ON YOUR MARK: WEEK 1 DAY 2
MARK 1:9-13
THE BAPTISM OF JESUS
9 In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” The Temptation of Jesus 12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.
In full disclosure, the Gospel of Luke has always been my favorite. He was a historian who wrote eloquently. Mark, on the other hand, wrote much more abbreviated, and fast paced, jumping from one moment to the next. Yet, here we are today, and I am noticing something that I hadn’t before, thanks to the way Mark wrote. In my mind the scene of Jesus’ baptism was so quiet and placid. Yet when I read this text I am stunned by the strong verbs. The heavens were “tore” open, and the Holy Spirit “drove” Jesus into the wilderness (Mark 1:10-12). So, what exactly did this Spirit descending on Jesus like a dove look like? One student of the Bible remarks:
“While I had always imagined a dove gently alighting on Jesus in this story, theologian Joan E. Taylor gives a different perspective after encountering a territorial dove on a trip to Jerusalem: I can verify that a dove coming down on someone with wings flapping is something like a very powerful rush of wind striking one’s head.” This picture fits with the way the Spirit landed on the the disciples like a “rushing wind: after Jesus’ resurrection,1 Maybe we as Christians would benefit from recognizing the Holy Spirit as this powerful force, not just some ethereal being. The Holy Spirit is God, with Jesus and the Father. And we are empowered by this Spirit to obey our heavenly Father, just like Jesus was during His earthly ministry. Timothy warns us not to have a form of religion, but deny its power. Don’t have all the right Christian lingo, but disregard the power of the Holy Spirit to transform you.
Adamson, D. (2018). Breath. In 52 Hebrew Words Every Christian Should Know 1 (pp. 19). Birmingham, Il: Christian Art.