SOAP Mark 1:10-11

21/7/05
SOAP: Mark 1:10-11

Scripture:
10 As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
11And a voice came from heaven: "You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased."

Observation
Jesus was NOT baptized for His own sins, because He was absolutely guiltless. His baptism gave approval to the ministry of John and was an act of dedication to His own ministry. In fact – he intended for much more, he was totally identifying with the people He came to save. This is incarnation in its fullest essence. Giving up His deity and exalted status in heaven, incarnate (to put on the flesh) to become one of us!
Heaven opens. The Holy Spirit descended upon him like a dove. Some would say in may not necessary be a visible dove but possibly, the visible moving of the air through the fluttering of a dove’s wings while landing.
A voice spoke! God the Father is making a point here – Telling all of humanity – “Jesus is my Son, whom I love and I am pleased.” As though the Father is not allowing us to mistake Jesus as just any human – the divine declaration and affirmation from on high confirms that.

Application
Living the incarnational life is the calling of every believer in Christ. We should serve to identify and emphasize with other’s plight. Willing to condescend and be secured in our status.
Only those who are insecure as to who they are will constantly points to their superiority and patronize others in their words and action.
The Holy Spirit empowers the one who choose to serve the higher purposes of God and His kingdom.
Our security comes in our son-ship relation with the Father through Christ’s redemption. Jesus said that we are no longer servants who serve with fear and trepidation. We are more than friends – The Lord desires to reveal His heartbeat to us. Just as Abraham was call a “friend of God” and the Lord revealed things to him before the destruction of the two sin cities. (Gen 18:17) Son-ship speaks of maturity and participation - an ability to suffer, to wage war and inherit the manifold riches and blessings of God.

Prayer
Father of creation, mercy and grace, thank you for sending your one and only son to seek and save us all. Dear Lord Jesus, you have shown us your incarnational life. Your total identification with us, chose to limit your self with the same temptation and the limitation of time and space. You have shown us the will of the father – to redeem and restore humanity back to you. You have modelled for us perfect submission, dependence, growth and maturity so beautifully. Continue to baptize and fill me with the fire of the Holy Spirit to live the real incarnational life through your grace Lord! Revive us and your church oh Lord! I pray in Jesus' name.