The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit

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." 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. - Mark 1:9‭-‬13 ESV

Rev. Travis Drake

The announcing of the Son

God is announcing the son. This seems like a very private event. Jesus hears the voice. We don't know if others heard it. Jesus saw the heavens torn. We don't know if anyone else heard it. But Mark is proclaiming it to us. It started as a private event, but was meant to be spread. This is the fulfillment of God's promises 700 years ago. This was a coming of the promises from the mouth of Isiah. The coming salvation and redeemer. 

"There shall come forth a shoot from the stump of Jesse, and a branch from his roots shall bear fruit. And the Spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him, the Spirit of wisdom and understanding, the Spirit of counsel and might, the Spirit of knowledge and the fear of the Lord . And his delight shall be in the fear of the Lord . He shall not judge by what his eyes see, or decide disputes by what his ears hear, but with righteousness he shall judge the poor, and decide with equity for the meek of the earth; and he shall strike the earth with the rod of his mouth, and with the breath of his lips he shall kill the wicked. Righteousness shall be the belt of his waist, and faithfulness the belt of his loins. The wolf shall dwell with the lamb, and the leopard shall lie down with the young goat, and the calf and the lion and the fattened calf together; and a little child shall lead them. The cow and the bear shall graze; their young shall lie down together; and the lion shall eat straw like the ox. The nursing child shall play over the hole of the cobra, and the weaned child shall put his hand on the adder's den. They shall not hurt or destroy in all my holy mountain; for the earth shall be full of the knowledge of the Lord as the waters cover the sea." - Isaiah 11:1‭-‬9 ESV

This coming Savior will come from the family line of Jesse, the father of David. The kingdom of Israel did become a stump; the family of David was cut off. But why should we be concerned about this random royalty? Why is this any more interesting than the current news of prince Harry and princess Meghan? Because of what this King is. This King will blow away the wicked with merely any effort...a breath. He will upend the entire natural order of animals as we know it. He will bring justice for those who have no one to defend & fight for them. But not just justice for a season, not just for a decade or two, but justice forever.

The equiping of the Son

How does this translate from an announcement to reality? 

I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! - Luke 12:50 ESV

Jesus speaks of a second baptism. This is after John had already baptised Him. The only earth shaking event after Jesus' baptism that we can point to is Jesus' death and resurrection. Sin is not washed away in a river, but rather by Jesus death on a cross. It is washed away by His blood. It is done. There is nothing to be added to it. Our redeeming has been accomplished already. We are already accepted by God the Father. We are to obey not because we need to earn it, but we obey because we are already accepted. Only the children of God will fight the temptation of sin. The affirmation and love of God is already ours in Christ before the temptations come. 

The sending of the Son

The King of Kings is sent out to meet the King of this world and the wild beasts. Immediately after Christ is affirmed by God, He is immediately dragged out to fight with the enemy. Jesus does not delay. There's another story of Lazarus. Lazarus was dying and Jesus delayed in that case because it was better. It was better for Jesus to resurrect Lazarus after he'd already died. God does not delay to deliver unless it is better. Jesus is presented immediately; His life and ministry on earth is a foretaste of what is to come. What is to come us nothing like what we have here and now...

Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. - Isaiah 40:4 ESV

Receive

Accept Jesus and the good news of the Gospel.

God will do all these good things because Jesus was given.

Rely

These promises are for you, Christian.

Yes, it is forgiveness, it is beautiful. 

The Christian Life is not about needing God less, but learning to lean on God more.

Look

God is ready to act when the time is right. Don't hope in what you see, but look at what God promises.