This recording is from Christ Kingdom Church in Avalon Park, Orlando. Visit us online at ChristKingdom.org for our calendar driving directions and more audio recordings. Before we read our text this morning, we are starting this brand new series to take us through the spring, studying the gospel of Mark. I want you to thank for just a second with me as we come and think about how we're going to do this study. Imagine that you look back and someone found a letter that you had written years ago. Now, if you're young, maybe only a few years ago. Let's say you're an older middle aged person like me, or really old, think back something maybe 15, 20 years ago. Somebody found it, picked it up, and maybe it was a long detailed letter. Maybe it was a letter written to a relative, a parent, maybe a girlfriend, or a boyfriend, or whatever it was. And they just read it and started trying to interpret it, trying to understand what you were saying. Imagine the inside nuances or things that you might have said, or things you might have made reference to, that they have no idea what it is your meaning or talking about. Imagine that they don't know the kind of relationship that it was, maybe just says, dear, you know, Joanne or something. And then you go through, and you have no idea what was Joanne a girlfriend, as Joanne a wife, as Joanne a sister, as Joanne just a friend, as Joanne a grandmother, and you just read through the entire lengthy letter, and have no understanding of the background, the context, the story behind it, knowing what the relationships are about, knowing what the original purpose was, knowing what some of the ideas or phrases mean, you would probably have a very, very difficult time being able to make sense of the letter. In fact, you might even come to some very wrong conclusions if you're not careful, and if you're a little bit slack at all, you might come and make some totally outlandish conclusions that weren't true in the least. So you can understand, just thinking back about that, how important to be to know the context, to know who was the original audience, and what was being written about, and understand what the background was going on at the time. Because you find a letter that was written during World War II times, you might assume some things, quite different than a letter that was perhaps written this past year, or so on. So as you think about that, I want us to look, as we come to the Gospel of Mark here to read, I'm going to look at here that there are a lot of things that we need to know in the background. In fact, I want to spend the first half of the sermon this morning, just giving you some of those background thoughts and ideas that I hope will carry with us through the spring, as we look at this book, and they'll be in your mind, they'll help you get a better piece and picture of what's going on. And what Mark is trying to do and write about. So the first thing here, as we look at this this morning, is I want us to not go beyond the fact that the book of Mark is called One of the Gospels. When we refer to the Gospels of the Bible, we refer to, usually, Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John. And so Mark is one of these, and you can move right past it and say, OK, OK, that's just the title. No, it's not just the title given here. In fact, it's in verse 1, the beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. So you don't want to just get past what this word means or what it's about, because the word gospel is a civic and very important. First off, Mark is believed to be probably the first of these four books written. In fact, the thinking is that Matthew and Luke borrowed a lot of their thoughts and concepts or got them from Mark. So that's something you should be aware of as well there too. Gospel, though, doesn't just mean an instruction or a teaching or an exhortation. The word gospel in a simplest, purest form means news. And in this context, it means good news. Listen to what one commentator wrote about it. We have found an inscription of world proclamation that begins, he's just talking about general history, the beginning of the gospel of Caesar Augustus, emperors who had ascended to power or who put down a thread, would send out heralds, announcing the good news about the strength or inauguration of the kingdom. The messenger would always be proclaiming some historical event, like a coronation, a great victory in a battle, which would introduce a radical new state of affairs, and new situation for the people for now they had to relate to him as king. There's just another historical context where the word gospel was used. But if you think about that and that was written in that day and age, that context, understand that that is what Mark is saying. Mark here is writing and saying, this is a gospel, this is one that will be introducing a coronation, as we'll talk about in a little bit. This is one that mounts about a great victory in battle, but not an earthly battle, it is and does happen on earth, but one that has far spiritual magnifications. This is one that we're going to do some new radical state of affairs, a new situation for not just some people, but all the people because they've been created by God, for now they have to relate to a king who is left heaven and come to earth and who has bought a people to himself. This is what the word gospel is referring to, and why Mark uses it very strategically. As you look more about that and think about it too, what one another commentator said, Mark was a brand new genre or type of literature. There has never been anything like the four gospels. In fact, Reynolds Price calls it a new thing entirely. It is almost as if the whole new literary form had to be invented to bring a whole new unique message. What are literary scholars saying? There was nothing ever written like the gospels. Until now, the way it's written, how it's written, it's not just a biography about Jesus because it leaves out the first 30 years of his life. It's not just giving instructions about what to do and how to do, because it gives you very detailed things about what he was teaching and who he was and revelations about what he said and how they find other things and prophecies from the Old Testament. Scholars look at this and go, there was an entirely new genre of writing that happened with the gospels and specifically with the gospel of Mark, as we believe the very first one. Well, you might think Mark just set out to do that, but the real truth is that the Holy Spirit inspiring Mark came with a message that would be unique, that would stand out in history. We're going to be looking at it here this morning in the other gospels that will study it other times down the road or modeled after that. So realize the gospel of Mark, this is his navigate title. I also want you to realize as well too that the author here, I've just been talking about Mark, but in all the gospels, all the authors are anonymous. They don't say this is written by Mark or written by Luke or written by John. But every tradition, I mean unanimous tradition pretty much for the most part, all holes to the fact that Mark was the author here or specifically John Mark, who was referred to in the book of Acts. Who was John Mark? Well, he was a friend of Peter. He was with Peter in Rome when Peter was killed. Who else was he? Well, he was called in one place called, it was called the gospel, at one time this letter was called the gospel according to Peter, written by John Mark. He was a cousin of Barnabas. Remember Barnabas is that guy in Acts that traveled with Paul for the front part of his journeys. He was a friend of the Apostle Paul and went on several journeys with him. Are you picking up on this? This guy's hanging out with Peter. This guy's hanging out with Paul. In fact, he's with Peter in some of his last days. He's with Paul in some of his most significant missionary journeys. He's hearing Peter tell the stories maybe by the campfire at night. He's going to be out there with Peter when some of the other disciples are around and they're hanging out and they're talking. They're saying, hey, you remember when that happened? He's soaking it up. He's absorbing it. What does he do? Well, probably somewhere around 60 ADs in the mid, early to mid 60 ADs, he begins to write it down in this fashion here. He's writing about events that happen only 25 or 30 years before the time. What's significant about that? Well, it means that there's a lot of other people, a lot of other eyewitnesses that are still alive and around at this time. It means there could be a lot of people that could have stood up and say, wait a minute, I was there for that. That didn't happen. All that could have happened, and yet there wasn't. This letter written by Mark stood the test of time. It was carried on through the church because it was accurate because it was inspired by the Holy Spirit. Well, who is Mark's audience? That's an important question. Who's he writing to? And most all scholars believe and understand from some of the things that happened and we'll point him out as we go through the book. He's not writing primarily to a Jewish audience, like some of the other, like Matthew, some of the other gospels pick up a lot more and talk about a lot more Jewish insider kind of words and terminology. Mark seems to be talking primarily to the Gentile audience. Well, that's helpful and good for us, as most of us here, if not all of us are Gentiles, and don't have maybe some of the richness and understanding of that background and historical understanding, although we have a lot of that understanding over the 2000 years, but he's writing to that audience. He's specifically wanting to say and talk about things that they will understand and describe them in a way that they'll understand. He's writing in a very concise manner as well too, and he's not writing to the exclusion of Jews. He knows that the Jewish people will be reading it as well, but you must understand that he's primarily writing to Gentiles. They don't have an understanding about that. Well, before we go on, what's his purpose? The purpose in him writing here is to give an account of the experiences of the 12 disciples. To give an account, in fact, a concise account. Mark is a very short, concise, sweet, written letter. He doesn't go into a lot of details about some of the stories that you can find more details in the other gospels. He's kind of cutting right to the main points about it, but he's wanting to bring up the most significant teachings of Jesus and how they tie in to who he was in his life and what his purpose was. So anyway, I'm giving you just a handful of reasons here about why Mark is such an important book of the Bible for us to look at and to study. And I hope that you'll be doing that in your own private personal time as well as we go through it over the next few months here as well. Well, let me stop now from that background to read our first section this morning, Mark 1 through 15, and to talk about that a little bit here as Mark is introducing this letter that he has written. So here now the word of God, the beginning of the gospel about Jesus Christ, the Son of God. It is written in Isaiah the prophet, I will send my messenger ahead of you who will prepare your way, a voice of one calling in the desert, prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. And so John came baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him, confessing their sins they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. John wore clothing made of camels here with a leather belt around his waist and he ate locust and wild honey. And this was in his message, after me will come one more powerful than I, the thongs of whose sandals I'm not worthy to stoop down and untie. I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit. At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. As Jesus was coming out out of the water he saw heaven being torn open in the Spirit, descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, you are my son whom I love with you. I'm well pleased. At once the Spirit sent him out into the desert and he was in the desert 40 days being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals and angels attended to him. After John was put in prison Jesus went into Galilee proclaiming the good news of God. The time has come he said the kingdom of God is near, repent and believe the good news. That is God's word and may he bless the reading of his word as the Spirit applies to our hearts now. Well a couple of things I want you to realize here is Mark is opening up his letter and why I haven't titled the sermon this morning a king will rise. It's because Mark that's definitely on the backdrop of his mind. He wants you to know that something significant has broken and happened in the course of history. The time has just been taken along just like normal but something here eternal has broken in and stepped in the temporal time. That eternal thing is the Son of God. Notice here is he writes and he talks. Even just the first verses here the verses one through eight he talks about this prophetic fulfillment. He goes back to the prophet Isaiah and he says look there's a messenger coming. There will be sent ahead of him and this messenger is John the Baptist. So he ties it with Old Testament prophecies and then there are many of them but he just uses one right here. And then he ties it into John himself saying John himself John the Baptist the last of the Old Testament prophets which was spoken of the Old Testament has come now to prepare the way for the Christ. I don't know if you've seen this kind of viral video on on YouTube or around. What I really want to know is did you see it back in 1993? How many of you were living in 1993? Yeah that was a good year. It was actually the year that as a recall yeah it was the year that we moved here to Orlando to start seminary here at Reform Venerable Seminary. But AT&T had a commercial on. The name of the commercial was you will one day. That was the name of these series of commercials they had. And what they did is they would go in there and they would show you these little video clips of things. And they would ask you questions like this. Have you ever read a book from miles away on a computer? Have you ever turned on a device in your car to get precise directions of where you are and where you're going to and have a voice tell you how to get there? Have you ever gone through a toll booth not having to stop but having to electronically transfer to your account? You will one day and AT&T will bring it to you. Then other commercials will say have you ever bought tickets to an event online. I'm sorry not online but at a kiosk. Have you ever been in a phone conference thousands of miles apart watching on a video screen alive interaction? Have you ever been to school virtually sitting in a classroom where the teacher is thousands of miles away? Have you ever stream movies directly to your house through your TV set? You will one day and AT&T will bring it to you. That was 1993. Now just pick some of the things. Every single one of those things is real and active in our life right here today. I remember even looking at it back then as I watched the YouTube videos like going, wow. It was pretty accurate how they even described it and depicted it. And the computers were just really coming of age at that time and things like email really weren't even happening. At least not very much at that point. But as you begin to see that you were thinking here was a prophetic voice that knew and was speaking into you and it was exciting. I think about what was going to happen. It was really kind of cool looking back and going, yeah, look how far we've come. And look what's happening. Well, what is Mark saying? Mark wants you to realize, look what Isaiah. A guy writing hundreds of years earlier is writing about. He's in touch with. There is this hope given. In fact, the passage that's spoken of here in Isaiah from chapter 40 of Isaiah, verse 3, is written to the exiles in Babylon. Israel, Judah, the tribes who have been kicked out of the Promised Land because they've been rebellion against God. They're hanging out in Babylon. They're wondering, where is God? What's happening? What's going on? And Isaiah is giving them hope that there's one who's coming. There's restoration coming. There's going to be a return to the Promised Land. And more important than that, the promise of God Himself the Messiah is going to come. He's giving you a flashback to that. He's letting you know that, look, did you watch that YouTube video about Isaiah? It's coming to action today, right now. Here. Here's a GPS. Put it in your car and try it out. Mark is saying, look, this stuff is here. It's available. Jesus has come. He has stepped into time. The king has arrived. Well, John the Baptist already mentioned. He's the last, the Old Testament prophets. Scholars like to refer to him as because he's coming and he's setting up really what the New Testament is all about. The coming of the Messiah. Even though he's written about in the New Testament, he's really the last of the Old Testament prophets. In fact, a lot of descriptions that Mark gives about him refer to that. Remember, he's writing, you know, 25, 30 years after these events have happened with that. But he's telling him, he describes him, the clothing, the kind of food that John the Baptist is eating. He's trying to say, look, this guy, this guy's an old time. This guy's like the old time prophets, like Elijah and Elijah and Isaiah and Jeremiah. He's one of these kind of guys. He's kind of out there. He's trying to let them know that, look, this guy is tying in from the prophets of the past to the prophets, to the his prophecy right now. The desert that he talks about here. He's the one that's coming from and out of the desert. There's symbolism here that especially if you were a Jewish person would have realized that going, wait a minute, we got a lot of history of desert in us as a nation. We had 40 years that we wandered in the desert between Egypt and the Promised Land. They would have picked up on that. Here's a guy, here's a prophet coming out of the desert coming in to speak this message. The desert represented a separation, too, not just from not just the idea of what had happened in the past. But it was also a place of saying, look, he's not coming from Jerusalem. He's not coming from the temple. He's not a Pharisee. He's not a priest. God's wanting a unique message, a fresh message. It's not coming from the typical place you've expected. It's coming from the desert, but it's coming from God. And John is preaching that the king has arrived. He's not even worthy of the entire sandals. He's that kind of king. John comes baptizing, according to these first eight verses here that's mentioned here. And baptizing is unique here. Now baptism, you know, we take it for granted now going, yeah, that's just what you do in churches, churches, baptize people. Now there's some debate about what you baptize. Children or just adults and so on. And we can talk about that sometime in the light. But the point is here, what is going on? Why is John doing this? Because this was not a common practice for the Jewish people and the Jewish customs at the time. What was common at the time for people to be baptized in this day was Gentiles who were converting to Judaism would go through, according to Old Testament law, a role of purification and a cleansing of themselves. Symbolically representing them, just leading behind their pagan-like ways of worshiping, worshiping foreign gods to come into the Jewish practice and worshiping the one true God Yahweh as the Old Testament would have prescribed. They would go through these washings, these ceremonial cleansing ceremonies. But what is unique about this is John is saying, hey, I'm not talking to the Gentiles, I'm talking to you Jewish chosen people of God. You need to be cleansed. You need to be baptized. That's what was radical about John of his day. Say, hey, you think the Gentiles need cleansing? We as God's people need cleansing. And who was coming to John to be baptized? It was the Jewish people. Being reminded by John of how they have forsaken God, how they were not walking faithfully to him, and they were coming in droves to be baptized. That's what's happening here. That's what's going on here. And what is so unique through all that too is John is saying, look, hey, there's one coming. I'm going to baptize you with water symbolically, but there's one coming who's really going to do the real job of cleansing. And this can happen through his Holy Spirit. I think this is a cool ritual of water and the sense of being cleansed of your sins and the sense of being set apart to God and how cool that is. That's cool. But let me tell you, there's one who's coming who has a whole other way of baptizing. And it's going to cleanse not just your outside, some balkyles. It's going to cleanse you truly and actually on the inside in your heart, because the Holy Spirit is going to move in and take residence. And he's going to tabernacle among you, according to the scriptures. He's not going to need that big old temple like he used to. Maybe he's going to move his presence from that big old temple that only the priest can go in to inside your heart, his presence. Amazing. The king has arrived is what Marcus trying to make clear what John the Baptist role was all about through the prophetic fulfillment. Well, it's not just prophetic fulfillment that's happening here in these first 15 verses or so. There's also offensive authentication going on. Look through verses 9 through 11. He doesn't just stop talking about what's going on there with John the Baptist. But he goes on to say in verse 9, at that time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And he goes on to say, Jesus was coming up out of the water. He saw heaven being torn open in the spirit to sitting on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven. You are my son, whom I love with you. I'm well pleased. What's all that about? Why is that mentioned here? Well, Mark wants to make sure you're absolutely clear that God in the course of time, then just introduces son showing how he was the connections to the prophetic promises that he was the connection to the prophetic fulfillment. John the Baptist was that one that was the pair of the way for the Lord, the one coming in the voice in the in the heart and the attitude of Elijah. But not only that, but he's authenticated by God himself two main ways, one by the Holy Spirit, descending on him like a dove in this encounter. Coming from heaven and in accordance to prophecy, when we talked about Isaiah, Isaiah quoted earlier on in this verse, what does Isaiah 42 once say? Listen to what Isaiah wrote. Here is my servant, whom I uphold my chosen one and whom I delight. I will put my spirit on him and he will bring justice to the nations. What would people understand, especially the Jewish people at the time, and what Mark is trying to make sure that the Gentiles understand? Hey, the Messiah that was to come, one of the true marks of that is that he would have the Holy Spirit upon him. Now you got to remember in the Old Testament times, the Holy Spirit came and came upon people in power at different times, but he did not live and make his home in people indefinitely. That came and happened with Pentecost. Remember after Jesus not only deafened across resurrection, but at back ascension to heaven, the Holy Spirit is poured out on all believers at that point. So what's significant here? Here's the first one. Here's my son, whom the Holy Spirit will from the get-go be living inside of him, because he is my son. There's authentication being happening here that Mark is wanting to make sure that we pick up on because the King has arrived. Well, it's not just a Holy Spirit descending on him, but if that wasn't enough, because that was really cool by itself, but what happens, you get to hear a voice. A voice from heaven says what you are my son, whom I love, with you, I'm well pleased. What could be more of an exclamation point to the authentication of someone, than hearing this voice from heaven, make this proclamation? I mean, people might have been wondering, all right, who is this guy that John the Baptist is talking about? People might have been wondering like, is this Wild Kingdom or something? Did you just see that thing bird fly down on this guy? What's going on here? People can make all that speculation, but they had to be scratched in their heads. They had to be really wondering, what is this going on? When you hear this voice from heaven, make this kind of proclamation. Well, I had an unexpected situation yesterday. I was up actually working on my sermon when I got a phone call from Jan, Fescovy. And the Brawhart's giving me a question to share the story, but Jan's saying, you know, I don't know what's going on. They're Brawhart's in London, and I said, I don't know, I don't think so. I just had an email from Dave earlier this morning, early this morning. She said, well, I've just gotten this Facebook chat session from Amy Brawhart saying that they're in London, and they've been mugged, and they've been robbed, and they've all their cash, and all their credit cards have been stolen. And would you please wire them some money? So, now the Brawhart's just sitting right here, not in London. So you see there's a problem in this situation. So what did I do? I called Amy immediately to find out, are you in London? Have you been mugged? Unfortunately, she was right at home and she had not been mugged or robbed or anything like that, and I talked to Dave on the phone. What did I do? I got authentication from the direct parties that would know absolutely for sure what was true and what wasn't true. Now, fortunately for them, Jan didn't transfer any money, and I think you guys have set and reset Amy's account. So be mindful of that, and be careful about that. But here's the point. The point is, when you need authentication, we need to know for sure you go to the source. But what about when the source comes to you? No, I was going and looking to the source at that point, but the source steps in. In one of the few places where there's audible voices given to what apparently others could hear, not just a person, God interrupts. God speaks from heaven. And says, this is my son, whom I love and whom I'm well pleased. Those words, by the way, are significant. There's not a single kid here that doesn't need to hear those words from their earthly father or mother. And Jesus himself needed those very words from his heavenly father, authentication that yes, he is my son. When Jesus said, when the voice from heaven says, this is my son. What is God the Father saying? He's saying, hey, this is an endless, priceless value to me, my son. He is worthy of worship. He is my heir. If you worship me, you must worship him as well, because the king has arrived. What's he saying when he's saying whom I love? He's making it very clear that he cherishes his son. He's making it very clear that he is committed to his son, and his son is committed to him. There is a love relationship. God the Father is saying, your king has arrived. He goes on and says, in whom I'm well pleased. What's he saying there? God's saying, this is my boy, in whom I take delight. What is he saying? He's saying, here's my boy, who I'm pleased with. He's obedient to me, perfectly obedient to me. He doesn't ever waver. He doesn't ever walk away. He doesn't ever doubt. But he in faith follows me. And Jesus says it many times throughout the gospels. He says, I only say what I hear my father in heaven saying, I only do what I see my father doing. Does Jesus need counseling for codependency? Well, yeah, you better believe it, because he was completely, completely dependent on his father in heaven the way that you and I were made to be. Can you and I need counseling because we substitute all kinds of things to be codependent on rather than God. When you get out of counseling, make your identity and all that you are all contained in who God is and who Jesus Christ of Son is. You'll get out of counseling much faster than you realize because you won't need it. Yes, you are made to be to live dependently, but it wasn't on anything earthly. And Jesus was doing that perfectly and he was pleased with his father because the king has arrived. Well, the king has arrived according to prophetic to the prophecies. He's arrived according to the authentication from God himself. But one more thing happens here that Mark points out the king is tested. What happens in verses 12 through 15? Let me read it at once. In fact, the original language of the Greek here says the spirit drove him out to the desert. It wasn't like he was invited. The spirit on Jesus drove him out into the desert. Verse 13. And he was in the desert 40 days being tempted by Satan and he was with the wild animals and angels attended him. After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee proclaiming the good news of God. But just look at verse 13 there for a second. There are several things that are mentioned there. One, it talks about 40 days. Does that sound familiar at all? 40, a significant number? Of course it is. Mark's already made reference to this message that was given from Isaiah to those that were in the desert of Babylon. He's already made reference to the fact that John the Baptist, this prophet, comes from the desert. And where it is, Jesus led by the Holy Spirit into the desert. Again, a reminder, the desert was a place that showed God's judgment on his people. It wasn't a promised land. It was the antithesis of the promised land. Where is Jesus? He's taken to be tested and tempted in the desert. It mirrors the 40 years in the wilderness the Israelites served because of disbelief. I have to say, when I was studying this, I paused for a second here because it finally hit me in some deeper ways, I think. I tend to rate sins in my heart and my mind. I tend to think things like pornography or murder or slandering people or lying. I tend to rate these things as it can be pretty bad, depending on how they're done and why they're done and whatever else. I know what I never put on this list as I'm thinking through is the sin of disbelief. But you want to know what the sin is at the crux of the core of all other sins, what brings the wrath of God. Just like that, it's the sin of unbelief. If you look underneath, lie and murder and hatred in your heart and slander and pornography and all the kinds of lusts, if you look underneath all that and agree, what will you find? It began with unbelief. What happened in the Garden of Eden with Adam and Eve? What was the serpent, its first tactic? Did God really say that you'll die the day you eat of it? A sea of unbelief is planted. And unfortunately, it's embraced by Eve and then by Adam when it spreads and gives birth to outright disobedience. It's unbelief. And most of us think that's kind of a passable sin. I'm having trouble believing. I'm having trouble having faith. Why did amazing things happen around people that Jesus says because of your faith that would be made known to you? It's because they were displaying the very life that is given to a follower of Christ. It is belief. I'm not saying those other sins aren't bad, but I'm saying what is worse and what is at the crux and what is most important is belief. And if you only try to deal with those sins on the surface and never get to the one at the heart, you'll be a very tired person or you'll just give up trying all together and give into another lifestyle and say it's just not real. You must deal with the core that root of it, the belief in God, who he is and what he has said in the promise because the king has arrived. Well, we see this shown in the 40 days that's talked about here in this testing, but he goes on to and he says he was being tempted by Satan. I don't read through that and get past it too fast. There's a lot of common, whether it's spoken belief or just unspoken belief, that Satan is kind of metaphorical, that he's just kind of like evil and the dark side of the forest or something out there. No, he had a real being and a presence in the form of a serpent in the Garden of Eden and he had a real being and a presence somehow face to face with Jesus directly in those 40 days. Now Mark doesn't go into the details of how he was tempted but the other gospels do. We know that he's tempted to do all kinds of things to prove that he's the son of God. I want you to turn this down into bread because I know you're hungry, but Jesus knowing that God had led them out to fast in the desert says, can that live by bread alone but by every word that follows, follows from the lips of God. Jesus will go on and he will stand on the truth of God, he will use scripture every time. Satan comes, but here's the point, here's what Mark wants to make sure you get, as there is a real enemy, a real being called Satan or the devil. And you can kind of characterize him and make him a little cartoon figure in your head and he probably takes great delight in that because he feels unreal. But if he thinks Satan has stopped being the father of lies as Jesus called him, then you are more than naive, you're foolish. But what's the point in this text? Jesus has a face to face encounter with Satan himself. Not a demon. Jesus doesn't have a sinful nature to be warring with inside because he hasn't. He doesn't have a sinful nature. But externally he's attacked from the number one evil foe from the author of it all, Satan himself and he stands the test through that. The verse goes on to say, being tempted by Satan, he was with wild animals. Now what's up with that was just like saying, well he was kind of out there, he's an outdoors guy, he was out there in the desert. Now wild animals are another symbol in this day and age of the fall of saying that the curse of sin affected all creation. That's why you got the picture of the lamb and the serpent and the child putting his hand in the serpent's cave and all these pictures of what it will be like in the New Heavens of the New Earth when all things are restored. What's the picture here again? Jesus is out there in the desert representing sin and rebellion against guys out there with the wild animals representing again the chaos of creation. Another image of that and he goes on to saying the angels attended him. You look throughout scriptures, angels only come to people's attention when they are living in obedience. Elijah had faithfully proclaimed the truth about God when the angels came and ministered to him.
The apostles who were in jail for being obedient to God are visited by angels. And God sends his special people to attend him. It's a sign, it's a representation that you've been faithful, you're walking obediently with God. When Shadrach Mishak and Miningo were in the fiery furnace, there was a fourth. Some say that was maybe a prefigure of Jesus, some say it was an angel, but there was a fourth. When God sends his messengers to accompany them, it's significant. It's another picture here too of Jesus was acting perfect according to obedience. He was being tested and he stood the test. Now, because the king has arrived. The prophecy shows it. The authentication from the Holy Spirit and God's voice himself. And third, if the first two weren't enough, he stands the test. Right, Adam and Eve fell on the garden to doubt God because they doubted God. This belief, Jesus stands firm. And as you know, with every temptation, he answers with the word of God. And he holds fast. Mark has very important news to share in the rest of this book, which we'll look at in the weeks ahead. But what does it start with? Mark's saying, the king has arrived. He's here. He's on the move. Do you know him this morning? Do you serve him? Is he your king? Is he just a sweet promise of forgiveness when you do things wrong? Or is he the one that every need vows before, including yours, and every tongue confesses, including yours, that he's Lord? You just met your life to him. The king, Mark is saying, has arrived. And by the way, the king is on his way back. And the scripture's saying, won't be long before he returns again. Let's pray. God has prayed that you would remind us here this morning of the power and the importance of God of understanding. Exactly who you are as king, as Lord. And God, would you speak and minister to us? Would you prepare our hearts now to even come to your table? To trust, to believe, to come and embrace, to come and yield our hearts? And God would you transform unbelieving hearts? To believing hearts? Would you come and make us more like your son? For God, for those that might be here this morning, they don't have a relationship with you that know that they don't know this king. Yeah, they may have been to church. Yeah, they met other Sunday school answers, but they don't bow their knee. They don't confess with their tongue. They don't live a life surrender to you. Would you give them the faith and the courage to come to you, to cling to you, to be transformed here today by the truth and who you are? And God, for those of us that follow you and walk with you, God, would you make us more and more in the image of your son? Would you make us more like him? Would you fill us with your Holy Spirit? We pray this in Jesus' name. Amen.