After John the Baptist is handed over — to be arrested and eventually killed, Jesus begins His public ministry in Galilee. Christ proclaims the Gospel in a cosmopolitan region that will apparently be more receptive than the holy city of Jerusalem.
John the Baptist is Jesus’ forerunner in ministry and in (brutal) death. Proclaiming the Gospel often leads to persecution.
Three important experiences signify the inauguration of the kingdom of God through Jesus Christ — the King. (1) The heavens are torn open, (2) the Holy Spirit descends into Jesus, and (3) God’s heavenly voice speaks. God’s word confirm that Jesus is the royal Messiah, the unique Son of God, and the prophesied Suffering Servant.
Then, Jesus is driven out into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan — setting the stage for the spiritual battle that runs throughout Mark.
Jesus is tempted in the wilderness — a place of both promise and testing in the Old Testament — by Satan for forty days — a number that recalls important moments in the ministry of Moses and Elijah.
Satan and the wild animals are on one side, while Jesus and His attending angels are on the other. This spiritual battle will continue through Mark.
After His baptism and anointing, Jesus is “driven out” into the wilderness by the Holy Spirit. The wilderness was not only the place of the prophetic promise fulfilled by John the Baptist, but also the place of Israel’s previous testing. Soon, Jesus will square off with Satan — who will have somewhat of a home field advantage
In just a few words, God’s voice from heaven provides heavenly confirmation that Jesus is the Son of God (the royal Messiah of Psalm 2:7), the Beloved Son of God (as Isaac was the beloved son Abraham whom was willing to sacrifice in Genesis 22), and the Servant of the LORD (the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 52:13-53:12 who would bring salvation to the ends of the earth through His sacrifice.
After Jesus is baptized by John the Baptist, he sees the heavens being torn open — likely indicating a divine arrival (cf. Is 64:1). He also sees the Holy Spirit descending into Him like a dove, fulfilling Isaiah’s prophecy that the Anointed One (i.e., Christ, Messiah) would be anointed by the Spirit (Is 11:2, 61:1).
Jesus is permanently indwelt and empowered by the Spirit, perhaps foreshadowing how followers of Jesus are (to a lesser degree, of course) indwelt and empowered by the Spirit today.
Jesus, the Messiah, the Son of God (Mk 1:1), the Stronger One — who was to come after John the Baptist (Mk 1:7) — comes. But He comes from an unexpected place (i.e., Nazareth) and does the unexpected (i.e., being baptized by John). Throughout Mark, He will continue to correct everyone’s expectations about what it means to be the Messiah. It entails identifying with His people and their sin — both in the water and on the cross — in order to save them.
Though scholars debate the length of the prologue, Mk 1:1-8 is largely about John the Baptist while Mk 1:9-15 is largely about Jesus. The transition from John the Baptist to Jesus the Christ (i.e., the Messiah) indicates the transition from the old era to the dawning of a new age in redemptive history.
John the Baptist has a popular ministry of repentance-baptism in the wilderness at the Jordan River, a location with a rich Old Testament history. The people of Jerusalem were coming out in droves, confessing their sin.
Moreover, John is dressed like a prophet — likely the prophet Elijah, who was prophesied to come before the coming of the LORD Himself (as John comes before the Lord Jesus).
John the Baptizer appears in the wilderness as the prophesied messenger of the LORD who would prepare His way (cf. Mk 1:2-3) — a way for a new exodus, a new divine encounter, a new deliverance via the LORD the King.
This preparation for the way of the Lord Jesus entails the proclamation of a preparatory baptism for those who had turned away from sin and turned to God (i.e., repentance) for the purpose of the forgiveness of sins (by God). This forgiveness will ultimately be made possible through the work of Christ on the cross.
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