PODCAST
God’s Smile
December 29th, 2015
Mark 1:9-20
Jesus spent His three years of public ministry radically obeying His Father. He began by lining up at the Jordan River to be baptized by John. Although Mark doesn’t say a lot about this scene in his Gospel, Matthew devotes a good deal of ink to it. Dumbfounded that the Son of God came to him, John protested (Matthew 3:13-14). He didn’t even feel worthy to untie the straps of His sandals (Mark 1:7).
John was right. How did it look to have the sinless Lamb of God slosh into the same river where sinners had been immersed? What would people think? However, looks didn’t matter to Jesus; obeying His Father did. As John raised Him out of the Jordan and the water drained from His ears, Jesus heard the smile of love and approval in His Father’s voice. That set the tone for Jesus’ dynamic ministry that was centered on pleasing the Father (John 8:29).
What is God asking us to do? How will it look to others? It doesn’t matter. It’s okay if we turn heads–as long as we make God smile.
Author: Sherri Langton
