John the Baptist and Baptism

 

The Message of John the Baptist and Jesus' Baptism

 Book of Luke Chapter 3

 

 In Chapter 2, we can read about the Lord Jesus as a twelve-year-old, but just a few verses later, we find our Savior at thirty years old.

 The rule of the nation of Israel and the Head of the priests is in the hands of people who do not care about Yahweh and will reject His Messiah.

 Pontius Pilate has been placed in Jerusalem to rule over God's land.

 Herod, a descendant of Esau, has been placed as King of Israel, and we know that the descendants of Esau have always been haters of God's people.

 Oba 1:6  How are the things of Esau searched out! how are his hidden things sought up!

 Oba 1:10  For thy violence against thy brother Jacob shame shall cover thee, and thou shalt be cut off for ever.

 There are two High Priests, but there is no time when God said there should be two High Priests.

 Joh 18:13  And led him away to Annas first; for he was father-in-law to Caiaphas, which was the high priest that same year.

 At the end of this book, we will see how these political and religious leaders conspired to bring the Lord Jesus Christ to the cross that Jesus came to die on.

 The first coming of the Lord Jesus Christ, God's Messiah, was and still is the pivotal point in the history of our world!

 The earth that rejects our Divine God got a chance to see Him and what He stands for.

 The impact that the Lord Jesus made upon this world can never be overstated.

 John the Baptist paves the way.

 *****Luk 3:1  Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch of Abilene,

Luk 3:2  Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness.

Luk 3:3  And he came into all the country about Jordan, preaching the baptism of repentance for the remission of sins;

Luk 3:4  As it is written in the book of the words of Esaias the prophet, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.

Luk 3:5  Every valley shall be filled, and every mountain and hill shall be brought low; and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough ways shall be made smooth;

Luk 3:6  And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.

Luke gives us an accurate picture of history in the early days of John the Baptist and the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Luke, with the help of the Holy Spirit, is showing us just how corrupt the government and the religious circles were on that day.

 The false High Priest, Annas, had been removed from office by the then Roman procurator, Valerius Gratus, but he continued to hold power over the High Priest office, with Caiaphas being his stepson.

 Rome wanted control over the religion of the Jews, and this was their way of doing this.

 This is the same thing China, and some other nations, keep control over some churches that teach Christianity.

 God had commanded that all High Priests were to be in the line of Aaron.

 God's call to John the Baptist came while he was in the wilderness, which was a sparsely populated area.

 God found John in a most obscure place.

 God always knows where we are and what we are doing.

 The Word of God can reach any place at any time because the Holy Spirit goes where He pleases.

 Today, the Holy Spirit is the most powerful Deity on the face of this earth, and we know that He will not always strive with man or mankind.

 The call of God is a personal matter, and this is the way God continues to work.

 He loves personal relationships with each of us.

 This Jordan is not the nation Jordan that we know of today, but the River Jordan where John could find a place to baptize those who repented.

 We will notice that John would not baptize those who would not repent of their sins.

The Church has been lax in this regard.

 The Lord Jesus Christ said: Joh 3:3  Jesus answered and said unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto thee,Except a man be born again, he cannot see the kingdom of God.

 In other words, the Lord Jesus states that there are no exceptions to this command.

 Eph 4:22  That ye put off concerning the former conversation the old man, which is corrupt according to the deceitful lusts; 

Eph 4:23  And be renewed in the spirit of your mind; 

Eph 4:24  And that ye put on the new man, which after God is created in righteousness and true holiness. 

 The work of John the Baptist was in fulfillment of prophecy.

 Isa 40:1  Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God

Isa 40:2  Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned: for she hath received of the LORD'S hand double for all her sins. 

Isa 40:3  The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.

Isa 40:4  Every valley shall be exalted, and every mountain and hill shall be made low: and the crooked shall be made straight, and the rough places plain:

Isa 40:5  And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken it.

 Notice John does not call them back to the Laws of Moses; John calls them to repent of their sin.

 We must repent of our sin and our old life before we can be members of God’s family!

 They had to recognize that they were sinners just as we do today.

 John was called to serve God rather than to serve religion!

 Religion will send you to Hell. Only Christianity can get you to Heaven.

 John, as a descendant of his father Zacharias, was to train for five years and then serve

 at the Temple when his time came, but God had other plans for John.

 If our ministry does not align with God's plans, then we are in the wrong ministry.

 What is repentance?

 Repentance means that if anyone wished to be forgiven of their sins, they would turn from their sins and change their lives; then and only then could they be baptized.

 It should be obvious that we cannot do this without the Holy Spirit, but it must be our goal.

 Baptism was a sign to their neighbors and the world that they were changing their lives because they wanted God's forgiveness.

 As Christians, we follow in baptism because we follow the Lord Jesus Christ.

 Act 17:29  Forasmuch then as we are the offspring of God, we ought not to think that the Godhead is like unto gold, or silver, or stone, graven by art and man's device.

Act 17:30  And the times of this ignorance God winked at; but now commandeth all men everywhere to repent:

Act 17:31  Because he hath appointed a day, in the which he will judge the world in righteousness by that man whom he hath ordained; whereof he hath given assurance unto all men, in that he hath raised him from the dead.

 There would be no animal sacrifice; there would only be a living sacrifice.

 Rom_12:1  I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, which is your reasonable service.

 John's baptism was a sign that a man wanted forgiveness it was not the means of forgiveness.

Baptism does not wash away sins!

 It would be that changed life that would determine if these things came from the heart, just as it is today.

 Forgiveness of sins is conditional upon that repentance and that changed life.

 A person who truly repents will turn away from sin and turn to God!

 Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

 The Holy Ghost(Holy Spirit)  will not move into a dirty house!

 Act 3:19  Repent ye therefore, and be converted, that your sins may be blotted out, when the times of refreshing shall come from the presence of the Lord;

Act 3:20  And he shall send Jesus Christ, which before was preached unto you:

 It was John's job to prepare the world for the coming of the Lord, and He would come first to the Jews because this was His promise, even though He knew they would reject Him and would then go to the Gentiles.

 Amo 4:12  Therefore thus will I do unto thee, O Israel: and because I will do this unto thee, prepare to meet thy God, O Israel.

Amo 4:13  For, lo, he that formeth the mountains, and createth the wind, and declareth unto man what is his thought, that maketh the morning darkness, and treadeth upon the high places of the earth, The LORD, The God of hosts, is his name.

 The Jews will not reject the Lord Jesus a second time!

 *****Luk 3:7  Then said he to the multitude that came forth to be baptized of him, O generation of vipers, who hath warned you to flee from the wrath to come?

 We had better be aware that the preaching of the Gospel of Jesus Christ is not for entertainment.

 That sad fact is that John the Baptist would not be allowed to preach in many churches today because he preached the truth, and neither would the Lord Jesus Christ for the same reason.

 John preached the coming "judgment" of God. People do not want to hear about the judgment of God!

 So many today concentrate upon the love of God, which is very great, but they reject the judgment of God on the unbeliever, and they are wrong.

 No matter what different preachers preach, there will be a day of God's wrath!

 I admitted to God that I was a terrible sinner because I was!

 In fact, I am still a sinner only saved by the "Grace" of God, and He is still working on me.

 A viper is the great enemy of souls!

 Mat 23:33  Ye serpents, ye generation of vipers, how can ye escape the damnation of hell?

A sinner is anyone who has voluntarily violated the divine law; a moral agent who has voluntarily disobeyed any divine precept, or neglected any known duty.

 All sinners are devoted to sin.

 1Ti 1:15  This is a faithful saying, and worthy of all acceptation, that Christ Jesus came into the world to save sinners; of whom I am chief.

1Ti 1:16  Howbeit for this cause I obtained mercy, that in me first Jesus Christ might shew forth all longsuffering, for a pattern to them which should hereafter believe on him to life everlasting.  

 The wrath of God is not coming to those who fall in love with Jesus Christ and believe in Him.

 The wrath of God is coming upon those who reject any part of the Word of God!

 The only unforgivable sin is rejecting the Lord Jesus Christ!

 Joh 16:8  And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: 

Joh 16:9  Of sin, because they believe not on me; 

 Eph 5:6  Let no man deceive you with vain words: for because of these things cometh the wrath of God upon the children of disobedience.

Eph 5:7  Be not ye therefore partakers with them.

 Psa 2:11  Serve the LORD with fear, and rejoice with trembling.

Psa 2:12  Kiss the Son, lest he be angry, and ye perish from the way, when his wrath is kindled but a little. Blessed are all they that put their trust in him.

 To follow the truth of God is noticeable in those who do!

 *****Luk 3:8  Bring forth therefore fruits worthy of repentance, and begin not to say within yourselves, We have Abraham to our father: for I say unto you, That God is able of these stones to raise up children unto Abraham.

 The proof of a saved soul is repentance!

 Valuable fruits of repentance are speaking truth and doing things that are according to the will of God. Such fruits come from the new life that a person receives when he repents.

 The concept of having Abraham as their father made the Jews feel safe because their pride would not allow them to believe that any child of Abraham should ever be lost.

 That same pride said that any single Jew was of more value than all the people in all the nations of the world.

 The Talmud stated that God made the world for the sake of the Jews, which is not true, and the Bible never says such things as these.

 The Lord Jesus put an end to this nonsense: Mat 8:11  And I say unto you, That many shall come from the east and west, and shall sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and Jacob, in the kingdom of heaven.

Mat 8:12  But the children of the kingdom shall be cast out into outer darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth.

 What is the truth? Gal 3:29  And if ye be Christ's, then are ye Abraham's seed, and heirs according to the promise.

 It's called faith! Faith in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ that has been done to save us.

 Rom_4:13  For the promise, that he should be the heir of the world, was not to Abraham, or to his seed, through the law, but through the righteousness of faith.

Rom_4:16  Therefore it is of faith, that it might be by grace; to the end the promise might be sure to all the seed; not to that only which is of the law, but to that also which is of the faith of Abraham; who is the father of us all,

 Gal_3:7  Know ye therefore that they which are of faith, the same are the children of Abraham.

 To disagree with the Lord Jesus Christ is to bring the judgment of God upon yourself!

 *****Luk 3:9  And now also the axe is laid unto the root of the trees: every tree therefore which bringeth not forth good fruit is hewn down, and cast into the fire.

 God is the Divine Woodsman who cuts down trees, and He has laid His axe at the roots of the trees!

 This is God's warning to us all!

 To be honest, we cannot produce good fruit in our lives without faith in the Gospel and the indwelling of the Holy Spirit.

 For these Jews, the destruction of Jerusalem and the Temple was less than a generation away.

 *****Luk 3:10  And the people asked him, saying, What shall we do then?

Luk 3:11  He answereth and saith unto them, He that hath two coats, let him impart to him that hath none; and he that hath meat, let him do likewise.

Luk 3:12  Then came also publicans to be baptized, and said unto him, Master, what shall we do?

Luk 3:13  And he said unto them, Exact no more than that which is appointed you.

Luk 3:14  And the soldiers likewise demanded of him, saying, And what shall we do? And he said unto them, Do violence to no man, neither accuse any falsely; and be content with your wages.

 When "judgment" is preached without prejudice, people begin to understand what God is saying.

 To the first group, John answered that we are to share our blessings with others.

To the second group, John answered that we should not rob others to enrich ourselves.

To the entire group, John answered that we share our prosperity with those who have nothing.

 The fruit of salvation goes much deeper than these practical things. John gave these people a good idea of where to start.

 We can see the reality of removing hate and increasing love.

 How can we tell we are in the last days?

 2Ti 3:1  This know also, that in the last days perilous times shall come.

2Ti 3:2  For men shall be lovers of their own selves, covetous, boasters, proud, blasphemers, disobedient to parents, unthankful, unholy,

2Ti 3:3  Without natural affection, trucebreakers, false accusers, incontinent, fierce, despisers of those that are good,

2Ti 3:4  Traitors, heady, highminded, lovers of pleasures more than lovers of God;

2Ti 3:5  Having a form of godliness, but denying the power thereof: from such turn away.

 Along with all these things, we see there is no natural affection for our neighbors.

 The one thing that drives our politicians today is hatred. They hate each other with passion; it drives them to make laws that each other hate instead of doing the job they went to Washington to do.

 They are a pathetic bunch, for certain.

 A question has come up about our military following illegal orders.

 We should understand that God does not condemn any soldier for doing his duty.

 A soldier who goes above his duty and simply becomes a murderer will be condemned by God, but even these can be forgiven.

 When John says to do no violence to any man, this is what he is saying.

 We follow orders, but indiscriminate killing, especially of the innocent, should not take place.

 All terrorists are murderers!

 God demands a changed life!

 When we are filled with the fruit of the Spirit, it will be noticeable to those we are around.

 Gal 5:22  But the fruit of the Spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Gal 5:23  Meekness, temperance: against such there is no law.

 Gal 5:25  If we live in the Spirit, let us also walk in the Spirit.

 The Messiah would be mighty.

The Messiah would be more worthy than any man.

The Messiah would use the Holy Ghost.

 The baptism of John the Baptist was a full-immersion baptism and not a sprinkling.

 John's baptism was with water, but the baptism of the Lord Jesus Christ would be with the Holy Spirit and with fire.

 This fire would be unquenchable!

 John preached the truth of the Scriptures, but also as a Prophet, he preached the words God told him to preach.

 John the Baptist preached the same no matter who was in the audience.

 *****Luk 3:19  But Herod the tetrarch, being reproved by him for Herodias, his brother Philip's wife, and for all the evils which Herod had done,

Luk 3:20  Added yet this above all, that he shut up John in prison.

 When God gives His preacher a message to preach, it is to be preached as instructed, not watered down, not distorted, nor twisted.

 Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

 Herod was as much a sinner as we all are!

 A corrupt and sinful life will always bring the wrath of God.

 I hope our politicians, those who claim the Lord Jesus Christ, do not forget this, and those who do not know Him will certainly see that wrath aimed at them in the near future.

 It has to be hard to be a Christian in Washington, but it is not impossible, and they must know they are there because it is the will of God, and they are there to hold back evil and corruption in our nation.

 I do not believe that Herod would have killed John, but Herod had an evil wife.

 Mar 6:17  For Herod himself had sent forth and laid hold upon John, and bound him in prison for Herodias' sake, his brother Philip's wife: for he had married her.

Mar 6:18  For John had said unto Herod, It is not lawful for thee to have thy brother's wife.

Mar 6:19  Therefore Herodias had a quarrel against him, and would have killed him; but she could not:

Mar 6:20  For Herod feared John, knowing that he was a just man and an holy, and observed him; and when he heard him, he did many things, and heard him gladly.

 When John preached, he told it like it was.

 When sin is relevant in our rulers, it makes it easier for the entire nation to be in sin.

 Corruption in our leadership just causes corruption throughout our nation, as we have seen and are still seeing.

 Herod the Great was living in sin, the sin of adultery; he was, as we know, also a murderer, and those soldiers who murdered those children were also murderers because that was a command that they should have refused.

 When our military stops the drug trade, they are not murderers or killers because those who spread the drugs are the killers, and our politicians need to be with our President and our military.

 What is the truth? We will never truly prosper in sin! 2Ch 24:20  And the Spirit of God came upon Zechariah the son of Jehoiada the priest, which stood above the people, and said unto them, Thus saith God, Why transgress ye the commandments of the LORD, that ye cannot prosper? because ye have forsaken the LORD, he hath also forsaken you.

 The judgment of God is coming to this wicked world!

 Jud 1:14  And Enoch also, the seventh from Adam, prophesied of these, saying, Behold, the Lord cometh with ten thousands of his saints,

Jud 1:15  To execute judgment upon all, and to convince all that are ungodly among them of all their ungodly deeds which they have ungodly committed, and of all their hard speeches which ungodly sinners have spoken against him.

Jud 1:16  These are murmurers, complainers, walking after their own lusts; and their mouth speaketh great swelling words, having men's persons in admiration because of advantage.

 *****Luk 3:21  Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

 Baptism is an act of obedience to God.

 If the Lord Jesus Christ is obedient to His Heavenly Father, who are we to think we can be disobedient?

 We know that our Lord Jesus had no sin, so we must know that Baptism is not for the removal of sin; it is being obedient to our Heavenly Father.

 We had better know that every time Heaven opens up, it is the Lord Jesus Christ who is the object of admiration of Heaven.

 Joh 1:51  And he saith unto him, Verily, verily, I say unto you, Hereafter ye shall see heaven open, and the angels of God ascending and descending upon the Son of man.

 Rev 19:11  And I saw heaven opened, and behold a white horse; and he that sat upon him was called Faithful and True, and in righteousness he doth judge and make war.

 What did Stephen see? Act 7:55  But he, being full of the Holy Ghost, looked up stedfastly into heaven, and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing on the right hand of God,

Act 7:56  And said, Behold, I see the heavens opened, and the Son of man standing on the right hand of God.

 The one thing that sets these people apart from all others is the fact that they heard the message of John the Baptist, and they responded.

 God wants this whole world to hear His message so that everyone in the world will get a chance to respond to the truth of God.

 What did the Lord Jesus do differently from the others who were baptized?

 1) He demonstrated that He, the Son of God, was fulfilling all righteousness.

 Mat 3:13  Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

Mat 3:14  But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?

Mat 3:15  And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

 2) He was demonstrating His humiliation, that He was a man, fully man.

 Jesus was required by our Heavenly Father to live obediently, just as all men are to live obediently to the Word of God.

 The Lord Jesus had to live a sinless life to accept all our sins on His body.

 Jesus became the Som of Man. Mat 8:20  And Jesus saith unto him, The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head.

 Birds and foxes are cunning and wicked, but God still cares for them; however, His Son does not have a home on this earth because His home is in Heaven. It is the same for every Christian.

 It is God's will for every human to hear the Gospel, and they all respond positively to it!

 1Ti_2:4  Who will have all men to be saved, and to come unto the knowledge of the truth.

 No man is above any other man in the eyes of God. If God expected His Son to be obedient to all the Word of God, then how can we say God will understand if we keep that secret sin or any other sin?

 This is why the Lord Jesus was baptized!

 Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.

 We must all repent and be baptized!

 The Lord Jesus also obeyed God in prayer.

 As He was being baptized, His mind and His thoughts were upon His Heavenly Father.

 This is another thing that gets our prayers into the throne room of God.

 Baptism is the most significant act of discipleship and must be followed by a changed life.

 This is where many churches fail today. There is no change in life.

 God will not waste His "Grace" on those who will not change their lives!

 Prayer is something we must all do!

 Jas 5:16  Confess your faults one to another, and pray one for another, that ye may be healed. The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much.

 *****Luk 3:22  And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

 God is pleased with us when we are obedient and following the steps that Jesus took to be obedient; we are on the right path to the Glory World.

 1) When the Heavens opened up it showed us that God was approving the ministry of Jesus to begin, and it began that day.

 2) When the Heavens opened up it showed John that prophecy was fulfilled, and the Lord Jesus is truly the Lamb of God.

 Gen 22:8  And Abraham said, My son, God will provide himself a lamb for a burnt offering: so they went both of them together.

 The Lord Jesus would soon give His life for us: Gal 2:20  I am crucified with Christ: nevertheless I live; yet not I, but Christ liveth in me: and the life which I now live in the flesh I live by the faith of the Son of God, who loved me, and gave himself for me.

 The Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus in the bodily shape of a dove.

 We now get to see the Triune God.

 God the Father speaking from Heaven, saying This is My Son.

The Holy Spirit(Ghost) descended from Heaven in the shape of a dove.

The Son of God receives the blessing of God.

 Mar 1:9  And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan.

Mar 1:10  And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him:

Mar 1:11  And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

 When we love the Lord, God will do things that tell us He is much more than just real.

 Joh 14:21  He that hath my commandments, and keepeth them, he it is that loveth me: and he that loveth me shall be loved of my Father, and I will love him, and will manifest myself to him.

 We begin to understand just how wonderful Heaven is going to be.

 1Co 2:9  But as it is written, Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.

1Co 2:10  But God hath revealed them unto us by his Spirit: for the Spirit searcheth all things, yea, the deep things of God.

 *****Luk 3:23  And Jesus himself began to be about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, which was the son of Heli,

 The Lord Jesus was about thirty years old in His body when He began His public service.

 If He had tried to begin at an earlier age, no one would have paid much attention to Him.

 Num 4:23  From thirty years old and upward until fifty years old shalt thou number them; all that enter in to perform the service, to do the work in the tabernacle of the congregation.

 He is an heir to King David.

He is an heir to Abraham.

He is an heir to Adam.

He is the Godly Heir. He became the Messianic Prophet of God.

 His name is Wonderful!

 Amen

Faith Is Still the Key

 The Servant's Victory

Book of Mark Chapter 16

The Lord Jesus Christ expressed victory for every believer with the fulfillment of His resurrection!

Jesus Christ had predicted His resurrection on several occasions, but His disciples never really understood Him.

Most of this world still does not understand the reality of the resurrected Christ today!

Mat 16:21  From that time forth began Jesus to shew unto his disciples, how that he must go unto Jerusalem, and suffer many things of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be killed, and be raised again the third day. 

Mat 17:22  And while they abode in Galilee, Jesus said unto them, The Son of man shall be betrayed into the hands of men: 

Mat 17:23  And they shall kill him, and the third day he shall be raised again. And they were exceeding sorry.

Mat 20:18  Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be betrayed unto the chief priests and unto the scribes, and they shall condemn him to death, 

Mat 20:19  And shall deliver him to the Gentiles to mock, and to scourge, and to crucify him: and the third day he shall rise again. 

Mar 8:31  And he began to teach them, that the Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders, and of the chief priests, and scribes, and be killed, and after three days rise again. 

Mar 9:31  For he taught his disciples, and said unto them, The Son of man is delivered into the hands of men, and they shall kill him; and after that he is killed, he shall rise the third day. 

Mar 10:33  Saying, Behold, we go up to Jerusalem; and the Son of man shall be delivered unto the chief priests, and unto the scribes; and they shall condemn him to death, and shall deliver him to the Gentiles: 

Mar 10:34  And they shall mock him, and shall scourge him, and shall spit upon him, and shall kill him: and the third day he shall rise again. 

Luk 9:22  Saying, The Son of man must suffer many things, and be rejected of the elders and chief priests and scribes, and be slain, and be raised the third day. 

Luk 18:32  For he shall be delivered unto the Gentiles, and shall be mocked, and spitefully entreated, and spitted on: 

Luk 18:33  And they shall scourge him, and put him to death: and the third day he shall rise again. 

We also see that the Lord Jesus specified that He would rise again on the third day showing His omniscience and His obedience to the Word of God.

All the Gospels stress the "physical" resurrection of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ!

There were many witnesses to His resurrection.

Joh 20:1  The first day of the week cometh Mary Magdalene early, when it was yet dark, unto the sepulchre, and seeth the stone taken away from the sepulchre. 

Joh 20:2  Then she runneth, and cometh to Simon Peter, and to the other disciple, whom Jesus loved, and saith unto them, They have taken away the Lord out of the sepulchre, and we know not where they have laid him. 

Joh 20:3  Peter therefore went forth, and that other disciple, and came to the sepulchre. 

Joh 20:4  So they ran both together: and the other disciple did outrun Peter, and came first to the sepulchre.

Joh 20:11  But Mary stood without at the sepulchre weeping: and as she wept, she stooped down, and looked into the sepulchre, 

Joh 20:18  Mary Magdalene came and told the disciples that she had seen the Lord, and that he had spoken these things unto her. 

Mat 28:9  And as they went to tell his disciples, behold, Jesus met them, saying, All hail. And they came and held him by the feet, and worshipped him. 

Mat 28:10  Then said Jesus unto them, Be not afraid: go tell my brethren that they go into Galilee, and there shall they see me. 

Then there were the two witnesses on the road to Emmaus.

Then the ten disciples in the upper room.

Then the eleven disciples a week later.

Then the disciples who decided to go fishing.

Then eleven disciples in Galilee, where Jesus had told them He would meet them there.

Then the disciples in Jerusalem.

Let us see what Mark wrote by the Holy Spirit.

The actual words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Luk 18:2  Saying, There was in a city a judge, which feared not God, neither regarded man: 

Luk 18:3  And there was a widow in that city; and she came unto him, saying, Avenge me of mine adversary. 

Luk 18:4  And he would not for a while: but afterward he said within himself, Though I fear not God, nor regard man; 

Luk 18:5  Yet because this widow troubleth me, I will avenge her, lest by her continual coming she weary me. 

Luk 18:6  And the Lord said, Hear what the unjust judge saith. 

Luk 18:7  And shall not God avenge his own elect, which cry day and night unto him, though he bear long with them? 

Luk 18:8  I tell you that he will avenge them speedily. Nevertheless when the Son of man cometh, shall he find faith on the earth? 

Let us analyze what John wrote:

Joh 20:7  And the napkin, that was about his head, not lying with the linen clothes, but wrapped together in a place by itself. 

We know one meaning is that when Jesus placed His napkin aside as this verse states means, that He will return.

There is another meaning.

As John wrote he described this napkin as being still rolled up.

This napkin was retaining the circular shape as though the head of Jesus were still in it but lying in a place by itself. It was detached from the rest of the wrappings, but the shape of this head piece and the wrappings tell us that the body of Jesus passed through those wrappings and left them undisturbed.

The Body of Christ had certainly risen even through His death wrappings.

The Body of Christ, the true Church, those alive and the bodies of those in the grave, may truly rise very soon, as we witness the signs going on in our world today!

The atonement of the Lord Jesus Christ reached its climax when He arose from His death!

The Rapture of the Church will be the climax of the period of the Grace of God and period of the Jews will begin.

The Apostle wrote:

Rom 1:1  Paul, a servant of Jesus Christ, called to be an apostle, separated unto the gospel of God, 

Rom 1:2  (Which he had promised afore by his prophets in the holy scriptures,) 

Rom 1:3  Concerning his Son Jesus Christ our Lord, which was made of the seed of David according to the flesh; 

Rom 1:4  And declared to be the Son of God with power, according to the spirit of holiness, by the resurrection from the dead: 

Let us pick back up on our lesson with verse nine.

*****Mar 16:9  Now when Jesus was risen early the first day of the week, he appeared first to Mary Magdalene, out of whom he had cast seven devils. 

Up until this moment no human eye had seen our risen Savior.

The Lord Jesus Christ had conquered death.

The Lord Jesus Christ had conquered the grave.

The Lord Jesus Christ proved that life "by Him" had no ending!

The Lord Jesus Christ is the Giver of life!

Joh 14:6  Jesus saith unto him, I am the way, the truth, and "the life": no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.

God is not the God of the dead!

Later the Apostles taught the "Gospel" as the truth of the Word of God and it is, but they taught the resurrection of Christ as fact, because they were eyewitnesses to the resurrected Christ!

They became bold in the preaching to the Gospel because the "Good News" is a fact!

The key to the New Testament is the fact that the Apostles were eyewitnesses to the death and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ, the true Messiah!

If you look into the scrolls of the Catholic Church, the Sinaiticus and the Vaticanus you will see that these are two of the many verses that were left out so Bibles translated from those altered scrolls do not include these words of the Lord Jesus Christ.

We know that sin is sin and we sometime try to decide which one sin is greater than another as we try to hold on to our pet sins but this is not the complete truth.

The sin of lying will be treated the same as the sin of murder though there may be different degrees of suffering for some sins.

If we look at Mary Magdalene, we see a sinner just like we are all sinners.

Rom 3:23  For all have sinned, and come short of the glory of God;

Mary felt that the Lord Jesus had forgiven her so much more than others because she felt her sins had been so great.

In fact, this Mary should be an example for us all in her devotion to the Lord after she was forgiven.

It is said that Jesus had cast out seven devils from her.

What do we see of this Mary, she was not afraid to be seen as a believer!

Mary stood by cross through the whole ordeal of the crucifixion of the Lord Jesus.

Mary was even present when the Lord Jesus was taken down from that terrible cross, another witness to His death.

Mary was the one who led in the preparations for the embalming of His body over the weekend.

Mary was the first to visit the tomb after the Sabbath.

Mary refused to leave the tomb after Peter and John verified that the body of Jesus was no longer in the tomb.

Mary was a precious saint of God who was truly devoted to the Lord Jesus Christ making her a great example for us all.

The Lord Jesus took the time to comfort His devoted follower before He met anyone else.

These things make Mary Magdalene a great witness to the death and resurrection of our Savior and a loving friend of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Joh 15:13  Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends. 

To be a Christian is to know that the Lord Jesus Christ died in our place for our sins, He had no sin.

To be a Christian is to know that the Lord Jesus Christ arose from that death to live evermore and to show each believer that death has no power over us and we will live evermore with our Savior and our Redeemer.

To be Christian is to know that the Lord Jesus is forever with us in the hour of our need, meeting every need and responding to our love for Him.

To truly be a Christian is to do our best to be like the Lord Jesus Christ in all His ways and be in the will of God for our own lives.

*****Mar 16:10  And she went and told them that had been with him, as they mourned and wept.

Mar 16:11  And they, when they had heard that he was alive, and had been seen of her, believed not.  

In the fulness of believing faith, Mary hurried back to Jerusalem to inform the eleven disciples of what she had discovered at the tomb of Christ.

They were still mourning over the loss of not only their Lord but also their dear friend.

They just could not find the faith to believe what Mary was saying to them.

There is no doubt they were also mourning for every time they had let down the Lord Jesus Christ.

There was also mourning because they did not know what to do now, seeing their leader was gone.

Mary came with faith that the Lord Jesus had done what He said He would do!

We need to understand that the things that Jesus said He would do as written in the KJV, He did accomplish.

Rom 4:23  Now it was not written for his sake alone, that it was imputed to him; 

Rom 4:24  But for us also, to whom it shall be imputed, if we believe on him that raised up Jesus our Lord from the dead; 

Rom 4:25  Who was delivered for our offences, and was raised again for our justification. 

All the prophecies that led to the coming of the true Messiah are fulfilled in the Lord Jesus Christ!

The disciples of the Lord Jesus had not believed Him when He said these things would happen, so they did not believe Mary Magdalene.

It is probably more that they could not understand rather than could not believe.

They insisted that this true believer then had to be a liar even though they highly valued her.

We should realize that as Christians today, we are not the only ones who have mourned for Christ Jesus!

We are not the only messengers who have been rejected, but we are sure beyond any doubt that the Lord Jesus arose from that tomb!

In our hearts we do not care what all the doubters believe!

We need to show the faith that this Mary had and have no doubts about our Savior!

If this happen and there was a need for a courtroom, there is more evidence that Jesus arose from His death than most any other historical event, yet the world doubts the truth of God.

Most of this world will remain lost because of this doubt.

Remember:Mat_7:14  Because strait is the gate, and narrow is the way, which leadeth unto life, and few there be that find it.

Once these disciples knew the truth then they would die before they would renounce their faith in the truth of the Gospel.

This says a lot about the truth of the resurrection of Jesus Christ.

They were slow to believe, but once they knew the truth, they could not be unconvinced and neither should we!

We have to stand on the truth of the Gospel simply because we know it is the truth!

If we want to mourn and weep let us mourn and weep for those who reject the truth of the Lord Jesus Christ.

Paul wrote:

1Co 15:1  Moreover, brethren, I declare unto you the gospel which I preached unto you, which also ye have received, and wherein ye stand; 

1Co 15:2  By which also ye are saved, if ye keep in memory what I preached unto you, unless ye have believed in vain. 

1Co 15:3  For I delivered unto you first of all that which I also received, how that Christ died for our sins according to the scriptures; 

1Co 15:4  And that he was buried, and that he rose again the third day according to the scriptures: 

1Co 15:5  And that he was seen of Cephas, then of the twelve: 

1Co 15:6  After that, he was seen of above five hundred brethren at once; of whom the greater part remain unto this present, but some are fallen asleep. 

1Co 15:7  After that, he was seen of James; then of all the apostles. 

1Co 15:8  And last of all he was seen of me also, as of one born out of due time. 

Paul could write these things because he knew they were the truth!

The Lord Jesus knew all these things would happen so; He began to show Himself to them.

*****Mar 16:12  After that he appeared in another form unto two of them, as they walked, and went into the country.

Mar 16:13  And they went and told it unto the residue: neither believed they them.  

We should understand that one of the proofs of the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ is the immediate unbelief of His disciples.

They had to be convinced of the truth of the resurrection.

Once they realized this truth, they never doubted the Lord Jesus ever again.

All but John died because they could not be convinced otherwise.

They could have rejected the truth of the Messiah and lived!

There was a distinct change in the appearance of our Savior after His resurrection!

He was the same and yet not the same.

They knew the voice of the Lord Jesus this had not changed.

The Lord Jesus bore the marks of His crucifixion on His hands, His feet, and His chest.

He ate with His disciples, He had conversations with them, and He blessed them and yet He was not the same.

The body of our Messiah was no longer subject to the laws of space and time!

He came and went as He so chose!

One moment He was with them and another moment He would vanish out of their site.

This is what happened on the road to Emmaus. (Book of Luke 24:13-35)

Christ Jesus made Himself known to a select group of people.

We can understand these words of the Apostle Paul if we let this sink in.

2Co 5:10  For we must all appear before the judgment seat of Christ; "that every one may receive the things done in his body", according to that he hath done, whether it be good or bad. 

Paul was referring to the glorified body of our Lord Jesus.

Paul wrote to the Colossians that we would all appear with Jesus and be like Jesus when the Lord Jesus returns to claim this world.

Col 3:3  For ye are dead, and your life is hid with Christ in God. 

Col 3:4  When Christ, who is our life, shall appear, "then shall ye also appear with him in glory". 

Again Paul was talking about this glorified body that the Lord Jesus showed to the Apostles after His resurrection, the same body He went back to Heaven with.

**The Lord Jesus had come to this earth as Spirit and took on the form of a new baby to make a point that we all must be "born again" in His Spirit.

**The Lord Jesus grew to adulthood to reach the age when He would begin His ministry.

We are to grow in the grace and knowledge of our Savior so we can become a servant of the Lord and be in His will, which is our ministry.

**The Lord died to show us that death had no power over Him and He rose again to prove it was true.

Once we are faithful believers, we know that death has no power over us ever again.

**The Lord Jesus raised Himself in a glorified body to show us that at the moment of our death, there will be no death, but we will begin a new everlasting life and it will be in a glorified body just like that of the Lord.

The difference is, He will show His battle scars and we will be brand new!

Though He was glorified, He was still the man Christ Jesus with all His individual characteristics.

This is the body He returned to Heaven in so we can all be alike body wise in Heaven but we all will still be different.

We should never listen to anyone who tries to get rid of the form of Christ or substitute some vague image of Him as the truth.

The Apostles were not confused and they were eyewitnesses!

The "Body of Christ", the Church will one day soon resemble Jesus Christ's resurrection body when we return with Him.

Joh 3:34  For he whom God hath sent speaketh the words of God: for God giveth not the Spirit by measure unto him. 

Joh 3:35  The Father loveth the Son, and hath given all things into his hand. 

Joh 3:36  He that believeth on the Son hath everlasting life: and he that believeth not the Son shall not see life; but the wrath of God abideth on him. 

The Lord Jesus continued to show Himself to His disciples. 

*****Mar 16:14  Afterward he appeared unto the eleven as they sat at meat, and upbraided them with their unbelief and hardness of heart, because they believed not them which had seen him after he was risen. is victory over death.

There are two major hindrances to being a true witness for Jesus Christ.

1) Unbelief.

2) The hardness of the heart.

The Lord Jesus Christ scolded these disciples for both of these things.

They had not believed the words He had taught them!

They had witnessed the power of God for about three years and there was no excuse for their unbelief.

They had seen His power over nature and disease.

They had witnessed His power over death when He raised up the daughter of Jairus and Lazarus and others.

They had witnessed the sinless life of Jesus, His purity, and His holiness. The Lord Jesus Christ was without sin therefore death had no power over Him!

They had been taught time after time that He was to die and be raised again.

They had rejected the testimony of His resurrection!

Their hardness of heart to not even believe other disciples was a very serious problem that they had to overcome!

We are all to be disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ to spread the truth of our Holy God!

These things had to be dealt with!

The cause of unbelief and the hardness of the heart is the misinterpretation of Scripture and the misinterpretation of words of Jesus Christ which today we see them in red letters if we want to.

All the Scriptures are the Word of God!

2Ti_3:16  All scripture is given by inspiration of God, and is profitable for doctrine, for reproof, for correction, for instruction in righteousness:

They refused to see Christ as the suffering Savior and could think only of Him as the conquering King and He will be this too when it is time!

They refused to see the Kingdom of God as a Spiritual Kingdom, thinking only of a physical kingdom, which takes place as the Millennial Kingdom of Christ, which is a temporary thing, at least for only one thousand years.

They simply did not understand the death, the burial, and the resurrection of the Lord Jesus Christ!

Until these things were understood completely, they could not be given the "Great Commission".

*****Mar 16:15  And he said unto them, Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature. 

All the Word of God is to be treated as the commandments of God and the "Great Commission" is as straight-forward as can be said.

The Lord used very few words but this command cannot be misunderstood.

The Lord was teaching this thing to His disciples.

If you are a follower of the Lord Jesus Christ then you are also a disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ!

That word preach is used here and it means to declare the truth of God!

It means for us to declare the truth of God, especially the Gospel of Jesus Christ.

The "Gospel", meaning the "Good News" of the work the Lord Jesus Christ has done for our salvation.

The Lord Jesus has done all the work and we are to believe and proclaim what He has done for us, including all the world.

Though most of the world will ignore the Gospel, the world still needs to hear what the Lord has to say, because He is the Lord of Life!

That word preach, does not mean that only those who are called to preach are to share this message, but every child of God is to share the "Gospel" message.

We are not to preach our own thoughts about the Gospel.

We are not to preach our own ideas about the "Gospel".

We are not to preach humanistic or man-centered beliefs about the 'Gospel".

We are not to preach what world religions think about the "Gospel",

We are not to preach what philosophers think about the "Gospel".

We are to preach the "Gospel", just as it is revealed to us by the Lord Jesus Christ and the Word of God!

This is the Divine work that has been assigned to us.

No Christian is exempt from this duty.

None of us are excluded from the privilege and honor of taking part in this work given to us by our Savior!

The "Gospel" must be heard and it will do its own work!

The "Gospel" must be carried out into all the world.

The Great Commission was given to all the Church, to every believer!

Notice that the Lord Jesus does not give us a list of reasons why we cannot do this command.

In other words there are no excuses for anyone!

It is a permanent commission given to every believer, in every generation to do, until the Lord takes us home or He returns to take us all home on the day of the Rapture.

What is the truth to those after they have heard the Gospel?

*****Mar 16:16  He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.

What the world has a tough time believing is the fact that we are all doomed from the day of our birth.

We may look down at an innocent baby and say how can this child be a sinner, but it does not take many days until we see the truth as that child begins to lie.

We see that baptism is mentioned in this passage and we know that baptism is not part of our salvation in the sense that it is necessary.

What we must understand is, that being baptized is being obedient to the Word of God!

In the sense of that obedience, it is then necessary as becomes part of our beliefs.

We believe in the work of the Lord Jesus Christ that He has done for our salvation, the "Gospel" and we believe in the truth of all the Word of God and in this context the Lord Jesus says we must be Baptized.

To be baptized is a sign of our belief!

Baptism is an act of obedience to God's demand just as belief is an act of obedience to God's demand.

We should also know that believing also includes, repentance, while obeying the "Gospel".

To be saved we must believe the "Gospel" of Jesus Christ!

If we then believe, then God demands that we be baptized!

It could be said that how can a person be saved if that person immediately rebels against being baptized?

If we are saved, then God expects obedience to all the Word of God!

This is where the so-called progressives are failing today!

If that obedience does not exist, then that salvation does not exist!

Jas 2:17  Even so faith, if it hath not works, is dead, being alone. 

Jas 2:18  Yea, a man may say, Thou hast faith, and I have works: shew me thy faith without thy works, and I will shew thee my faith by my works. 

Jas 2:19  Thou believest that there is one God; thou doest well: the devils also believe, and tremble. 

Jas 2:20  But wilt thou know, O vain man, that faith without works is dead?

Every saved soul who believes in the Lord will not have a problem in obeying all the Word of God!

Heb 5:8  Though he were a Son, yet learned he obedience by the things which he suffered; 

Heb 5:9  And being made perfect, he became the author of eternal salvation unto all them that obey him; 

Obedience is then tied to our salvation!

Heb 11:6  But without faith it is impossible to please him: for he that cometh to God must believe that he is, and that he is a rewarder of them that diligently seek him.

It is by faith alone that we are saved but after that salvation then there are some works to do and baptism is that first works as is making a public confession of our sin.

We are all sinners saved by the "Grace" of God.

None of these things mean we can never fail; we will certainly fail in our service to the Lord!

We will fail, but we will not continue in sin.

We will get up out of our sin, ask God for forgiveness, and follow the Lord even more diligently.

Is it possible to be saved without following the Lord Jesus Christ which is the meaning of being a Christian?

Those who are lost are those who do not believe the Gospel!

Joh_3:16  For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

We should ask ourselves just what does this belief "in Him" really mean?

Not being baptized is not a reason that is mentioned for a reason for salvation.

What we need to understand is, that believing is making a commitment to the things that God says, the infallible Word of God.

A person is not saved if they do not believe, which is a rejection of what God says!

To believe is a Spiritual event!

To be baptized is a physical event!

The Lord Jesus then is saying in verse sixteen, that when a person is saved and filled with the Holy Spirit they will not fail to be baptized unless they are physically unable to do so.

The moment of salvation is not at the time of salvation, but is at the time of believing!

A true believer will then be baptized and be obedient to all the Word of God!

This thing is not that confusing and each believer must work through these things with the help of the Holy Spirit.

Php_2:12  Wherefore, my beloved, as ye have always obeyed, not as in my presence only, but now much more in my absence, work out your own salvation with fear and trembling.

It is our Savior who started His work of salvation in us, but we are to carry it to the end with the help of the Holy Spirit and following the Word of God being obedient to it!

*****Mar 16:17  And these signs shall follow them that believe; In my name shall they cast out devils; they shall speak with new tongues; 

Mar 16:18  They shall take up serpents; and if they drink any deadly thing, it shall not hurt them; they shall lay hands on the sick, and they shall recover. 

To all those who are saved and have not grieved the Holy Spirit by ignoring the Word of God, then they will be able to work through the power of the Holy Spirit!

The pure fact of witnessing for the Lord Jesus Christ is the fact that it cannot be done under our own power, but only with the power of the Holy Spirit!

Our world has always been a dangerous place and it is even more so today.

Dangers come not only from the enemies of the Church but also natural calamities.

And we must not forget what the Word of God says.

Eph_6:12  For we wrestle not against flesh and blood, but against principalities, against powers, against the rulers of the darkness of this world, against spiritual wickedness in high places.

It is these things that are the most dangerous and it is also these things that we hear every day that are Israel's enemy!

Now we must not get confused.

There will be some who become martyrs.

There will be some who will suffer major persecution, but God will not allow all His children to die, except in the fashion of the Rapture.

Things will not always be smooth for believers even here in America!

The point God is making is that as God's people carry out the "Great Commission", God will make some of His power known to this world.

Many of these things mentioned here were necessary when the Church had its beginning but the Lord did not mean they are all needed today.

Some are to plant seeds.

Some are to water and nourish those seeds.

Some will receive the seed and believe immediately.

Some will reject the seed and never receive the truth of God.

We know that even in the time of Paul the speaking of tongues, which have always been about known languages and not some gibberish trying to imitate this power that was given to the first Apostles and a few others in the beginning of the early Church.

1Co 14:21  In the law it is written, With men of other tongues and other lips will I speak unto this people; and yet for all that will they not hear me, saith the Lord. 

1Co 14:22  Wherefore tongues are for a sign, not to them that believe, "but to them that believe not": but prophesying serveth not for them that believe not, but for them which believe. 

We now that Paul also seemed to have power over serpents at one time.

Act 28:3  And when Paul had gathered a bundle of sticks, and laid them on the fire, there came a viper out of the heat, and fastened on his hand. 

Act 28:4  And when the barbarians saw the venomous beast hang on his hand, they said among themselves, No doubt this man is a murderer, whom, though he hath escaped the sea, yet vengeance suffereth not to live. 

Act 28:5  And he shook off the beast into the fire, and felt no harm. 

No evangelist has this power over serpents today.

Snake handlers are not preachers of the truth!

We can also be sure if we test God and drink any substance that could kill us then it probably will.

Today we have the complete text of the Bible and it is the Bible, the Word of God that has the power needed to reach the dark soul of each sinner!

Faith is still the key to salvation that still comes by the Grace of God!

Faith is a distinct relation between the lost soul and the believing soul! 

The triumph of the believing soul is that it can now live through the power of the Lord Jesus Christ!

There is safety in "faith" in Jesus Christ and it is eternal!

Psa 91:14  Because he hath set his love upon me, therefore will I deliver him: I will set him on high, because he hath known my name. 

Psa 91:15  He shall call upon me, and I will answer him: I will be with him in trouble; I will deliver him, and honour him. 

Psa 91:16  With long life will I satisfy him, and shew him my salvation. 

There is safety in the Church if we remain in the Church.

Heb_10:25  Not forsaking the assembling of ourselves together, as the manner of some is; but exhorting one another: and so much the more, as ye see the day approaching.

Amen

God Became A Servant To His Creation

 The Servant's Arrival

Book of Mark Chapter 1

If we are familiar with the New Testament, we know this disciple Mark, is called John Mark in many places.

Mark was not one of the twelve disciples who became the Apostles.

John was his Hebrew name and Mark was his Roman name.

Mark was led to the Lord by the Apostle Peter and is said to have spent a lot of time with Peter and this is where he learned most of his doctrine and where he learned about the Lord because of Peter's close relationship with the Lord.

We can see the struggles of the Apostle Peter in the New Testament but we can also see that when Peter finally understood the Lord Jesus Christ, Peter became steadfast and dependable and a true Saint of God.

The Apostle reminds us our own struggles in the life of becoming a Christian.

We know that Mark also spent some time with the Apostle Paul and Barnabas and was kin to Barnabas.

The Book of Mark was written before the destruction of the Jewish Temple as we can tell because of what was written.

It may have been written around 50 AD.

Some say it was written to the Roman world which means it was written to the Gentile world.

The purpose of the Book of Mark is to show that Jesus is unquestionably the Son of God!

Mar 1:1  The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God; 

Mar 1:2  As it is written in the prophets, Behold, I send my messenger before thy face, which shall prepare thy way before thee. 

In the Book of Mark, our Lord Jesus is declared to be the Son of God at His baptism.

In the Book of Mark, our Lord Jesus is declared to be the Son of God at His transfiguration both times by the Heavenly voice of His father.

Our lessons in this quarter will teach us of the Lord Jesus Christ as God's Heavenly Servant come to this earth to save all those who believe the truth of the Messiah.

Mark wrote that even the demons said that Jesus was the Son of God.

Mark wrote that even at the end of the life of Jesus, even a Roman Centurion said that Our Lord Jesus was the Son of God.

Mark wrote that Jesus Himself said that He was the Son of God!

I do not know about you, but I believe the Lord Jesus Christ is the Son of God, a third part of the Holy Trinity!

Still one God, but in three persons.

These lessons from the Book of Mark are intended to help our learning more about our Savior who came as a Servant.

The Bible begins by teaching us that God created us in His image and this was true until sin entered into the world.

The Lord Jesus spent His life teaching us, that He will remove the curse of sin and we can once again be created in the image of God our Savior!

The Lord Jesus is our example in all things and Mark begins with the baptism of the Messiah!

There is no salvation that comes from baptism, but it seems that baptism is still essential if we are to walk in the ways of our Lord Jesus Christ!

The Apostle Peter wrote:

Act 2:38  Then Peter said unto them, Repent, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. 

Act 2:39  For the promise is unto you, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call. 

The Apostle Paul:

Rom 6:3  Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? 

Rom 6:4  Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life. 

Rom 6:5  For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection: 

Rom 6:6  Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed, that henceforth we should not serve sin.

Again, we are not saved by baptism, but it is included in our walk with the Lord Jesus.

If we pay attention, we will see that our baptism should be a full immersion if we are to be like Christ.

Buried and then raised to a new life.

In the baptism of our Lord Jesus we get a picture of what happens when we decide to totally submit to the Lord.

Joh 13:17  If ye know these things, happy are ye if ye do them. 

*****Mar 1:9  And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized of John in Jordan. 

Nazareth was a small town where Joseph and Mary came to raise Jesus.

The word Nazareth means separated.

Joseph and Mary wanted a place where the Lord Jesus would be safe, as Herod had already tried to murder the Lord.

The Lord Jesus had grown up in peaceful seclusion, but in this time nearly thirty years, He had grown in favor with God and man.

Luk 2:52  And Jesus increased in wisdom and stature, and in favour with God and man.

The town of Nazareth was not mentioned in the Old Testament.

Our Lord Jesus left the city of Nazareth to be baptized and then He began His ministry of salvation.

The Lord Jesus was immediately recognized by His forerunner John the Baptist.

Mat 3:13  Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. 

This is the first place that our Heavenly Father made the world to know that the Lord Jesus was His Son.

Luk 3:21  Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, 

Luk 3:22  And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

The Lord Jesus left all behind to begin the ministry He had come from Heaven to perform.

He left a cheerful home.

He left a close nit family.

He left behind a good profession; He was a carpenter.

He left his childhood friends.

Many a missionary will do these same things.

Many servants of God have to do these same things.

Many believers have to do these same things today.

He began His ministry to save this wicked world.

He had only thirty-six months to complete His mission.

1Pe 2:21  For even hereunto were ye called: because Christ also suffered for us, leaving us an example, that ye should follow his steps: 

1Pe 2:22  Who did no sin, neither was guile found in his mouth: 

1Pe 2:23  Who, when he was reviled, reviled not again; when he suffered, he threatened not; but committed himself to him that judgeth righteously: 

1Pe 2:24  Who his own self bare our sins in his own body on the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed.

We should understand that the decision we make to follow the Lord Jesus, is an important decision probably the greatest decision we will make all our lifetime.

It involves surrendering our all and sacrificing ourselves completely to the Lord, but a decision not to follow the Lord will lead to a tragic life that is wasted on sin.

Mark describes to us what happened on the day of His baptism.

*****Mar 1:10  And straightway coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opened, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon him: 

Mar 1:11  And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

We can only imagine what it means to say that the heavens opened up.

The Lord Jesus was being commissioned and set apart by Heaven itself.

The Spirit of God came down from Heaven in the actions of a dove not looking like a dove.

Watch how a dove lands as it ends its flight to see this.

It is different from all other birds.

This event identified the Lord Jesus as the promised Messiah.

This event declared that the Holy Spirit of our Heavenly Father brought His power down from Heaven to do the work God had promised written in the Scriptures.

Notice the Holy Spirit descended upon our Lord not inside of Him.

**We should know that when we are called to the work of God and we accept that calling, we are also empowered by our Heavenly Father to do the work given to us by God Himself.

The only difference being that the Holy Spirit will move into us and abide in us forever, if we show faith in the work that the Lord Jesus has done to save us.

Before the Lord Jesus we had an evil spirit. After accepting the Lord Jesus Christ, that evil spirit is replaced with the Holy Spirit.

The Holy Spirit will not share His existence with an evil spirit inside us!

First, we must decide to submit to the Lord Jesus Christ and the work He has done for our salvation. This is where our faith becomes so important. We must be willing to surrender all we have, even our own life.

Mar_8:34  And when he had called the people unto him with his disciples also, he said unto them, Whosoever will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me.

**Second, as we begin that work, He has given to us, we must identify with the Lord Jesus Christ.

Luk 10:16  He that heareth you heareth me; and he that despiseth you despiseth me; and he that despiseth me despiseth him that sent me. 

Most of us lack the commitment to serve the Lord! 

We just do not identify ourselves with the Lord and the world never sees us as a follower of Christ Jesus.

That word "opened" means that God ripped the heavens apart to give His Son this message.

The baptism of Jesus involved God's approval and also God's encouragement!

Remember the Lord Jesus was one hundred percent God, but He was also one hundred percent human.

The Lord Jesus Christ had to pay an enormous price to serve His Heavenly Father!

As a human He needed the perfect assurance of God just as we do.

Psa 2:7  I will declare the decree: the LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee.

Isa 42:5  Thus saith God the LORD, he that created the heavens, and stretched them out; he that spread forth the earth, and that which cometh out of it; he that giveth breath unto the people upon it, and spirit to them that walk therein: 

Isa 42:6  I the LORD have called thee in righteousness, and will hold thine hand, and will keep thee, and give thee for a covenant of the people, for a light of the Gentiles;

Again this is where our faith comes in.

God will see to it that we know His will for us, but we can also have the assurance that we are in His will for us!

God will speak to our hearts and give us signs of His approval.

Once the Holy Spirit was upon the Lord Jesus, He drove Him straight into the wilderness.

He had to be tested. We should understand that without a test we will never have a testimony!

*****Mar 1:12  And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. 

Mar 1:13  And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him. 

Without a doubt, we are going to face temptation all the days of our lives!

We must have a good understanding of just what temptation is!

We should study this time of temptation of our Lord Jesus to learn all we can.

Why had the Lord Jesus been sent to earth?

1Jn 3:8  He that committeth sin is of the devil; for the devil sinneth from the beginning. For this purpose the Son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil. 

1Jn 3:9  Whosoever is born of God doth not commit sin; for his seed remaineth in him: and he cannot sin, because he is born of God. 

Because the Lord Jesus had come to destroy the works of the Devil then, the first thing that Jesus did was to enter into the conflict with the Devil.

This means we are wrong if we do not inform Satan that we are the "born again" children of God!

We cannot be ashamed of the Gospel of Jesus Christ!

We do not have to challenge Satan, but we do have to stand our ground against him!

Satan is our true enemy, but we should have no fear of him!

We see that the Lord Jesus allows Satan to tempt Him for forty days and nights.

The Devil could not have victory over the Lord Jesus and therefore he left, but he had plans to continue to tempt the Lord Jesus all the days He remained upon this earth.

Luk 4:13  And when the devil had ended all the temptation, he departed from him for a season. 

We should understand that the temptations we go through are steppingstones and not stumbling stones.

They are simply opportunities for the Holy Spirit to make us stronger and earn rewards.

When we are stronger, we are more able to do the things that God requires of us.

When we face temptation, we need to sit down with God and seek His power to overcome that temptation.

Remember, the battle with Satan is the Lord's battle, we must not allow ourselves to be drawn into the middle of it!

Satan will do everything he can to arouse our flesh to sin, and we must use the strength of the Holy Spirit block him.

John the Baptist had completed his job as forerunner and it was time for him get out of the way, so the Lord Jesus could begin His own ministry which was far more important.

John had told his own disciples it was time he got out of the way of the Lord Jesus the Messiah.

Joh 3:28  Ye yourselves bear me witness, that I said, I am not the Christ, but that I am sent before him. 

Joh 3:29  He that hath the bride is the bridegroom: but the friend of the bridegroom, which standeth and heareth him, rejoiceth greatly because of the bridegroom's voice: this my joy therefore is fulfilled. 

Joh 3:30  He must increase, but I must decrease. 

It may not seem fare for John to be put in prison, but we must cling to our faith that God always does the right thing.

It was not God who caused the arrest of John the Baptist, but He did allow it to take place.

*****Mar 1:14  Now after that John was put in prison, Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, 

Mar 1:15  And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand: repent ye, and believe the gospel. 

In the process of time, at least a complete year had passed between verse 13 and verse 14.

John the Apostle gives us most of the information that Mark leaves out during this period of time.

The Lord Jesus had selected His disciples during this time.

The Lord Jesus had moved His headquarters to Capernaum during this time period.

The Lord Jesus had gone to Jerusalem to observe the Passover Feast.

The Lord had met Nicodemus.

The ministry of the Lord Jesus was moving along at a fast pace for the kingdom of God was truly at hand!

Our own ministries to our friends and family need to move on at a faster pace today, because the kingdom of God is surely at hand today and the return of the Lord.

God saves us for two purposes:

1) To obey Him and He gives us the Bible to know what to obey.

2) To lead others to obey Him and this means people of all nations and all cultures.

God's goal is for all mankind to become His family.

This means those who freely choose to join the family of God!

God calls us children to put us in the right frame of mind so we can learn to obey just as we instill this in our own children.

The Gospel declares that time is fulfilled.

All the things of the Old Testament had brought the people to the time of the Church.

Gal 4:3  Even so we, when we were children, were in bondage under the elements of the world: 

Jesus the Messiah came to bring salvation to all mankind.

Gal 4:4  But when the fulness of the time was come, God sent forth his Son, made of a woman, made under the law, 

Gal 4:5  To redeem them that were under the law, that we might receive the adoption of sons. 

Gal 4:6  And because ye are sons, God hath sent forth the Spirit of his Son into your hearts, crying, Abba, Father. 

The law had been in place and had done its educational work.

Rom 3:20  Therefore by the deeds of the law there shall no flesh be justified in his sight: for by the law is the knowledge of sin. 

Gal_3:24  Wherefore the law was our schoolmaster to bring us unto Christ, that we might be justified by faith.

Gal_3:25  But after that faith is come, we are no longer under a schoolmaster.

It was now time for "faith" to take the center stage of our salvation.

Repentance came to the forefront.

Just to repent is not enough!

Payment must be made for the laws that were broken.

This is why we must believe and place our faith in the Gospel of the Lord Jesus Christ.

The Lord Jesus lived a sinless life as our example of what it takes to please God.

We have to become sin free to please God.

This is where the Gospel and Grace comes in.

Rom 3:25  Whom God hath set forth to be a propitiation through faith in his blood, to declare his righteousness for the remission of sins that are past, through the forbearance of God; 

Rom 3:26  To declare, I say, at this time his righteousness: that he might be just, and the justifier of him which believeth in Jesus. 

The world was an open door for the spread of the Gospel.

Elijah had come in the person of John the Baptist.

John had moved out of the way so the Gospel could be preached around the world, beginning with the Lord Jesus to the Jews and then the Gentiles and the Apostles to the uttermost parts of the world, which remains our job today.

The Church is now in its last days and the return of Jesus Christ is very near.

And the Lord Jesus shows us how we are to minister.

*****Mar 1:21  And they went into Capernaum; and straightway on the sabbath day he entered into the synagogue, and taught. 

We see that the Lord Jesus began His ministry with worship, immediately.

That word “straightway” means immediately.

The Jews worshipped on the Sabbath (Saturday) and Jesus chose the synagogue at Capernaum.

To the Jew, the synagogue was the most important institution and it was the center of their worship.

Most of them only went to the Temple three times a year, but to the synagogue they went every Saturday.

The synagogue was also the place of learning and education.

It is like Sunday School of today, where the Scriptures are to be studied by all ages.

The Lord Jesus seized on this opportunity to teach in this synagogue.

See, Jesus was the only One who knew how much time He had left and we know He had only about three years before that cross.

Joh 9:4  I must work the works of him that sent me, while it is day: the night cometh, when no man can work. 

Joh 9:5  As long as I am in the world, I am the light of the world. 

We are in those dark days now awaiting the return of the Lord Jesus.

In fact, our nation is becoming darker and we might not have much longer to freely teach the Bible.

What do we do?

We lose time and just allow it to pass by.

We ignore time and just let it pass.

We neglect time with a non-caring attitude.

We abuse time, and do the opposite of what we should be doing.

This sounds harsh, but we have very little time to reach our children and grandchildren and even friends that we know who are lost.

I’m just as guilty as anyone else.

The Lord Jesus seized upon the little time He had left and this is the story behind the Gospels.

The Lord Jesus did not waste time!

None of the average people had a copy of the Scriptures, but there was one in the Synagogue.

In fact, services and discussions were conducted daily in most synagogues.

Even when the Jews were scattered around the world, no matter how small a group of them were, they would build them a synagogue.

In some cities there were more than one synagogue.

It is said that there were more than one hundred synagogues in Jerusalem even in the time of Jesus.

A service in a synagogue would have prayers, Scripture reading, and then discussion.

Distinguished persons, local or strangers, were invited to take part in the service and we see that our Lord Jesus joined in and began to read from the Scriptures.

The Apostle Paul used this same strategy.

*****Mar 1:22  And they were astonished at his doctrine: for he taught them as one that had authority, and not as the scribes. 

These Jews were aroused by the teaching of Jesus Christ because He preached the truth, with authority.

The Scribes taught using tradition of the elders, the oral law with enough Scripture as the source of their authority.

Their teaching was second handed, because they only repeated what the Rabbis taught.

The scribes use the words "it has been said".

Jesus taught with personal authority because He is the Author!

The Lord Jesus used the phrase, "I say unto you".

What is the best time to teach people? When they gather on their day of worship. 

The sabbath for the Jews.

What is the best method of teaching on the day of worship? Preaching.

1Pe 1:12  Unto whom it was revealed, that not unto themselves, but unto us they did minister the things, which are now reported unto you by them that have preached the gospel unto you with the Holy Ghost sent down from heaven; which things the angels desire to look into. 

1Co 2:4  And my speech and my preaching was not with enticing words of man's wisdom, but in demonstration of the Spirit and of power: 

1Co 2:5  That your faith should not stand in the wisdom of men, but in the power of God. 

1Th 1:5  For our gospel came not unto you in word only, but also in power, and in the Holy Ghost, and in much assurance; as ye know what manner of men we were among you for your sake. 

1Co 1:17  For Christ sent me not to baptize, but to preach the gospel: not with wisdom of words, lest the cross of Christ should be made of none effect. 

1Co 1:18  For the preaching of the cross is to them that perish foolishness; but unto us which are saved it is the power of God. 

1Co 1:23  But we preach Christ crucified, unto the Jews a stumblingblock, and unto the Greeks foolishness; 

1Co 1:24  But unto them which are called, both Jews and Greeks, Christ the power of God, and the wisdom of God.

The Lord Jesus was certain and He was positive.

The Lord Jesus stressed our need for the truth in this world full of Satan's lies.

The Lord Jesus preached on matters of the heart and life. The world only teaches thoughts and rationalism.

The Lord Jesus preached life and life eternal, while all others preached religion, philosophy.

The Lord Jesus practiced and lived what He preached, while others twist and interprets the laws of God to their own liking and live by their own thoughts.

2Jn 1:9  Whosoever transgresseth, and abideth not in the doctrine of Christ, hath not God. He that abideth in the doctrine of Christ, he hath both the Father and the Son. 

2Jn 1:10  If there come any unto you, and bring not this doctrine, receive him not into your house, neither bid him God speed: 

2Jn 1:11  For he that biddeth him God speed is partaker of his evil deeds. 

The Lord preached to make everyone part of His family and all others preached division of family and groups as it is today.

Amen