Mark 1:9-13 (NKJV) It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. 11 Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Satan Tempts Jesus
(Matt. 4:1–11; Luke 4:1–13)
12 Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness. 13 And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.
V9 “It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.” This is Jesus’s commissioning. Priests and others would need God’s blessings to minister. Jesus didn’t need to confess sins, choose Biblical Judaism, or baptism. This washing, baptism, is to show Jesus’s sinlessness and purity for service. The priests began their work at 30 years old (Numbers 4:3).
Brave AI summary in part states:
“These washings highlighted the separation and consecration of the priests and served as a public demonstration of their commitment to God’s service. The ritual washing involved washing hands and feet before entering the tent of meeting or approaching the altar to minister. This practice was essential for the priests to be clean before the Lord, just as all believers in Christ are called to serve Him in a state of purity.
“The significance of these washings extended beyond mere physical cleansing, symbolizing spiritual purification and readiness to serve God. The act of washing was not just a physical act but a spiritual one, reflecting the importance of personal and communal holiness and the ongoing process of sanctification in the life of a believer.
“The ritual washings for priests in the Old Testament pointed forward to the ultimate purification that would come through Christ, emphasizing the deeper spiritual meaning behind these practices.”
V10 “And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove.” This is God the Father’s witness that Jesus is His Son. The Spirit like a dove signifies visibly that God the Father has given the Holy Spirit without measure to Jesus the Son of Man (John 3:34 and Isaiah 11:1-5). Compare Isaiah 61:1. As to Jesus’s divinity, He had everything, but as a human male (XY), He needed God’s special blessings. All believers need the same blessing, but we have a much lower measure of the Holy Spirit. See Zechariah 4:6, 1 Corinthians 12:4-11, and 1 Timothy 4:14. Why a dove? First, the dove is a clean bird—Leviticus 5:7— and secondly, a symbol of the Holy Spirit.
Cyclopedia (Cyclopedia of Biblical, Theological, and Ecclesiastical Literature): “In the Mosaic law, birds were distinguished as clean and unclean: the first being allowed for the table because they fed on grain, seeds, and vegetables; and the second forbidden because they subsisted on flesh and carrion.”
V11 “Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” God the Father’s own voice as a witness. God is one. This means His essence. Essence is that He (Father, Son, and Holy Spirit) are one spirit (John 4:24) and all the character traits of God, especially His non-communicable traits as omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotence, eternity, self-existence, omniscience, etc. God the Father is addressing the Son as a human. Jesus is the beloved Son (John 3:35, John 5:20, and John 10:17). Well pleased because 1) ready to do God’s will (Psalm 40:7-8), 2) willing to serve God (Isaiah 42:1), 3) humility (Psalm 138:6), 4) blameless life (Psalm 84:11), and 5) faith, believing God (Hebrews 10:38).
V12 “Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.” He was recognized and commissioned. Now, begins the test to know His loyalty, faithfulness, and obedience to God’s truth. All Christ followers experience this to one degree or another. God knows, but it must be demonstrated.
V13 “And He was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered to Him.” A very severe test; probably the strongest possible, for it is satan himself seducing to sin and disobedience. Angels are ministering spirits (Hebrews 1:14).
We learn:
- About Jesus’s commission.
- About God the Father’s testimony.
- About Jesus’s testing.
Questions:
- What is your commission to serve God?
- What was your testing before serving?