An Uncommon Man with an Uncommon Mission

March 1, 2009

First Sunday in Lent (B)

Mark 1:9-15

John the Baptist, the charismatic revivalist, was exhausted. His disciples were concerned because of how tired he appeared lately. His daily schedule was purpose-driven, challenging him to be up early praying, thinking and meditating before His God. While he was praying, the crowds gathered close by, waiting for him to make his entrance. His appearance was unique—long, unkempt hair waving in the wind, his black beard untrimmed, and wearing clothes made of camel’s hair with a leather belt around his waist. He looked much older than his 30 years. John had a wild, wide-eyed demeanor that captivated his listeners’ attention on the hillsides of Judea.

It was in this setting one morning while John was preaching that a man unnoticed by the crowd appeared. Though the crowd paid no attention to the man, John noticed Him immediately. The stranger fit into the crowd well with His normal clothing, behavior and appearance; there was

nothing out of the ordinary that would draw attention to Him.  

As He stood in the crowd listening, John preached his regular theme of repentance, beckoning all who would repent of their sins to come and be

baptized in the Jordan River. Surprised, John watched as this ordinary man with an un-ordinary mission moved forward to be baptized by him. The preacher knew that this “ordinary” man was anything but ordinary. He was well aware that his relative was from the small town of Nazareth and that He was a common laborer—a carpenter by trade. Even His name, Jesus, was fairly common among the men’s names. John realized that

there was much more in this man than met the eye.

David McKenna writes, “Whether or not He is fully conscious of His deity is an issue of scholarly debate. Certainly, He does not need to be baptized for His sins, but Mark puts the event in such a sequence with His common name and His common town that the baptism becomes an experience in which He shares our common humanity.”1

This ordinary Jesus was anything but ordinary. He was God with them, and He is God with us!

This short section of Scripture provides us a glimpse of this uncommon man with His uncommon mission.

I. His uncommon mission began with a baptism of determination (vv. 9-11).

John’s baptism was meant for those determined to turn from their ungodliness and sin. As the Baptist’s crowds gathered to be baptized, he suddenly realized that Jesus was standing in line. Here was the One of whom John had said he wasn’t worthy to stoop down and unlatch His sandals. He knew the Messiah when he saw Him, and this Jesus was the man he was looking for all his life. What in the world was He doing standing next in line to be baptized with the sinners?

Jesus was standing in line as a signal of His decision. Jesus had been waiting for a sign to emerge in His messianic mission. This was the moment for Him to launch out and accept the Father’s commission of going into the heart of the world.