Door County Peanut Butter Crunch Coffee is brewing in the kitchen, my lunch is made and my breakfast of apples and berries will be eaten later. I am ready to share what was laid on my heart last night.
I spent some time in the yard last night and then more time in the garage. My time in our yard was earlier in the late afternoon and I was able to watch two doves cooing on the peak of our home. The doves always remind me of a Bible passage which I would like to share with you. Today I teach instead of preach.
Luke 3:21-22 New King James Version (NKJV)
John Baptizes Jesus
21 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. 22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”
This is one of my favorite accounts of the life of Jesus. For me this is one of those passages where I will always say, " I wish I could have been there". Just to see the heavens open up, the Holy Spirit descend in the form of a dove and then to hear God speak has always given me a heart and mind rush.
There are several reasons why it was fitting for John to baptize Jesus at the beginning of Jesus’ public ministry. Jesus was about to embark on His great work, and it was appropriate that He be recognized publicly by His forerunner. John was the “voice crying in the wilderness” prophesied by Isaiah, calling people to repentance in preparation for their Messiah ( Isaiah 40:3). By baptizing Him, John was declaring to all that here was the One they had been waiting for, the Son of God, the One he had predicted would baptize “with the Holy Spirit and fire”
Jesus’ baptism by John takes on an added meaning when we consider that John was of the tribe of Levi and a direct descendant of Aaron. Luke specifies that both of John’s parents were of the Aaronic priestly line (Luke 1:5) One of the duties of the priests in the Old Testament was to present the sacrifices before the Lord. John the Baptist’s baptism of Jesus could be seen as a priestly presentation of the Ultimate Sacrifice. John’s words the day after the baptism have a decidedly priestly tone: “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!”
But why should Christians be baptized?
Christian baptism is the immersion of a believer in water in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. It is an act of obedience symbolizing the believer's faith in a crucified, buried, and risen Savior and the believer's death to sin, the burial of the old life, and the resurrection to walk in newness of life in Christ Jesus. It is a testimony to his faith in the final resurrection of the dead. .
The word for baptize in Greek is baptizo, which means "to dip, plunge, submerge, or immerse." Baptism in the New Testament was related to the ministry of both John the Baptist and of Jesus. John's baptism was symbolic of one's repentance from sin and of willingness to participate in the kingdom of God (Matt. 3:6-8; Luke 3:3-16).
Jesus submitted to John's baptism (Matt. 3:16) not to demote repentance but to authenticate John's ministry, to set an example for His followers, and to dedicate Himself publicly to His redemptive ministry. In so doing Jesus symbolized His death, burial, and resurrection.
Food for thought. Who's footsteps are we following? What we have heard from men? Or are we following in the footsteps of Jesus?
Marty
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