The Holy Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ.
According to Mark, in those days Jesus came from Nazareth of
Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the
heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a
dove, and a voice came from heaven.
You are my beloved Son. With you I am well pleased.
The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness and he
was in the wilderness 40 days being tempted by Satan and he
was with the wild animals and the angels were ministering to
him. The gospel of the Lord.
I will come you to this second someone in our series, simply
Jesus as we are journeying in the Gospel according to Mark and
if at all you'd love to catch up with the first someone you can
find that on our website so that you catch up with what you
missed. Maybe.
But let's be honest, life is filled with.
Lots of pressures. They are precious to perform and
precious to prove ourselves, but also precious to stay silent
about the convictions that we have, fearing that sometimes we
might offend others. Sometimes we.
Have pressures to blend in. We have pressures to survive.
So if you follow Christ. In a city like this, maybe at
school, maybe at work, in your relationships.
There might be tensions. Here and there you may believe.
Who am I? Does God see me?
How can I continue to be faithful when there is a?
Lot of loudness and hard and complicated situations around
me. This is where a.
Story of a modern day matter makes meaning.
Dietrich born Hoofer. He was a young pastor.
In Nazi German around the 1930s. This was a time when the.
Church was under pressure, pressure from the powers,
pressure to conform. Not to speak.
Truth, but to speak lies. Unlike many of us, bone woofer
had many options. Bone woofer was.
An educated man. He could have sought to have an
academic. Career or pastor career away
from German? But instead he returned.
To Nazi German. He believed and had a conviction
that he. Wanted to share in the
suffering. Of his country.
So he went and lived there when he was.
Asked why he. Barely to do that.
Take on that. Danger.
This is what he says. When Christ?
Calls a man. He bids him come and die.
As if he's making a death, a death wish.
But he's making something clear. He knows that as a follower.
And a child of Jesus Christ. His father.
Is in control. It is not the Nazi.
Or Hitler. But God is in control and He.
Could walk with God in peace. Despite of all the situation
that was going on. I would love to invite you to
turn. To the Gospel according to Mark
in your leaflets. Because here we are going to
observe that Jesus walks. The same path.
He identifies with us. Through baptism.
And a father affirms him. As the beloved Son and then.
Later, he's LED. Into the wilderness.
Where his identity is. Tested through temptation and
isolation, but. As Mark is writing this, he
wants us to observe the three marks of the beloved.
Son identification, affirmation, and testing.
But this is the path that every disciple of Jesus Christ is
called to walk. It is not.
Just Jesus himself, but everyone who?
Decides to identify himself as. A child of God.
He is called on this. Same path.
So therefore today I would love to invite you to come and let's.
Go and see Jesus in Jordan then. Later in the.
Wilderness. And as we discover who Jesus is,
we are. Going to also discover who we
are in him we are going to see. How this path of the beloved Son
is a path for his mission but. Also a path for our mission
individually the first. Mark of the Beloved Son is his
humble. Identification in verse 9.
After a year. Long of fellowship at the Union
Theological Seminary in New York City.
Bonhoeffer decided. To go back to German.
And then he was ordained. As a Lutheran pastor.
Then, after a time, he started a seminary that later went
underground. Because of persecution.
And then he briefly returned to the USA when that seminary.
Had been closed. But he went back after a few
weeks deciding. To go back to Germany.
And he believed that he wanted to identify himself with the.
Confessing church that was being persecuted.
Even though we have already seen that he could.
Thrive elsewhere elsewhere. You can imagine someone jumping
into contaminated water to save a man who is drowning.
This person is safe and clean, but because he wants to reach
out to someone who is drowning, he decides to enter into the.
Danger of that person. Jesus enters the.
Waters of baptism. Not because he needed cleansing
earlier on in verse 4, John has. Already shown us.
That his baptism is a baptism. Of repentance and forgiveness of
sins. Jesus has no sins.
To repent of. His perfectly righteous without.
Failure and fault. Yet he stands in the.
Waters of baptism. With sinners presenting himself
to John. For baptism.
You may ask, why is Jesus doing this?
Jesus comes to the Jordan, not just to.
Perform a ritual. He's stepping.
Into our story. He takes his place with the
broken, the guilty. And the.
Lady Jesus is doing this he is identifying with.
US. We are the ones who need crazing
from sin, Jesus. Chooses to identify with us.
And his mission does not. Begin by being in the spotlight
on a throne. He begins with solidarity, but.
Also with humidity. Before he does anything like
preaching and healing and. All those spectacular things.
He decides to stand. Shoulder to shoulder.
With you and me. Who are following human beings?
He end us into our mess. So that he can lift us up.
He chooses not to distance himself from us, but he humbly
takes place. Identifying with us.
We live in a wild way, and many. Times we are.
Envisioning and we. Change.
Things like status. And platform and power, but.
Jesus shows us a. Different way.
He does not begin with strength, he begins with.
Surrendering himself. And this is the path.
Of people who belong to the Kingdom of God.
Many times you think about beginning impressively, but
Jesus begins by. Being present.
He humbles himself, showing us that the path of the Kingdom of
God does not begin by stepping. Up, but by stepping down.
Jesus humbles himself. In baptism.
And he virtually he will also about humble himself even.
To the cross at death yet? We are often challenged in.
Following him like. That oftentimes resists.
Stepping down. We believe in climbing up,
getting noticed. We believe in having prideful.
Positions. We believe.
In promoting ourselves, we believe.
That we are only secure once. We are only.
Up there in the sky if. I can speak about.
Of people who. Speak about humble.
Sacrifice. I remember someone by the names
of Jim Elliot. He was a Christian missionary.
Who? Who?
Wrote a powerful line in his journal.
This is what he spoke about, humble sacrifice.
He says he is no fool who gives what he cannot keep.
To gain what? He cannot lose.
Jim. Elliot shows us that he is
willing to take up the lowly. Positions.
Even when it looks. Foolish in the eyes of other
people who esteem greatness. I would love us to consider what
might humility look. Like.
In the coming week, as we begin this week, what might humility
look? Like.
It begins by examining ourselves.
In various ways. Maybe we should ask ourselves
some of these. Questions.
Where are we crying be when God is calling us to?
Kneel down. Are we chasing?
Promotions and platforms and power at.
The cost of people at. The cost of prayer at the cost
of humility. Is there a place where we are
avoiding some? People, because we.
Feel they are beneath us. We avoid some places.
Because we feel they are beneath.
Us, yet sometimes at those places which we feel that they
are. Beneath us.
That is where. God might be calling us to go.
Even in this week, our humidity might look like.
This. Maybe we could do some act of
service when there is nothing like spotlight, quietly when
there is no camera to watch us and in this noisy city where?
Everything is moving. Fast God maybe is.
Calling us to pause. And look.
At those people who are. Hardly noticed people who are
invisible and we speak to them and we come into their situation
Some of them are our neighbors, we.
Live with them. God might be calling.
Us to notice them and we humbly speak to them.
But also, maybe God is calling us to confess.
Our pride by. Showing him that we admit that
we have been lifting. Ourselves, but we are ready to
come to the knees and walk with him.
Because all of us who are baptized and belong to the.
Family of God. God is calling.
Us to a life of humility. We are enlisted to die to pride.
Jesus has set this. Pattern for us.
He did not climb up on a ladder. Instead, he.
Chose to climb up on the cross. Humbly identifying with us.
As dear children of God. He gladly chose to.
Be a foolish person because he wanted to stick on.
What? Leads to greatness.
The path. Of humility.
And then in verse 10 and. 11 The beloved.
Son is identified. Through his divine affirmation.
Have you noticed around the streets there are decorations
that are beginning to dot some of.
The streets when we move around. These decorations show us that
Halloween is near. And the costumes are on sale at
the moment for one night. The people around us.
Some of us. Or some other people?
Are going to dress like someone or something?
Something strong or someone strong?
Someone powerful? Funny.
Or scary. Or admirable but.
Under all these costumes, there is a real.
Parcel in these costumes. Someone who?
Wants to be appreciated, liked, not just for the costume he's
putting on. But because of the very person
he is, Halloween. Last for just.
One night, but. Many people live a life of
having these costumes. Day by day.
Emotional. Costumes.
Social costumes. Spiritual masks we hide that we.
Perform. Because we trade.
Our authenticity. Because we desire.
To be affirmed by people, but who?
Can truly see us and affirm us for the people.
We are, genuinely. In the final verses.
In the final verse of his prison poem, Bonhoeffer writes.
This his poem is called Who I am, and this is what he says who
I am. They mock me.
These lonely. Questions of mine, whoever I am.
The knowest. Oh God, I am thine.
This is what Born Hoof admits that he cannot even define who
he is, not even the. People around him.
Can define who he is, but he's sure of one thing.
God knows who he is. And that is what matters.
God knows his identity. His identity does not come from
the people outside. It does not come.
From himself. But it becomes because he.
Belongs to God. And that is where he'd restly he
can gladly. Rest because God knows him.
There is something that is dramatic when Jesus enters.
Into the waters of baptism. Because we hear that it is said
that the. Heavens are turned open.
This is the poetic way of speaking about a divine.
Revelation. And the trying God comes and
addresses us. About various things.
Because the Spirit descends. In the form of a dove and rests
on Jesus. He's anointed for his ministry.
Given the strength you need for his ministry.
But then an important voice speaks, and this is what is
hard. The Father.
Speaks and says you are my beloved son.
With whom I am well pleased. This encounter is not in
private. It is witnessed at the by the.
People at Jordan. John sees the spirit descending
upon. Jesus and the people hear the
voice from heaven. But one thing we should note is
the timing of this. Event of this event that
happens. It happens before Jesus has done
anything. He has not yet preached.
He has not yet healed. He has not done.
Anything spectacular but. He is affirmed.
He's affirmed, not because of what he has done.
But because of who he is. His identity.
Is secure. And his mission?
Flows from the Father's love. This Jordan event reminds.
Us of something that is powerful our.
Identity does not. Come from the activity that we
do. Even when we often desire to
wear the. Costumes of success and
confidence and toughness. Sometimes we think that people
are going to appreciate us. Because of these costumes that
we are putting on. But deep down, we are looking
for affirmation. We are looking for applause.
We look. For someone who can say that, I.
Love you. This is where.
God addresses us powerfully. Because God is love is not
earned, it is just received in a world where we are reminded that
we should do something before we are seen.
God is. Showing us that he's ready to
affirm us because of. Who we are.
We don't need to. Act out anything.
Because when we seek affirmation, it leads to.
Striving. But when you rest in the
affirmation of who? We are, we are at peace with
ourselves. So this is what?
God is calling us to. Do we don't need all these
costumes that sometimes we feel that?
If we have them, we are going. To appear good.
In the eyes of the people. God has already given us.
The most grateful of costumes. We are fully.
Accepted by God. We shouldn't keep on chasing.
All the approval. But in spite of this news, we
have all these old habits that keep on.
Lingering around us. The culture around us shows us
that we are. Worthy because of what we do.
There is the fear of rejection that keeps.
Running in our lives. We fear that we are not secure,
but there is a voice from the Father that keeps telling us
that. You are my.
Beloved and with. You I am well pleased.
When we live in the urban life. Like here, there are many
pressures. To put on the costumes because
we want to survive, we want to succeed.
We want to be accepted, but. God sees.
Beyond the appearances that are physical and outside.
He loves us and he wants us to challenges us to remove.
All these costumes. All these false identities.
God is challenging us to remove them.
We live. In a world where people have
these wonderful regimes, we have the social media accounts and we
have. Wider followership?
And sometimes we feel that when we have these titles around us.
They make us. Great, all these might be
blessings from. God, the titles we have.
But they don't. Define us?
In this culture where there is. A glorification for independence
and hustling. People feel that if you do
something. And you hustle.
That's when you have made it. God is.
Inviting us to know that we need him.
We should admit his that we need him.
And we are worthy before him. Because we have all these
children. And our identity.
Does not come from. Any costumes that we put on?
Let me transition to verse. 12 and 13.
Because here it is. Highlighted that, the beloved
son is revealed. By his obedient.
Testing. The Story of.
Bornhoofer goes on that he was. Imprisoned because he joined a
resistance. Plot that was plotting against
Hitler. And even when he was in prison,
he remained. Faithful, he continued.
To write prayers. And books and letters of
encouragement. But in 1945, when the war.
Was about to end. Just weeks.
Before it ended. Bon Fufa was.
Executed. But he died in.
Peace and with. Clarity because he had walked
the. Path of the beloved Son of God.
This happens to Jesus himself, just here, just as he had.
Just been affirmed by God. He's immediately taken to the.
Wilderness. To be tested.
This might seem a surprise to us, someone who has been
affirmed how can how comes is going?
To be tested. But you can imagine people who
go for military training. In the harsh conditions in
deserts and in mountains and in jungles.
The purpose is not to punish them, the purpose is to prepare
them through these trials that the.
Soldiers go through. These trials are.
Aimed at. Making them discipline the
soldiers, looking at their commitment, making them ready
for the conflicts that are ahead.
Of them. So this is what similarly Jesus
goes through He's taken to the. Wilderness to be.
Tested not because God had. Abandoned him.
But God was. Preparing him.
The testing was not erase his identity, but it was revealed
who. He was indeed.
And also to strengthen his. Identity.
The wilderness was not a diversion.
It was part of God's plan. It was not an easy.
Place to be. It was a place of isolation and.
Danger and deep spiritual battles.
Jesus faces. Wild animals hunger.
And his arch. Enemy Satan himself.
Yet even there in. All those challenges.
The Father's love is still. Present with Jesus.
He sends angels to. Care for him.
Yet this wilderness. Story echoes.
A much. Larger story in Jesus's life.
Jesus stands where humanity had fallen.
Adam gave in to temptation in the.
Garden Jesus resists. Temptation in the wilderness.
The nation of Israel had failed 40 years in the.
Wilderness. Jesus conquers for. 40 days in
the same wilderness, he proves. Himself as the faithful.
Son. He succeeds where humanity has.
Failed. His victory does not only.
Belong to him, but he belongs to us all as children of God.
Maybe we. Assume that sometimes obedience
is going to. Lead to comfort, always the
scripture. Paints for us a.
Different story. Obedience.
May lead to. Inconvenience and testing.
Yet hardship. Does not.
Allow us. Who we are.
We forget that sometimes life can be hard, but God wants to
use some of those hardest. Situations to strengthen us, to
refine us, and to prepare us for growth the.
Wilderness that is not something that we shouldn't castaway.
It is part of God's plan. Even here in the city where we
are living, there are many things that.
Seem like wilderness. We may be surrounded by people,
but we may feel lonely. Community sometimes is shallow.
It is hard to build. Community around you.
Jesus experienced isolation, but he was not abandoned by God, was
on his own, isolated. But God was with him.
It may seem like many people are moving ahead of us.
Many people are going. Ahead of us we are.
Slow in life? Sometimes we feel.
That the delay that God is giving us is.
Denial. But God is.
Timing is perfect. Even in a culture where there is
emphasis about speed. God can determine our speed in
ways that we cannot imagine. Let me finish the Bone Fufa
story about His final moments. The Doctor Who witnessed how
bone hoofa. Died.
This is what he observed. He observed the man who was
deeply in. Prayer.
He was certain. About God.
He said that he had never seen any man.
Pray like how Bornhoofer was praying.
Even in the face of. Death Bornhoofer stood.
Family he was. Rooted in his identity, he
couldn't. Be shaken in any fear.
He prayed to God and even believed in God even for the
darkest of times he was facing. He was ready to walk the path of
a beloved child of God. In spite of all the trials.
That were around him, even death.
Maybe he was hearing this voice. God telling him that I love you.
I know you. I know the trials were going.
Through you are dear to me, dear beloved, in Christ, let us.
Continue standing firmly in our identity.
Let us rest in that. Affirmation that comes from God
who knows us. Even as we are walking in
trials. And testing like the beloved Son
Jesus himself. We shouldn't fear the.
The things ahead of us. The voice of God continues
speaking. That you are my.
Beloved Son, and I am well pleased with you.
Let this voice. Continue guiding us.
Even when there is times when we are feeling that there is no
peace around us, let. This voice continue comforting
us and encouraging us on this path of the beloved children of
God. I pray that.
God may continue giving us peace.
In the name of the Father, this and the Holy Spirit, Amen.