baptism – Fearless Living

John the Baptist did not know the Messiah until he came to be baptized him. God confirmed to John that this was His Son by means of a dove descending upon him marking him the chosen one of God. John knew that the one he was proclaiming was coming. He knew he would be greater in God’s power, but he did not know who it was. Can you imagine his surprise when he beheld the dove staying on him while he baptized Jesus? It was a baptism like so many others and yet, it was altogether different. John’s proclaimed Jesus’ mission and purpose that he was the lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. John’s also knew that Jesus was the chosen one of God by this dove’s presence. Jesus did not need baptism to show his repentance, he had never sinned. His baptism was a proclamation and affirmation of who He was and why he had come. He was the sinless lamb come to save us from the wrath of our sin. We know from Romans 3:23 “for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God,” Romans 6:23 “For the wages of sin is death, but the gift of God is eternal life in Christ Jesus our Lord.” There was no way to erase or mitigate our sin. Jesus changed that fact. He provided a way through his death on the cross and resurrection for us to be reconciled to God.

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ³¹I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” ³²Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. ³³And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”

Several things stand out to me from this scene: John knew Jesus as his cousin and did not hesitate to recognize him as the anointed, chosen one from God. He did not question God about anything but accepted Jesus as fulfillment of what God had promised. John again showed his humility by continuing to acknowledge Jesus as his superior and affirm that he would look to him as Messiah. As we continue to read the gospels, no where do we find John boasting about baptizing Jesus, he accepted Jesus’ position with grace and considered it a privilege to have been a part of God’s plan. I am amazed at John’s godly character. He did not try to get any glory by being related to Jesus. He did not ever try to claim prominence for having been the first to baptize and call people to repentance. He did not boast of having baptized the Messiah. He showed grace, maturity and godliness. What an example he is to us!

Linda

Ephesians 4:4-7 is a beautiful passage to be cherished by believers. We are all called to be a part of God’s family and share in what we have in Christ, and yet God sees us as individuals with different needs.

“For there is one body and one Spirit, just as you have been called to one glorious hope for the future. ⁵There is one Lord, one faith, one baptism, ⁶one God and Father of all, who is over all, in all, and living through all. ⁷However, he has given each one of us a special gift through the generosity of Christ.”

God, the creator, who is Sovereign, Omnipotent, Omnipresent and Omniscient is our Heavenly Father. He is in everything we do, everywhere we go and in every action we take. We are to be in His presence daily, walking with Him and letting His Holy Spirit guide and direct us. I love the fact that we are individuals before God. He gave us special gifts through Christ when we became believers. Each one of us is seen as useful and productive for the kingdom and are given gifts so we can successfully work and live for Him.

Do you feel isolated or a part of the body of Christ? Are you connected in meaningful ways to other believers? What about your gifts? Are you using your God given talents to accomplish work for the Lord? Lent is a time of reflection. Ponder what your gifts may be, read 1 Corinthians 12:1-11 to seek clarity about gifts, think about the things you do for others in Jesus’ name- what brings you the most joy and peace? Because Christ died on the cross and rose from the dead, we are one in Christ, specially gifted through His grace.

May you be lifted up as you pray and meditate on the power of God’s family in your life and your gifts. Be encouraged as God has special gifts for each of us though the grace of Christ!