JESUS WHOLE LIFE WAS A SERMON!

THE WORDS SPOKEN AT JESUS BAPTISM DEFINE THE NATURE OF HIS LIFE AND MINISTRY. THE VOICE FROM THE CLOUD SAID, "THOU ART MY BELOVED SON, WITH THEE I AM WELL PLEASED."  THE FIRST PHRASE IS FROM PSALM 2:7. IT WAS USED IN CORONATION CEREMONIES WHEN DESCENDANTS OF DAVID WERE ANOINTED INTO OFFICE AS KING. ITS USE AT JESUS BAPTISM STATED THAT, IN JESUS, THE LONG AWAITED DESCENDANT OF DAVID HAD FINALLY COME. THE SECOND PHRASE IS FROM ISAIAH (42:1) THE FIRST OF ISAIAH'S "SERVANT SONGS." ITS USE AT JESUS BAPTISM DEFINED THE KIND OF KING JESUS WOULD BE. HE WOULD BE A SERVANT KING.
MARK'S ACCOUNT OF THE TEMPTATION CONSISTS OF ONLY HALF SENTENCE, " AND HE WAS IN THE WILDERNESS FORTY DAYS, TEMPTED BY SATAN, ( MARK 1: 13A).  MARK'S ACCOUNT OF THE TEMPTATION CONSISTS OF ONLY A HALF A SENTENCE. THE TEMPTATION ACCOUNTS IN MATTHEW (4:1-11) AND LUKE (4:1-13) ARE  MUCH LONGER; BOTH SPEAK OF SATAN LEAVING JESUS. MARK MAKES NO MENTION OF SATAN LEAVING JESUS. WHY NOT?  HIS ENTIRE GOSPEL IS A TEMPTATION ACCOUNT    JESUS AND SATAN ARE LOCKED IN MORTAL COMBAT THROUGHOUT. IN JESUS, THE KINGDOM OF GOD IS DOING BATTLE WITH THE KINGDOM OF SATAN. (3:23-27).  SATAN SEEKS TO ENLIST THE AID EVEN OF JESUS OWN DISCIPLES (8: 31-33.). AT THE CROSS, IT APPEARS THAT SATAN HAS WON THE STRUGGLE.. HOWEVER, IT JUST WHEN JESUS APPEARS TO BE AT HIS WORST ( ON THE CROSS) THAT HE IS AT HIS VERY BEST, FOR HE HAS A SERVED TO THE POINT OF GIVING UP LIFE ITSELF. HIS DEATH IS NOT DEFEAT, BUT VICTORY! AFTER HEROD ANTIPAS ARRESTED JOHN THE BAPTIST (1: 14; 6:14-29). JESUS BEGAN HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY. THE SETTING WAS THE NORTHERN PROVINCE OF GALILEE. HE LEFT THERE ONLY TO TRAVEL TO THE REGION OF PHOENICIA (7: 24-3O).  SOUTH TO THE DECAPOLIS (TEN TOWNS, 7:32), AND NORTH AGAIN TO THE VICINITY CAESAREA PHILIPPI, BEGINNING OF HIS GALILAEAN MINISTRY
( 8:27-30). FINALLY HE SET OUT FOR JERUSALEM (1O:1), AND ENTERED IT FOR THE FIRST TIME ON PALM SUNDAY (11:1), WHEN JESUS CAME TO THE COASTS OF CAESAREA PHILIPPI,  HE ASKED HIS DISCIPLES, SAYING, WHOM DO MEN SAY THAT I SON AM?  SOME SAY THOU  ARE JOHN THE BAPTIST, SOME ELIAS,; AND OTHERS, JEREMIAS, OR ONE OF THE PROPHETS. BUT WHOM SAY YE THAT I AM?
 AND SIMON PETER ANSWERED AND SAID UNTO HIM, THOU ARE THE CHRIST, THE SON OF THE LIVING GOD. (MATT, 16: 13-23).  HE WAS CRUCIFIED FIVE DAYS LATER.
IN MARK'S GOSPEL, JERUSALEM IS THE CITY OF JESUS ENEMIES , THE CITY OF OPPOSITION AND DEATH. WHENEVER THE JEWS FROM JERUSALEM CAME TO WHERE JESUS WAS WORKING IN GALILEE, THEY CAME TO ENSNARE AND TRAP HIM.(3:6,22). MATTHEW FOLLOWS MARK'S GEOGRAPHICAL  OUT LINE CLOSELY. LUKE FOLLOWS IT APPROXIMATELY, BUT DOES NOT MENTION JESUS LEAVING GALILEE PRIOR TO HIS FINAL JOURNEY TO JERUSALEM (9: 51). WHEN JESUS APPEALED TO HIS AUDIENCE  TO REPENT. HE WAS SUMMONING THEM TO RETHINK RADICALLY GOD'S WILL FOR THEIR LIVES, AND THEIR MESSIANIC EXPECTATIONS. SEVERAL TIMES IN THE FIRST HALF OF HIS GOSPEL, MARK TELLS US WHAT JESUS TAUGHT. HE DOES NOT TELL US WHAT JESUS SAID.
HOWEVER, JESUS, " WHOLE LIFE WAS A SERMON." HE WAS A KING WHO WALKED THE WAY OF A SERVANT. THAT SAID VOLUMES ABOUT HIS KIND OF KINGSHIP AND THE LIFE TO WHICH HE SUMMONED PEOPLE.