts of Jesus' baptism, so that we can get the details they give.

Matt 3:16-17 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: 17And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Mark 1:9-11 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

Luke 3:21-22 21Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 22And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased

John 1:32-34 (This is John the Baptist's personal account of the baptism of Jesus.) 32And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 34And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

Now let's look at these 4 accounts and see what we notice. Matthew and Mark's accounts mention Jesus came up out of the water. That's how we know He was immersed.

What happened next? Jesus prayed. Luke 3:21 What do you think He prayed for? We aren't told specifically, but I think we have a clue in Luke 11:13, which says, If a son shall ask bread of any of you that is a father, will he give him a stone? or if he ask a fish, will he for a fish give him a serpent? 12Or if he shall ask an egg, will he offer him a scorpion? 13If ye then, being evil, know how to give good gifts unto your children: how much more shall your heavenly Father give the Holy Spirit to them that ask him?

I think that Jesus was asking to receive the baptism with the Holy Spirit. He already had the Holy Spirit in Him from His birth. (Luke 1:35 And the angel answered and said unto (Mary), The Holy Ghost shall come upon thee, and the power of the Highest shall overshadow thee: therefore also that holy thing which shall be born of thee shall be called the Son of God.) (John the Baptist was also described as one who would be filled with the Holy Spirit from the womb. Luke 1:15)

Jesus didn't need the Holy Spirit in Him. He already had that. He was asking for the anointing of the Holy Spirit upon Him because He knew this was the beginning of His public ministry. (Review the chart in Lesson 13 for the different aspects of the baptism for service.) This anointing would release greater power to Him and through Him to minister to the people. (Some people don't realize that, even though Jesus was God in the flesh (1Timothy 3:16), He could not use any of His heavenly powers here on earth, except that which was available from God to any human being. Philippians 2:5-7 Let this mind be in you which was also in Christ Jesus, 6who, being in the form of God, did not consider it robbery to be equal with God, 7but made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a bondservant, and coming in the likeness of men.

Jesus showed us what a person could be and could do if he was totally surrendered and obedient to God. If Jesus did ask to be anointed by the baptism with the Holy Spirit, God His Father answered that prayer. Jesus later tells people about it when He goes back to His hometown of Nazareth. (Luke 4:16-19 So He came to Nazareth, where He had been brought up. And as His custom was, He went into the synagogue on the Sabbath day, and stood up to read. 17And He was handed the book of the prophet Isaiah. And when He had opened the book, He found the place where it was written: 18 "The Spirit of the Lord is upon Me, Because He has anointed Me To preach the gospel to the poor; He has sent Me to heal the brokenhearted, To proclaim liberty to the captives And recovery of sight to the blind, To set at liberty those who are oppressed; To proclaim the acceptable year of the Lord."

By the way, this description of what Jesus' work was going to be is part of the definition of a prophet's ministry. Jesus was anointed as High Priest and Prophet at His baptism.

The next event is the "heavens were opened unto Him."

Jesus wasn't the only One to have the heavens opened to Him. Others were Peter in Acts 10:11 and Stephen in Acts 7:55-56.

According to the law of Moses (Exodus 40:13), the new high priest not only had to be immersed, but he also had to be anointed. Some scholars say that one and a half quarts of holy oil were poured on the new priest at his anointing ceremony. (Ps 133:2 confirms that it was enough holy oil to run down his clothes. "Ps 133:2 It is like the precious ointment upon the head, that ran down upon the beard, even Aaron's beard, that went down to the skirts of his garments.")

In Mark 1:10-11, do you see when the anointing occurs? Mark 1:10-11 And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: 11And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Did you notice that there are the 3 Persons of the Trinity represented in this verse: the Father, Son and Holy Spirit?

Jesus and John see the Holy Spirit descending from heaven. Normally the Holy Spirit can't be seen, but His Presence can be felt and the results of His work can be seen (John 3:5-8). However, this time the Holy Spirit comes down in a shape similar to a dove, probably with outspread wings. I wonder if, at that moment, Jesus was reminded of Psalm 91:4, "He shall cover you with His feathers, and under His wings shall you trust," which is a promise of the Father's protection.

Next time we look at the rest of the baptism, but here's a question for you to ponder: Why do you think the Holy Spirit came from heaven in the form of a dove? Why not a butterfly? Or an eagle?

Lesson 21-The Baptism of Jesus-continued (Mark 1:10-11)

Last time I asked you to think about this question: At Jesus' baptism, why do you suppose the Holy Spirit came down in the form of a dove? Why not a butterfly? Why not an eagle?

We know the dove is a symbol of peace and the end of judgment from Genesis 8:8-11.

Do you remember what the angels said at Jesus' birth about peace? Luke 2:14 "Peace on earth to men of good will." The Messiah was the Prince of peace (Isaiah 9:6). Jesus' coming to Earth brought the opportunity for mankind to experience peace with God through redemption. (If you have extra time, read Romans 4:16-25,5:1-11. Notice Rom 5:1 mentions "peace with God.") When we receive Jesus as our Lord and Savior, we are no longer under the condemnation and judgment of God for our sins. Hence, the Holy Spirit appearing like a dove symbolized the peace that would come through Jesus.

Secondly, this visible manifestation of the Holy Spirit was a sign to John the Baptist that Jesus was the Messiah. Look at John 1:32-34 (This is John the Baptist's personal account of the baptism of Jesus.) 32And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 34And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.

JB said that he didn't know beforehand who the Messiah was going to be, but he had been told by God that the Holy Spirit would reveal who He was. So, when he saw the Holy Spirit like a dove descending and remaining upon Jesus, JB knew without a doubt that Jesus was the Christ, the Son of God, the Messiah.

Lesson 22 - Baptism of Jesus -continued some more

The next thing that happens at the baptism of Jesus is that there is a voice heard from heaven. Jesus heard it first, I think. His Father spoke personally to Him, when He said, You are My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased. Then the Father spoke to John saying, "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased."

It was a Jewish custom for a father to take a son who had reached manhood to the city center and announce, "This is my much loved son, in whom I am well pleased." This announcement meant that all were to treat the son the same as if they were dealing with the father. The son could carry out the father's business for him. At Jesus' baptism His Father did the same, affirming His Son's authority to conduct God's business here on earth.

“Beloved Son” - This message of love from His Father must have made Jesus feel very good. He was beloved of His Father. What is He to you? Do you love Jesus? If the answer is yes, how do you show that you love Him? Ask the Holy Spirit to teach you new ways to love Jesus. If your honest answer to "Do you love Jesus?" If "no" or "not as I should," then ask the Holy Spirit to give you a love for Jesus that is genuine and increasing. He will. 1John 5:14 ...says, "if we ask anything according to His will, He hears us..." Obviously, loving Jesus is something the Father wants us to do. It's according to His will. So He will help us learn to love Jesus as He does.

"My beloved Son" - How many people at this point in time knew that Jesus was the Son of God? Of course, His mother Mary did. (Luke 1: 35) Mary's husband, Joseph, knew. (Matt 1:23) Zecharias and Elizabeth, JB's parents knew. (Luke 1:16-17,43) The shepherds knew (Luke 2:8-11). God also told 2 people in Jerusalem, Simeon and Anna (Luke 2:25-38), that the Messiah had come. Anna told eveyone she saw (Luke 2:38). They all knew that Jesus was God's Son at the time of His birth. Now, in this first chapter of the gospel of Mark, it is 30 years later and God is going to reveal His Son to Israel and eventually to the whole world.

"In Whom I am well pleased"--

a. Could God say that about you? Tell the Lord you want to become well-pleasing to Him. Ask Him to show you how. Then stay alert for His directions in your daily life.

b. God praised Jesus, by calling Him beloved and pleasing. Do you praise Jesus? Here's an assignment: Write a letter to Him or tell Jesus how wonderful He is in as many ways and words as you can. Ask the Holy Spirit to guide you in this. Then listen for His prompting.

c. What was God well pleased about? As far as we know, Jesus really hadn't done any miracles or special ministry yet. What had Jesus done that pleased His Father so much? Here are some possible answers. Let me know, if you think of some others.

1. God was very pleased that Jesus had waited for Him to tell Jesus when to begin His public ministry. Jesus didn't rush ahead of God's perfect timing, even though Jesus said at the age of 12 that He must be about His Father's business. (If you're not familiar with that story, you can read about it in Luke 2:41-52.)

2. God was pleased that Jesus had been obedient to the earthly parents He had provided for Him. (Luke 2:51 Then He went down with them and came to Nazareth, and was subject to them.)

3. God was pleased that Jesus had been faithful in the little things: His studies, the carpentry work He learned from Joseph, His prayer life, how He treated people, etc.

4. God was well pleased with Jesus' attitude. Jesus wasn't arrogant; He was humble.

5. God was pleased with Jesus' obedience to His commandments. He didn't tell lies. He wasn't immoral. He wasn't deceitful. He made choices that honored His Father.

6. God was well pleased with the trust that Jesus exhibited.

7. God was very pleased that Jesus obeyed, when the Holy Spirit directed Jesus to make the long trip to the Jordan River valley to be baptized of John.

Would God be well pleased with you in these same areas-trusting Him? faithfulness? obedience? attitude? Here's a second assignment: This week, make this your motive --to please God-- in everything you do.

Here's the next lesson in the study of the gospel of Mark. I hope that you are keeping up with these lessons and learning from them. If you are sharing them with others, you are doing what God intended -- teaching and encouraging others in the Word. I'm sure that would be"well-pleasing" in His sight.