“One day Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee, and John baptized Him in the Jordan River. As Jesus came up out of the water, He saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on Him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, ‘You are My dearly loved Son, and You bring Me great joy.’” (Mark 1:9-11 NLT)
In the Greek language, Mark’s Gospel uses strong words to describe what happened when Jesus was baptized. The translators of the New Living Translation of the Bible describe the event this way: “He saw the heavens splitting apart and the Holy Spirit descending on Him.” Mark is the only Gospel writer to use a Greek word that doesn’t just mean “open” but “tear.” Mark wants us to know that God “ripped open” heaven and sent His Spirit to descend upon Jesus. This was a cosmic event of epic proportions even though it was happening in nowhere Israel under the ministry of an insignificant, self-appointed prophet named John. Things would be different in the universe after this event, according to Mark.
What happens next defends Mark’s position. The ancient Rabbi’s taught that when God speaks, “the daughter of His voice,” or “the echo of His voice,” is heard. But Mark does not record God’s voice in this way. Instead, Mark says that the very voice of Jesus’ heavenly Father spoke words of approval over His Son. “You are My dearly loved Son, and You bring Me great joy.” John’s baptism of Jesus serves as a declaration to the world across time that Jesus was and is the Son of God.
-- Jorge Acevedo in “Everybody Needs Some Cave Time: Meeting God in Dark Places”
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