Reflecting on Mark 1:9-13“You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11)
As a Jesus follower, I see Jesus as more than just another human.
Jesus is fully human like us, and yet there is more going on in Him.
I am not referring to His divine origins, but to Who He represents.
This brief reading could be seen and a new creation story.
Echoing Genesis 1, in the chaos of the waters the Spirit moves.
The heavens are separated, and a Voice speaks.
Jesus, like Adam, is a son of God (Luke 3:38), loved by God.
Immersed in the fullness of God’s love, Jesus is blessed.
He is with the animals and the angels, but He is set apart like Adam.
The Spirit settles on Him, and He is set apart from the others (Genesis 2).
And then the Spirit allows Him to be tested by the devil (Genesis 3).
This sounds amazing, but we also need to see this as our story too.
We are all created, blessed and immersed in the fullness of God’s love.
The Spirit gives life to all, and God does love all people as His children.
We are supported by animals and angels, yet set apart to rule for God.
And we are tested by the devil too… and here the difference begins.
What makes Jesus different is that for the first time, a human does not fall.
The serpent successfully dethrones each one of us daily, but not Jesus.
In Jesus, for the first time, an Adam (meaning humanity) resists Satan.
A God-like human being passes the test, and the serpent is beaten.
Now we are in new territory, for now we are back in the Genesis 1 kingdom.
The kingdom of God is this creation un God-like humanity ruling as God intended.
Jesus has reclaimed the throne lost in Genesis 3, and ever reclaimed since then.
All authority in heaven and earth, once assigned to Adam, is returned to Jesus.
Jesus is in charge, and Satan is defeated, and the curse is reversed.
Now life, not death, is the operative word.
And all who are in this Adam, are restored as God’s children too.
God sees humanity (Adam) in Jesus and says to us what is said to Jesus:
“You are my child, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Mark 1:11)
The question for us is how we will respond to this Adam.
Will we surrender ourselves to this Adam, or stick with the first one?
Will we allow the Spirit of Jesus to remake us in God’s likeness?
That is, in the character of selfless, other-serving love.
Love for God and love for people, worked out in all our ways?
We don’t have to do it perfectly, Jesus did that for us.
We don’t have to beat Satan, Jesus did that for us.
But we do have to choose which Adam to follow.
The good news of the kingdom is more than just being forgiven.
God in Jesus is making creation “very good” again.
We are not just forgiven, we are restored to fellowship with God.
We are restored as sons and daughters of God, to reign WITH, LIKE and FOR Him.
Jesus is not just another human being.
Jesus is the One that resets the world back to God’s loving goodness.
The serpent is crushed, and Adam and Eve are back on the throne, with Jesus.
We reign like Jesus, as servants of love and goodness.
Not by might, not by power but by the Spirit and the fruit of the Spirit!
We do not overcome evil with force, but with goodness, the Jesus Way.
As in Jesus, so in us, love triumphs, covering over a multitude of sins!
Like God, I want to say: Jesus is God’s Son, Whom I love, and am well-pleased.
Like Jesus I want to hear: I am God’s child, whom God loves and is well-pleased.
This is the “very good” (Genesis 1:31) news of the kingdom!
PRAYER
Lord Jesus, thank You for making all things new - for me, for everyone, and for all creation. Your love and goodness inspire me, and encourage me that love and goodness will triumph. Satan and evil cannot beat us, because they did not beat You!
May the Voice of God penetrate the chaos of our world so that people can hear God say "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased." May people hear God's Voice of love and goodness through me, so that they can be restored as well!