Monday 11 Jan 2021

January 11: Mark 1:9-13
 
Key Verse: Mark 1:12
At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness,
 
Devotion:
What is the first thing which comes into your mind when you think about the baptism of Jesus? Is it the fact He came to John in human form and asked to be baptised just as everyone else was being baptised? Was it the fact the Spirit descended on Him like a dove from Heaven?
 
These are points which we need to remember and be thankful for, points which are very important and upon which many sermons have been preached – but I want to focus on what happens next... Have you been baptised? Can you remember it? I love the way baptisms are done in a small community church called church at five, based in East Finchley in London; or at least how they were done before COVID-19 set in!
 
The person being baptised is fully immersed in the pool and then the whole congregation gathers around the pool and prophesies over them. Yes, the whole congregation! Each one of us can listen to the spirit and tell others what the spirit it telling them! In Jesus’ case the spirit of God spoke out from Heaven... but it was not Jesus’ task to sit and soak up the spirit...
 
Instead, the spirit led Him out into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan! What would you have thought if your first task as a new Christian was to go out into the hardest, toughest and wildest place you can imagine and to be provoked as far as you could by a horrible person! Jesus needed to demonstrate to us we have the power to ignore evil when we have God on our side. God gives us the strength required through the Holy Spirit!
 
Points to Ponder:
How much do you rely on the Holy Spirit?
 
Will you step forward and expect the Holy Spirit to hold on tight today?