Series: 40 Days with Jesus
Title: Beginning the Walk with Jesus
Text: Mark 1:9-15
Thesis: Jesus began his public ministry with an invitation to rethink the ways we think and act… to reverse course, leaving behind old misguided and sinful ways and moving in a new direction of faith and Kingdom living.
Today is the 1st Sunday in the Lenten Season. The Lenten Season consists of 40 days plus the 7 Sundays, or a total of 47 days during which we prepare our hearts and lives to walk with Jesus through his life, death, burial and resurrection. We understand Lent to be an opportunity for a fresh start in our pursuit of Jesus.
Introduction
In 1958 a guy named Cliff Hillegrass worked for Nebraska Books in Lincoln, Nebraska. Cliff and his wife started a cottage industry in their basement that we now know as CliffsNotes. CliffsNotes are a good supplement for summarizing the chapters and outlining key discussion points of a book. Unfortunately CliffsNotes have been abused… they were not intended to be a substitute for actually reading a book.
In 1950 The Readers Digest came out with hardcover anthology collections of best sellers. They were published and distributed by direct mail 4 times a year. They were called Readers Digest Condensed Books. Each condensed book contained abridged editions of 5 books. They were published for 47 years… 1950 – 1997. My mother subscribed the Readers Digest Condensed Books.
We used CliffsNotes to avoid having to read a book… we used Readers Digest Condensed Books to avoid reading the whole book…
The Book of Mark may be thought of a Readers Digest Condensed Book. Mark says in 16 chapters what Matthew says in 28 chapters and Luke in 24 chapters. Mark gets right after it. He hits the ground running. Commentators point out that Mark is always in a hurry. He uses the word “immediately” 17 times in his Gospel. While the Book of Mark begins with the ministry of John the Baptist as “ the voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘prepare the way for the coming Lord”’ and only briefly refers to Jesus’ baptism and temptation… Matthew and Luke are more descriptive of the events, filling in the details of his baptism and temptation. Basically, Mark says in 7 verses what Matthew and Luke say in several chapters.
Mark does not speak to Jesus’ genealogy or the drama of Joseph and Mary and the angel and the virgin birth. Mark says nothing of Bethlehem and the stable and the shepherds who were serenaded by a heavenly host of angels. Mark says nothing of the three wise men and of how Mary and Joseph took Jesus to Egypt to protect him from Herod.
Even when we expand our reading to the other Gospels, there is nothing of Jesus’ childhood other than his birth, presentation and his conversation with the religious teachers during Passover when he was 12.
That is not to say there is no interest in Jesus’ childhood. We are speculative enough to wonder if the boy Jesus got good grades in school or if the teenager Jesus had a crush on a pretty dark-eyed beauty? Or we might wonder if he asked to borrow his dad’s donkey on Saturday night?
There is what is called The Infancy Gospel of Thomas which was apparently written to satisfy the curiosity of early Christians about the childhood of Jesus. The wanted to hear the anecdotal stories of his childhood. They wanted to hear that the child Jesus made birds out of clay and when he tossed them into the air they came alive and flew. They wanted to hear about the Jesus who had a friend who fell from a roof and died but Jesus, even as a child, resurrected his friend from the dead.
The stories were not all nice… it is said that he once cursed a child who was making fun of him and the child died. When the child’s parents came to Mary and Joseph to complain, it is said that Jesus made them go blind. However, the Infancy Gospel is careful to say that Jesus later reversed his curses and all was well with the boy and his parents.
We can only speculate about such things. To suggest that Jesus was a mean-spirited little boy is certainly inconsistent with what the Scriptures say of him who as a child, “grew in wisdom and in stature and in favor with God and all the people.” Luke 2:52
So while our knowledge of Jesus’ childhood is sketchy, we will be picking up with him at the age of 30 and walking with him for the next 40 days.
This morning our walk begins with Jesus on the occasion of his baptism.
I. Walking with Jesus at his baptism
One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized him in the Jordan River. Mark 1:9-11
When you condense or abridge a book you boil it down to the essentials that you need to know.
My sense is that there are three things Mark wants us to know about Jesus:
• Jesus identified with humanity, Mark 1:5 and 9
Jesus fully identified with us. He stood in line there at the Jordan River with all those who had come with their sinful baggage to repent of their sins. At the very onset of his ministry Jesus identifies with people. He was to be known as a friend of sinners and not just run-of-the-mill sinners but notorious sinners.
• Jesus was empowered by the Holy Spirit, Mark 1:10 and 12 (Luke 4:14)
At the time of his baptism the Scripture tells us the heavens split open and that the Holy Spirit came down upon Jesus like a dove empowering him for his earthly ministry.
• [And] Jesus is the Son of God, Mark 1:1 and 11
In verse 1 Mark begins his Gospel with, “This is the Good News about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God…” While he was being baptized a voice from heaven spoke audibly saying, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.”
Jesus is not only to be known as one of us, he is to be known as the Son of God… fully God, fully man.
The bottom line: What does this mean for us as we walk with Jesus?
Jesus, as the Son of God, fully identifies with us as people.
Just as Jesus identified with us at his baptism, he identifies with us in his testing in the wilderness.
II. Walking with Jesus during his temptation
The Spirit compelled Jesus to go into the wilderness, where he was tempted by Satan for forty days. Mark 1:12-13
A recent poll (September 2013) that surveyed 1,000 U.S. adults showed the following stats about what Americans think of the Devil:
• 57 percent of people believe in the existence of the Devil, while 28 percent deny the Devil's Katie Jagel, "Poll Results: Exorcism," Front Page (9-17-14); Rob Phillips, "Research: Millennials Are Spiritually Diverse," Lifeway Research (4-27-10)
Once again we see that Jesus entered into the human experience of temptation and testing. He was as subject to succumbing to testing and temptation as are we. Hebrews reminds us that Jesus faced all the same testing we do, yet he did not sin. Hebrews 4:15
During his 40 days in the wilderness we walk with Jesus as he experienced:
• Jesus experienced spiritual testing, Mark 1:13a and I John 2:15-16
Satan attempted to entice Jesus to turn a stone into bread... The Lust of the Flesh (To Do)
Satan attempted to entice Jesus with the allure of possessing all the kingdoms of the world… The Lust of the Eyes (To Have)
Satan attempted to entice Jesus to demonstrate his prominence as the Son of God… The Pride of Life (To Be)
The purpose of evil is to damage and destroy all that is good and godly. The purpose of evil is to overcome light with darkness. The most vivid image of satanic influence today is ISIS.
ISIS is the epitome of evil in the world today, evidenced by the systematic eradication of Christians, the kidnapping and enslavement of women and young girls, the barbarous beheadings and burning alive of captives, the destruction of historical and sacred sites and cultural antiquities and museum pieces…
The power of evil that tests us is real. The Apostle Paul wrote of Satan as “the ruler of this world.”
• Jesus experienced fearsome circumstances, Mark 1:13b (Wild animals)
• Jesus experienced the care of God, Mark 1:13c (Angels took care of him)
Quoting from: Angels 1O1: An Introduction to Connecting, Working, and Healing with the Angels, Doreen Virtue wrote, “We are informed that in some religious traditions, angels love every person unconditionally. They help everyone who calls on them, regardless of their religious faith or lack of it. They look past the surface and see the godliness within all of us," she writes. "So angels aren't judgmental, and they only bring love into our lives. You're safe with the angels, and you can totally trust them."
[Doreen] Virtue lists the many ways that angels can be counted on to assist people, even in mapping out their travel plans. They will:
• Help you get an extremely nice, warm, friendly, and competent customer-service representative when calling an airline to book reservations
• Help you avoid lines at check-in, and work with sweet and competent personnel
• Let you sail through airport security without being searched
• Protect and deliver your baggage so that your suitcases are the first ones on the luggage carousel when you're there to collect it
She writes. "So whether you need help with your health, career, love life, family, or any other area, the angels can help you."(Joseph Loconte, The Searchers (Thomas Nelson, 2012), pp. 98-99)
I’m not very knowledgeable about angels… I sincerely doubt they exist to flit about and be at my beckon-call to help me get through airport security without having my luggage checked or score me primo parking spaces or see that my luggage is the first to drop onto the baggage carousel.
I do know that in the Book of Hebrews we are reminded to be hospitable people because you never know when you might be entertaining an angel. “Don’t forget to show hospitality to strangers for some who have done this have entertained angels without realizing it.” Hebrews 13:2
And I do know that throughout the Scripture there are references to the activity of Angels and specifically in the case of Jesus’ testing in the wilderness Mark says, “Angels took care of him.”
The bottom line: What does this mean for us as we walk with Jesus?
Jesus lived into the fact that good and evil occupy the same space. However we do not have to be negatively influenced or overcome by that evil. In fact… we have the presence and power of the same Holy Spirit to overcome that evil. Rather than the light being overcome by the darkness… the light reveals and overcomes the darkness.
There is plenty of darkness to go around in this world. It looks bleak and black in lots of places. I was reminded of how the Kingdom of God has turned dark places into light places… one of the missionaries we support is going into the heart of Western Asia to work among Muslim people. The Schultz’s are currently working with a class of 58 missionaries, some of whom will be going to serve among unreached people groups. And sometimes we forget some of the most obvious evidences of light in the world. For example, right here in the Denver metro area how many hospitals have names like St. Joseph or St. Anthony or St. Luke’s or Lutheran or Adventists or Good Samaritan?
I believe the world is a brighter place because of the 1st German Congregational Church and Heritage Community Bible Church and Covenant World Missions and New Tribes Missions and World Team. I believe the world is a brighter place because of Hope House. And I believe the world is a brighter place because the Kingdom of God is being lived out on your neighborhood.
Jesus emerged from his wilderness testing still filled with the Holy Spirit and immediately went into Galilee where he began his earthly ministry.
III. Walking with Jesus to Galilee
Later on, after John was arrested, Jesus went into Galilee where he preached God’s Good News… Mark 1:14-15
God’s Good news is a future hope that we live into in the present. The Good News was that we are all invited to turn from our former way of life, to God and Kingdom life.
One of the most wonderful bits of news we can ever hear are the words, “You are pregnant. You are expecting.” It is amazing how your imagination races ahead 9 months and you can’t wait to hold the baby in your arms. But almost immediately you arrive back into the present and from then on, everything you do is in anticipation the big event. When you are expecting you change…
You get a crib. You go to Costco or Sam’s and you load up on disposable diapers. You paint the nursery. You hang mobiles over the crib. You get a monitor so you can hear the baby when he or cries so you can jump out of bed and do whatever the baby needs to have done.
When you welcome a baby into your life you have welcomed a new little king or queen into your life.
The news Jesus brings is, there is going to be a new king who will institute a new kingdom. Slide 9
• Jesus proclaimed the Kingdom of God is near, Mark 1:15a
Jesus spoke of this kingdom more clearly in Luke 17: 20-21, “The Kingdom of God can’t be detected by visible signs. You won’t be able to say, ‘Here it is!’ or ‘It’s over there!’ For the Kingdom of God is already among you.”
Jesus was saying the King has come and while there is no Palace or boundaries that stake out the boarders of his empire… his throne exists in our hearts and minds. His is an invisible kingdom and Jesus is the King we serve.
• Jesus called us to repentance and faith, Mark 1:15b
When Jesus is our King and when we wish to truly follow and serve our King we of necessity must shift our allegiance to him. The way we do that is through repentance.
Repent = Metanoia: means to change your mind which infers changing the way you think and the way you live. Christ has come. He is our King. He reigns in our hearts right now.
Kevin Miller tells a story told about the executive who helped him get his first job. The executive was flying on a business trip. He was absolutely amazed at the attentiveness of the flight crew. Toward the end of the flight he stopped one of the flight attendants and said, “I don’t mean to bother you but I have to say I fly a lot and I have never see a flight crew like you guys. You are the most attentive, polite, engaged, service-oriented flight attendants I have ever seen.” He said the flight attendant smiled and said, “Well, for that you can thank the lady in 12B. She’s the supervisor who inspects all the flight crews… and she is on our flight.” (Kevin Miller, God’s New World Now, PreachingToday.com, 2/2/15)
What Jesus was announcing is that God is on this flight! So we might ask, “How does knowing that God is on this flight affect the way we think and act?”
The bottom line? What does this mean for us as we walk with Jesus?
II Corinthians 4:4 says, “Satan is the god of this world or age and has blinded the minds of those who do not believe. They are unable to see the glorious light of the Good News.” But! Colossians 1:13 says, “God has rescued us from the kingdom of darkness and transferred us into the Kingdom of his dear Son, who purchased our freedom and forgave our sins.”
We occupy the same space as evil but we do not belong to the kingdom of darkness, we belong to the Kingdom of God and do not have to submit to the rule of Satan in our lives.
Conclusion
We have begun our walk with Jesus having been exposed to at least three truths:
• Jesus is the Son of God.
• Jesus showed us how to occupy the same space with evil and overcome it.
• Jesus invites us to live into Kingdom life.
The problem for many of us is in understanding that the Kingdom of God is not only near, it is here and now and among us but we sometimes live as if it is yet to come. In other words we don’t fully live into the Kingdom of God in the present.
Timothy Keller suggests sure fire way to determine if you are living a Kingdom life with Christ as your King. Imagine your basement and imagine you would like to know if you have rats in your basement. So you go to the basement door and you rattle the door knob and kick the door a few times. You leisurely open the door, turn on the light and shout down the stairway, “Ready or not, here I come.” Then you clomp, clomp down the stairs, take a gander around and seeing no rats… utter a sigh of relief and go back up the stairs, turning off the lights and closing the door to the basement.
Any rat can straighten up his act if he gets enough warning. But what about the rat that gets caught off-guard? The best evidence of a rat’s activity is what the rat does when he doesn’t think anyone is examining his thoughts or listening to his words or observing his activities.
Following Jesus is not a part time gig. It is a fulltime way of living for Jesus.
Living into the Kingdom of God is to perpetually live in a state of repentance… always turning from whatever would distract us… to Jesus and his reign in our lives.
