Sermon Tone Analysis

Hello Hello Hello.

How is everyone doing this morning?

That’s good to hear.

It’s always such a blessing when we get to have Andy Tellman and others join us from the Bellingham campus.

Today, we’re kicking off a new series.

Jumping from focusing on forgiveness, and entering into the Gospel of Mark.

There’s a lot of exciting pieces of the story of Jesus in here, and I’m pumped to be bringing us into the series today.

Today’s section of scripture is going to give us a nice setting for starting off the Gospel of Mark

Mark 1:1–15 (NIV)

The beginning of the good news about Jesus the Messiah, the Son of God, as it is written in Isaiah the prophet:

“I will send my messenger ahead of you,

who will prepare your way”—

“a voice of one calling in the wilderness,

‘Prepare the way for the Lord,

make straight paths for him.’

”

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.

John wore clothing made of camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey.

And this was his message: “After me comes the one more powerful than I, the straps of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie.

I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.

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.

After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God.

“The time has come,” he said.

“The kingdom of God has come near.

Repent and believe the good news!”

There it is, the beginning of Mark.

A lot happens in the first 15 verses.

The book gives us a declaration of who Jesus is, He’s the Son of God.

We see parts of Isaiah prophesying about John the baptist.

We learn about what John the Baptist is doing, learn about His baptism of Jesus and what God says after.

Get a quick look at Jesus in the wilderness being tempted and we see in our 15th verse here the first words from Jesus in Mark and the beginning of his ministry.

That’s a lot happening in 15 verses.

Go 15 verses into other Gospels, At this point in Matthew, we’re still reading through the genealogy of Jesus at verse 15.

In Luke, we’re still in the conversation with Zechariah and the angel talking about his coming son, John the Baptist.

In the Gospel of John, we’re coming to the end of the theological description of the Word.

Each of these different beginnings of the Gospels plays an important role.

Each one in its own way is teaching us about who Jesus is, what he’s here for, insight into the Gospel story, as well as setting us up for what we will be engaging with in the portions of the Gospel we are about to read.

So what are we looking at here in the beginning of Mark.

What are we learning about Jesus, and how do these verses set us up for what is to come in this Gospel.

There’s a lot to look at here, but we are going to focus in on a few big points.

First let’s set the stage for Jesus’ baptism.

We’ve got John, baptizing in the wilderness and a lot of people were going out there to be baptized by him in the Jordan River.

I love baptism’s, and I’m sure you do as well.

So many exciting memories of seeing people publicly display that their lives are for Christ.

And people get baptized in so many different places.

Here, we see John baptizing people in a river.

I was baptized in Lake Whatcom about 15 years ago.

Last year we saw people here at CTK Blaine baptized out in the harbor from the Semiahmoo spit.

We filled up the baptismal pool back here, which if you didn’t know, there’s a little tub back here for baptisms.

I remember at the church I was at before we moved to Birch Bay, we would bring out this big tub and baptize people right on stage.

There are so many different kinds of places that people are baptized at and all are so amazing.

And not only do we celebrate baptisms, but so do the angels.

Jesus says in Luke 15:10 “In the same way, I tell you, there is rejoicing in the presence of the angels of God over one sinner who repents.”

Now, we’ve got current times in mind and we’ll want to shift over to the Jordan River, about 2,000 years ago.

John’s been here baptizing people but also telling about another guy.

Matthew 3.11-12 gives us a little more about John’s words on the coming Jesus

Matthew 3:11–12 (NIV)

“I baptize you with water for repentance.

But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry.

He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

So people are getting baptized by John and they’re also getting set up learning about this guy who is powerful and more amazing than John, so much so that John isn’t even worthy to tie his shoes, and this guys going to baptize them with the Holy Spirit and FIRE!

You see though, we read this and we know it’s Jesus.

These listeners… they don’t.

Reading this passage, I want to try to think what it must have been like for those who were there the day Jesus showed up and was was baptized.

It probably wasn’t much different of a day than the other days John was baptizing people.

Maybe there was a line of people, maybe people just sort of standing around and went into the water here and there.

But what we know is lots of people are going into the water, confessing their sins and being baptized.

So one day, Jesus shows up.

Imagine being at the river waiting to confess the stuff you do wrong, get baptized by John and Jesus, the guy John’s been hyping up,shows up.

Maybe you’re looking at the water, waiting your turn, and all of a sudden John Yell’s

John 1:29–30 (NIV)

“Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!

This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’

Now, if I’m there, I dunno, I’m probably like.

He’s here.

Guys, the one who is more powerful than John, the animal hair wearing, bug eating wild man, it’s the guy stronger than him.

I’m thinking like the Hulk Hogan of believers is about to show up.

And John isn’t even worthy to tie the straps on His sandals.

Maybe He’s like super buff and like a king, like Hulk Hogan meets Prince Harry.

This dudes starting to sound like the Tom Brady.

And hold up, he might be baptizing people.

So, I dunno, I might be feeling a little nervous now, I have a lot of sin to confess before I’m baptized, like, a lot.

What’s he going to say.

He sounds perfect.

I’mma look like idiot in front of him.

What if he ends up being the one that baptizes me.

What if He doesn’t think I’m good enough?

Oh my gosh, guys, John said He baptizes with the Holy Spirit.... AND FIRE.

This is gonna hurt.

I’m in trouble.

This dudes about to rock the Jordan River area.

And I turn, and I see… the like most normal looking dude ever.

Pretty sure he’s from Nazareth, judging by that robe.

Now, that inner monologue, is a little ridiculous.