The Anointed Son

Jesus is the anointed Son of God whose life and ministry are filled with the empowering presence of the Holy Spirit.

The activity of the Spirit dominates the life, words, and deeds of Christ. He is “Jesus, the one called Christ,” the long-awaited Messiah of Israel. The angel informed Joseph that Mary carried a child “conceived of the Holy Spirit,” indicating that something more than just a miraculous birth was about to unfold.

The Unexpected Messiah

It was only when he died that the Roman centurion in charge of the execution recognized that Jesus was the Son of God.

Everyone in the Gospel of Mark is incapable of recognizing who Jesus is, except for John the Baptist, Peter (momentarily), and the Roman centurion at his execution, and Peter’s moment of insight proved fleeting. Even the Baptist began to question the identity of Christ when he was imprisoned by Herod Antipas.

Opposition Begins

Jesus began to proclaim the Kingdom of God in Galilee following the arrest of John the Baptist, an incident that foreshadowed the opposition he would face throughout his ministry. Resistance to him would culminate in his arrest, trial, and execution in Jerusalem. His message brought fulfillment but also adversity. Unlike the prophets of old, his work did NOT begin or center in Jerusalem, though it certainly ended there.

Rend the Heavens!

The Spirit of God and the voice from heaven confirmed the calling and identity of Jesus - Son, Messiah, and Servant – Mark 1:9-11.

Jesus first appears in the Gospel of Mark when John baptizes him in the Jordan River. The narrative identifies him with his hometown, Nazareth, a village of no consequence. Jesus is the Son and the Servant of the Lord, and the Messiah who does not conform to popular expectations.

In Spirit and Fire

John baptized men and women in water, but the Messiah of Israel will baptize in the Holy Spirit and Fire - Matthew 3:11-12.

The Gospel of Mark begins by applying key prophecies to the ministry of John the Baptist. He is the forerunner who prepares the hearts and minds of Israel for the Messiah, and John does so by calling the Jewish nation to repent and baptizing the people “for the remission of sins” - (Isaiah 40:3-5, Mark 1:1-3).

The Forerunner

John the Baptist prepared the way for the Messiah, the herald of the Kingdom of God and the one who baptizes in the Spirit – Mark 1:4-8.

John the Baptist prepared the way for Jesus of Nazareth, the Messiah of Israel, in fulfillment of the Scriptures. He was the Voice in the Wilderness, and the Elijah who was to come and restore all things before the Day of the Lord - (Malachi 4:5, Matthew 11:14).

The Gospel Begins

Redemption and God's Kingdom arrived in the life and ministry of Jesus Christ, starting with his baptism by John – Mark 1:1-3.

The Gospel of Mark opens with a declaration that combines passages from the Old Testament to provide the scriptural basis for the ministry of John the Baptist, and to set the stage for Christ’s mission. Mark begins with a note of fulfillment.