In Father God’s pleasure

In Father God’s pleasure

SCRIPTURE:

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him. Mark 1:9-13

OBSERVATION:

From John the Baptist, Mark immediately shifts the reader’s attention to the one for whom John was preparing the way, the Lord Jesus Himself. Coming from Nazareth, Jesus is baptized by John in the river Jordan.

As He rises, Heaven opens up, and the Holy Spirit of God comes down on Jesus like a dove. And Father God speaks from heaven in an audible voice to Jesus “You are my Son, whom I love, with you I am well pleased”. In this beautiful picture, we see God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit all at once. God the Father asserts His love and pleasure in Jesus, and shows this by sending the Holy Spirit down in the form of a dove upon Jesus.

At once, the Holy Spirit sends Jesus into the wilderness where He is tempted by Satan for forty days. At first glance, it seems surprising that God would show His love to His Son by sending Him to suffer in the desert. However, the important principle for us here is that God is not averse to letting His children suffer if the suffering will produce quality of character and good fruit in them subsequently.

Thereafter, Mark interestingly writes that Jesus was with wild animals, and angels attended him. The word used for “wild animals” here actually refers particularly to beasts of prey, or animals normally dangerous to humans. So Jesus was actually at peace with dangerous wild animals around Him as He was attended to by angels after his 40 days of fasting. In the beginning, in the garden of Eden, there were no dangerous animals and Adam was tasked with taking care of them among the other parts of God’s creation. So this picture actually gives us a glimpse of the coming rule of Jesus in the New Millennium where the wolf will lie down peacefully with the lamb, the leopard with the goat, and a little child leading them, as prophesied by Isaiah.

The role of the ministering angels in ministering to Jesus is also a wonderful picture of how God sends His angels to help and provide for us. Angels are real and powerful, and God’s marvelous instrument of help in many instances.

APPLICATION:

God shows His pleasure in us by giving us His Holy Spirit of peace. Let us always have that desire to please God in whatever we do, and to desire more and more of His Holy Spirit of peace.  

Just as God allowed Jesus to suffer temporarily for long term gain, He too will sometimes allow us to go through temporary periods of suffering that will build our character and refine us that benefits us in the long run. The story of Joseph comes to mind, how he endured many years of frustration and suffering before being elevated to great position.

God loves the animals, and finds joy in them as His creation. Therefore, we should not be cruel to animals but praise God for them. That does not mean we should all become vegetarian, but that we should respect God’s creation, and not be cruel.

We should also thank God for the ministering angels He entrusts to help us. We can also pray for God to bless the angels sent to us, and pray for God to send His angels to guard and protect us and our family members.

PRAYER:-

We praise You, Heavenly Father, You hold all things in Your hands. We thank You Lord, that You find pleasure in us when we seek to please You and pour forth Your Holy Spirit on us. Incline our hearts to seek You, Father, to please You in all we do! We also thank You, Father, for the trials that You allow in our lives to make us stronger and more mature. We pray, Lord, that You strengthen us and show us Your grace and mercy in those difficult times. Help us, Lord, to respect and love Your creation, that You so beautifully made, perfect and orderly in their respective ways.  Thank You Lord, for Your precious heavenly angels that watch over us. Bless them we pray, and empower them as they protect us and our families. May Your name be praised forever, precious Father, marvelous Lord Jesus, dear Holy Spirit. In Jesus name, Amen.