What Jesus Did : Mark 1:9 - Baptized
by Phil Ware
Baptized - Mark 1:9
At that time Jesus came from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the place where John was. John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. (ERV) Full TextKey Thought
Jesus was a real person who came from a real place called Nazareth in the province of Galilee. He was baptized in a real river, the Jordan. In other words, Jesus story is more than story; it is history. Yet more than history, it is God's saving history. A special part of that history is Jesus' baptism. His baptism is important for a number of reasons. It is a signal of the beginning of Jesus' ministry. It is an opportunity for God to affirm his Son, as we will see in subsequent verses. It is a way for Jesus to identify with people seeking to be ready for the coming of the Messiah and the Kingdom of God. It is a way for Jesus to fulfill righteousness. For us, however, there is another great truth about Jesus' baptism: it is something we can join him in doing if we truly turn our lives toward God as those who came to John did. God's saving history demonstrated in Jesus can intersect our lives. What a blessing of grace!
Today's Prayer
Father in heaven, thank you for giving me the opportunity to share in the life of Jesus. Help me know your will more fully as I study Jesus' life in the Gospel of Mark. Thank you for letting my life intersect the life of your Son through baptism. Dear Father, please conform me to the character of your Son through the Holy Spirit. In Jesus' name I pray. Amen.
Today's Verses in Context
At that time Jesus came from the town of Nazareth in Galilee to the place where John was. John baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. While Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw the sky open. The Holy Spirit came down to Jesus like a dove. A voice came from heaven and said: "You are my Son and I love you. I am very pleased with you." Then the Spirit sent Jesus into the desert alone. Jesus was in the desert 40 days. He was there with the wild animals. While Jesus was in the desert, he was tempted by Satan {(the devil).} Then angels came and helped Jesus. After this, John was put into prison. Jesus went into Galilee and told people the Good News from God. Jesus said, "The right time is now here. The kingdom of God is near. Change your hearts and lives and believe the Good News!" Jesus was walking by Lake Galilee. Jesus saw Simon and Simon's brother, Andrew. These two men were fishermen, and they were throwing a net into the lake to catch fish. Jesus said to them, "Come and follow me. I will make you {a different kind of} fishermen. You will work to gather people, {not fish}." So Simon and Andrew left their nets and followed Jesus. Jesus continued walking by Lake Galilee. He saw two more brothers, James and John, the sons of Zebedee. They were in their boat, preparing their nets to catch fish. Their father Zebedee and the men that worked for him were in the boat with the brothers. When Jesus saw the brothers he told them to come. They left their father and followed Jesus.-- Mark 1:9-20 (ERV)
URL: http://www.heartlight.org/wjd/mark/0107-wjd.html
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