Mark 1 Part 3 – John’s Baptism, The Pharisees, and The Baptism of Jesus
Messages & Announcements:
Charlie Kirk — we are praying for his wife and children. Charlie was asked what he wanted to be remembered for, and he said: his faith in God!
Staff, Sunday, 21 September 2025 — please attend to welcome our school staff to a new school year. Let’s welcome them warmly.
On 28 September, we will have a special service where we will go over all that the Lord has done in our prayer and spiritual lives during the last 40-day period.
Women’s Bible Study — Wednesday, 9:30 AM at Mary’s house. See Kathleen for more information.
Wednesday night Bible Study will not be held this week.
Youth group — Wednesday at 6:30 PM for Junior High & High School students.
Prayer:
Martin, Danny, and Elizabeth
Charlie Kirk’s family
Study: Mark 1:5–11
Last Sunday, we covered Mark 1:1–8, focusing on how Mark immediately declares Jesus’ deity and authority as the Son of God. We also examined John’s baptism compared to baptism in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Today, we begin in verses 5–8.
[Mark 1:5 NKJV] Then all the land of Judea, and those from Jerusalem, went out to him and were all baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins.
The entire region was stirred — all of Judea and Jerusalem came to be baptized, confessing their sins. They were seeking God and salvation after being weighed down by a religious system of legalism, 613 laws, and traditions of men. The Jewish people were longing for the hope of the Kingdom of God. The Pharisees and scribes came to investigate whether John was the prophet Elijah or the Messiah foretold in Scripture.
[Matthew 23:12–15 NKJV] “And whoever exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted. But woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, hypocrites! For you shut up the kingdom of heaven against men; for you neither go in yourselves, nor do you allow those who are entering to go in…”
Jesus rebuked their hypocrisy — they had turned faith into a burden rather than a blessing. This is a warning to the church today, which must continue to preach the Word of God faithfully.
Prophetic Timing and the Pharisees’ Investigation
[Daniel 9:24–27 NKJV] “Seventy weeks are determined for your people and for your holy city… until Messiah the Prince…”
Daniel’s prophecy predicted the exact timing of Messiah’s appearance — 69 weeks of years, equaling 173,880 days — fulfilled when Jesus entered Jerusalem as King (Zechariah 9:9). No wonder the religious leaders were investigating John’s ministry. John called them to repentance and warned them of judgment:
[Matthew 3:7–12 NKJV] “Brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance…”
John’s clothing of camel’s hair and diet of locusts separated him from the religious elite. He came not to uphold the old religious system but to prepare hearts for the New Covenant.
[Luke 7:25–26 NKJV] “But what did you go out to see? A man clothed in soft garments? … A prophet? Yes, I say to you, and more than a prophet.”
John’s Identity and Mission
[John 1:19–23 NKJV] “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: Make straight the way of the LORD,’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”
John’s baptism was one of repentance, but he pointed ahead to Jesus, who would baptize with the Holy Spirit:
[Mark 1:7–8 NKJV] “There comes One after me who is mightier than I… He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
The Baptism of Jesus
[Mark 1:9–11 NKJV] “It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately… He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. Then a voice came from heaven, ‘You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”
This moment reveals the Trinity — the Son baptized, the Spirit descending, and the Father declaring His pleasure. Heaven was “torn open,” a sign that God was initiating something new. The tearing foreshadowed the temple veil being torn after Jesus’ death, granting believers direct access to God.
[Psalm 2:7 NKJV] “You are My Son, Today I have begotten You.”
[Matthew 17:5 NKJV] “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. Hear Him!”
This is the message to the world: God has spoken — hear Him. Repent, believe, and receive the New Covenant promised in Jeremiah 31:31–34 and Ezekiel 36:25–27. We must be born again, as Jesus told Nicodemus in John 3:1–15.
[Hebrews 12:28–29 NKJV] “Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom which cannot be shaken, let us have grace, by which we may serve God acceptably with reverence and godly fear. For our God is a consuming fire.”
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