7 And this was John’s message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” 9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Today is the feast of the Baptism of Jesus. The gospel begins with John the Baptist, who appeared in the wilderness, the place of Israel’s forty-years of testing. Those who respond to his call for repentance are baptized as a symbol of this decision. By entering the waters of the Jordan, they become part of a new community – that of the restored people of God. But while John is obviously a great prophet, he is very much aware that he is not the Messiah, but, rather, the herald of the one who will restore Israel. He is the voice in the wilderness who points towards someone more powerful. It is important to note that John’s baptism is not Christian baptism, for John’s only symbolizes renewal. The more powerful one will bring a new baptism – one that will be with the Holy Spirit.
In verse nine, we actually see Jesus for the first time in Mark’s gospel, and this moment is marked by the formula “it came to pass” (or “at that time” in the NIV). We learn that Jesus came from Nazareth which was a small town at the time with a population of about 500 people. It was in the north, between the Mediterranean and the Sea of Galilee (also called Lake Tiberias) and far from the center of power in Jerusalem. In Mark we have the simple story of Jesus’ baptism with no conversation between John and Jesus. What is important to Mark is not the baptism itself but what happens afterwards. Jesus sees heaven open and “the Spirit descending on him like a dove”. Then he hears a voice calling him “my Son”. Father, Son and Holy Spirit appear briefly together in our world.
Since we believe that Jesus is sinless, we may wonder why he received John’s baptism for the forgiveness of sins and to show repentance. Maybe Jesus was simply showing support for his cousin’s mission. But there is also no doubt that this moment is the symbolic beginning of Jesus’ public mission.
We can make two important observations about this passage. First, the powerful one has arrived but not among the powerful of the earth. We see him first among a group of penitents on a river bank in the wilderness. This is yet one more example of God’s tendency to surprise us with his methods for changing the world. Second, this passage echoes Exodus since the Israelites entered the Promised Land from the wilderness and then through the Jordan. Jesus also leads us to freedom and the Promised Land.
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