Session 6 T HIS I S M Y B ELOVED Mark 1:1 15 F OR THE L EADER Invitation Begin a journey with God through Mark s story of Jesus baptism, Jesus temptation, and the beginning of his ministry. Materials Bible Quest Adult for each learner, Bibles, a candle in a candleholder, a small piece of luggage or backpack, a large sheet of paper or white shelf paper, colored markers, matches, and chalkboard and chalk or newsprint and markers. The Story and You Jesus ministry began at the waters of his baptism. Read Mark 1:1 15 and think about God s recognition of Jesus as beloved Son. Think about your Christian life as a journey that begins at the water. Consider what it might mean in your life to apprehend yourself fully as a beloved child of God. The Session Enter Prepare for the session. Arrange a Bible, a candle in a candleholder, and a small bowl of water on a table. Place a small piece of luggage or a backpack near the table. Cover a tabletop or a section of a wall with a large sheet of paper or white shelf paper. Draw a winding road across the paper. Write the following phrases at several points along the road: Beginning, Preparing the Way, Hearing God s Voice, Going into the Wilderness, and Proclaiming God s Good News. Place colored markers near the map. Greet the group members. Ask two persons to look over the newscast in the Encounter section so they can present it as the Anchor and Mark later in the session. Hear images of baptism. Read aloud The Journey Begins in the Enter section. Discuss the question in the left column. Pray together, using the prayer in the Enter section. Encounter Present a newscast of Mark 1:1 15. After the persons recruited earlier have presented the newscast, invite the participants to name any issues or questions that arose for them as they listened. List them on a chalkboard or newsprint. Discuss questions. Go back to the newscast script. Read the part of Mark, one section at a time. After each one, discuss the question(s) next to it in the left column along with any related questions from the group s list. Connect Create a spiritual growth map. Read aloud A Pattern for Spiritual Growth in the Connect section. If necessary for everyone to see, move to the map you posted earlier. Ask a participant to read aloud Beginning in the Connect section. Then everyone can write or draw a response to this question: How can we begin a life of faith in Christ? Discuss the questions in the left column. Repeat this process for each section: 41
Preparing the Way (How is God with us in good and bad times?) Hearing God s Voice (How do we hear God s voice?) Going into the Wilderness (What are our wildernesses?) Proclaiming God s Good News (How can we proclaim God s good news?) Celebrate Reflect on insights. Read The Journey Begins at the Water in the Celebrate section. Encourage the participants to write their reflections in the left column. Dip your hand into the bowl of water, and let the water flow back into the bowl to create watery sounds as they write. Invite the participants to read what they wrote. Pray together. Close the session by praying aloud A Prayer for New Beginning in the Celebrate section. T HE S TORY B EHIND THE S TORY Mark 1:1 15: Jesus Begins a Journey Mark s Gospel weaves a tapestry of memory into the story of Jesus baptism. Mark refers specifically to Isaiah 40:1 5: Comfort, O comfort my people, says your God. Speak tenderly to Jerusalem, and cry to her that she has served her term, that her penalty is paid, that she has received from Yahweh s hand double for all her sins. A voice cries out: In the wilderness prepare the way of Yahweh, make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. Then the glory of Yahweh shall be revealed, and all people shall see it together. The words of Isaiah recall the painful memories of the Babylonian exile and the promise in the book of Isaiah that all the people would see the redeeming glory of God. The promise of forgiveness and the glory of God shine in the threads of these memories through the event of Jesus baptism. Early Jewish Christians would remember: God created us. God loves us. God saved us from slavery in Egypt and exile in Babylon. God will save us again. The people would gain confidence that God s good would emerge in the wilderness of Roman oppression through this man named Jesus and his willingness to give himself to God s redemptive purposes. Remembering what God had done in the past prepared a way for what God would continue to do through Christ. 42
Mark s story of the baptism presents multilayered images of God s activity by evoking scriptural stories of creation and salvation. The water and the wilderness evoke the creation stories of Genesis 1 2 and the Exodus experience of crossing the water into the wilderness to be shaped into the people of God. The Spirit or breath of God moved over the face of the waters at creation. The dove brought Noah an olive leaf as the cleansing floodwaters receded from the ark. A new creation awaited Noah and his family. The power of God worked through Moses to part the waters so the people of God could walk on dry land out of slavery into freedom. Prophets and kings were filled with the Spirit of God. All of these images shimmer in the sights and sounds of Jesus baptism. The image of the Suffering Servant of Isaiah 42 foreshadows the suffering that Jesus will experience in the crucifixion. Jesus Jewish mind would be quite familiar with all these evocations of God s activity as he heard and responded to God s call to be an agent of creation and redemption. Other biblical passages are encompassed in the phrase beloved son : Here is my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations. (Isa. 42:1) I have set my king on Zion, my holy hill. I will tell of the decree of Yahweh: Yahweh said to me, You are my son; today I have begotten you. (Ps. 2:6 7) The word beloved means more than mere sentiment or emotional attachment. It suggests a love that transcends emotion and becomes as much a matter of the head as it is of the heart. A sense of deep unity between Jesus and God reverberates through the echoes of Isaiah 42 and Psalm 2, a unity expressed with the familial image of son and the sense of being chosen and loved by God. Many at the time of Jesus and in the early days of Christianity looked for God s direct intervention through the Messiah to renew all creation and establish God s realm. Some thought the prophet Elijah would return before the Messiah came. Jesus refers to John the Baptist as Elijah in Matthew 11:7 14. In Mark s account, John wears the same clothing as that worn by Elijah in 2 Kings 1:8. Mark also is careful to present John s recognition of Jesus as the one who is more powerful (Mark 1:7 8) in order to assure his audience that John is not proclaimed the Messiah. 43
Session 6 T HIS I S M Y B ELOVED Mark 1:1 15 Enter What must you do to begin a journey? The Journey Begins Imagine a Sunday morning. The sun is bright. A soft breeze blows in the air. Water in a nearby river splashes over rocks. A small group of people stand along river s edge. They sing hymns as two people walk into the river, a pastor and someone about to be baptized. Not far away, inside a church sanctuary, young parents bring their infant to the baptismal font. In yet another church, an energetic group of young people who have just completed a confirmation class stand before the congregation to profess their faith. Some will be baptized; others will claim for themselves the vows made for them at their baptism. Across the Christian world, people offer themselves to the mysteries of God s grace as water is poured or sprinkled on them or as they are fully immersed. Baptism, in whatever way it is practiced, begins a new leg of the journey with God. A PRAYER FOR A B EGINNING The journey begins at the water, God. At the waters of his baptism, Jesus responded to your call to begin a journey that would lead him to a deeper knowledge of his identity. Our journey also begins at the water. As we journey with Jesus, we learn more about who we are in your love and grace. Open our hearts and minds so we know who you are, who we are, and where our journey needs to go. In Christ, we pray. Amen. Encounter Why do you suppose Mark begins with this sentence? How do you think early Christians, Jews living under Roman rule, heard Prepare the way of Yahweh? The Beginning of the Good News Anchor: Today we look closely at a story that took place at the Jordan River. The reporter for our story is Mark. He opens with the assertion that it is a beginning. Reporter: The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, the Son of God (Mark 1:1). Anchor: Mark turns to the past. He looks to Isaiah, a prophet from Judah who advised King Ahaz during a time of great upheaval. Reporter: As it is written in the prophet Isaiah, See, I am sending my messenger ahead of you, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying out in the wilderness: Prepare the way of Yahweh, make God s paths straight (Mark 1:2 3). Anchor: Many people are at the Jordan River where a man called John the Baptizer encourages them to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sin. Some wonder whether he is the Messiah. Let s see what Mark has to say. Reporter: John the Baptizer appeared in the wilderness, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. And people from the whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem were going out to him, 44
Why do you think Mark describes John s diet and dress? Why does Mark make a point of John s proclamation of another to come who is more powerful? How do you think Jesus felt when he heard the voice from heaven call him beloved Son? What would be at stake for him? Why would Jesus go immediately into the wilderness after his baptism? Why do you think Jesus ministry begins when John is arrested? Connect and were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. Now John was clothed with camel s hair, with a leather belt around his waist, and he ate locusts and wild honey. He proclaimed, The one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to stoop down and untie the thong of his sandals. I have baptized you with water; but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit (Mark 1:4 8). Anchor: John responds to a call to prepare for the Christ, the Messiah, the Anointed One of God. Then Jesus comes. Reporter: In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And just as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit descending like a dove on him. And a voice came from heaven, You are my Son, the Beloved; with you I am well pleased (Mark 1:9 11). Anchor: Jesus then entered the wilderness where he struggled with powerful temptations. Among the wild animals, in the presence of evil, Jesus experienced God s strength, nurture, and support. Reporter: And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. He was in the wilderness forty days, tempted by Satan; and he was with the wild beasts; and the angels waited on him (Mark 1:12 13). Anchor: This amazing series of events culminates in an astounding proclamation and call to all people. Reporter: Now after John was arrested, Jesus came to Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, The time is fulfilled, and the realm of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news (Mark 1:14 15). A Pattern for Spiritual Growth Mark s Gospel offers the beginning of the good news by telling about the beginning of Jesus ministry. Through his baptism, his temptation, and his preaching about God s realm, Jesus gains a deepening sense of his identity and of how he will respond to God s call. Christians who wish to respond more fully to God s call will learn much from an exploration of Jesus baptism as described by Mark. Jesus experience reveals a pattern for spiritual growth with five movements: beginning, preparing the way, hearing God s voice, going into the wilderness, and proclaiming God s good news. This pattern is like a journey: 45
How did you begin Christian life? Who joined or supported you in that beginning? What are your memories of God s redeeming love in your life? How does your congregation remember God s presence in its past so that the memories prepare the way for future ministry? What does it mean to be God s beloved child? How might the gifts of your congregation be used to create and redeem? Beginning Seeking to know and live the good news of Jesus Christ requires a decision. The decision is, in essence, the choice to open one s awareness to and to accept for oneself the gift of God s grace freely given through Jesus Christ. Many Christians are born into the story. Their families regularly attend worship or go to church school, Bible study, and other functions related to church membership. As children, they hear and learn the stories of faith until the time comes that they choose to accept the good news of Jesus Christ as the substance of their faith. The good news that has nurtured them from their infancy begins in a new way to enrich their spiritual growth. Beginnings occur again and again for these Christians who open their hearts and minds in deeper ways to God s good news in Jesus Christ. Other Christians encounter the good news of Jesus Christ later in life. The decision to accept God s good news in Jesus Christ is a beginning that may involve a radical change in their lives and ways of thinking and feeling. The familiar phrase born again is an especially appropriate way to describe this experience. Preparing the Way Mark 1:2 8 describes John the Baptist as the one who prepares the way for the Messiah. The words there evoke Isaiah 40, words that offer comfort to a suffering people (see The Story Behind the Story ). Christians find hope in God s continuing gift of grace through Jesus Christ. A river flows through the wilderness and greens the edges of the land on its banks. When we step into the river with Jesus and identify ways that God has been present in the rough places in our past, we prepare a way to experience God s redeeming love in the present and to feel the hope of God s redeeming love in the future no matter what happens. To remember is to prepare for the glory of God. Then we can say with the people in the Scriptures, God created us. God loves us. God saves us. Hearing God s Voice Mark 1:9 11 tells of the baptism of Jesus, an event in which Jesus hears the voice of God calling him beloved Son. The voice sounds over water. Water and the dove evoke the stories of creation and redemption in Genesis and Exodus (see The Story Behind the Story ). Through Christ, all people are beloved children of God. With Christ, all people are called to be agents of creation and redemption. Going into the Wilderness Mark briefly describes Jesus journey into the wilderness where he struggles with temptations. Sometimes we enter the wilderness, a dry and barren land where it is difficult to perceive God s presence. The wilderness may be a situation outside our control, or it may be within our spirits. Like Jesus, we may be sorely tempted with some life circumstance, and the temptation itself may be 46
What are common wildernesses in our culture? How has a wilderness time strengthened you or your congregation? How can your actions and words proclaim the presence and nearness of God s realm? How does your congregation proclaim the presence and nearness of God s realm? Celebrate our howling wilderness. The wilderness may be the resistance we meet even though our hearts are right and our intentions good. The wilderness experience takes many shapes. We are most vulnerable in the wilderness places, and in our vulnerability, we can experience in new and profound ways God s strength and glory. The wilderness experience can shape us as it did the people of Israel and Jesus as it calls us to trust God. The ability to trust and a deeper faith may well be the greatest gifts of the wilderness. Proclaiming God s Good News The time has come. God s realm is near. The final movement of Jesus response to God is proclaiming God s good news with his actions and words. Jesus tells stories, heals, and moves into a ministry that will culminate in the brutality of a cross. God s realm is one in which the power of God s allembracing love brings present possibility to all who recognize it and choose to participate in it. The Journey Begins at the Water The journey begins at the water for Jesus and for all who follow him. Christ s call to repent and to believe is a call to open one s awareness to God s realm. Reflect on any new learning or renewed insight you gained from Mark s account of Jesus baptism. A PRAYER FOR N EW B EGINNING Beloved God, help us to ask every day what it means that your realm is near. When we experience a wilderness of emptiness, inadequacy, doubts, alienation, and brokenness, send Jesus to us. With Jesus comes your grace: the vitality, love, joy, and power of life lived in union with you and the knowledge of ourselves as your beloved children. Renew our sense of calling. Strengthen us during our times of trial. Help us to know in our hearts and souls that you take great pleasure in us. In Christ s love, we pray. Amen. 47