Friday 04 June 2010
"And just as (Jesus) 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.'" (v.10-11)
Background
In Rome, about 65 AD, it is widely believed by scholars thatSaint Mark wrote the earliest of the four Gospels (probably withfirst-hand knowledge from Peter the Apostle). Mark's version of thegood news (the gospel) begins with the preaching ministry of Johnthe Baptist. Mark sees John as the messenger foretold by Isaiah (
John the Baptist makes it clear that anyone hoping to be part ofthe community of the Messiah must be seriously prepared beforehand.This involves personal and public sorrow for past sins. As anoutward sign of sorrow and readiness those responding to John'smessage are invited to be baptized in the River Jordan.
This is the climax of John's life's work. Jesus is now beginninghis public ministry. This is one of the great 'Trinity moments' inthe Gospels: God the Son is anointed by the gift of God the HolySpirit and hears the voice of God the Father.
To Ponder
Have you ever felt, like John the Baptist in thispassage or Winston Churchill in 1939 that, "All my life was apreparation for this moment"? What was the moment?
John Wesley, one of the founders of Methodismsaid, "Repentance is the porch of true religion". What do thesewords mean to you? Have you ever seriously repented of your sinsand sought a new beginning with God?
Saint Irenaeus (c.130 - c.200 AD) speaks of Godthe Son and God the Holy Spirit as the "two hands" of God theFather, and writes that in everything God the Father does bothhands are used at once. To what extent can you relate to this?