The Beginning

Introduction

Advertisers know that if a person can identify a logo or slogan with the product then buyers are more apt to connect with the product. Consider the Golden Arches, the swoosh, MasterCard, Apple, Coca-Cola, and Starbucks—each evokes immediate recognition.

We could go beyond advertising logos. Certain phrases automatically connect with a person: “Faster than a speeding bullet,” “Fourscore and seven years ago,” “Doh!!”, or “I am the way, the truth, and the life.”

Mark writes his gospel message about Jesus so that his readers and hearers would connect with Jesus. Recording Peter’s memories while living in Rome, Mark is writing to both Jews and Gentiles who would already know much about Jesus. But make no mistake, from the very first verse Mark states the truth about this Jesus—He is the Christ, the Son of God. A statement of fact. Mark will record that others wonder about who this Jesus is. In Mark 1:27 a stunned synagogue crowd asks, “What is this? A new teaching and with authority.” In Mark 2:7, angry religious experts ask themselves, “Why does this fellow talk like that? He’s blaspheming! Who can forgive sins but God alone?” Fearful disciples in Mark 4:41 ask, “Who is this? Even the wind and waves obey him.” An amazed, perplexed, and resentful hometown crowd ask in Mark 6:2, “Where did this man get these things? What’s this wisdom that has been given him, that he even does miracles?” In Mark 11:28, religious leaders challenging Jesus ask, “By what authority are you doing these things? And who gave you authority to do this?”

Mark leaves no doubt from the very beginning. This is Jesus Christ, the Son of God.

Early Readers

There is little doubt that Mark’s writing would have been read aloud to the early Christians. Written in Rome, Christians were not held in the highest esteem. There is debate whether Mark was written before or after the fire in Rome in 64 A.D., but most agree that Mark was written during Nero’s reign. Nero was the fifth emperor of Rome and he reigned from 54–68 A.D. During his reign a great persecution against Christians arose. Even if Mark wrote his account before the fire in Rome, the political climate was not tolerant toward the Christians. The year 64 A.D. was significant because of a great fire in Rome that year. Roman historians, after Nero’s death, said that Nero was the one who had the fire set. When the pressure was on Nero to explain himself, he deflected the criticism by blaming the Christians. The result was that Christians were crucified, burned, and thrown to the wild animals. If Mark is written before these events, there are several indications that he was encouraging his audience to remain faithful.

But he also wants his audience to understand that Jesus suffered as he ministered to people. Things were not easy for Jesus as he lived his life to honor God and to prepare people for the kingdom of God. Mark begins his gospel pointing to John’s preaching in the desert. This was God’s plan as foretold by the prophet Isaiah. John was preparing the people for Jesus. His dress was to remind people of the great prophet Elijah who wore the same type outfit according to 2 Kings 1:8. Malachi prophesied in 4:5 that Elijah would return before the Messiah. John fulfills that prophecy and Mark makes that clear in Mark 9:11–13.

Jesus is the Messiah. He is the Son of God. One like Elijah must come first. Mark begins his gospel account by pointing to John and has him not only leading people back to God but assuring his audiences that there is one greater than he who is coming. And Jesus appears. He, like all the people, was baptized. Not because he was a sinner but in order to identify with the people in a very clear way. Coming up out of the water, Jesus receives God’s approval—the Spirit of God descends on him as a dove and God speaks to him: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” And in that great love, the Spirit whisks him off into the desert for forty days of temptations.

Four times in these first thirteen verses, Mark uses the term “desert” or “wilderness.” No specific location is given. The point is that Mark reminds his audience that even God’s Elijah and Messiah are in the desert for a reason. In verse 3, Isaiah prophesied that the messenger would come preparing the way in the desert. In verse 4, John is in the desert preaching repentance and the people come out into the desert. In verse 12, Jesus is driven into the desert by the Spirit. In verse 13, Jesus is forty days in the desert being tempted. Things happen in the desert. People are challenged in the desert. People change in the desert. People discover who they really are in the desert. People align themselves with God in the desert.

Jesus is God’s Son, but even Jesus must go into the desert. Even Jesus must find out who he really is. What God says about him is absolutely true, but Jesus must demonstrate by his life and character that he is who God says he is.

Our Desert

Jesus is God’s Son. He isn’t God’s son because of what he does. He is God’s Son because God says he is. God designates him as his Son. Jesus does what he does because he is the Son of God. Driven into the desert facing incredible temptations means that Jesus either trusts God or selfishly seeks his own solutions.

We have our own desert experiences. God says to you, “You are my child. Trust me to take care of you and provide for you.” And then we are in our own desert experience. We learn in the desert what we really believe about God and about ourselves. We are God’s child because he designates us to be his children. We are not God’s children because we do something; we do what we do because we are God’s children. We trust God and express that faith in a changed life begun at our baptism. Then we live life as God’s child. But the desert comes. It is lonely. It is full of wild beasts and temptations. The question comes: Do we trust God or trust ourselves?

Someone hurts you intentionally or unintentionally, and it matters little. All you know is that you are hurt. What will you do? Trust God or try to hurt in return? You are given an opportunity that seems too good to be true. The financial results pale in comparison to the prestige, but the opportunity leads you away from God. What will you do? Trust God or try to prove your value and worth? You are seeking companionship. It’s terrible to be alone. Someone comes along. You think this person must be from God. This person makes you feel good about yourself—needless to say that your body responds as well. Is the person helping you trust God or trust your sensations? You have so many things that swirl in your mind—concerns about the things of this world, too much unknown, negative possibilities that outweigh your faith. What will you do? Trust God or worry?

No one escapes the desert. The real question is who will we align our lives with in the desert. It is easy to believe that God abandons us in the desert. It is easy to focus on the evil. But God speaks to us as he did with Jesus: “You are my child. Trust me.” Be God’s child.

Follow Jesus

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