Mark 1:9-13
Introduction
In this passage we learn about 2 events:
1. The Baptism of Jesus
2. The Temptation of Jesus by Satan
It was only after these 2 events that Jesus began His earthly ministry. It had to be that way as we will see.
We must always remember that Jesus is both a man and God (incarnation). These 2 events are primarily about His humanity. Bear that in mind.
Because Mark doesn’t give us any details about these 2 events I want to concentrate on Matthew’s version for this study. We find this in Matthew 3:13 to 4:11. So you need to have your Bible open at chapter 3 of Matthew’s Gospel as we continue with the study.
The Baptism of Jesus
The baptism of Jesus is found in Matthew 3:13 - 17. We see in this passage that Jesus was baptised by John the Baptist. John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance and cleansing of sin. Yet we are told in scripture that Jesus was sinless. See 2 Corinthians 5:21, Hebrews 4:15 and 1 John 3:5. So, why did Jesus insist on being baptised by John? Jesus tells us why in verse 15. He says it was, “To fulfil all righteousness”. So, what does it mean to fulfil all righteousness?
The redemptive work of Jesus required more than dying on the cross for our sins:-
• He also had to live a life of obedience.
• He had to submit to every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.
• He had to obey the Law in full.
• He had to obey everything that God required of His people.
• Jesus had to do all of this even though He was not a sinner.
• He had to identify with us as sinners.
This is what it means to ‘fulfil all righteousness’. Jesus had to fulfil all righteousness because He had to replace Adam as the representative of humanity. He had to be the Last Adam. See 1 Corinthians 15:45 and 1 Corinthians 15:21-22.
Remember, when Jesus died on the cross, our sin was put on Him and His righteousness was transferred to us. See 2 Corinthians 5:21.
It should be noted that John the Baptist was not the only one involved in the baptism of Jesus. In verses 16 and 17 we see that all three persons of the Trinity were involved; Father, Son and Holy Spirit. I want you to notice in particular the involvement of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit came upon Jesus in order to anoint His human nature. This was necessary for the earthly ministry of Jesus. The miracles that Jesus performed were done so in His human nature through the power of the Holy Spirit. The Holy Spirit empowered Jesus.
The Temptation of Jesus by Satan
The temptation of Jesus by Satan is found in Matthew 4:1 – 11. We see in verse 1 that the Holy Spirit drove or led Jesus into the wilderness. So, why did the Holy Spirit do this? He did it because Jesus needed to be tested before He began His earthly ministry.
Just like the first Adam, Jesus was tempted by Satan. Let’s compare the circumstances in which Adam was tempted with the circumstances for Jesus:
| Adam | Jesus |
|---|---|
| Lush garden | Desolate wilderness |
| Plentiful food | No food |
| Full belly | Empty belly |
| Companionship with Eve | Alone |
As you can see, Jesus faced a much more severe test than Adam. Jesus was ravaged by hunger and He was weakened and lonely.
The point of the test for the Second Adam (Jesus) and the first Adam is exactly the same. It was to see if they would obey God’s word. The first Adam failed the test but the Second Adam passed it.
1st Temptation of Jesus (verses 3 – 4)
Remember God’s word to Jesus at His baptism was “You are my Son”. But Satan questions this in verse 3 (If you are the Son of God). Remember what Satan said to Adam and Eve. He said, “Has God said?” See Genesis 3:1. Returning to the first temptation of Jesus, how does Jesus respond to Satan’s temptation? He quotes God’s word. In this case it is Deuteronomy 8:3.
2nd Temptation of Jesus (verses 5 – 7)
In his second attempt at tempting Jesus, Satan changes tactic. This time he uses scripture. And once again Jesus responds to Satan by quoting God’s word. In this case it was Deuteronomy 6:16. In effect Jesus is saying that He doesn’t need to jump off the temple to know that God will take care of Him.
3rd Temptation of Jesus (verses 8 – 10)
For his third attempt at tempting Jesus, Satan changes tactic again. This time he tries to make a deal with Jesus. You do something for me and I’ll do something for you. Satan wants Jesus to bow down and worship him. This would be an act of idolatry. And once again Jesus responds to Satan by quoting God’s word. In this case it was Deuteronomy 6:13.
Unlike the first Adam, Jesus is not tempted to sin. Jesus is now ready to begin His earthly ministry as we will see in the next study.
Before I finish this study, I just want to point out a lesson that we can learn from the example of Jesus. When Jesus was tempted by Satan, He used scripture to counter the efforts of Satan. And we should do the same. This is effectively what Paul teaches us to do in Ephesians 6:10 – 17 (the full armour of God).