God's Excitement

 The gospel of Mark is often called the "action gospel". It reads more like a movie screen play than an epic story like the book of Luke might. Mark doesn't mince words or add a lot of unnecessary details. He gives us just the facts at a brisk, and sometimes even terse, pace. As I was reading through this fast-paced account of Jesus's life a scene in the very first chapter struck me. It is just as Jesus is being baptized by John the Baptist. Jesus is beginning His earthly ministry. Read what Mark 1:10 says:

Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water,

 he saw heaven being torn open 

and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.

A few things to notice. First, Jesus is not only being anointed by physical water, He is also being seen as chosen by God for the ministry He will be doing. The dove that descended from heaven was the Holy Spirit coming to fill Jesus with the power of God. This is huge to both the people at the time who saw Jesus being baptized, and also to us now. We can be assured that Jesus has always had the divine anointing of His Father to save the lives of the lost. 

Second,  the heavens were torn open. Can you feel the excitement of God? He had been waiting centuries for the reconciliation of creation. For what had been lost in the Garden of Eden to find the map back to relationship with their Creator. God is filled with glee and joy to finally put into motion what the Trinity has been waiting for. That is how excited God gets about you, dear friend. He tore open

the way back to heaven for us. Not by ritual or sacrifice. Not by rote prayers or daily spiritual practices. God tore open the way  to heaven by sending Jesus to bear our sins on a cross. Knowing the full extent of that pain and agony. But also knowing the victory and clear path the resurrection would bring. 

Finally, Jesus saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending. Jesus knew, as He maybe had known His entire life, that He was being set apart. Jesus saw how much God wanted Him to be on Earth as God's ambassador to us. Jesus had known since the creation of the world what His role would be in that reconciliation we would need. Jesus fully and completely participated in that work. The Holy Spirit continues it through us now. 

Let us not miss the fact that as joyfully as God celebrated Jesus beginning His earthly ministry to the world, that's how fully God celebrates us joining Him in spreading the gospel message. The same way God tore opens the heavens for the Spirt to descend on Jesus, that's how fully He pours out the Holy Spirit onto each of us. You are celebrated, my dear one. Your Father in Heaven has the store houses of heaven waiting to pour out on you. You don't have to make yourself worthy, Christ has already done that for you. Come join the Trinity and embrace God's excitement of you.