Sharon Reformed Presbyterian Church · Sermon study sheet

The Baptism and Temptation of Jesus

Bryan Schneider · September 10, 2022

Mark 1:7-13

sharonrpc.org/sermons/baptism-temptation-of-jesus

Summary

John directs attention away from himself to the mightier One whose baptism with the Holy Spirit surpasses John's baptism with water.
Christian baptism is grounded in union with Christ and his saving work rather than in the baptized person's ability to measure the adequacy of past repentance.
Jesus comes from obscure Nazareth and receives baptism without needing cleansing, humbly identifying with his people and fulfilling righteousness.
As Jesus rises from the Jordan, heaven is torn open and the Spirit descends like a dove, publicly anointing him for his messianic ministry.
The Father's voice identifies Jesus as the eternally beloved Son and promised King in whom he takes complete pleasure.
The Spirit immediately drives Jesus into the wilderness, where forty days of deprivation recapitulate Israel's testing and place him face-to-face with Satan.
Jesus refuses to use power for bread, demand proof of his sonship, or gain kingdoms through worshiping Satan; he trusts God's Word, identity, and glory.
Where Adam, Israel, Noah, David, and every sinner fail, the victorious Christ obeys as his people's representative and supplies the righteousness they receive by faith.

How does John's baptism differ from the mightier Messiah's baptism with the Holy Spirit?
Why does grounding baptism in Christ's work protect believers from repeated uncertainty about their own repentance?
Why is the sinless Jesus baptized by John?
What does Jesus' arrival from Nazareth reveal about his humiliation?
How do the torn heavens and descending Spirit identify and commission Jesus?
What does the Father's declaration reveal about Jesus' sonship and kingship?
Why does the Spirit send the newly anointed Son into a forty-day wilderness testing?
How does Jesus answer temptations involving bread, identity, and worldly kingdoms?
In which ways does Jesus succeed where Adam and Israel failed?
How does Christ's victorious obedience become hope for people who repeatedly fail?

Baptism with the Holy Spirit: The mightier Messiah's work of applying cleansing, new life, and union with Christ by his Spirit.
Union with Christ: The Spirit-worked bond by which believers share in the benefits of Jesus' obedience, death, resurrection, and life.
Humiliation of Christ: The eternal Son's lowly entrance into human poverty, obedience, suffering, and identification with those he came to save.
Messianic anointing: The Spirit's descent upon Jesus marking him publicly as God's appointed Prophet, Priest, and King.
Beloved Son: Jesus' eternal relation to the Father and the Father's declaration of delight in the promised royal Son.
Temptation: Satan's testing of Jesus' trust, identity, obedience, and mission without producing any sin in him.
Active obedience: Christ's perfect fulfillment of God's law throughout his life on behalf of those he represents.
Imputed righteousness: The perfect righteousness of Christ credited by God to sinners and received through faith alone.