https://odb.org/2025/05/16/for-the-record
Mark 1:1–8 (ESV): 1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.
2 As it is written in Isaiah the prophet, “Behold, I send my messenger before your face, who will prepare your way; the voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight”. 4 John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. 6 Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. 7 And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. 8 I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”
As believers, particularly long-time ones, we take it for granted that Jesus is the Son of God or the second Yahweh in the Holy Trinity. But during His time, that was a big challenge, especially to the Jewish audience. Yahweh was sacred and was always known in the Old Testament as a monolithic God. When Jesus claimed He was Son of God and God Himself in the flesh, it was thus sacrilegious and a major blasphemy to the eyes of the Jew. Even today, Jews look at Jesus with disdain. If you’re in Israel trying to preach to a Jew, it’s really an uphill battle.
The Gospel writers, therefore, took pains to emphasise that Jesus is indeed the Son of God. Like Mark referencing John the Baptist and that the Messiah (Jesus) whose sandals he (John) is unfit to untie. While John baptised with water, Jesus would baptised us with the Holy Spirit (the third Yahweh in the Holy Trinity). John, on the other hand, started his Gospel by proclaiming that Jesus was at the beginning and was the Word or Logos, the supreme force in Greek thought.
Our response to today’s message should be thankfulness and gratefulness to God for giving us the faith to believe that Jesus is the Son of God. We were not saddled with the theological baggage of who Yahweh was like the case of the Jews or who Allah is like the case of Muslims. We were able to accept that Jesus is the Son of God and, more importantly, that He was crucified for our sins and resurrected to give us the hope of glory.
The question remains this morning: Who is Jesus to us? Is He a piece of information like Trump is the crazy American who caused global trade turmoil? Or is Jesus the second Yahweh that we know personally? Or even better, it was through Him that we personally know God the Father and the Holy Spirit? More than head knowledge but as a friend, a brother, and a Lord. Someone we could talk to and convey our deepest thoughts to. Someone who walks with us as we face issues of life and the struggles of living headon? When we confront the demons in our lives, Jesus is right there with us, helping us clean up the skeletons in our cupboards.
Have a good day, everyone, and a good weekend ahead to rest and serve God as we take a break from work!
Ronnie's Thoughts 