The Baptism and
Temptation of Jesus

Mark 1:9-15

Good News Translation (GNT)

*************************

  9  Not long afterward Jesus came from Nazareth
   in the province of Galilee, and was baptized
   by John in the Jordan.
10  As soon as Jesus came up out of the water,
   he saw heaven opening and the Spirit coming
   down on him like a dove.
11  And a voice came from heaven, "You are my
   own dear Son. I am pleased with you."
12  At once the Spirit made him go into the desert,
13  where he stayed forty days, being tempted by
   Satan. Wild animals were there also, but
   angels came and helped him.
14  After John had been put in prison, Jesus went
   to Galilee and preached the Good News from
   God.
15  "The right time has come," he said, "and the
   Kingdom of God is near!
   Turn away from your sins and believe the
   Good News!"

*************************

Commentary taken from
'The Applied New Testament Commentary'
(Kingsway)

The Baptism and
Temptation of Jesus

    Mark 1:9-15

Jesus was raised in Nazareth, a town in Galilee, the northern province of Israel.

Jesus Himself had no sin, therefore, He did not need to be baptised for His own sake. It was God's righteous will that Jesus come to earth in the form of a man, take man's sins upon Himself, and suffer the punishment for sin in man's place.

So it was necessary for Him to be baptised like other men.

As Jesus was coming out of the water, after being baptised, the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form, like a dove.

Then God spoke from heaven saying to Jesus:
   "You are my son, whom I love;
     with you I am well pleased".

Jesus did not suddenly become God's Son and receive the Holy Spirit only at the time of His baptism. He had always been God's Son from before the beginning of the world.

Immediately after His baptism, Jesus was sent into the desert, where He was tempted by Satan. Jesus came to earth to defeat and destroy Satan.

Thus, right in the beginning of His earthly ministry, Jesus struggled with Satan and overcame him.
Satan attempted to turn Jesus from obedience to God's will, by tempting Him, but Jesus remained firm.

In this Jesus has set an example for us. He suffered every temptation we suffer. Every Christian who determines to follow Jesus must be ready to face similar temptations from Satan.

And as Jesus was victorious over temptation, so He gives us the strength to be victorious also.

After John was put in prison, Jesus returned to Galilee and began to preach. His preaching was simple:
   "The time has come.
    The kingdom of God is near"

That is God's presence, power, and rule in men's hearts and in society. Jesus says to us,
   "Repent and believe
    the good news".

Repentance is not only feeling sorry for our sins; it is also turning from our sins.

When we have repented, we are ready to believe in the Saviour. If we say we believe in Jesus but do not obey Him, we are liars.

The good news is this: Jesus has come into the world to save sinners and to give all who believe in Him eternal life.
This, in short, is the Gospel of Christ.

Jesus gives everyone a choice: to be a citizen of the kingdom of God or to be a citizen of the kingdom of Satan; to believe and receive eternal life, or to disbelieve and receive eternal punishment.
In this life there are only two choices.

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