Jesus Is Our Example Series

Please open your bibles to the Gospel of Mark….

The opening statement of Mark gives us this gospel, the good news!

Mark 1:1……. - Jesus Christ who is God came to earth to save people from their sins!

Through the Gospel writer Mark, God then tells us supporting facts about this main truth in verse 1. God states that the people should not be surprised of Jesus God the Savior when God’s prophets have been proclaiming the coming Messiah ever since the first man and woman sinned.

The Good News is not new news!

Fact #1: The Savior Messiah was promised by God over and over again in the Old Testament!

We then note in v4-8 of Mark 1, the next supporting fact about Jesus Christ, God and Savior.

Fact #2: God called John the Baptist to prepare the way for Jesus Christ!

Let’s continue to learn about our God and Savior Jesus Christ; read along with me Mark 1…. v4-13….

Let us note what John was doing. Was John saying that water baptism will save you from your sins??

v4: John was preaching a baptism of repentance. Physical water baptism itself did not save people from their sins but what it represented, a personal internal faith of acknowledging sin and going back to God. This is what repentance means; acknowledging you’re going the wrong way and your focus is now in the right direction. When we become Believers of Jesus Christ by faith and become children of a Holy God, we start saying no to sin!

Yes to God and no to sin must be our daily attitude as Christians till Jesus returns for us!

Now, we read in v9: Jesus was baptized by John in the Jordan River. Why??

Turn briefly with me to the Gospel of Matthew 3, read along with me v13-15…

Jesus said it was the right thing to do! Fact #3: Jesus followed God’s plan!

By the way, this is one of the reasons why we have 4 Gospels; different views of the same story to give us what we need to know. Now, we can wonder and ask, why didn’t God just put it all in one Gospel? There are many reasons of course, the main one being that it is God’s plan to do it this way and God is always right. Secondly, I believe God wants us not to be lazy but to study deeply the Word of God! Jesus reminds us that we can not live just on physical food alone but with spiritual food from God’s Word the Bible.

Now look again at v10 -11 of Mark 1….

What’s significant about these verses?? The Triune God was evident and Jesus is one of the 3!

Fact #4: Jesus Christ is God of the Triune God! Jesus’ title is Son of God!

Now, Jesus Christ is God but we read in v12-13: Jesus was led by the Spirit, in the wilderness for 40 days, tempted by Satan, lived with wild animals, and attended by angels! What in general does v12-13 tell us about Jesus Christ??

Fact #5: Jesus Christ was fully human while on earth!

What can we apply to our lives today from this passage?

Again, since the main truth is from v1,

1. Do I truly believe that Jesus Christ is my Only God and Savior and do I live daily with this truth?

2. As Christians, Jesus is our example for living since He was fully a human being on earth:

a. Jesus followed God’s plan and so must we. Now, because we are not God like Jesus and so we will not always follow God’s plan, does it mean we should not pursue and do God’s plan?? Why??

What was Jesus’ response to John the Baptist about being baptized?

We must pursue God’s plan and follow it because it’s the right thing! Elections are coming up; ask yourself, what’s God’s plan for America? What’s God’s plan for me? Pray and then make a decision!