Sky Opening, Heaven So Real

Mark 1: 1-13

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

During the days of Jesus, the Jews had long been oppressed by various foreign rulers. Every year at Passover-time, they would recite the story of the Exodus from Egypt, recounting over and over again how God rescued Israel from Pharaoh’s oppression, and how He brought them to cross the Red Sea, through the wilderness into the Promised Land.

And for centuries, the Israelite prophets prophesied that God would make the Exodus story alive all over again. With these great promises, the Jews looked forward to the coming of the Messiah, who is “the Anointed One”, a descendant of David who would be Israel’s king. He would establish the rule of justice and peace, not only over Israel but over all the earth.

And it is against this background that Mark proclaims the beginning of the good news of Jesus the Messiah, the son of God. To understand the ministry of Jesus, we must begin with the Old Testament. Mark cites two quotations from the OT prophets, Malachi 3:1 and Isaiah 40:3.

“I will send my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way”—

“a voice of one calling in the wilderness, Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.’”

The words messenger and voice refer to John the Baptist, the prophet whom God sent to prepare the way for His Son.

In the ancient times, before a king visits any part of his land, a messenger will be sent before him to prepare the way. The preparation entails both repairing the roads and preparing the people for the visitation of the king.

John’s mission as the Lord’s messenger was to prepare the people for the coming of the Messiah, by instructing the people to confess their sins, to turn to God for forgiveness, and to be baptized. Those who followed John's instruction were prepared to receive Jesus’ message.

John was careful that his mission was to magnify this “someone stronger”, and not himself. He would baptize the repentant sinners in water, but “the coming One” would baptize them with the Holy Spirit.

In the original Exodus story, God’s presence lived with Israel in the pillar of cloud and fire. But this time God’s own Spirit would live with the people, in the people, becoming the air they breathe, the fire in their hearts. This is the promise they had lived on.

John proclaims that the promise is now coming to be fulfilled. Jesus will send the Holy Spirit to live within each believer so that the entire person will be transformed by the power of the Spirit. Jesus offers to us both forgiveness of sin and the power to live for Him.

There is a Heavenly Reality

At about that time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and was baptized by John in the river Jordan. As He was getting out of the water, He saw the heavens open, and the Spirit coming down like a dove onto him. And a voice came from the heavens: “You are my son whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

By that baptism, Jesus completely identified himself with humanity’s sin and failures, He became our substitute, although He himself needed neither repentance nor cleansing from sin (2 Cor 5:21).

All three persons of the Trinity are involved in Jesus' baptism: the Father speaks; the Son is baptized; the Holy Spirit descends on the Son.

“Holy Spirit descending like a dove” symbolizes the gentleness, purity and guilelessness of the Holy Spirit.

Jesus the Messiah is anointed with the Holy Spirit for the ministry. The Holy Spirit who was involved in the first creation account (Gen 1:2). Now the Spirit acted with Jesus to usher in the new Israel.

“Heaven” in the biblical sense often means God’s dimension behind the mundane reality. “Heavens open” speaks of an invisible curtain right in front of us, that was suddenly pulled back, so that instead of the trees, flowers and buildings, or in Jesus’ case, the river, the sandy desert and the crowds, we are standing in the presence of a different reality altogether.

The dove and the voice from heaven were signs that Jesus was the Messiah, God’s beloved Son. However, only Jesus Himself perceived this heavenly reality. To all the others, except the readers like us now, nothing impressive had happened at that moment.

A great deal of Christian faith is a matter of learning to recognize this different reality even when we cannot see it. Sometimes, at decisive pivotal moments, the curtain is drawn back and we see, or hear, what is really going on; but at most of these important moments, we need walk by faith, not by sight.

We are to see this heavenly reality with spiritual eyes and be directed by it. Many of us become lukewarm Christians, or embracing the world more than embracing the Lord, because we are driven by the mundane reality.

We are lured by Satan to drift away from the way of the Lord, reducing our time and concern for the Lord and for His church. The reason is because we are affected by what we see: the not so impressive people around, not so impressive sanctuary, routine water baptism, boring services and human weaknesses.

To many people, “cash is king”! And worldly pleasures, glamour, power and status seem to be more real at face value.

As we look at this moment in Jesus' life, Mark tells us to learn to see and hear in the heavenly vision, to catch the heavenly voice despite the apparent unimpressive crowd, river, baptism and wilderness. We are to discover in this story and in our everyday life, there is a heavenly dimension of God’s world.

I pray that God will open our spiritual eyes to see the heavenly reality as and when we gather to worship God, to partake in the Lord’s Supper, to baptize a new convert; struggling through in the work place; feeling discouraged, lonely and down-hearted; feeling like skipping church services.

Let the heavenly reality change us, mould us, make us somebody new, the person God wants us to be!

Take Up Challenges, God’s Providence is Assured

God looks at us, every baptized and believing Christian; and He says it to us what he said to Jesus on that day: “You are my dear, dear child; I am delighted with you.”

God sees us, not as we are in ourselves, but as we are in Jesus Christ.

It sometimes seems difficult or even impossible, to the people who had never had this kind of support from their earthly parents. But it is true in God. It is true for one simple but very profound reason: Jesus is the Messiah, and the Messiah represents His people.

What is true of the Messiah is true of them. When we realize this we will be equipped as Jesus was, to be sent out into the wilderness.

Immediately after Jesus’ baptism, the Spirit drove him into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan for forty days.

Like Israel spending forty years in the wilderness, Jesus finds in the wilderness sojourn both conflict and consolation. Israel failed when they were tested, but Jesus our Lord succeeded victoriously. Having trumped over the enemy, Jesus could now go forth and call a new people who would enter into their spiritual inheritance.

Mark tells us that Jesus was with the wild animals but God kept him safe. Satan and wild animals give the wilderness an evil aura, but at the wilderness there are angels too attending to Jesus.

The angels were not there keeping Jesus from succumbing to Satan's tests, just as at the final moment they did not keep Jesus from Calvary itself. They were there with Jesus at the wilderness to assure him that his beloved Father was watching over Him, was there with Him, loving Him, acting through Him, pouring out his Spirit all the time in and through Him.

Just as Jesus, the Messiah, the son of God was driven by the Spirit to take up challenges and trials in dangerous zone, we the disciples of Jesus are to do the same. Like Jesus, we are to fear no evil for the Lord’s presence is with us. His grace is sufficient for us.

Conclusion

Mark reveals to us the identity of Jesus as the Messiah, the son of God through heavenly vision and voice. However, this revelation took place in an unimpressive manner at the baptism at river Jordan and only Jesus Himself perceived the heavenly reality.

Nevertheless, Jesus saw beyond the mundane reality into heavenly reality. And later, he was even moved beyond such personal perception into taking on life challenges and trials. By this, His identity and calling could be further confirmed and demonstrated through public ministry.

Threats from Satan and wild animals; hardship and trials are real in life but God’s sovereignty and provision are as real too. God, the Father who loves and cares for Jesus, the Son, will surely uphold Him all the way through. And He also will uphold us all the way through.

Jesus, the servant-king, went the way of serving in sufferings and trials, all His people must also go. He could do it because He had heard the words of love, the words of life.

Today let us also see and hear beyond the apparent circumstances of life, and as we hearken the same voice that spoke those powerful words of love, we will also find the way through.

Today what has the Spirit driven you to do? Let us respond to God by stepping out in faith, knowing that he will surely take care of us, carry us through amidst darkness, constraints, and human weaknesses.