Mark 1:9–15 (NRSV)
Read Mark 1:9–15 on biblegateway.com
Verse 9In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Verse 10And 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. Verse 11And a voice came from heaven, "You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased." Verse 12And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. Verse 13He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him.
Verse 14Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, Verse 15and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news."
Devotion
We are used to celebrating Jesus’ baptism as that lovely day when the heavens open up and God praises God’s Son for all to see. However, according to Mark, Jesus’ baptism celebration was a whiplash of a day. It seems that in the morning, Jesus celebrated the beautiful sacrament of baptism and was given a strong affirmation by his Father. But by the afternoon, he seems to have been banished to the desert! What’s more, he had to contend with wild beasts and Satan while he was there. This could not have been fun. With these stories of Jesus in heaven, in hell, and in the desert, the New Testament authors show us that there is no place where Christ is not. He is both the eternal, cosmic Savior and the typical human being standing right in front of us. There is no place where Jesus Christ is too afraid or too weak to go.
Prayer
Jesus our brother, from the desert to the cross to hell, you go where we are terrified to go. You go there to show us that you will never leave us alone or abandon us. We praise you for your strength and courage, and most of all, for your eternal faithfulness to us. Amen.