Matthew 3:13-17
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 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." Then John consented. As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."
We can observe several things from the baptism of Jesus Christ. First, Jesus took on the form of man and set the example for obedience. Jesus didn't try to avoid his human responsibility because He is the Son of God. When John the Baptist recognized that Jesus is the Savior, the Lord didn't just waive all the rituals, but instead He said "it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness," which demonstrated the obedience and gentleness of Jesus. When we serve God, we often hope to be used by the Lord, and we might overlook the path that we should follow. There's no shortcut in our spiritual journey, and it takes time for our life to be disciplined. Some people said that it's enough just to be filled by the Spirit. While it is important to be filled by the Spirit, it doesn't replace growth of our life. You must do what you need to do, fulfill the duties assigned to you, read the booked that you ought to read, take on the responsibilities assigned to you, and serve in your capacities. You must do all these things faithfully so that you may be constantly renewed in the Spirit by the Lord.
Second, the baptism of Jesus is one of the few scripture passages where the Triune God appeared at the same time in the Bible. Bible mentioned that God is the only one true God, but He is three different persons - Father, Son and Holy Spirit. Having three persons means each person has independent thoughts, mind and feelings. The triune God has the same nature, but different functions. Father is the planner and creator; Son is the one who executes, as Jesus Christ came to earth so that we may enjoy salvation, so He's the one who made salvation happen; Holy Spirit is the one who completes, as He's the one who brings salvation to our lives and let us enjoy all the benefits of it. When the Lord was baptized in water, Father God in heaven said: "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Holy Spirit descended on Jesus like a dove, and the triune God was completely revealed before us. This passage clearly illustrated that Jesus Christ is God, and that He's fully man and fully God. Let us thank Him and worship Him full-heartedly!
Pray with Pastor Tong
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