Jesus of Nazareth (Part A)

How ignorant they were of their own Scripture. Jonah was from Galilee.

Maybe Elijah and Elisha to not from there close to mail was likely from Galilee, so they just voiced their ignorance which is important for us to remember because so many people are rejecting Jesus Christ and don't even know who it is they are rejecting why it is totally in the dark. This is cross reference radio with our pastor and teacher Rick Gaston.

Rick is the pastor of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville.

Pastor Rick is currently teaching through the gospel of Mark. Please stay with us after today's message to hear more information about cross reference radio, specifically how you can get a free copy of this teaching, and now here's Pastor Rick in Mark chapter 1 with a brand-new study called Jesus of Nazareth Bible speaks open to the gospel according to Mark chapter 1 and we will read verses nine through 15 came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan and immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting in the spirit descending upon him like a dove, then a voice came from heaven, you are my beloved son in whom I am well pleased.

Immediately the Spirit drove him into the wilderness and he was there in the wilderness 40 days, tempted by Satan, and was with the wild beast and the angels minister to him now after John was put in prison. Jesus came to Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God and saying time is fulfilled, the kingdom of God is at hand repent and believe in the gospel. We are considering Jesus of Nazareth and his baptism is temptation in his public ministry. At least the beginning of his public ministry.

We look right now in verse nine came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan that came to pass in those days. Looking back, remember this gospel as with all the Gospels was written after the crucifixion and resurrection and ascension in the beginning of the church and Marco putting this together. Looking back at those days and there were no other days like the days when Christ walked Nazareth is in Galilee. It is the northernmost territory of Israel where it is highly populated. The most populated in the land at that time, but Nazareth is all was an extra obscure village is not even mentioned in the Old Testament. Josephus the historian, the great Jewish historian doesn't mention at the rabbinical writings of the town mood skip over another words was insignificant. Well, I was known for being a place of that she didn't want to be you didn't want to be from Nazareth almost any other place in Israel, but not there and contempt for Nazareth was widespread in Judea. They also had contempt for all the Galilee region, but especially Nazareth and the rabbis they just push that along. And yet Christ comes along and he's not a shame he's not ashamed to be from Nazareth. Of course, born in Bethlehem, but raised mostly in Nazareth and the later in his ministry. The rabbis, the religious leaders of his day, they will accuse him of not being qualified to be a prophet because, well, not only because were they going to specify all this Rita John chapter 7 verse 52 they're not speaking to him there speaking to those who are coming to his defense or hinting at coming to his offense of defense search and look for no profit has arisen out of Galilee. That was their disdain. It was also their ignorance. It also showed to us just how ignorant they were of their own Scripture. Jonah was from Galilee. Maybe Elijah and Elisha to if not from there close to mail him was likely from Galilee, so they just voiced their ignorance which is important for us to remember because so many people are rejecting Jesus Christ and don't even know who it is they are rejecting and why or just totally in the dark and that is why we are here so what what would keep God from any way of raising up a prophet from Galilee, from Nazareth, nothing which again speaks of the ignorance of the religious leaders of their day because they should've factored that in. They should've set well before we go saying no profits come from Israel, we better check our Bibles a number two.

So what if there weren't, maybe God will raise one from that area would not not be a blessing that is not how those boys did business. Also against the Galileans from the high-minded ones was their dialect, which was easily identified. Remember when Peter warmed himself by the fires in there at the where he wasn't supposed to be. They picked him out because he spoke like a Galilean of the grammatical errors that came from that part of the current country that mispronounced words, especially in the eyes of the Jew, the Jews that lived in Jerusalem. I remember Mark John Mark who is giving us this record of Christ life on earth. He is a Jerusalem Jew. He knows better is learn, but you cannot say that about all of them. In fact, in time, the Christians themselves recalled Nazarenes term of contempt. Of course, it marked that they were following Jesus of Nazareth and it was supposed to insult them and they took it with honor in acts chapter 24 in Paul's ministry. Here's what we hear from verse five. For we have found this man a play charging Paul the apostle of the creator of dissension among all the Jews throughout the world and a ringleader of the sect of Nazarenes and that he was just pouring it on thick against Paul course the Christians will get it from the Gentiles just as hard as you know, the Gentiles believe that the Romans. For example, were those of the world power.

That time they believe their gods were the ones it gave them prosperity and and get allowed them to be the great Roman Empire and that their gods were not appeased and treated the right way that God's wrath would be on them and so when the Christians came up. Of course, many of the Roman say they are challenging our gods is not good for us were going to have famine wars, the economy is going to fall apart and have disease and sickness. All this is bad. That's what the Christians were up against Satan. Still, business is notorious for falsely charging the righteous with the dirt that he does and blocking God out and getting folks to worship creation rather than the creator. And of course whenever you feel warm. It is because the planet is getting hot. The climate is changing because people have had fun sarcasm sorry sarcasm because they worship creation there.

That's up to its modest neopaganism that were dealing with those who hate people who don't agree with them that the planet is somehow going to just cook us all by 2021 anyway. He was baptized in the Jordan by John. It tells us here in verse one and was baptized by John in the Jordan John's baptism was one of repentance, not far from hours to cause repentance bill repentance belongs to baptism, the water baptism that we so we submit to.

But Jesus himself never had anything to repent of what is he doing coming to John asking to be baptized John when Jesus enters the water. He recognizes this markedly omits it but but Matthew picks it up, Matthew chapter 3 and John tried to prevent him, saying, I need to be baptized by you, and you are coming to me that moment the great fireball preacher John the Baptist people coming out of the water humbled by that did the sin because of his preaching about the righteousness of God in line with the prophets and their Jesus come to the water and John never saw eyes like this before.

You never saw in the face of any human being's sinlessness until now. At least he never recognized the voices here but Jesus answered and said to him, permitted to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness. And then he allowed in other words, Jesus said this is Scripture. Let's do it and John said yes yes Lord in any baptized him that moment Jesus is publicly identifying with the people he came to say it doesn't have to do that is so far ahead of us of much more exalted than we could ever dream to be and yet he humbles himself in the form of a servant, and he identifies with us ruined humanity that he felt was worth dying for. I could argue with him against. I will worth dying for. If you live down here. Yes, I have the would say I would lose the argument instantly. Of course we can see we can see the beauty of him saying I'm going to join you to get this at all the centuries that have passed all the horror and the tragedies, God is saying. I see all and it is a flash in the pan compared to eternity and if you come with me will get through this and if you do not, there is a consequence which will get to hopefully we get to the latter chapters but John writing his letter. His first one. He stresses this and we have seen and testify that the father has sent the son as Savior of the world.

John didn't need anybody to agree with him.

It would lower love to them for them to agree with him.

He didn't need his I saw him I was there I can take that from me, but I'm sharing it with you. We do the same.

To this day I have my salvation in Christ. I know in whom I believe I know who my Savior is and you do not have to agree with me for him to be my Savior but I was sure love for you to see the sin that you're guilty of you will stand before the Savior condemned unless you submit repent and confess him as Lord John's baptism it demanded repentance is no salvation without admission of sin, then or now the New Testament demands this God demanded in the Old Testament the altar started to say, repent, come to God and admitted you are a sinner and you'd cause death in heaven.

Instantly, if you got there the way you are now why you not getting in. You are now. Jesus changes us in this life. The process begins with the greater part happens when we are changing moment in the twinkling of an eye at death, which is the beginning of life of the believer. Nothing was as perfect as Christ and this this Lord who died for us. This you must repent of your sins, you cannot excuse them trivialize them. It marks the cross.

It mocks why he died.

False believers refused to admit it still go to church. They still want to be received as part of the body, but they don't want to battle sin, insisting they are saved without confessing their sin. They do this and it is the work of Satan. Satan said to battle him through Ballin. If you can conquer the Jews corrupt them still doing this very effective and Christians begin to feel sorry for the other for the confessor for the churchgoers of those who say that Christians will not deal with this internecine of patting them on the back Ballin to deal with this in first Corinthians is you guys are boring and the wrong things you think you're being kind and gentle but you're actually causing a lot of damage to confess Christ and remain brazen and penitent and sin is a spirit of defiance, not submission is the kingdom of heaven, not the kingdom of 11 that is what he offers to us and we're not perfect. When not at all saying the impenitent one, that all were better than you what we are saying is we cannot pretend with Jesus Christ and he will pretend with us and these things have to be brought to the light, the water baptism says it's a sermon it says I am guilty before God and the old me dies goes under the water and the new me forgiven comes out in life and life in Christ for Christ is pictured his death on the cross, not his admission of sin, though he became sin for us, he took ours and we died on the cross he died is usually died is me when he comes out of the water. John's baptism, he speaks of course the resurrection that you cannot hold him down, put it this way. The Son of Man is come to seek and to save that which was lost. Baptism. It became a living symbol and it is one. To this day crossing the empty tomb verse 10 now, he says, and immediately coming up from the water, he saw the heavens parting in the spirit descending upon him like a dove there again. Mark uses that word is going to be, you know uses it three times more than all the other gospels put together immediately for arson. The Greek it indicates for Mark and in his record that a great event is about to happen. Doesn't mean a separate event necessary, but the meat is a dramatic moment going to take place right now. Don't miss it. In his rapidfire style of courses we covered in the introduction of Mark, the Roman mind to whom he was writing they appreciated action and so he's giving it to them. So is there reading this you know any came up out of the water and immediately instantly and that is significant to us and let's not waste it separates dramatic events by that word immediately coming up from the water story of one rising up as well as the one who will rise again. I think there's more here, but I can't bring it out because he's coming up out of the water and the Holy Spirit is coming down as a dove, and it is a very beautiful picture.

I'd stand in line for that I want to see that I was I would be there for that first John again. He writes cease in the says for this purpose, the son of God was manifested, that he might destroy the works of the devil and is being manifested right now. In other words, God is going to pull back the curtain in heaven and say this is my beloved son is going to do it right there in front of John the Baptist was baptizing him and whoever else was in the vicinity. It appears so. We read in verse 10 he saw the heavens parting of the pronoun he is referred to John does refer to Jesus when antecedent is clearly Jesus he's been talking about Jesus but John sought to but it's not said here is said in John the apostles gospel. So it was not a private vision.

It would've been somewhat wasted. So the vision took place. There were eyewitnesses and then Mark and all the other writers of the gospel. Make sure it gets into print so we become eyewitnesses through the ages. John's gospel chapter 1 verse 32 and John were witnessing. I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and remained upon him one time when I was doing a baptism at the river. Those of you remember at the farm 11 fuel farm fields farm week doing a baptism there and this dragonfly landed on my head was in a dove like system aright is cute and everything but no one else witnessed it. Because the heavens didn't part with the heavens parted every body would have been there on it anyway this the heavens parting being in this there is a spiritual event. There was something else going on. This was not standard something outside of our routine was taking place in this activity from in from heavens so I was in the approval of course the prophetic connection God was saying to the witnesses, which we now are part of Isaiah chapter 60 40 that you would rend the heavens that you would come down here it is in heaven is opened and God is coming down the Trinity is involved here. The sun being baptized the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove symbol of the emblem of a dove me the Holy Spirit wasn't the dove comes down as a dove. And of course the father speaks, in other words, this was no coincidence. Again Isaiah chapter 42 behold my servant whom I uphold my elect one in whom my soul delights. I put my spirit upon him, he will bring forth justice to the Gentiles. Just describe the ministry of Christ. He's describing everything we're going to hopefully get to this morning. In these verses from verse 9 to 15 Isaiah 42 is the outline for this. The prophet called it already.

So again is not a coincidence. No one else can fulfill this. And so, as the angel announced his birth at Bethlehem, the appearance of the Holy Spirit in the in the emblem of with this emblem of the dove was used to announce his public ministry. So the angel announce he's here he is born of a virgin. Now the announcement is now he's beginning his public ministry.

Of course he ministered wherever he was before this but this is.

This is a big step. It will only last about little over three years and however again. Many were present. They became witnesses. The spiritual activity in the physical dimension never was there a time where he was not without the spirit not full of the spirit.

But again, these these things are done for those who were witnessing these things and you can bet when they got home they began to talk about it and the word was beginning to spread and so when his ministry ramped up. They want cold. They had a preview of these things hi I find that often the case in our own lives. Wherever we witness you may get a new job or new person comes in your life and they get a glimpse of the Christianity, but they don't yet get the gospel then in time.

Having had that glimpse the opportunity arises and you are able to open up to them a reason for the hope that is in you and this emblem of the dove courses. It is harmless. The dove I mean you don't name a interrater battalion. The fighting dogs just doesn't put too much fear in the enemy, but the gentle to end that the Holy Spirit is he not that way with us is not that way with the bid, the patience of God. There's nothing like it got me.

I'm the one is says and messed up don't agree, please not now. And God says Anna come on now. We got things to do that here to slam you will recall God ever speaking to me in a nasty tone or or even yelling at me. I been convicted and heavy heavily convicted, but it's always been to a gentle touch told the story before when I was in the military I came home on leave once and I'm driving and my moms in the backseat and I was not a Christian then I was totally into the world and the world was totally into me and somebody did something on the roads are so surprising that that cause me to let out an expletive that I mean I would never talk that way around. My mother around the guise of problem mom never ever ever.

And those assignments and I knew it was a mistake and I could not appeal only if they had just been on ship with a bunch of nut I go I say and then after a long pause she said you have a disgusting mouth hold me to this more as I'm standing here it's her.

I want to duck down, and I why am I confessing it to you just as terrible as a distant decision knowing this is you never brought up again, this is still my mom and nothing changed contacts enough love that face but anyway, the Holy Spirit is so gentle and kind and if I have learned Jesus and my sheep know my voice if you want to know the voice of God. You'll find is never rude extent of the door. He knocks his gentleman kicked in the house doesn't do that you learn and dwell in the voice of God speaking. If it is damning tone. It's not.

It's in a constructive truthful tone.

It's him who thinks for tuning in to cross reference radio for this study in the book of Mark cross reference radio is the teaching ministry of Pastor Rick Gaston of Calvary Chapel Mechanicsville in Virginia to learn more information about this ministry. Visit our website cross reference radio.com once you're there you'll find additional teachings from Pastor Rick.

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