Short Cuts?

Jesus in 3 D Series

Mark 1:9-11

Intro: Short Cuts? I was raised by a mom and dad who had high standards. I will never forget when they told me any job worth doing is worth doing well or to the best of your ability. I understood from the time I was a little kid that it wasn’t ok to start something and not finish it.

The real lesson I have learned is that every time I try to take a short cut in life I end up in trouble. I will never forget hiking up Half Dome in Yosemite Park. We had a large group of High School Students that went with us. I was on my way back down with a friend, remember this is a 22 mile hike that goes up 4,000 vertical feet and we decided to take a short cut. As we ran down a different trail at first it seemed like we were making up extra time by going this new way. After running down this path I realized I didn’t know exactly where we were. We stopped and Roger saw the panic look on my face. We ran up what we thought was the same trail we had come down only to discover it was a different trail. Now I could envision our larger group getting to the bottom and wondering where is Dave and Roger. What could be worse is when they have to send a rescue party for us. Fortunately this didn’t happen and we stopped, prayed and looked to see where we should go. We heard other hikers and realized the real path was close by – yeah!

#1. Jesus goes to John to be baptized – why? Why should Jesus the God Man have to be baptized? If anyone could side step this it should have been Jesus, the one who never sinned. Mark reminds us that Jesus comes form a small obscure town, Nazareth, where he grew up as a carpenter. Jesus had a sense about the timing of John the Baptist being out by the Jordan baptizing people for the forgiveness of their sins. So Jesus goes out to fulfill the OT Scripture and also show his connection with all of humanity. He is willing to humble himself before John and allow him to baptize him. Jesus’ choice not to take short cuts impacts everyone’s life. Jesus is both human and God in one person.

#2. What happens at Jesus’ baptism? As Jesus is coming out of the water an amazing thing happens. The heavens immediately are opened and the Spirit of God comes upon Jesus in the shape of a dove. Remember the dove represented both God’s peace and the Spirit. So Jesus is now being anointed or set aside to be the Spirit Driven Son of God who now hears his father proclaim something rather incredible. Jesus is the beloved Son of God or simply that God loves him. This is the same as God saying that He and Jesus are truly one.

God’s response to Jesus’ choice to be baptized is a declaration of his acceptance or affirmation that it is time for his mission to start. God says that he is well pleased with his son. God is delighting in Jesus’ obedience to the plan they had established before He came to earth. This is why John said that he only baptized with water but Jesus baptized with the Spirit.

#3. How do you please God? So what does it mean to please God and how do I keep doing this? Jesus clearly understood what God’s plan or will was for his life. This made it easy for him to find John in the wilderness and be baptized and be reaffirmed about his mission and purpose in coming. So in the same sense only when we understand God’s purpose in our lives are we able to follow it and please him.

Paul in his letter to the Romans describes God’s expectation for us. He says that we are to present ourselves as living sacrifices that understand how we are to live. He goes on to give a practical example by saying no longer be conformed to the way the world thinks but have your mind transformed by being renewed everyday. God wants us to have a radically different mindset than what is happening in the world. It isn’t natural for anyone in today’s world to be a servant that is willing to lay down his life for another. It is the total opposite. The only way the gospel will impact our lives, family and neighbors is when Christ lives through this type of lifestyle. Romans 12:1-2

Conclusion: Obedience is key to spiritual growth. I know that one of the biggest challenges in life isn’t starting something but deciding to finish what we have started and following through. It is too easy to say you’ll do something but when it comes to following through we fall short. So obedience becomes the key to discovering Jesus in all places. The only way we are going to grow spiritually is when we are will to learn from Jesus. He is the one who said if you love me you will keep my commandments. John 14:15

Think what it would be like if everyone at New City always decided to help out without being asked? What if you jumped at the opportunity to pick up someone else’s trash? Imagine what could happen in your family, neighborhood or the world when we do simple things that show true respect and a willingness to put others first.