Sharper Iron: The Singular Authority of Jesus

Rev. Mark Preus from St. Andrew Lutheran Church in Laramie, Wyoming, studies Mark 1:1-13. Today’s study covers the historic hootenanny of the Q document, the singular authority of Jesus, the Mightier One coming, a battle with a demon, and when Jesus is cast out.

Mark 1:1-13

John the Baptist Prepares the Way

1 The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God.^[a]

²As it is written in Isaiah the prophet,^[b]

“Behold, I send my messenger before your face,
    who will prepare your way,
³the voice of one crying in the wilderness:
    ‘Prepare^[c] the way of the Lord,
    make his paths straight,’”

⁴John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. ⁵And all the country of Judea and all Jerusalem were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. ⁶Now John was clothed with camel’s hair and wore a leather belt around his waist and ate locusts and wild honey. ⁷And he preached, saying, “After me comes he who is mightier than I, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to stoop down and untie. ⁸I have baptized you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.”

The Baptism of Jesus

⁹In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. ¹⁰And 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. ¹¹And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son;^[d] with you I am well pleased.”

The Temptation of Jesus

¹²The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. ¹³And 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.