“The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God… Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, ‘You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.’ The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.” (Mark 1:1, 12-13)
Jesus had no need to repent and be forgiven, so why was he baptized? To enter into complete solidarity with us, to live on behalf of sinners (in order “to fulfill all righteousness,” Matthew records). He will confess our sins for us, secure forgiveness for us. Through baptismal union with his people, as our representative, he can restore our humanity. He can fix what we broke, do right what we’ve always done wrong, and he will do it for us. His Father approves, and declares his love upon his Son’s baptism, as if to say, “Yes, that’s the Son I know and love! Well done!” The Spirit poured out confirms the Son’s relationship with the Father as the New Adam, as the representative of the new humanity in solidarity with him.
And, without delay, the Spirit drives Jesus out into the wilderness. This is no cruelty. God is setting the stage for the great recapitulation. The first Adam had been naming the living creatures in the idyllic garden; the second Adam was cast out among the wild beasts in the chaotic wilderness. The first man abdicated his responsibility and let his wife face the temptation; the second Man went out to rescue his Bride. The first temptation was about icing on the cake, a pleasant fruit in the midst of the fullness of all good provision; the second temptation was about survival, bread for the starving. The first humans caved in the blink of an eye; the New Human went toe-to-toe with the devil for 40 days… and emerged victorious as our Champion. Angels posed the threat of death to Adam for his rebellion against God, preventing his entrance into the garden and glory; angels ministered to Jesus for his allegiance to God, and ultimately praised him in the garden of his resurrection glory (Mark 16:5-7). Where our first parents—and every single one of us since—failed, Jesus Christ succeeded, on our behalf. He is the true King that Adam was meant to be, and he is our King. The kingdom of God has come in the person of the King, and this is the great reality that wins our faith and fuels our repentance (Mark 1:15).
And this is just “the beginning of the good news.”
