Mark 1:9-11  Jesus is Baptized and Verified.  John was rather disturbed at Jesus coming for immersion. He felt that it would be better to be baptized by Jesus (Matt 3:13-17). The purpose of this immersion was not for repentance, it was to set the record straight for His ministry on earth. When we look to Torah, the Levites were washed and cleansed prior to their commission as priests before God (Numbers 8). The entire tribe was cleansed and offered as a wave offering before the Lord (Num 8:21).

We discussed immersion in the previous few verses to indicate returning to Torah. It was a matter of turning from a path that led away from Torah to one that followed Torah. Baptism or immersion can be used in a different way. In the case of Yeshua, He used it to indicate a redirection of His life. He was immersed, then changed direction from being a carpenter’s son to entering His earthly ministry. The purpose of immersion was not for repentance. It was a public declaration that His life was taking on a new direction.

Picture this in your mind, Jesus comes out of the water, and the heavens divide, then the Spirit of God descends on Jesus head like a dove, along with the Father speaking in an audible voice from Heaven.  What a picture.  What a verification of Jesus’ ministry.  Yet it goes ignored.  The religious of that day either did not hear it or did not believe it to be true.

This event is extremely important. God spoke from heaven to verify that Jesus was His son. This is a very unique statement. When Luke went through the Genealogy, each person was spoken of as “the son of”, right down to Adam (Luke 3:38). Adam was identified as the “son of God”. The idea was that Adam was brought into existence by God. Jesus was brought into existence only through the power of God.

The term “beloved” is interesting. To my knowledge we do not have an English word which translates the idea of the Greek. The Greek root for this is “agapetos”. There are several types of love in the Greek language. For example, Phileo or philadelphia is brotherly love, the type that reciprocates. I love you and in response, you love me back. Eros is the sexual type of love. Agape is a type of love that gives without expecting any return on the effort. It is an unselfish love that gives even if hate is given in return. This type of love does not expect or require any response at all. It is freely given. This makes the love unique and nearly impossible to find.

When the Father identified Jesus as the “agapetos son”, it tweaks our thinking. Jesus was a gift freely given to mankind. On the other side of the coin, Jesus was by nature “agape”. He lived His life pouring God’s restoring life into mankind. There are many occasions where Jesus healed people and they did not follow His instructions afterward. He gave freely without expecting a response. His name meant “salvation”. His nature was to give without expecting a response. His purpose was to return people to Torah for redemption through His own sacrifice which was freely given to all.

I wonder when the original biblical translators ran across this word how the discussion went. First of all, the word “love” is not adequate. Perhaps their thought was to create a new word “beloved” and let the chips fall where they may. The word was not placed there as a concession to the inadequacy of English though. It pointed back to a significant prophecy.

Jeremiah was disturbed over the wickedness in the world. He was disturbed that wicked people prospered. Then he pleaded with God for justice for the righteous. Read Jeremiah 12:1-6. God’s response is interesting. He speaks of His people as “beloved” (Jer 12:7). There is an extension of this response that quickly turns from the people of God to a picture of the coming Messiah (Jer 12:7-17). God will send the Messiah. The rejection of the Messiah will bring about judgment on the land. Yet, God will restore His people in the end. Read Jeremiah 12 for context.

Beloved then carries more than just an endearing term. It identifies Jesus as the instrument of judgment and love that God has sent to earth to carry forth His purpose. This same idea is put forth in Isaiah 5:1-7. God is noticeably upset since people are in distress due to a lack of the knowledge of God (Isa 5:12-13).

When we see the Father refer to Jesus as “beloved”, it is the very picture and endorsement of Him as the Messiah. It identifies who Jesus really is and what His purpose on earth was.

Mark 1:12-13: Then Jesus departed for His time of testing in the wilderness.  Notice the urgency!  He went into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan, and to prepare for His ministry on earth.  Yeshua was alone at this time. This time of testing was the preparation for the ministry. Mark does not dwell on the details.