Today we are reading from Mark 1: 9-11:

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.”

As we mentioned yesterday, Mark gets right to the point.  Other Gospel accounts will go more in-depth with Jesus’ baptism, explain it a little more, talk about what the crowd saw and heard, but Mark doesn’t do that.  Right after we meet John, we immediately go right to the baptism.  

In Mark’s Gospel, things come at you fast.  Something is always happening.  And Jesus is always in control of the action.  He is always on the move, He is always showing His power and command.  We see in Mark that Jesus has authority, but today we see why He has authority.  His Father is well pleased with Him, and in this moment, we see each person of the Holy Spirit at work. We see the Son baptized. We see the Father speak. And we see the Spirit descend.  Each person of the Trinity is there, empowering Jesus and showing the purpose and power of His mission upon the earth.  

The Son perfectly obeys the will of His Father (which we will see throughout Mark). In some ways, this event shows us even how salvation itself works.  We are saved by grace through faith (Ephesians 2:4).  We are made right with the Father, through the Son, by the Spirit. The Father forgives, because of the work of the Son and we are empowered to receive this give by Spirit.  The very order of salvation is an act of the Trinity.  

And we see the centrality of the work of Jesus in this.  He is our example.  Our redeemer. Our atoner.  Our Lord.  Our Savior.  It all comes down to Jesus.  

Remember that today. It’s all about Jesus.  Through the power of ht Spirit, may we feel the approval of the Father, through the work of the Son. 

Remember how loved you are today.  

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