Mark 1:1-13

Back to the Wilderness

The most marvelous event in all of history was the coming of Jesus Christ. God invaded time and space in the person of Jesus Christ. Nothing before or since this colossal historical event has had so great an impact on life and history. All other events, summed together would not even approach the significance of the coming of Jesus Christ into the world. And this event took place just opposite of the way we expected.

 

The gospel of Mark tells of the life of Jesus in a rapid fire, vivid, picturesque account. He wastes no time getting to the heart of the message of good news about Jesus. But Jesus didn't just suddenly appear on the scene. God spent hundreds of years in preparation and the unfolding of his plan for the coming of the kingdom of God. God, throughout history was working in definite, unique, and deliberate ways to show us that he is God and that his hand cannot be mistaken for coincidence.

 

How did God prepare us for Jesus? Before we talk about Jesus let's get prepared. First, read Mark 1:1-13.

 

 

Mar 1:1-13 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (2) As it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

"BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY; (3) THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.'"

(4) John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. (5) And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. (6) John was clothed with camel's hair and wore a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey. (7) And he was preaching, and saying, "After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. (8) "I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." (9) In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. (10) Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; (11) and a voice came out of the heavens: "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased." (12) Immediately the Spirit *impelled Him to go out into the wilderness. (13) And He was in the wilderness forty days being tempted by Satan; and He was with the wild beasts, and the angels were ministering to Him.

 

There are several key words in this text which I would like to use as launching pads for understanding Mark's message. The first word which jumps out as a theme is the word "wilderness". In verse 4 "John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin." John was the forerunner of Jesus. He was sent to prepare the way for the messiah, the Lord of lords, the king of Israel, the very son of God. But why in the world did he preach in the wilderness? No advertising firm today would hire John as a P.R. man. He probably wouldn't be sought after as a campaign manager. Big name itinerant evangelists today probably wouldn't select John as someone to promote their crusades. John certainly had unique approach to canvassing the neighborhood to win friends for Jesus. To start with, there was no neighborhood. A wilderness, by definition is a desolate, unpopulated place. Nothing grew there but dirt and rocks. The climate wasn't exactly like Palm Springs and normally very few people go there.

 

But John went out there in the middle of nowhere and began preaching, probably to anything that moved. Somehow people found out about it and hundreds, possibly thousands, drove out to the wilderness to see what was going on. Actually, they walked and for many it probably took days. Luke tells us (read Luke chapter 3) that tax gatherers, soldiers, and folks of every description went to confess their sins and get baptized. Even some scribes and Pharisees (see Matthew chapter 3) went and some of them repented but, of course, some would not. They went all that way just for curiosity's sake.

 

But why in the wilderness? Couldn't the people have been baptized in Jerusalem in a pool or something? The first and most obvious reason is that John was fulfilling old testament prophecy. Verse two is a quotation of Isaiah 40:3 which says that a voice would appear in the wilderness crying out. So in order to match Isaiah's prophecy John had to preach in the wilderness. Prophecy is an exciting thing. How wonderful to know that God always fulfills his word to the letter. It happened just like God said it would. And God doesn't always pick the easy way (from our view point) to do things. He chooses the supernatural way which shows that he is God. Luke tells us (Luke 3:2) that the word of God came to John in the wilderness. It was in the wilderness that God spoke to John. John really didn't have anything to say until he spent time with God in the wilderness. It is possible that John was having his own wilderness experience when he heard from God.

 

Besides the fulfillment of prophesy, which is by no means minor, I think that there is more to the wilderness motif in this passage. For greater insight it will help us to look back to the old testament to the wilderness experience of the children of Israel. When God lead them out of Egypt into the promised land he took them through the wilderness. This wasn't the shortest nor the most scenic route for that matter. But it was the necessary route from God's standpoint.

 

The Israelites had grown in Egypt from a family to a clan to a nation. They had been pampered in Egypt until Joseph died. Then a Pharaoh took advantage of them and turned them into slaves. They remained slaves for 400 years. Now God had used Moses to set them free. Of course they loved their freedom but God had more in mind than just their freedom. He wanted them to be his people, a holy people that he could use to bless the world. He wanted them to know that he alone was God, a compassionate, caring, providing, powerful God. To prove his love and power he used the wilderness. The wilderness teaches many things but most of all that God is everything and that he is all we need.

 

The Bible is full of scripture about the wilderness. You can exhaust yourself just looking up all the verses about it. But lets take a look at a few of them.

 

Exo 3:1 Now Moses was pasturing the flock of Jethro his father-in-law, the priest of Midian; and he led the flock to the west side of the wilderness and came to Horeb, the mountain of God.

 

Exo 13:18 Hence God led the people around by the way of the wilderness to the Red Sea; and the sons of Israel went up in martial array from the land of Egypt.

 

Exo 14:11 Then they said to Moses, "Is it because there were no graves in Egypt that you have taken us away to die in the wilderness? Why have you dealt with us in this way, bringing us out of Egypt?

 

Deu 8:16-20 "In the wilderness He fed you manna which your fathers did not know, that He might humble you and that He might test you, to do good for you in the end. (17) "Otherwise, you may say in your heart, 'My power and the strength of my hand made me this wealth.' (18) "But you shall remember the LORD your God, for it is He who is giving you power to make wealth, that He may confirm His covenant which He swore to your fathers, as it is this day. (19) "It shall come about if you ever forget the LORD your God and go after other gods and serve them and worship them, I testify against you today that you will surely perish. (20) "Like the nations that the LORD makes to perish before you, so you shall perish; because you would not listen to the voice of the LORD your God.

 

 

 

Deu 29:5-6 "I have led you forty years in the wilderness; your clothes have not worn out on you, and your sandal has not worn out on your foot. (6) "You have not eaten bread, nor have you drunk wine or strong drink, in order that you might know that I am the LORD your God.

 

Neh 9:19 You, in Your great compassion, Did not forsake them in the wilderness; The pillar of cloud did not leave them by day, To guide them on their way, Nor the pillar of fire by night, to light for them the way in which they were to go.

 

Deu 1:31-32 and in the wilderness where you saw how the LORD your God carried you, just as a man carries his son, in all the way which you have walked until you came to this place.' (32) "But for all this, you did not trust the LORD your God,

 

 

Num 32:15 "For if you turn away from following Him, He will once more abandon them in the wilderness, and you will destroy all these people."

 

Psa 78:15-19 He split the rocks in the wilderness And gave them abundant drink like the ocean depths. (16) He brought forth streams also from the rock And caused waters to run down like rivers. (17) Yet they still continued to sin against Him, To rebel against the Most High in the desert. (18) And in their heart they put God to the test By asking food according to their desire. (19) Then they spoke against God; They said, "Can God prepare a table in the wilderness?

 

Luk 5:16 But Jesus Himself would often slip away to the wilderness and pray.

 

The wilderness is a place where there isn't much but you and God. It is a place to commune with God and learn from him. It is a place where faith is built and where his voice is heard. It's not a very fun place to be except when you meet God there.

 

John cried out in the wilderness and people from everywhere went to listen and repent and receive forgiveness. They were living in the promised land but even the land of milk and honey had become sour and a bitter place to live. They had forgotten God and chased after other gods which had lured them into the traps of greed and self centeredness, hatred and bigotry, pride and rebellion. God was now saying, "come back to the wilderness, turn your life around and get ready to meet Jesus."

 

Perhaps you and I need to get back to the wilderness to commune with God and set our hearts right. We need to separate ourselves from the clutter of the world so we can hear God's voice and realize his care and provision.

 

John baptized with water for the forgiveness of sins. This possibly was a renewal of the old covenant for the people. It marked a new beginning of righteousness, wiping the slate clean once more. But John said, "there is one coming who is mightier than I. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." This, of course, was Jesus.

 

It is one thing to have forgiveness of sins but it is another to have power over sin and temptation. The Holy Spirit is that power. Jesus was baptized by John, not for forgiveness of sins, because he had not sinned, but to initiate a new covenant, a new way, a new power, a new kingdom. Jesus was marking the beginning not just of his ministry but the way of the Spirit, the way of life. For the next three years Jesus himself would be the example of the Spirit's power. His disciples would watch him and marvel at this supernatural power. The way of the Spirit is life. The way of the Spirit is to overcome sin not just turn over a new leaf.

 

The Spirit in an act of witness descended on Jesus, gently as a dove. This marked the beginning of a new era, the coming of the Spirit. Notice that Jesus' first act was not to perform miracles or to speak in tongues. It was to go into the wilderness for testing. Jesus had his wilderness experience just like we all do. He was tempted in every way imaginable but he was full of the Spirit, indeed he and the Spirit are one and he did not falter one time. He was tried and found true. What a difference we see in the wilderness! Jesus met the devil there but he overcame. The Spirit works!

 

In John 6:48-51 and 58-63 Jesus compares God's provision in the old wilderness and God's provision in the new wilderness.

 

Joh 6:48-51 "I am the bread of life. (49) "Your fathers ate the manna in the wilderness, and they died. (50) "This is the bread which comes down out of heaven, so that one may eat of it and not die. (51) "I am the living bread that came down out of heaven; if anyone eats of this bread, he will live forever; and the bread also which I will give for the life of the world is My flesh."

 

Joh 6:58-63 "This is the bread which came down out of heaven; not as the fathers ate and died; he who eats this bread will live forever." (59) These things He said in the synagogue as He taught in Capernaum. (60) Therefore many of His disciples, when they heard this said, "This is a difficult statement; who can listen to it?" (61) But Jesus, conscious that His disciples grumbled at this, said to them, "Does this cause you to stumble? (62) "What then if you see the Son of Man ascending to where He was before? (63) "It is the Spirit who gives life; the flesh profits nothing; the words that I have spoken to you are spirit and are life.

 

Jesus is the life. He and the Spirit are the same. With Jesus in our heart in the person of the Spirit we have eternal life. We have communion with God, we have power over sin, and the power to be God's witness. The beautiful thing is that Jesus doesn't leave us in the wilderness. He intends to lead us to the promised land. But while we are in the wilderness we have all the bread we need. We have Jesus, the bread of life.

 

You may have guessed that the other key word in this passage is "Spirit". Spirit and life go together. If you have one you have the other. The Bible says that "he who has the Son has the life. He who does not have the Son does not have the life." Do you have a desire for life? If so give your heart to Jesus. Let him baptize you in his Spirit and fill you with the power to overcome in the wilderness.

 

Do you feel stuck in the wilderness? Have you tried your best to get out but just can't do it? Maybe you need to return to the wilderness and meet Jesus face to face. As the Israelites learned the hard way, only faith and obedience can sustain you in the wilderness and only faith can ultimately bring you into the promised land. My challenge: trust Christ in whatever situation. He conquered the wilderness. He defeated the devil. The life we desire is by his Spirit.

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