Mark's Gospel starts not with the timeless story of the Nativity, but with the Baptism of Jesus in the River Jordan.
He immediately plunges straight into showing that Jesus is not just an ordinary man, but someone divine in origin and destined for greatness. Straight after being baptised, Jesus saw 'heaven torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove'.
It's a very dramatic scene, isn't it?! It raises questions about what heaven is or looks like - is Mark talking about the clouds in the sky? And it leaves us wondering what the 'Spirit' might be - some kind of divine power, divine inspiration, a spark of God descending onto Jesus and ordaining him with a religious mission?
This is a passage very rich in symbolism. Isn't it the case that when each of us decides to commit our lives to God - symbolised by the Baptism - that we receive that spark of the Spirit in our lives? That we find we are living with a greater energy, a greater purpose, with the support of the divine as we go about our daily lives? Buddhist monks talk about the greater presence and purpose they find as a result of meditation practice. In the same way, Christians can find a greater purpose in their day by focusing their lives on the divine.
It's then so interesting to read what the Spirit does next. Because the Spirit does not transform his life into eternal joy, prosperity and celebration. Oh no! The spirit immediately sends him, we read, into the wilderness. It is time for Jesus to face temptation.
Why would God do this? Why would he send his chosen one to suffer in this way? We need to be tested in life. We need to face challenges in order to grow, to develop empathy, and to become more rounded and grounded human beings. Jesus needed this time of spiritual struggle and reflection in order to the be fully formed and learn things about both himself, his divine calling, and the message he would be proclaiming to the world.
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