An Uncommon Man with an Uncommon Mission

Jesus was ready to identify Himself with the God-ward movement that had begun in Israel and would culminate in His death and resurrection. Jesus beckons those who would be His followers to identify themselves as His disciples in this God-ward movement called Christianity.

His baptism was also a moment heralding His approval from the Father. At the baptism Jesus submitted His decision to God, and that decision was unmistakably approved by the Father when He said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Mark 1:11). This was followed by the appearance of a dove, symbolizing the presence of the Holy Spirit. Christian identification today is given witness to by the presence of that same Holy Spirit!

His baptism was also a moment of equipping. This equipping by the Spirit of God is that of divine love. Jesus would need courage, faith, hope and strength; but the greatest need would be love, and in this moment of baptism God gave Him the symbol of love in the form of a dove. The greatest gift anyone can have is love!

II. His uncommon mission continued with a test of His humanity (Mark 1:12-13).

No sooner was the glory of the baptism over, the mountain-top experience of mission, than the valley of testing appeared. The battle of temptation for Jesus was what to do with His tremendous power. Satan on one shoulder was saying, “Take this power and rule with force.” The Father on the other shoulder was saying, “Take this power and rule with love.” Jesus made a decision that day that would continue His mission for the Father, for He chose love’s way.

Satan would take our humanity out of our hands and use it for everything that is destructive and useless. God wants to let us keep our humanity and work through it that we might be conquerors of life through love!

III. His uncommon mission resulted with uncommon development (Mark 1:14-15).

Jesus’ mission is to spread the Good News that life in the present and in the future develops as we allow Him to enter our hearts. He is the reason for our repentance. Compared to Him everyone needs to be saved, and He has come to offer us a deal for an eternity. As we repent in earnest, He enters with a cleansing brush to scrub the sin from the lining of our hearts. This uncommon man with His uncommon mission stands in the crowd of our life waiting for us to invite Him to the front of the line. Will you do so today?

1. David McKenna, The Communicator’s Commentary (Waco: Word Books, Publisher, 1982), 33.