Father in heaven, at the Baptism of Jesus
in the Jordan River You proclaimed Jesus
Your beloved Son and anointed Him with the Holy Spirit. Make all who are
baptized in His name faithful in their calling as Your children and inheritors
with Him of everlasting life;
For
Jesus His Baptism was a real personal experience. According to Mark, only Jesus
saw the dove and heard the voice. For some, Baptism may be a “spiritual” affair,
which they do not understand. They may go through the “ritual” and experience
nothing. In Jesus’ experience, baptism was as real as the things we can see,
feel, and hear. Your baptism is the real thing – it’s the real deal!
How real is your baptism? It’s as real as
the water you feel. It is as real as the dove we see. It is as real as the voice we hear.
1.
River
– as real as the water we feel – V.9 “At
that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the
Jordan”
A. Why did
Jesus submit Himself to a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins?
Matthew recounts John's reluctance to baptize Jesus and Jesus' reply: "But
John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come
to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so
now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness"
Matthew 3:14-15
John's
baptism signified repentance and confession of sin.
B. In His
baptism, Jesus is identifying with a sinful race. When Jesus was baptized, the
work of man’s redemption began. “Could Jesus forgive my sin?” you might ask.
Jesus knows you, “warts and all”. Furthermore, He made it His business to
forgive you by identifying with you in His baptism. He was baptized for you!
When He was baptized, Jesus became your substitute. He took your place.
C. Jesus
had to identify Himself with sinful humanity at the very beginning of His
ministry. This He did by submitting to the Father’s will in His baptism. St.
Paul put it this way, “God made him who
had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness
of God.” 2 Corinthians 5:21
D. Christ
is treated by His Father as if He were a sinner. Christ became the object of
God's wrath and bore the penalty and guilt of sin. So complete was the
identification of the sinless Christ with the sin of the sinners, including its
dire guilt and its dread consequence of separation from God, that Paul could
say, "God made him . . . to be sin
for us." – 2 Corinthians 5:21
Transition:
How real is this baptism? It’s as real as the water you feel. It is as real as
the dove we see.
2. Dove – as real as the dove we
see – V.10 “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. Jesus is
now anointed by the Spirit for ministry. In His first sermon in the synagogue
at Nazareth, Jesus would say to His hearers "The Spirit of the Lord is on me" -Luke 4:18. Jesus Himself
claimed this anointing was the Father’s own doing. All that Jesus will teach us
in this New Year comes from the Father.
1.
Acts 10:38 “God anointed Jesus of
Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and power, and how he went around doing good and
healing all who were under the power of the devil, because God was with him.”
2.
Luke 4:42-44 At daybreak Jesus went out
to a solitary place. The people were looking for him and when they came to
where he was, they tried to keep him from leaving them. But he said, “I must
preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because
that is why I was sent.” And he kept on preaching in the synagogues of Judea.
B. Not so
with the antagonists. They will claim that Jesus has a false spirit, an evil
spirit; one which is from the prince of demons. “I am not possessed by a demon,” said Jesus, “but I honor my Father and
you dishonor me.” John8:49
Transition:
How real is this baptism? It’s as real as the water you feel. It is as real as the
dove we see. It is as real as the voice
we hear.
3. Voice – as real as the voice we
hear – V.11 “And a voice came from
heaven: ‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased’.”
A. We are
encouraged to purchase those products only, which have Good Housekeeping’s TM stamp of approval. At His baptism, Jesus
receives the Father’s stamp of approval!
God the Father confesses Jesus as His Son and witnesses to His approval
of His Son. The Father is well pleased by sending His own Son but He is well
pleased in what He was sent to do, to redeem the world of sin and death. Jesus
will make all things new. He goes to the cross and breaks free from the tomb.
B. The
Father knows the unique mission He has given to His Son and states His confidence
in Him. Will Jesus be able to accomplish His mission? The Father has placed all
of His confidence in Jesus. Jesus is able to accomplish all that the Father has
asked Him to do. If the Father has complete confidence in His Son, why should
you tremble or doubt?
How real is your baptism? It’s as real as
the water you feel. It is as real as the dove we see. It is as real as the voice we hear.
Words – 442
Passive
Sentences – 9%
Reading
Ease – 881%
Reading Level – 5.1
Image by Ed Rioja © Higher Things
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