Church of the Apostles- Dawsonville, GA
In Mark 1:9–13, the Father speaks, the Spirit descends, and Jesus enters the wilderness to face temptation. In this episode of Under the Surface, we look more closely at Jesus’ relationship with the Holy Spirit and how it differs from ours, the beautiful picture of the Trinity as an eternal “dance” of love, and Mark’s intriguing detail that Jesus was “with the wild animals”—a phrase that may have carried particular weight for Christians facing persecution in Rome. New City Catechism Questions 3,19-23, 36-37.
In Mark 1:9–13, Jesus begins His ministry by being baptized and then led into the wilderness to face temptation. But why would the sinless Son of God submit to a baptism of repentance and endure temptation? Jesus came to identify with sinners, to succeed where Adam and Israel failed, and to live the life we could never live so that He could save us. As the second Adam, He stands in our place, perfectly trusting and obeying the Father. His example also teaches us how to face temptation: refusing its false promises and trusting what God has already declared. In a world constantly demanding that we prove our worth, Jesus reminds us that our hope is not found in our performance but in His perfect righteousness. We are not saved by our perfect record, but by His.
Under the Surface is a companion to our weekly sermon series, exploring some of the background, theology, and interesting details that didn’t make it into Sunday’s sermon. We’ll go beneath the surface of the text, connect what we’re learning to the New City Catechism, and consider how these truths shape the way we follow Jesus. Episode 1 — Mark 1:1–8 | Prepare the Way In our first episode, we go beneath the surface of Mark 1:1–8 to look at how Jesus’ teaching was reliably preserved through an oral culture and living eyewitnesses, why John the Baptist looks so much like Elijah, and the significance of his ministry taking place in the wilderness and at the Jordan River. We’ll also connect Mark’s opening portrait of Jesus to New City Catechism Questions 21–23 and why it matters that our Redeemer is both truly human and truly God.
In the opening words of Mark’s Gospel, we are confronted with the most important question we can ask: Who is Jesus? Mark introduces Jesus as the promised Messiah, the Son of God and Lord of all, while John the Baptist shows us how we meet him—with repentance, humility, and confidence not in ourselves but in Christ, the One who alone can make us new through the Holy Spirit.
Grace Heights Church
Grace Heights Church
Grace Heights Church
Grace Heights Church
Grace Heights Church
Grace Heights Church
Grace Heights Church
Grace Heights Church
2 Peter 2:1-10 1. Heresy is Real, Prevalent, and Destructive 2. God cand and will protect from heresy
2 Peter 2:1-10 1. Heresy is Real, Prevalent, and Destructive 2. God cand and will protect from heresy
Grace Heights Church
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