The Gospel of Mark: Baptism

In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased.” ~ Mark 1:9-11


Mark is almost always abrupt. We just got to meet John the Baptist, and here comes Jesus onto the scene. Out of nowhere!

There is a lot to talk about in these short three verses. And lots of questions it raises. So, I'm going to ask you some just to get you thinking about it:

- Why is Mark's very first story about Jesus' baptism? What does that say about baptism?
- Why did Jesus come to John? How did he know about him? (remember, it is only in the gospel of Luke that we are told they are cousins, and even then that doesn't guarantee they knew each other). 
- Here's a big one: why does Jesus need to be baptized for the forgiveness of sin? Did he really? If so, why? If not, why'd he do it?

A little hint on that last question. Notice as we move through Mark how Jesus sides and aligns with the marginalized. Might his baptism be something in solidarity with those who are also being baptized?

Finally, another important question: what does it mean that the heavens were "torn apart" for the Spirit to descend? How does that phrase affect the telling of the story rather than the heavens "opened?" (and a flash forward...this will come up again near the end of the gospel).

Mark packs a lot of drama into a few verses, and he almost always poses more questions for us than gives us answers.

What does the dramatic nature of Jesus' baptism say to you about yours?

Holy God, thank you for the gospel - the good news - of your Son. Open my mind and heart to this good news and enliven me with your Spirit of servanthood that I might share this good news with a world in need. Amen



Engagement Question:


Try to answer for yourself the questions this devotion poses.




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