馬可福音1:9-13 Mark 1:9-13
- 馬克牧師
- Jan 3
- 10 min read
參考書目：每日靈糧天路系列 - 馬可福音讀經
耶穌受洗
（太3‧13－17；路3‧21－22）
9那時，耶穌從加利利的拿撒勒來，在約旦河裏受了約翰的洗。 10他從水裏一上來，就看見天裂開了，聖靈彷彿鴿子，降在他身上。 11又有聲音從天上來，說：「你是我的愛子，我喜悅你。」
各位平安，我們今天分享《馬可福音》1:9–13 的經文。
《馬可福音》的經文不長，但信息量非常大，有一種「濃縮版福音」的感覺：常常一兩句話裡面，就含有很多重要內容。我們今天就一句一句來看。
首先是第九節：「耶穌從加利利的拿撒勒來到約旦河，受約翰的洗。」這句話交代了耶穌的家鄉——「加利利的拿撒勒」。拿撒勒是一個小鄉村，在耶穌的時代並不起眼：不在舊約常見的城市名單裡，也不在主要幹道上，只是一個農村與工人的聚落。說得直白一點，就是人眼中那種「鳥不生蛋的鄉下地方」。
你會記得在《約翰福音》裡，拿但業一聽到腓力提到耶穌，就嗤之以鼻地說：「拿撒勒還能出什麼好的嗎？」（約 1:46）可見拿撒勒在當時並沒有什麼特殊之處。而耶穌也常常被稱為「拿撒勒人耶穌」。
但你會發現，上帝就是用這樣一個不起眼的小地方、這樣一個不起眼的家庭、這樣一個卑微的起點來成就祂的計畫。這是一個任何人都想不到的地方，也是一個任何人都想不到的方式。所以保羅在《羅馬書11:33》裡感嘆上帝的智慧無法測透，
33深哉，神豐富的智慧和知識！
他的判斷何其難測！
他的蹤跡何其難尋！
接下來下半句，耶穌來受約翰的洗。這一段四福音書都有記載，並且都記錄了三位一體的上帝同時顯現的景況：天父的聲音從天上來宣告：這是我的愛子，我喜悅你。聖靈如鴿子降在耶穌身上，而道成肉身的聖子耶穌剛從水裡出來。三位一體的上帝在這裡彰顯。
不過很多人都問過一個問題：為什麼耶穌要受約翰悔改的洗禮？他不是無罪嗎？他是唯一一個沒有犯過罪的人。所以他也是唯一一個不需要悔改的人。那為何他要來受約翰的洗禮？
耶穌受洗，有幾層重要的含義。首先，這是他回應呼召，開始他事工的重要“徵兆“。上帝親自從天上說話，給這一件事情做了確認。
接著，是為了要完整他在地上的人生。
在其他的福音書我們可以看到一些端倪。馬太福音3:14記載施洗約翰要阻止耶穌，說明明是我該受你的洗，怎麼你來讓我施洗呢？耶穌接著說：「你暫且許我，因為我們理當這樣盡諸般的義。」祂來到人間，就是要真實地進入我們的人生，經歷和我們一樣的道路、一樣的過程。祂不需要認罪，但為了完全與我們認同，祂在禮儀上也選擇與我們一樣，走過同樣的步驟。祂完全活得像一個人，為要與我們有完全相同的人生經驗。
第三個層面是，聖經告訴我們，所有受洗的人，都是與基督「同釘十字架」（羅馬書6:3 - 4）。我們與耶穌受洗的不同在於：我們把罪交給了祂，而祂把祂的義賜給了我們。同樣是受洗，我們失去的是罪，得著的是義；但耶穌所做的，卻是用祂的義，來承擔並交換我們的罪。
接下來，馬可又用非常快的節奏寫了兩句話：「聖靈就把耶穌催到曠野去。」在《馬太福音》和《路加福音》中，這一段有更多的細節描述，而那兩位作者都只說聖靈「引」耶穌到曠野；但馬可卻用了一個更強烈的字——「催」到曠野。這個用字顯示出馬可敘事的速度明顯更快，也再次強調一件事：這不是偶然發生的事情，而是上帝的旨意之一，是由聖靈主動帶領的。
接著我們看到，耶穌在曠野裡被撒但試探，長達四十天之久。「四十天」在以色列的信仰傳統中，本來就是一個極具象徵性的長時間。我們看到《出埃及記》中，摩西在山上四十天；《列王紀》中，以利亞吃了天使所給的食物，力量支撐他走了四十天。這個數字，常常代表一段被試煉、被塑造、被預備的重要時期。
這裡提到的「撒但」，我們一般都知道指的是魔鬼，但這個詞本身還有更深一層的意思。「撒但」的原意是「敵對者」，也就是與上帝、與基督為敵的那一位；同時，它還有另一個重要的意思，叫做「控訴者」。我們在《約伯記》中就清楚看到這個角色：即使約伯本身沒有什麼問題，撒但仍然控訴他，說如果上帝不再保護、不再祝福他，約伯就一定會轉而咒罵神。換句話說，撒但是一個不斷控告人的存在。
而這個控訴者，不只是用謊言來控告人。當我們回到《馬太福音》和《路加福音》的記載時，就會發現，撒但甚至會斷章取義聖經的話語來試探耶穌。這一點其實不需要太意外，因為撒但原本就是天使長之一，曾經在上帝面前服事過祂；只是因為私慾，想要奪取上帝的榮耀，最終墮落。但牠對上帝的話語，確實是非常熟悉的。
也正因如此，身為基督徒，我們必須格外小心。新約裡多次提醒，在末後的世代，會有假先知、假使徒出現，他們濫用、扭曲聖經的話語，卻不是為了福音，而是為了滿足自己的私慾。這也是為什麼基督徒一定要學習分辨，清楚知道什麼是真理、什麼不是；因為對聖經的斷章取義是對於教會最大的危險，造成的破壞會引領一整代人走偏。
最後，馬可用一句非常簡短、卻充滿張力的話來結束這一段：「祂在曠野四十天，受撒但的試探，並與野獸同在；且有天使來伺候祂。」
這一句話其實非常有畫面感。首先，「與野獸同在」，讓我們看見耶穌所處的環境是真實而危險的，不是象徵性的試煉，而是身處在一個充滿威脅、充滿荒涼的地方。耶穌不是站在安全的距離之外看待人的苦難，而是親自走進人所可能面對的最艱難處境之中。
但同時，馬可也補上了一句極其重要的話：「有天使來伺候祂。」這提醒我們，即使耶穌進入曠野、進入試探、進入最孤單的地方，上帝並沒有離開祂。天父沒有撤回祂的同在，反而在關鍵的時刻，差遣天使來服事祂、扶持祂。
這也讓我們看見一個很重要的屬靈現實：**被聖靈帶領，不代表不會進入試探；走在上帝的旨意中，也不代表沒有曠野。**但同樣地，進入曠野，並不代表上帝的缺席。上帝的同在，常常是在試煉之中被更深地經歷。
所以在《馬可福音》一開始，耶穌就以這樣的方式，走在我們前面。祂受洗、被肯定、被差遣，也進入試探、承受衝突，卻始終活在天父的旨意與同在之中。這不只是祂事工的起點，也成為我們每一個跟隨祂的人，在人生道路上的一個真實寫照。
接下來，我們就會看到，這位勝過試探、走出曠野的耶穌，正式開始祂在地上的事奉。
今日反思：
耶穌如何透過受洗與受試探，與我們感同身受？（參考《希伯來書》2:14、4:15）請查考《馬太福音》3:13–15 與《羅馬書》6:1–10。你認為耶穌受洗的動機是什麼？這與你自己所接受的洗禮有什麼關聯？如果你的受洗真實地與耶穌連結在一起，你的生命會如何展現這一點？
每當我們在靈命上成長、往前邁進的時候，試探往往也隨之而來。當我們回應呼召、開始服事的同時，也可能更明顯地遭遇撒但的攻擊。從耶穌在曠野受試探的經歷來看，你認為自己可以如何保護自己？你是否有類似的經驗可以分享？
感謝你的聆聽。下一講，我們將分享馬可福音1:14–20 的經文。願上帝祝福你！
Peace be with you. Today we are sharing from the Gospel of Mark 1:9–13.
The passages in the Gospel of Mark are not long, yet they are rich in meaning. They often feel like a “condensed version of the gospel,” where just one or two sentences carry tremendous theological weight. Today, we will walk through this passage line by line.
Verse 9 begins:“At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.”
This sentence tells us where Jesus came from—Nazareth in Galilee. Nazareth was a small village and completely unremarkable in Jesus’ time. It does not appear prominently in Old Testament city lists, nor was it located along major trade routes. It was simply a rural settlement of farmers and laborers. To put it bluntly, it was what people would call a “nowhere place.”
You may remember in the Gospel of John that when Nathanael heard Philip mention Jesus, he responded with skepticism:“Can anything good come out of Nazareth?” (John 1:46)This tells us clearly that Nazareth held no particular significance or prestige. Jesus was often referred to simply as “Jesus of Nazareth.”
Yet we see that God deliberately chose such an insignificant place, an ordinary family, and a humble beginning to carry out His plan. This was not a place or a method anyone would have expected. That is why Paul, in the book of Romans, marvels at the wisdom of God and exclaims how unfathomable it is—“How deep!”
The second half of the verse says that Jesus came to be baptized by John. This event is recorded in all four Gospels, and all of them describe a remarkable moment in which the Triune God is revealed simultaneously:
The Father’s voice comes from heaven, declaring, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
The Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus like a dove.
And the Son, Jesus Himself, has just come up out of the water.
Here, the Trinity is clearly revealed.
This raises a common question: Why did Jesus need to be baptized with a baptism of repentance?Was He not without sin? He is the only one who never sinned—and therefore the only one who did not need repentance. So why did He submit Himself to John’s baptism?
Jesus’ baptism carries several important meanings.
First, it marks His response to God’s calling and the formal beginning of His public ministry. God Himself speaks from heaven, affirming and confirming this moment.
Second, it represents Jesus’ decision to fully enter into the human experience. In Matthew 3:14, John the Baptist tries to stop Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” Jesus replies,“Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”
Jesus came into the world not as a distant observer, but to walk the same path we walk and experience life as we experience it. Though He had no sin to confess, He chose to undergo the same ritual process as humanity in order to fully identify with us. He lived completely as a human being so that He might truly share our human condition.
Third, Scripture teaches that all who are baptized are united with Christ in His death (Romans 6:3–4). The difference between our baptism and Jesus’ baptism is this:We bring our sin to Him, and He gives us His righteousness.In baptism, we lose our sin and receive righteousness; Jesus, however, took upon Himself our sin and exchanged it with His righteousness.
Next, Mark continues with remarkable speed:“And the Spirit immediately drove Him out into the wilderness.”
Matthew and Luke provide more detail, and both say that the Spirit “led” Jesus into the wilderness. Mark, however, uses a stronger word—“drove” or “pushed.” This reflects Mark’s fast-paced narrative style and emphasizes that this was not accidental. This was part of God’s will, initiated and directed by the Holy Spirit.
Jesus then spends forty days in the wilderness being tempted by Satan. In Israel’s tradition, forty days represents a significant period of testing and preparation. Moses spent forty days on Mount Sinai; Elijah was sustained by angelic food for forty days. This number consistently points to a season of trial, formation, and readiness.
The word “Satan” is often simply understood as “the devil,” but it carries deeper meaning. Literally, it means “adversary”—one who stands opposed to God and His Messiah. It also means “accuser.” We see this clearly in the book of Job, where Satan accuses Job, claiming that his faith exists only because God blesses him. Satan is one who constantly accuses.
This accuser does not rely only on lies. In Matthew and Luke, we see that Satan even misuses Scripture to tempt Jesus. This should not surprise us. Satan was once an archangel who served in God’s presence and is deeply familiar with God’s Word. His downfall came from pride and a desire to seize God’s glory, but his knowledge of Scripture remains.
This is why Christians must be extremely discerning. The New Testament repeatedly warns that in the last days there will be false prophets and false apostles who distort Scripture—not for the sake of the gospel, but for their own gain. Scripture taken out of context becomes one of the greatest dangers to the church and has the power to mislead entire generations.
Mark concludes this section with a short yet powerful sentence:“He was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And He was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to Him.”
The phrase “with the wild animals” reminds us that Jesus’ situation was real and dangerous. This was not a symbolic struggle, but a genuine experience of isolation, threat, and vulnerability. Jesus did not observe human suffering from a safe distance—He entered fully into the harshest realities of human existence.
Yet Mark adds a crucial line: “the angels were ministering to Him.”Even in the wilderness, even under temptation, even in complete solitude, God had not abandoned Him. The Father’s presence remained, and angels were sent to strengthen and sustain Him.
This reveals a vital spiritual truth:Being led by the Spirit does not mean we will avoid temptation. Walking in God’s will does not mean we will never enter the wilderness.But entering the wilderness does not mean God is absent. Often, God’s presence is experienced most deeply in the midst of testing.
At the very beginning of Mark’s Gospel, Jesus walks this path ahead of us. He is baptized, affirmed, and sent. He enters temptation and conflict, yet remains fully aligned with the Father’s will and presence. This is not only the beginning of His ministry—it is also a reflection of the journey of every follower of Christ.
Next, we will see this victorious Jesus step out of the wilderness and formally begin His public ministry.
Reflection Questions:
How does Jesus identify with us through His baptism and temptation?
(See Hebrews 2:14 and 4:15.)
Read Matthew 3:13–15 and Romans 6:1–10. What do you believe motivated Jesus to be baptized? How does His baptism relate to your own? If your baptism is truly connected to Jesus, how should your life reflect that reality?
As we grow spiritually and move forward in obedience, temptation often follows. When we respond to God’s calling and begin to serve, we may experience greater spiritual opposition. Looking at Jesus’ experience in the wilderness, how can you guard yourself? Do you have similar experiences you can share?
Thank you for listening.In our next session, we will continue with Mark 1:14–20.May God bless you.
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