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Jesus was more than a good man - a healer - a teacher - Jesus is the Saviour and Lord - Jesus Christ - the Saviour who is anointed with the Holy Spirit.

The Queen was anointed with the CHRISM - with oil - to be Queen - and to reign. Jesus is the anointed king - anointed with the Holy Spirit. We have looked at the opening words of the Gospel of Mark. This is Mark's account of the Good News - the Gospel of Jesus Christ. There is not one opinion in this whole book. This is where it all began, and this has transformed thousands of lives and societies over these past 2,000 years. Perhaps we need to know these truths all over again, and change and transform our surroundings and environment. Some people will spend more time researching a new washing machine or a new car than the Gospel of eternal salvation. It is all about news that comes to us, and not instructions and regulations. It is about a person - the Messiah - the Christ. This is all about Jesus the Saviour who is the anointed King, and He is the Son of God. This is about a King, who was also a Shepherd, who would protect and feed and water the flock. One hears of people reading and studying biographies. There is nothing amiss about that - but here is an account of an important part in the life of the Son of God. To read and study this is so rewarding and enriching. Mark is writing in a time of great persecution. Many were already in prison in Rome and elsewhere. All this Gospel preaching and teaching was troublesome and controversial. This King was being preached and some did not like it - and still some do not like it. Mark tells us at the start about John the Baptist - who lived in the desert - in the wilderness - a place of desolation. This is where John lived. He did not have good food and nice clothes. John was raised up by God to get people ready for the coming of Jesus. John was raised up to fulfil prophecy. John had a prophetic voice - but John was only a voice - compared with Jesus. Isaiah said this would happen. Malachi also prophesied that someone would have to come to clean up the people for the coming of the King. John was the messenger who would get the road sorted out so that Jesus could reach and touch people's hearts. Israel had been waiting 400 years for this to happen - that is like - from the time of The Reformation til today. People went out to see and hear this man. He was wearing dress similar to that of Elijah. John came preaching - he had a specific message - you need your sins forgiven. This is still man's greatest need - to have your sins forgiven. Our God is a pardoning God. John preached the need for forgiveness - calling people to repent and turn around - I have been living wrong and I turn away from my sin, to God. As a sign of their repentance, John took people into the waters of the Jordan River and baptised them. We know the word baptise means to dip or soak or dunk or drench or plunge. This is a word which has never been translated into English in any Bible I have seen. It is always been transliterated. John was saying - do you want to be clean from head to toe - do you want your conscience cleaned - then come to me and I will dip and plunge you in the waters of the Jordan. Have you ever watched sheep being dipped? This is done to get rid of anything that should not be there - and the last part to go under is the head. This is what John preached. These people had been circumcised. Jesus was baptised to fulfil all righteousness and Jesus says, "Follow Me". Matthew explains that. These people needed cleansing. John knew it and Almighty God knew it. John pointed to someone else. There is someone coming after me. In the order of slaves, the second lowest slave would untie the sandals, but the role of the lowest slave was to wash the feet. Jesus would stoop even lower than the second lowest slave. John Chapter 13. This one who is coming can do what I cannot do. He can baptise you in the Holy Spirit. He can soak you and drench you and immerse you and baptise you with, or in, the Holy Spirit. John is preaching about pardon and power in these opening few verses. Verse 9 - John saw his cousin, Jesus. Jesus wanted to be baptised, and John did not want to baptise Jesus. We read of that in Matthew 4. Did John want in his heart of hearts to be baptised with the Holy Spirit by Jesus? Of course, that day had not yet arrived. Verse 10 - When Jesus was coming up out of the water, the Holy Spirit was seen to be descending upon Jesus, like a dove. Jesus did not preach a single sermon until He was anointed with the Holy Spirit, nor perform any miracles. This same Holy Spirit is available to you and me today. This makes me want to make this year count. This makes me want to make every moment count. Verse 11 - God speaks. There is a voice - Psalm 2 and Isaiah 42 are quoted. These are words to a Sovereign and to a servant - with whom I am well pleased. There is here such a significant combination of the highest and the lowest. Here we see the Servant King - the One who washes feet while wearing a crown. Jesus Christ can go anywhere. He was sent out into the wilderness - into the desert - for 40 days - six weeks. He was not alone. There were wild animals and angels - and the enemy of God. The details are recorded in the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. From the beginning, Jesus Christ was engaged in spiritual warfare. We see who Jesus is, and we are told who Jesus is. We hear people say - we have to get back to Christian values and Christian ways and to the Scriptures - well, here we are. Is this what people mean when they say that? Mark goes right into telling us how Jesus Christ calls and changes people, and we will look at that next.

"Chip Shots from the Ruff of Life" from Tom Kelley

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