READ: Mark 1:9-13: …And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son,” … Immediately the Spirit drove Him into the wilderness.
To accept Jesus as the Christ sent by God, we learn about His divine ordination and how His faithfulness was tested. Jesus realizes that the time has come for Him to be baptized by John; He is ready to take on the sins of the people. John’s baptism points to this necessity, and Jesus Himself will ensure its fulfillment in His crucifixion.
Immediately after Jesus’ baptism, there is a divine confirmation: He sees the heavens open up and the Spirit descends upon Him like a dove. And from the heavens comes the voice of the Father, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” Here we see the Triune God, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, in action. For Jesus, this is His official confirmation; God wants His work to begin now. As a human, Jesus does not do His own will, but only the will of the Father (Hebrews 10:7).
The Spirit provides Him with power and wisdom from above. For those present and for us, this event is also absolute proof that Jesus is the Christ. However, before He begins to preach, Jesus must first undergo a test: the Spirit immediately brings Him to the wilderness, where He is exposed to temptation by Satan. Once, the first man, Adam, was tested on his faithfulness to his office. Would he remain faithful to God’s Word in the Garden of Eden? But Adam succumbed to Satan’s deceitful tactics.
Now, Jesus stands face to face with Satan in a desert, suffering extreme hunger and thirst, and in danger from wild animals. But unlike Adam, Jesus repels Satan with God’s own Word, no matter how temptingly and deceptively Satan uses God’s Word. Thus, Jesus passes God’s test to determine whether He can fulfill His extremely difficult Mediatorial work. And God shows His approval: angels serve Him.
Has Satan stopped tempting Jesus any further?
Singing: Ps. 2:3