The Heavens Were Torn Apart

Matt. 3:17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased." I don't know if you've been baptized - but my baptism was a fairly ordinary affair.  Don't get me wrong, it was really special for me - but it was - well - ordinary.  On the other hand - when Jesus was baptized - Mark tells us that as Jesus was coming up out of the water the heavens were torn apart and the Spirit descended on Him like a dove and a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Unreal - if that had been me, I'd be thinking - "I am on a fast track here to success in the Kingdom of God."  But what happens next to Jesus blows me away.  Listen to how Mark puts it: And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the desert.  He was in the wilderness for forty days, tempted by Satan..." From this amazing baptism where God shows up…to being driven by this same God into the wilderness to starve - to be alone and weak and vulnerable - to be tempted by the devil. I want to ask you a question - what does that tell us about God?

~J. T. Stin~