Questions over Mark 1:9-13

Questions over verses 9-13:

1. Why was Jesus baptized anyway? He had no sin to be remitted. 
• Even though he had no sin, he identified with all of us do. He was connecting with us or joining with our humanity.  
• Jesus honored John’s baptism. He showed that it was ordained by God himself. He thus fulfilled all “right-with-God-ness.” He thus obeyed every command of God. 
2. What is the significance of the Spirit descending upon Jesus? 

• As God he was already one with the H.S., but as a human being he was not so still needed to receive the Spirit. We also receive the HS at our baptism.
• It was the fulfilling of prophecy (Ps. 45:7: “God, thy God, hath anointed thee with the oil of gladness above thy fellows,” and Isa. 61:1: “The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me; because the Lord hath anointed me to preach…”.
• He was receiving the anointing of God. (Acts 10:38: “God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Ghost and with power.”)

3. What is the significance of the Father’s statement concerning Jesus?
• It was the blessing of all three in the God-head: Father speaks, the son begins his ministry blessed with the power of the H.S. 
• John’s baptism was not in the name of the trinity but in a sense Jesus was baptized in the name of the trinity as we are — “In the name of the Father, Son, and H.S.” Mt 28:20.
• It demonstrates the divine approval of Jesus (and us) by the trinity.
4. Why was he impelled to go into the wilderness for 40 days? 
• Jesus’ entire ministry would be a continuous encounter with Satan—not limited to this one experience in the desert.
• Mark uses the term Satan (adversary) as opposed to Devil (accuser), which is used by the other Gospel writers. Jesus will continually be striving with his “adversary”—Satan. This great encounter will climax at the Cross.
• In these 40 days, Jesus takes the offensive against temptation and evil instead of avoiding them.
• These 40 days show Jesus was qualified for His messianic mission.
• These 40 days bear witness to His true humanity.
• The presence of wild animals stresses the hostile character of the desert region as Satan’s domain.
• God’s protecting care through the angels who attended (were serving) him. They supplied general aid and the assurance of God’s presence. They do the same for us in times of trial and temptation. 

Many of the ideas above were borrowed from the following references: 

• Lenski, R. C. H. (1961). The Interpretation of St. Mark’s Gospel. Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House.
• Cooper, R. L. (2000). Mark (Vol. 2). Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holman Publishers.
• Jamieson, R., Fausset, A. R., & Brown, D. (1997). Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible. Oak Harbor, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.
• Dockery, D. S., Butler, T. C., Church, C. L., Scott, L. L., Ellis Smith, M. A., White, J. E., & Holman Bible Publishers (Nashville, T. . (1992). Holman Bible Handbook. Nashville, TN: Holman Bible Publishers.
• Walvoord, J. F., & Zuck, R. B., Dallas Theological Seminary. (1985). The Bible Knowledge Commentary: An Exposition of the Scriptures. Wheaton, IL: Victor Books.
• Paschall, F. H., & Hobbs, H. H. (Eds.). (1972). The teacher’s Bible commentary. Nashville: Broadman and Holman Publishers.
• Carson, D. A., France, R. T., Motyer, J. A., & Wenham, G. J. (Eds.). (1994). New Bible commentary: 21st century edition (4th ed.). Leicester, England; Downers Grove, IL: Inter-Varsity Press.