The Setting

After setting the stage and telling us about John the Baptist, Mark immediately takes us to the inauguration of Jesus' earthly ministry. At this point, Luke tells us Jesus was about thirty years of age, but Mark is unconcerned with the previous years of Jesus' life (Luke 3:23). Mark also refuses to develop the backstory of Jesus and John's relationship as relatives of one another through their mothers, Mary and Elizabeth.

His only real mention of Jesus' early years is this: In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee (9). The phrase might make the reader crazy with questions. What was Jesus doing all those years? Why did God choose such an obscure and out-of-the-way town for Jesus' upbringing? What about Mary and Joseph? What was Jesus' GPA?

Again, the gospels are not biographies about Jesus, but historical theologies: accurate, truthful portrayals of Jesus designed to demonstrate theological truths about the Christ.

And Mark shows us the inauguration, the beginning, the commencement of Jesus' ministry life happened at the waters of the Jordan River. With John. In baptism. And after that, Jesus was thrust into the wilderness to face temptation at the hands of Satan. Then he began to preach. Let's consider all three, learning about Jesus as we go.

9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 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. 11 And a voice came from heaven, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased." (Mark 1:9-11)

Why was Jesus baptized?

Now, early Christians clearly considered this a vital event. In the book of Acts, after Jesus ascended to heaven, the disciples felt they needed to find a replacement for Judas Iscariot, and they wanted someone who'd been with them since Jesus' baptism (Acts 1:21-22).

So this event was a big deal to the early church, and Mark presents it as an important step in Jesus' ministry life.

But his baptism brings up an obvious question: Why was Jesus baptized by John?

We ask because John offered a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, but the Bible teaches us Jesus lived a sinless life (Mark 1:4). For his part, John seems to have felt this conflict as well. Matthew tells us John objected when he saw Jesus come out to him in the water to be baptized.

John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. (Matthew 3:14-15, ESV).

Now, we learn in Isaiah 53 that Jesus would be numbered with the transgressors and bore the sin of many (Isaiah 53:12). Though he had no sin of his own, it's possible Jesus was already identifying with sinful flesh by being baptized like everyone else.

But to really understand Jesus' response, we must again consider John's ministry. Remember, the people were waiting for the day of the Lord -- the breaking in of God onto Israel's situation -- when John came onto the scene. And the figure they were especially looking for was Elijah (Malachi 4:5-6). When John arrived, he came in the spirit and power of Elijah, and even dressed the part!

Then, when John preached, he told people to repent, but that's not all. He said:

"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (Matthew 3:2, ESV).

As in, everything you've been waiting for, the day you've longed to see, the program of God foretold by the prophets of old, the great kingdom which will have no end, it is about to appear! It is going to present itself at any moment. Get yourself ready. Turn around and prepare yourself for what God is about to do!

Then Jesus comes along and is baptized. It was only right for the one who the kingdom is centered around to be baptized himself. His baptism kickstarted the whole thing! As we just read, the heavens open, the Spirit comes, and the Father speaks. God broke through. The kingdom has begun.

And to prove the point that Jesus' baptism was God breaking through, we only need to look at the details surrounding the event.

Detail 1. Heaven Breaks Out on Earth

The first detail is the opening of heaven. Mark records: and when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open (10). The other gospel writers describe the opening of the heavens, but Mark used forceful language to say heaven was torn, or split, open (10).

And to describe the heavens this way, splitting or cracking open above Jesus, is a way to say God is speaking and acting in this moment and event.

We see this in the Old Testament. One good example is found in Isaiah 63 and 64. There, Israel was far from the ideals of God's kingdom, and, in prayer, they remembered the times in their past when God was moving in their midst. They wanted to see it happen again. They wanted God to rekindle the fires of his plans for them. There, they prayed:

"Oh that you would rend the heavens and come down..." (Isaiah 64:1, ESV)

You see, Jesus eliminates the gap between heaven and earth. In him, God interacts with us, human flesh. In him, God dwelt in human flesh.

And all this was a foreshadowing of the ultimate way God would break through to earth. For centuries, a thick veil had separated the most holy place in God's temple in Jerusalem from everyone else. But at Jesus' death, Mark will tell us:

And Jesus uttered a loud cry and breathed his last. And the curtain of the temple was torn in two, from top to bottom. (Mark 15:37–38, ESV).

So Mark is telling us that God has answered their prayers in Jesus. The heavens are opened. God has come down. The long-awaited Savior is here!

Detail 2. The Spirit Empowers Jesus

The second detail pointing to God breaking through at Jesus' baptism is the outpouring of God's Spirit. Mark records: Immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove (10). As we'll see in a moment, this was meant to be understood as the Spirit's empowering of Jesus for the work of ministry.

To the Philippians, Paul described Jesus this way:

Though he was in the form of God, he did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. (Philippians 2:6–7, ESV).

This emptying of himself did not deprive Jesus of his divinity. Though divine, Jesus seems to have set aside the privileges of divinity, emptying himself, so he could be like us. And, in so doing, he needed to rely on the power of the Spirit to do his work. He preached and performed miracles by the power of the Spirit.

Part of the reason this is important is because all of the Old Testament heroes and prophets were empowered by God's Spirit, but Israel had come to believe those days were over (Exodus 31:3, Judges 3:10, 1 Samuel 19:20). There were no prophets. They saw no miracles. And times of darkness covered the land.

But now the heavens split open, and the Spirit descends. Not upon Israel as a whole, but upon one Israelite, upon Jesus. For them, this was like a dream; God's Spirit has come again! God has broken through!

Detail 3. Jesus Is the Beloved Son

The third detail pointing to God breaking through at Jesus' baptism is the voice of the Father over his Son. He said, "You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased" (11). Amazing. Beautiful.

Now, the voice of Father God was rare during the life of Jesus, but when he did speak, this is the type of thing he would say. After Jesus' baptism, he remained silent until the Mount of Transfiguration. After Peter suggested they build permanent tents for Jesus, along with Elijah and Moses, who had appeared there, God said:

"This is my beloved Son; listen to him." (Mark 9:7, ESV).

Then, as Jesus neared the cross, he began to teach that it was time for him to be glorified. He told everyone they should serve and follow him. If they did, the Father would honor them. Then Jesus prayed, Father, glorify your name (John 12:23-28).

Then a voice came from heaven: "I have glorified it, and I will glorify it again." (John 12:28, ESV).

Though not a carbon copy of what the Father had said about Jesus earlier, in some ways, it stands as an accelerated version of what he said all throughout Jesus' ministry. At Jesus' baptism, he said, You are my Son. In the presence of Moses and Elijah, he said, Listen to my Son. And after Jesus told people they should serve and follow him, the Father said, in effect, That's right. I have no correction to offer. I hear you, Son. I will glorify my name.

So the Father's voice sets Jesus apart from everyone else in history. He's beloved. He's better than Moses and Elijah. He's worthy of the kind of service and allegiance you only give to God. He is the One who will break out God's grace to the world.

"Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations." (Isaiah 42:1, ESV)

This is Jesus! He is the begotten Son who brings justice to the nations (Psalm 2:7).

The Son of God. The Son of David. Jesus came. God broke through.