The Commencement of God's Plan of the Master of Christ - Mark 1:9-11

Mark 1:9 -12
The commencement of God’s plan of the mystery of Christ.
INTRO
To one degree or another, many of the shows or movies we watch have an element of
mystery in them. Every crime solving storyline certainly has ‘mystery’ at the centerpiece of
what captivates our attention. But even an innocent story line in movies such as “Finding
Nemo” have a mystery element. Is Nemo going to be found? How is he going to be found?
What are the unfolding elements that get revealed leading towards the answer to the
opening question? It’s a mystery. It might be helpful at this point to get a clear definition
of what a mystery is. Websters 1828 dictionary defines mystery the following way:
'A profound secret; something wholly unknown or something kept cautiously concealed,
and therefore exciting curiosity or wonder’; I like this definition as well. ‘That which is
beyond human comprehension until explained. In this sense, mystery often conveys the idea
of something unbelievably sublime or important; something that excites wonder.’ I think I
have a new favorite word. Even the definition is captivating and the word use goes far
beyond film.
One could say: “The situation at work I am currently in is a mystery to me. OR, “This
individual I’ve recently met is a mysterious.’ What makes them tick?’... ‘I just don’t know.”
How about - “Why has this illness or life altering situation been permitted in my life by God?
It’s a mystery to me.”
You see how it’s workings are far and wide? So much such so that in fact we ourselves
are a part of the greatest mystery of all time and that will ever will be. And that is the
mystery of Christ. Turn with me to (Ephesians 3:1-11) and we’ll read verses 1-11.
“The plan of the mystery of Christ, hidden for ages in God who created all things, that has
now been revealed to his holy apostles and prophets by the Spirit.”
“....that through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the
rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.”

Do you sense a bubbling excitement of wonder? God is up to something unthinkably
sublime. “The manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and
authorities in the heavenly places.” “All in accordance to the eternal purpose that He has
realized in Christ Jesus our Lord.”

And what we have before us this morning is the moment in time in which the work the
Father sent the Son to accomplish in the power of the Holy Spirit in accordance to the
eternal purpose of His plan...is commenced....Inaugurated... Jesus on the precipice of
launching into His approximately three year ministry here on earth that culminates at the
cross, executing the Father’s plan, is publicly confirmed by The Father and by the Holy Spirit
for this mission He is about to embark on.
It is the commencement of God’s plan of the mystery of Christ. Directed by the Father
Executed by the Son
In the POWER of the Holy Spirit.
And what a moment in time this is. Here before us, at the baptism of Jesus, we have an
encounter of The Triune God. All three persons of the God head represented together at
one time. Can you imagine that moment? Let’s go ahead and read the passage in it’s
entirety. (Mark 1:9-12) WOW. To see the heavens torn open and the The Holy Spirit
descend upon Jesus in the form of a Dove....then to hear a voice coming from heaven
saying “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” (Aﬃrming the
commencement of Jesus’s public ministry)
And as we consider the recording Mark provides of this encounter, OF the
commencement of God’s plan of the mystery of Christ, I intend to emphasize 3 things.
FIRST, simply How magnificent such an encounter was. The Triune God represented in one
moment in time to be witnessed by a multitude gathered and recorded for us to read about.
(The one and only eternal God, existing as three persons, Father, Son and Holy
Spirit...each fully God and each distinct in their role in the God head and each distinctly
present here as recorded in Scripture by Mark)

SECOND - How the Church is brought into this..this being the revealing of The Father’s
plan, which is Executed by The Son in the Power of The Holy Spirit.
THIRDLY - Have you encountered the Triune God yourself? OR, I’ll state it this way. Have
you encountered the Father? Have you encountered the Son? and Have you encountered
the Holy Spirit? One is not encountered apart from the other but they are distinct. We’ll talk
more on that later. But FIRST.

Our first point BODY
1) FIRST POINT - (Mark 1:9-12). How magnificent of an encounter
Here we have the creator of the Universe. All three persons involved and operating
together in the work of creation. “The earth was without form and void, and darkness was
over the face of the deep. And the Spirit of God was hovering over the face of the
waters.” (Genesis 1:2). “And God said “Let there be...” and with every word spoken from
God, something came forth...was created out of nothing. Darkness and then boom... “Let
there be Light” and came to be according to God’s word. (Psalm 33:6) “By the word of the
Lord the heavens were made, and all the host of them by the breath of His mouth.” And the
Hebrew word for breath there can also be translated ‘Spirit’ as it is in other passages. God
spoke, The Holy Spirit applies, puts into eﬀect, works powerfully fulfilling the Father’s
command through....the Son. You get that?..... (John 1:3) “All things were made through
him (him Jesus), and without him was not any thing made that was made.” Yes it says that.
“He (Jesus) was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not
know
him.” (John 1:10)
“By faith we understand that the universe was created by the word of God, so that what is
seen was not made out of things that are visible.” (Hebrews 11:3) Created by the word of
God. “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God.
“He (Jesus) was in the beginning with

God.” (John 1:1-2). “And the Word became flesh and dwelt among us, and we have seen
his glory, glory as of the only Son from the Father, full of grace and truth.” (John 1:14). The
Father decrees, The Holy Spirit works powerfully fulfilling The Father’s word through the
Son.
Imagine with me that moment in time. Men and women made in the image of God as the
Triune God made us to be. God said “Let us make man in our image, after our likeness....”.
(Genesis 1:26)....“then the Lord God formed the man of dust from the ground and breathed
into his nostrils the breath of life, and the man became a living creature.” (Genesis 2:7).
These living creatures, image bearers of God, a multitude of men and women gathered
together at the Jordan River, many of whom were being baptized by John the Baptist and
hearing him “preach about this one mightier than he who is coming after him whose
sandals John says he is unworthy to stood down to untie.” (Mark 1:7-8) "who will baptize
them not with water, as (he) John was,...but with the Holy

Spirit. They are gathered around and as Jesus, being baptized by John, comes out of the
water “....immediately (as all the gospel accounts record for us) the heavens were opened
to him (Matthew 3:16-17) and he saw the Spirit of God descend upon him in the form of a
Dove and coming to rest on him.” Mark says - “The heavens were torn open”....in the skies
above...torn...like, something happened outside of the norm... and the best description I am
able to provide is when you have a cloud covered day in which the sun doesn’t break
through but then a moment occurs where there is an opening and the sunbeam blasts
through demanding your attention because of it’s stark brilliance. The Oregon coast often
has such a spectacle like that. Something of that nature... though I don’t picture it being
a cloudy day. I picture, rather, an opening in the sunny skies above in which something
outside of the created world enters in. Tears open the canopy of the heavens above and
enters in. Something distinct and not of this world taking place. The heavens were torn
open and God the Holy Spirit anointing Jesus for the mission work God sent Him to
accomplish,....provides public confirmation of God’s appointed one. Visibly descending
upon Him and resting upon Him signifying Jesus’s empowerment by the Holy Spirit to fulfill
the Father’s plan. We’ll see next week The Holy Spirit leading him...or as Mark states it..
“Drives him into the wilderness to be tempted by satan for 40 days before Jesus begins His

ministry. God providing some visible form..."like a dove.” Not an actual dove but the form
of it...of what they witnessed..resembled a dove. The same Spirit engaged and at work
with the Father and with the Son in the creation of all things is distinctly represented here
for witnesses to see at the commencement of Jesus the Son of God. And while this form is
descending down and resting upon Jesus,...a voice is heard from heaven saying, “YOU are
my beloved Son; with YOU I am well pleased.”
Now the gospel of John tells us that John the Baptist was given some preparation to know
who this one is whom he is preaching about to come after him. (John 1:32-34) “And John
bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I
myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on
whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
‘And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.”
So John is able to make sense of what is happening. It’s the fulfillment of what God told him
of what would take place to make known to him who the Messiah, who the Son of God was.
And the scriptures don’t make clear whether or not John was the only person present that
day on the Jordan river who both saw and heard what took place when Jesus came out of
the water.
It’s not definitive on either end. I’m inclined to believe that all who were present did
indeed witness this event...but that it was only John the Baptist who made sense of it.
Why? Because inaugurations or commencements are not private but rather public
confirmation of an event or role in oﬃce. Presidential inauguration is certainly a public event
for many to witness as is the opening ceremonies for the Olympic Games. Very public, very
clear commencement of something about to be underway. This is no diﬀerent other than it’s
the GREATEST commencement of all time. God’s plan of the mystery of Christ ready to be
revealed...“The manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and
authorities in the heavenly places.” “All in accordance to the eternal purpose that He has
realized in Christ Jesus our Lord.” Jesus, on the edge of beginning His earthly ministry,
executing the Father’s plan in the Power of the Holy Spirit is publicly confirmed visibly by
both The Holy Spirit and now audibly The Father who speaks from the heavens torn open.

Envision that with me....John baptizing (Mark 1:5) “people in the river Jordan.. from all the
country of Judea and all Jerusalem...who were going out to him confessing their
sins”...people from all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem coming to be baptized by
John in the river Jordan...that had to be a great multitude...many many baptisms
throughout the day....John is baptizing...he’s baptizing...then Jesus from Nazareth of Galilee
comes to be baptized and BAM! Jesus comes up out of the water and this magnificent
encounter with the Triune God takes place. What a glorious moment. “God’s plan of the
mystery of Christ, hidden for ages in God who created all things,...now revealed to his holy
apostles and prophets by the Spirit...” is NOW commenced at the appointed time as Jesus
launches forth to execute the Father’s plan in the Power of the Holy Spirit....“...so that
through the church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers
and authorities in the heavenly places.”
Do you read that and think.... “Come again?” “Through the church?” Really? "Through the
church the manifold wisdom of God might now be made known to the rulers and authorities
in the heavenly places.” That’s a sermon in itself. “The manifold wisdom of God being
made known to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” The word manifold sort
sounds like many folds...like many divers kinds and numerous right usage of God’s infinite
knowledge in His redemptive story of grace in saving a remnant from all mankind as his own
treasured possession purchased by the blood of Christ who lived the perfect life they were
unable to live and died the death they deserve to die that He (God) would be just and the
justifier of those who belong to Him.

Who, are His church (those whom belong to Him...to God; Born Again Christians) through
which His "manifold wisdom is being made known to the rulers and authorities in the
heavenly places.”? How are Born again Christians, who make up the church, how are they
brought into this?
Our Second point.
How is the CHURCH brought into this..this being the revealing of The Father’s plan, which
is Executed by The Son in the Power of The Holy Spirit.

2) SECOND POINT - How is the church brought into the Father’s plan?
To answer the question posed by our second point, we’ll turn back to (Ephesians 3).
Let’s pick up on verse 14 and read through the rest of the chapter..all the way through verse
21. And as we read...note with me the Triune God present, working together distinctly in and
through the church made up of believers who follow Christ....who.....are brought into the
Father’s plan executed by the Son in the Power of the Holy Spirit.
(Verse 14) - read opening. "For this reason”, the reason being - the mystery of Christ and
God’s plan of the mystery....namely - His “manifold wisdom being made known through the
church to the rulers and authorities in the heavenly places.” Paul writes in (verse 14)....read
Brought in through what?... it was in (verse 17) “through faith.” Through faith. It’s through
faith (Romans 3:24-26) “....we are justified by his grace as a gift, through the redemption
that is in Christ Jesus, whom God (the Father) put forward (as was His plan) put Christ
Jesus forward as a propitiation by his blood, to be received by....faith.” “It was to show his
(The Father) His righteousness at the present time, so that he might be just and the justifier
of the one who has....faith in Jesus.
(Galatians 2:16). “...we know that a person is not...is not...justified by works of the law but
through....faith in Jesus Christ...”
(Galatians 3:14) “..so that in Christ Jesus the blessing of Abraham might come to the
Gentiles so that we might receive the promised Spirit through.....faith Now your getting it....
Here’s a couple more
(Ephesians 2:8) “For by grace you have been saved through.....faith. And this is not your
own doing; it is the gift of God,” k.. last one
(Philippians 3:9). Paul speaking of pressing on to gain hold of Christ says...“... to be found
in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the

law, but that which comes through....faith in Christ, the righteousness from God (that’s
amazing) the righteousness from God that depends on faith.”

It’s through faith that we, the church, compiled of Born Again believers in Christ who
through faith are brought into this plan of God’s. Plan,..you ask, “Well if Christ executed it in
the Power of the Holy Spirit then,...what is my part?” Fair question to ask. Christ
conquered satan sin and death. He accomplished the work of salvation singularly. He
himself said from the cross (John 19:30) “It is finished”. The work the Father sent Him to
accomplish in the Power of the Holy Spirit...he (Jesus) succeeded. God, aﬃrming The
Son’s work, rose Him from the grave on the 3rd day just as it was foretold and “Jesus
ascended to Heaven and sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.” So if this is
already accomplished...what is my part in the story being told?...Do I have a part? Where
do I fit in? And that is one of the wonders we can have bubbling excitement about each
and every day He allows us to “sojourn with Him here on earth.” (Psalm 39:12; 119:19) He
does have plans for your participation through faith in this mystery of His being made
known. The Father directed according to His plan that which the Son executed in the
Power of the Holy Spirit. And We, the church, through faith in Jesus Christ, are adopted
sons and daughters of the most High God. (Galatians 3:26) “for in Christ Jesus you are all
sons of God, through....faith.”
And He also as plans for us to walk through by faith in the power of the Holy Spirit.
(Ephesians 2:10) He is gathering his elect throughout all the ages till that appointed day
when He will break through the heavens once again calling us all home to be with Him
forever more. And until that day,....we have work to do. Directed by The Heavenly Father
to be executed in the Power of the Holy Spirit through faith in Jesus our Forerunner who
did so before us and as He commissioned us to do in His final words to His disciples
before He ascended up into heaven. The same words He speaks to His disciples
then...He speaks to His disciples now...to His church now. (Matthew 28:18-20) “All
authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Go therefore and make disciples of
all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit,
teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always,
to the end of the age.”
“Through the church the manifold wisdom of God is being made known to the rulers and
authorities in the heavenly places.” And the church is commissioned by the Son as directed

from the Father to accomplish in the Power of the Holy Spirit, every good work of faith
prepared beforehand in making disciples of all Nations. NOW the question begs to be
asked then. Have you encountered
the Triune God and are you brought into union with Him through Faith in Jesus Christ? It’s
only through the church and therefore only the blood bought members of the church
who have bonafidely encountered The Father, The Son and The Holy Spirit. The Triune God.
HAVE YOU? Our 3rd and final point in consideration this morning.
3) THIRD POINT - Have you encounter the Triune God yourself?
Let’s start with the Son. Who is Jesus to you? In the gospels they called him many things.
(Mark 6:3) “Is not this the carpenter, the son of Mary and brother of James and Joses and
Judas and Simon? Are not his sisters here with us?” Is he just another guy in history to
you? Some significant historical figure and nothing more.
You know....Some, in the gospel accounts, said Jesus to be (Matthew 16:15, Mark 8:28)
“John the Baptist revived from the dead, while others were saying He was Elijah, and still
others said Jeremiah or one of the prophets.”
Would you line up with these view points of who Jesus is? JESUS was...A wonderful
teacher. A good man. A very good and moral man. An influential religious phenomenon. Or
even...The greatest man who ever lived!...but not the Christ...not the Son of the living God
in your eyes. IF SO, your eyes are sorely mistaken and remain blind to the Truth. JESUS is
the God man, God incarnate who eternally existed, who came from heaven, was
miraculously born of a virgin women...grew up and become a man, who put on flesh,
Incarnate... that’s what that word means..Incarnate to literally put on flesh, clothe with
flesh; to embody in flesh. The eternal Son of God came to earth as a man to fulfill....to
execute the plan of the Father in the Power of the Holy Spirit by purchasing His bride, ‘the
church’ with his spotless divine blood on the cross. Is that who Jesus is to you? If so, it’s
only because you’ve encountered the Holy Spirit who revealed the same thing to Peter
when He answered Jesus’s question “Who do you say that I am?” (Matthew 16:15-17) Peter answered “You are the Christ, the
son of the living God.”

The Father’s word, (Psalm 71:3) giving the command to save you, is put into eﬀect by the
Power of the Holy Spirit enabling you to believe in whom He sent....JESUS...The Son of
God...through which salvation comes.
What did John the Baptist say about Jesus? “I have baptized you with water but He will
baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” If you have heard God’s voice calling you to look upon
Jesus the Son of God and see him as God’s anointed,

Holy Spirit anointed Messiah through whom you are rescued from damnation... then you
have encountered the Triune God.
CONCLUSION
If this is you...if you have encountered the Triune God,...(Romans 8:15, Galatians 4:6, 2
Corinthians 13:14) knowing the “fellowship of the Holy Spirit having received the Spirit of
His Son...placed into your heart by God to whom you cry Abba Father.”......THEN YOU,...an
adopted child of God have directives from the Father of Lights to be executed in the power
of the Holy Spirit...."to fulfill your work in the ministry of the gospel of Christ” (Romans
15:19). Work the Father is calling you to do by faith in making disciples of all nations till
the object of our faith...Jesus Christ the Righteous...returns to take us home. Go, therefore,
as our forerunner Jesus did, GO and fulfill your part in the Father’s plan of the mystery of
Christ.
COMMUNION
A clear bonafide manifestation of the work of God’s Spirit in your life is conviction of sin
leading to repentance....repentance..the very thing both John the Baptist and Jesus
preached upon and what continues to be preached upon by His Spirit working through
redeemed sinners...such as I...Repentance. Confessing your sin, turning away from that
sin and turning towards obedience to God. A change of heart. If the Spirit of God is in you
then this mark will be present. And the Christian, because of the completed work of Jesus
Christ, can repent, can confess there sins and receive the assurance of forgiveness
through our faith in him. We have the elements prepared this morning that represent the
sacrifice of our Lord Jesus whereby appeasing God’s wrath for our sin so that the Righteous

Father might be just and the justifier of the one who has faith in Jesus. We declare this work
of Christ in participating in this sacrament till our Lord returns.
By partaking of the bread broken which represents his body and of the cup which
represents His blood that was shed. This sacrament is for the believer only...it’s not for the
non-believer. Please abstain if you have not encountered the Triune God and are united to
Him through faith in Jesus. Do not partake. BUT, those here who have responded with
faith to God’s call upon your life. The table is prepared. As we join together in song for a
time of response to the preaching of God’s word. When ready...come and partake and
declare the Lord’s death till He returns.
Benediction (Acts 20:24)

y
l
i
m
Fa
23-25

Table Talk

July 28, 2019

GOD’S TRUTH
Christians are to live by faith in
fulfilling their part of God’s ultimate
plan in Christ!

Family Discussion
1. Have you every followed plans to
assemble something? Or maybe it was an
instruction manual to inform you of how
to use and care for something. Can you
think of examples to share with one
another?
2. Do you know that God has provided an
instruction manual for life. What do you
think it is?
3. Yes! It’s the Bible! It’s God’s Redemption
story about Jesus Christ. And those
redeemed through faith in Jesus are a
part of it. By the obedience of faith to
His word, God is writing pages of your
life story to be a part of it. Search the
pages of Scripture listed in the Table
Reading to see this truth
revealed>>>>>>>>>>
4. “Now to him who is able to strengthen
you according to my gospel and the
preaching of Jesus Christ, according to
the revelation of the mystery that was
kept secret for long ages but has now
been disclosed and through the
prophetic writings has been made known
to all nations, according to the command
of the eternal God, to bring about the
obedience of faith” (Romans 16:25-26)

Key Verse

“To this end we always pray
for you, that our God may make
you worthy of his calling and
may fulfill every resolve for
good and every work of faith
by his power.”
2 Thessalonians 1:11 ESV

TABLE READING
Lead your kids into God’s
Word...
• Psalm 139:13-18
• Romans 12:3-8
• 1 Corinthians 3:8-15
• Galatians 2:20
• 2 Corinthians 9:8
• Ephesians 2:10
• Matthew 28:19-20

Scripture Memory: Mark 10:45

“And these words that I command you today shall be on your heart. You
shall teach them diligently to your children, and shall talk of them when
you sit in your house, and when you walk by the way, and when you lie down,
and when you rise. You shall bind them as a sign on your hand, and they
shall be as frontlets between your eyes. You shall write them on the
doorposts of your house and on your gates.” - Deuteronomy 6:6-9 (ESV)


Related Media
Related Sermons