Mark 1:9-11 “At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 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." NIV
Mark 1:9-11 introduces the revelation of Jesus Christ! Jesus goes to fulfill the standard that will later be applied to all believers. He presents himself to John to be baptized in water. Through this act Christ demonstrates the model that is to be upheld by all. Even though he is sinless he still embraces baptism as an example to all those who will follow. This is one of the many reasons that the heavens are opened and the voice of the Father declares Christ’s pleasing life. Through this the Father both endorses the sinless nature of Christ’s life by declaring his pleasure and identifies the Son-ship of Christ; proclaiming a Father’s love over Jesus as the Holy Spirit descends upon him and remains.
This introduction of Christ is a powerful reflection of the Father’s priorities. Consider the fact that this is the first real manifestation of Jesus to Israel and it is not a demonstration of what He can do but rather the demonstration of heaven’s view of Christ. He is presented as a Son, as pleasing, as empowered by the Holy Spirit remaining upon Him, by divine annunciation, in the act of submission to the work of God to an audience that primarily consists of those who were God seekers with a fresh conviction of sin and forgiveness upon their lives. He is not presented to the skeptics by this act but rather to the humble, believing Israelites who have been turning to God through the message of John. He does not choose to be announced to those whose hearts are closed, but to those whose hearts are open.
The events of this passage in the book of Mark reveal many things about the messenger, John the Baptist. This is the long awaited moment of John the Baptist’s entire ministry. When asked by the Priests and the Levites in Jn. 1:21-23 to explain who he was and the reason he was baptizing in water John answered in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord.” He further declares in John 1:31-33 “I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel." 32 Then John gave this testimony: "I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. 33 I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.” This is the time that the people of God have been waiting for, for hundreds of years. It is a time of prophetic fulfillment a moment of destiny and the capstone of John’s life. Everything else that John has done as a seasoned prophet and preacher for the Lord is encapsulated in this one defining moment when he prophesies the Lamb of God.
This demonstration of the ministry of John the Baptist also reveals the prophetic spirit that was upon this servant, this voice for God! John is a seer who witnesses an open heavens. He also hears in the Spirit as the Father endorses the Son. We can know that John has experienced angelic encounter as he references the “one who sent” him to baptize and the commissioning that was given to him and we can know that he prophesied because of his declaration over the Son of God. It also demonstrates that he was scripturally sound as he relates his ministry directly to the prophetic words of the prophet Isaiah. Through these events the manifold wisdom of God can be seen as He works on a diversity of levels to introduce the kingdom of God and His Son Jesus Christ.
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