“Say what?” expresses our astonishment at unexpected developments. In Mark chapter 1, the writer of that gospel begins his message of the “good news about Jesus the Messiah” by interpreting the ministry of John the Baptist as the fulfillment of Isaiah’s prophecy about preparing the way for the Lord:
“And so John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River” (Mark 1:4-5).
John did not pretend to be the Messiah. Instead, he proclaimed that one greater than he was still to come. Jesus came, and he himself was baptized in the Jordan River. What follows in Mark 1 is God the Father’s revealing Jesus as his son, then an event that struck me today as I read the passage as a “say what?” moment:
“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. And a voice came from heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well-pleased.’ At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him” (Mark 1:10-13).
God the Father loves the Son. He is pleased with Jesus as the latter emerges from his baptism in the waters of the Jordan River. The Spirit is present as well, the Holy Spirit that Christians see as the harbinger of joy, peace, and healing. Then, immediately, the Spirit drives Jesus out into the wilderness, where he is tempted by Satan. Say what? Recognition, praise, then apparent banishment to the desert doesn’t strike me as the expected progression here.
Mark describes Jesus’s time in the desert as a time when he was with the wild animals (a messianic fulfillment of Isaiah or exposure to danger?), conflict with Satan, and protection or preparation by angels, messengers of God. Luke reveals that Jesus fasted, that he ate nothing during the forty days. Fasting in the Bible usually is coupled with prayer. Mark will describe later in the chapter (1:35) how Jesus would go to a solitary place to pray. Jesus fasted and prayed as he battled temptation and prepared to begin his ministry as Messiah.
In my own life, times of apparent spiritual victory have been followed by testing and trauma. Following Jesus has not removed suffering, just as following the leading of the Spirit died not spare Jesus from being tested by Satan. But God has provided for me during those times of crisis. I have had a glimpse of the peace provided by God through his Messiah and his Spirit when we listen to him, according to Psalm 85. Faith and prayer have helped me to develop resilience and experience comfort from God during difficult times when I wanted to shout, “Say what?!?” The coming of the Lord into our lives arrives with upheaval and exposure of our weaknesses. We grow when we hear the guidance of the Lord despite our pain. When Jesus was tempted, he overcame because he knew the promises of God in the Bible. May we prevail and find comfort in times of testing by seeking to hear the will of God. Pray hard and listen well, my friends.
- Quotes from the Bible are from the New International Version
God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, times of testing and temptation threaten to distract us from glorifying you and hearing your will. Help us to heed the example of Jesus by continuing to hear your will in those moments. Strengthen our resilience as we seek spiritual formation through study and meditation on the Scriptures, through fasting, and through prayer. Your Spirit knows our needs even when we know not how to express them. May we each hear you say that you are pleased and that you love us. I pray in the name of Jesus, amen.
Call for Fire Seminar 