Mark 1: 9-11 (from The Message): At this time, Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. The moment he came out of the water, he saw the sky split open and God’s Spirit, looking like a dove, come down on him. Along with the Spirit, a voice: “You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life.”
The gospel writers, Mark among them, are not reporters. They were not there- on the scene- during every event that they go on to write about. They were compilers, arrangers, transmitters of the stories of Jesus to particular audiences.
Mark is relating here some things that apparently only Jesus experienced at his baptism: a vision (the sky splitting open and something “like a dove” descending on him) and a voice. This testimony of Jesus is the beginning of Mark’s gospel of Jesus. This is, for Mark, the beginning of Jesus’ “Sonship.” It was- it seems- a bestowal of status on Jesus by God.
Matthew and Luke would claim that Sonship to be biological- with the impregnation of Mary through God’s Holy Spirit. I have to wonder why such a significant event was not even mentioned by Mark, while the personal testimony of Jesus was. Had Mark not heard the story of Jesus’ in utero origins? Or had he heard it and rejected as a legend connected to other ancient stories of virgin births?
I don’t know the answer. But I see Mark’s editorial role here as making Sonship itself accessible to anyone who would, as Jesus had, accept the message of John the Baptist to “Repent!” Here’s the Baptist’s message, told by Mark (Mark 1: 4, New International Version): And so John came, baptizing in the desert region and preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.
The arrival of Jesus at the Jordan River had been being anticipated by John. Something about his third cousin had impressed John, maybe for much of his life (he was six months older than Jesus). John claimed that Jesus was greater than himself and would baptize others not with water, but with the Holy Spirit. If Jesus believed this of himself as well, then he would have had need of that Holy Spirit to baptize others with, and would have been highly sensitive and receptive to the receiving of it.
I think this is the supremely important part of the story of which Mark wrote: Jesus was ready for this status; he was willing and wanting to receive it. As he would go on in his life and ministry to prove, it was not a matter of satisfying a ravenous ego that he sought this status; rather, it was a genuine calling- a desire that others would know the real nature of God. Jesus wanted, it seems to me, for others to know that they, too, were loved by God, and that God had pride in them, too!
That’s a pretty radical desire to have within a faith community that was rife with judgement on the part of the priestly leaders. It’s a revolutionary role to want to assume in a culture where the “poor in spirits” were left out of everything.
But, after his baptism by John, Jesus left the Jordan River community, went into the wilderness for 40 days, emerged at one with God, and went on to demonstrate that others could indeed live in the love and pride of God, free of the burdens of guilt, and also at one with God.
That was impressive to Mark.
It’s impressive to me, too.
