Mark 1:9-15- The LORD Who Was Victorious When Tempted Will Help Us When We Are Tempted

Mark 1:9-15 says “At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 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. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

12 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.

14 After John was put in prison, Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. 15 “The time has come,” he said. “The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!”

The verb that Mark uses to describe Jesus going out into the wilderness in verse 12 is a strong verb (ἐκβάλλει) that can be translated as “driven out”, “compelled to go out”, and “expelled with force”. The word that Mark uses is stronger than the verbs that Matthew and Luke use in their gospel’s accounts. Matthew uses a verb (ἀνήχθη) which is translated, “was led up”. Similarly, Luke uses a verb (ἤγετο) which is translated “was led”. Mark’s use of this stronger word suggests that Jesus’ wilderness experience was not going to be a pleasant spiritual retreat, but a Spirit driven confrontation with Satan.

We’ve all gone to spiritual retreats because they promoted it as, “A life changing, once in a life time event, that will dramatically change your life forever.” We paid to attend these events because we wanted to experience this ‘dramatic change’, but perhaps we under estimate just how significant our ‘wilderness experiences’ are in the formation of our faith. Perhaps the most ‘dramatice change’ can happen in the Christian life when we faithfully endure seasons tests, trials, and tribulations. (James 1:2-4)

The temptation of Jesus is an example of this very thing. We see that the Spirit compels Jesus into the wilderness to encounter a great spiritual battle with Satan. Do not assume that because we are told that Jesus is ‘driven into the wilderness’ that He was forced and drug kicking and screaming. No, Jesus did this willingly with joy. Jesus probably went into the wilderness quoting verses like Psalm 40:7-8, “Behold, I have come; in the scroll of the book it is written of me: I delight to do your will, O my God; your law is within my heart.”

Jesus was not like Israel who grumbled, murmured, and complained while in the wilderness and quickly forgot the Word of the LORD and proved to be faithless. (Hebrews 3-4) In Exodus 32:7-8 the LORD said to Moses, “Go down, for your people, whom you brought out of the land of Egypt, have corrupted themselves. They have turned aside quickly out of the way that I commanded them.” (Exodus 32:7-8)

Knowing that Jesus went into the wilderness this way should help us follow His example as we obey James 1:2-4, “Count it all joy, my brothers, when you meet trials of various kinds, for you know that the testing of your faith produces steadfastness. And let steadfastness have its full effect, that you may be perfect and complete, lacking in nothing.”

In verse 13 Mark uses three ‘imperfect’ verbs, “... and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him.” These verbs stress that Jesus was continually in the wilderness among the wild animals, He was continually being tested by Satan, and He was continually being ministered to by angels. This was a sustained season of testing and not not a momentary testing. Jesus could not call a time out from this onslaught; rather, He had to rely on God and find His comfort in the angels the Father sent to minister to Him.

In the show ‘ALONE’ 10 contestants are dropped off in remote place all alone to fend for themselves and the last contestant remaining wins. In one of the seasons a contestant stayed hibernated in his shelter and conserved his strength to win the game. Jesus did not enjoy this type of opportunity. Jesus remained engaged, was faithful, and He was victorious. Astonishingly, He then shares His spoils of the victory with His people! (Isaiah 40:10-11) What a gracious and merciful Savior!

It is also interesting to see that the verb ‘being tempted by Satan’ is a passive voice verb. This means that the temptations that Jesus was experiencing were not coming from within Him. No, they were coming externally by Satan. (Similar to how it would have been for the first Adam- Genesis 3:1-6) For the last 30 years Jesus had cultivated wisdom and godly virtues. (Luke 2:52) Jesus never cultivate an appetite for anything contrary to the will of the Father. (CC Virtue: Crave The Word)

In contrast to this a Christian has three great enemies through which temptations come: indwelling sin, sin in the world, and Satan. As a result, a believer is tempted by the desires that remain in his fleshly nature. James says, “But each person is tempted when he is lured and enticed by his own desire. Then desire when it has conceived gives birth to sin, and sin when it is fully grown bring forth death.” (James 1:14-15) (Rom. 7:8; Gal. 5:17; 1 Peter 2:11; Prov. 1:10)

The 1689 Baptist Confession speaks of this in 5.5, saying, “The perfectly wise, righteous, and gracious God often allows His own children for a time to experience a variety of temptations and the sinfulness of their own hearts.” The confession gives reasons why the LORD allows this to happen, saying, “He does this (1) to chastise them for their former sins or (2) to make them aware of the hidden strength of the corruption and deceitfulness of their hearts so that they may be humbled. He also does this (3) to lead them to a closer and more constant dependence on Him to sustain them, (4) to make them more cautious about all future circumstances that may lead to sin, (5) and for other just and holy purposes.”

Jesus may have willingly and joyfully went into this wilderness to be tested, but His testing would have been greater than anyone else had ever experienced. It would have been greater than the first Adam’s. (Romans 5:19) Adam was tempted in a perfect environment but Jesus was hungry, in a wilderness, with wild animals. Think of some of the great trials faithful men have faced and ask,

• Would Christ’s sufferings be any less than what Job had experienced? (Job 1-2)

• Would Jesus’ testing be less than what Peter endured when Satan asked to ‘sift his faith like wheat’? (Luke 22:31)

• Would Jesus’ experience be less that Paul’s thorn in the flesh? (2 Corinthians 12) Surely Paul, who filled up in His flesh the sufferings of Christ (Col.1:24), and whose ministry was defined by suffering (Acts 9:16), is not to be compared with the sufferings of Jesus Christ.

• Hebrews 5:7-8, “In the days of His flesh, Jesus offered up prayers and supplications, with loud cries and tears, to Him who was able to save Him from death, and He was heard because of His reverence. Although He was a son, He learned obedience through what He suffered.”

Proverbs 24:10 says, “If you faint in the day of adversity, your strength is small.” The word ‘faint’ means to grow weary, lose courage, or give up under pressure. Under this assault by Satan Jesus did not falter because He had great spiritual strength! Therefore Hebrews 4:15 testifies, “For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.” We are weak but He is strong. Therefore we must depend upon Him at all times.

Application: Consider that Jesus, who fought this battle with sin throughout the days of His flesh and won, now abides in every believer. (Romans 8:9-11; Galatians 5:24-25) When we are tempted Jesus abides in us, and we abide in Him, so that we can be victorious. (2 Thess. 1:11, Philippians 2:12-13)

One commentator told a fictional story regarding Jesus’ wilderness experience. Imagine that you were a Jew living in Israel and one day you saw a man coming out of the wilderness all by Himself. The man looked as if He had barely made it out of the wilderness alive. Many people ran up to the man and asked if if He was ok and if he needed help? The man replied, ‘Yes I am ok but you should see the other guy!’

This made me consider just how intense this season of temptation must have been. Those forty days in the wilderness were not easy but it was far worse for Satan and his kingdom! This is confirmed in Mark 1:15 when Jesus comes out of the wilderness and declares, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe the Gospel.”

In the story I just shared the people ran to Jesus and asked if He needed help, but the truth is that Jesus had just proven that He did not need their help. No, everyone else needs His help! How quickly you and I turn to others for the help that only the LORD can provide. How often we turn to others and neglect to even pray for help. (Psalm 39, James 4:1-10) As Jesus emerged from the wilderness He may have looked weak in His flesh, but in actuality they had never seen a stronger man. Jesus had defeated Satan and was now going to plunder his kingdom and make a spectacle of it. (Col. 2:15)

During this time in the wilderness Jesus continually placed His trust in His Father. Because He did this His enemies did not exult over Him. (Psalm 25:1-3) Jesus faithfully walked in the Father’s ways and tread upon righteous paths (25:4-5). The words of Psalm 25:13 are true of Jesus Christ, “His soul shall abide in well-being, and His offspring shall inherit the land.” Because Jesus’ soul abided in well-being His offspring will obtain a great inheritance and it is all by sovereign grace and mercy!

Can’t you hear Jesus quoting a passage like Psalm 27:1-3 & 14 at this time, “The LORD is my light and my salvation; whom shall I fear? The LORD is the stronghold of my life; of whom shall I be afraid? When evildoers assail me to eat up my flesh, my adversaries and foes, it is they who stumble and fall. Though an enemy encamp against me, my heart shall not fear; though war arise against me, yet I will be confident...Wait for the LORD; be strong, and let your heart take courage; wait for the LORD!”

Because Jesus stood upon the Word of God and depended upon the Holy Spirit He was victorious where all others had failed. The King of kings emerges from the wilderness according to Luke 4:14, ‘in the power of the Spirit’. If what I said earlier was true, that Jesus entered into this season of testing with joy, then we can assume He came out of the wilderness with even more joy, zeal, and fervor as He began the next stage of His ministry- preaching! (Mark 1:38)

Consider this zeal as we read in Mark 1:14b-15 these words, “...Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God, and saying, ‘The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of heaven is at hand; repent and believe the gospel!”

Psalm 2 helps us to understand the words, ‘the Good News of God’. This is a reference to how the Father had anointed Jesus as King and placing Him on His throne in Zion. (2,7) Jesus was given authority by His Father to obtain the nations for His heritage, and the ends of the earth for His possession. (8) Jesus was given authority to break them with a rod of iron and dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel. (9) However, Jesus first came to command all to take refuge in Him. If they do not His anger will be kindled and they will perish in the way (10-12). Sinful men may not honor the Son, but the Good News is that the Father has sent Jesus to be the Savior to all who will repent and believe. Therefore, Jesus came preaching repent and believe the Good News! (1:15)

For now I am going to pass over the opening words of verse 14, ‘Now after John was arrested’, and for the rest of our time we will focus on the words, “...Jesus went into Galilee, proclaiming the good news of God. ‘The time has come,’ he said, ‘The kingdom of God has come near. Repent and believe the good news!’” (Mt.4:12-17)

According to Psalm 2 many will not welcome God’s Christ as He is installed upon the throne of Zion, but there are many who will take refuge in Him. Many have looked for and waited expectantly for the time when God would act to fulfill His promise to send a Savior who would crush the head of the god of this world. (Genesis 3:15)

With the departure of John the Baptist drawing near (14a) and the coming of Jesus Christ (9-15), the Old Testament dispensation is coming to a close. (Hebrews 1:1-2) Ever since Genesis 3:15 the LORD has spoken about the coming of the Christ through covenants, prophets, types, and shadows and now in Mark 1:15 the person of whom these witnesses pointed is revealed and He is beginning to preach.

The verb translated ‘is fulfilled’ (πεπλήρωται) is passive. This signifies that the decisive moment in God’s redemptive plan has been brought about by God and not by any human action. This passive verb points to divine agency. The time has not fulfilled itself, nor has Israel fulfilled it- God is doing these things in accordance with the eternal counsel of His will. (Acts 4:27-28; Is.46:10; Eph. 1:11, LBC 3:1-7) This means:

• God has brought the prophetic timeline to completion.

• God has initiated the moment of His Kingdom’s arrival.

• God has acted decisively in history through Jesus and His Word.

The perfect tense of the verb ‘is fulfilled’ speaks of the fact that this is a completed action which continues to produce results. This means that the fulfillment of these things has already occurred with Jesus’ arrival and the effects of this continue on into the future. God’s kingdom is active and advancing towards a particular consummation and nothing can thwart God’s plan. (Is. 14:27; Job 42:2; Matthew 16:17) Therefore, repent and believe!

Jesus Christ identified with sinful men in His baptism. He underwent a season of temptation by Satan in the wilderness and was victorious! Now He has come out from the wilderness and begins preaching Good News to the people, saying, “Repent (imperative) and believe (imperative) the good news!”

Do you remember in that story I shared earlier where the people ran up to the man coming out of the wilderness and asked if he needed help? Remember that I said that Jesus did not need any help from us, we need His merciful and gracious help. We need this help more than we want to acknowledge. You see, we were born dead in our trespasses and sins. (Ephesians 2:1-3) We were spiritually blind, deaf, ignorant, and unable to respond to these imperative commands. (2 Cor. 4:3-4)

Just as God had brought this moment in time to pass concerning the Good News regarding Jesus Christ, He is also through the preaching of the Good News and the command to ‘repent’ and ‘believe’ raising spiritually dead people to life. He is healing the spiritually blind and deaf so that they can respond to the Good News.

• Paul describes it this way in 2 Corinthians 4:6, “For God, who said, ‘Let light shine out of darkness,’ has shone in our hearts to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

• The Baptist Confession states it this way, “The grace of faith enables the elect to believe so that their souls are saved; it is the work of the Spirit of Christ in their hearts.” (14.1)

Saving faith believes everything revealed in the Word of God to be true and it accepts, receives, and rests upon Jesus Christ alone for their justification, sanctification, and eternal life. Have you repented of your sins and turned to Jesus Christ for salvation? Is your faith of such a nature that it continues to look at Christ as you seek to walk out your sanctification by faith? (Philippians 2:12-13; Heb. 13:20-21) Are you facing a trial, tribulation, or test? Look to Christ and trust in Him alone.