Good Monday to you my ‘WWJ’ friends,
Today, with only three days remaining in 2025, let’s begin our New Testament journey with Jesus in the “Grand Narrative”. Gospel writers Matthew, Mark and Luke each tell us of the remarkable event which drew adult Jesus into the public eye and formally launched His ministry, as the Savior of the world. Remember, that’s how the angels had announced His birth to the shepherds that Christmas night? (Luke 2:8-13)
John the Baptist had, by that time, earned himself both a reputation and a following as a radical Jewish preacher. Mark describes him this way: “John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.” (Mark 1:6,7) Oh my! I’m not so sure I’d want to follow him, but John the Baptist was considered by many to be a legitimate prophet of God, in fact the first one since Malachi who ended the Old Testament. Some of their messages linked the 400 years between them like a bridge from the Old to New Testaments.
John’s fiery preaching called Jews to acknowledge their longing for their Messiah, but also the fact that they were a sinful people, unprepared for a holy Messiah. As they responded, John invited them to publicly be baptized as a sign of their repentance of their sin, declaring their readiness to receive and celebrate the Messiah, as soon as God would send Him. 30 years later, as the apostle Paul was describing the difference between John’s baptism and the baptism Jesus urged us to experience, as we trust Jesus for our salvation, Paul described John’s baptism with these words: “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance, anticipating the coming of the Messiah.” (Acts 19:4)
John usually baptized the people in the Jordan river and one day Jesus came there. As Jesus approached, John pointed to him and shouted: “Look, the Lamb of God who takes away the sins of the world…the reason I came baptizing with water was that HE might be revealed to Israel…I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.” (John 1:29-34) This was a very clear declaration that Jesus was the long-awaited Messiah God had promised His people Israel. Can you imagine the shock that rippled through the Jewish crowd that day? But John’s word was not enough, and so Jesus went down into the water and asked John to baptize Him. Why? Not because Jesus had any sin for which to repent, but rather so Jesus could be positioned for Almighty God to make His declaration over Jesus.
That event is so significant it is recorded in Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11 and Luke 3:21,22. This event is one of a few times in the Bible when the Triune God, God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit, are all three mentioned as active at the same time in the same place. “As Jesus was baptized heaven opened and He saw the Holy Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on Him. And a voice from heaven said, ‘this is My Son, whom I love, with Him I am well pleased.”
This moment stands as a defining moment in human history and God’s “Grand Narrative”! Do you see why? Jesus was declared first by John the Baptist, then by God the Holy Spirit and by God the Father, to BE the Son of God, AND the long-awaited Jewish Messiah, AND the angel promised Savior of the entire world! From that moment, that day, at the Jordan River, there should be no doubt by anyone anywhere WHO Jesus the Christ really is! God declared it very clearly.
From that experience Jesus was led by the Holy Spirit to an isolated place where Jesus spent 40 days fasting and praying, seeking to discern from God all He would need to understand to begin His earthly mission, for which He was born in Bethlehem. Remember, Jesus was uniquely both fully God, divine; and fully human, man. In that isolated place Satan came to tempt Jesus to turn away from His God given mission to be the Savior of the world. That encounter is also a major defining moment in God’s “Grand Narrative”, and it’s described for us in Luke 4:1-13; Mark 1:12,13 and Matthew 4:1-11.
As you read the accounts of both Jesus’ baptism and His temptation by Satan in the wilderness, you’ll see the evidence of why Matthew, Mark and Luke are described as the ‘synoptic Gospels’. More than 80% of the stories in those three accounts of Jesus’ life are found in all three books. Therefore, when reading any one of them it’s really helpful to gain a fuller perspective by reading the corresponding section in the other books.
God the Holy Spirit led all three men to write their unique perspective of Jesus’ life and ministry TO a distinctive audience FROM a distinctive perspective. Did you know that?
* Matthew, as one of the Jewish disciples Jesus personally selected, (Matt. 9:9) writes to Jews, with his primary objective to prove Jesus is the Jewish Messiah. (Matt. 1:1) Matthew quotes the Old Testament far more than the other authors.
* Mark was a young man, perhaps a teenager, living with his mother in Jerusalem during the three years of Jesus’ ministry. (Acts 12:12) Mark writes an action oriented, fast paced, to the point account of Jesus’ life.
* Luke was a Greek Physician who never met Jesus personally, but as he traveled with the apostle Paul Luke learned about Jesus and later Luke interviewed those who knew Jesus well. (Luke 1:1-4)
All three Gospel writers report that Jesus rebuked Satan in the wilderness during those 40 days, only by quoting Scripture and the devil left Jesus alone! (Matt. 4:4,7,10) It’s an important lesson for us, my friends. The dark kingdom must submit to the authority of God’s Word, the Bible. That’s one of the reasons it’s so important we fill our hearts and minds with God’s Word!
It’s why we have produced “Walking with Jesus” 6 times per week, every week, for more than 5 years and each of those past editions, more than 1500 of them, can be found organized by year, month and day, in our Daily Archives tab on our home page. As you may know you can even use the search tab to find past editions dealing with any particular topic or Scripture reference.
With only hours now remaining in 2025, I wonder if you desire a fresh anointing of the Holy Spirit of God as Jesus received during His baptism, as you prepare for 2026? I wonder if some isolated quiet time with God and His Word, as Jesus had, might be really helpful for you as you prepare to close ’25 and step onto God’s path for you in ’26?
As always some “lessons learned” notes are available at the ‘Grand Narrative’ link below, as is a very special worship song for today, and I’ll be waiting for you here, tomorrow.
Today’s Scripture: Matt. 3, 4; Mark 2, Luke 3, 4.
Choose below to read or listen.
Matt. 3, 4
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Matt. 4
Mark 2
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Luke 3, 4
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Luke 4
Bible images provided with attribution to www.LumoProject.com.
Have a comment or question about today’s chapter? I’m ready to hear from you, contact me here.
Pastor Doug Anderson
“Let us run with perseverance the race marked out for us, with our eyes fixed on Jesus…” (Heb. 12:1,2)
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