SPIRITUAL DIARY FOR 1/23/2020
12:04 PM
My Worship Time Focus: PT-1 “Baptism
of the Son”
Bible Reading & Meditation Reference: Matt.
3:13-15
Message of the verses: “13 Then Jesus arrived
from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. 14 But
John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and
do You come to me?" 15 But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit it
at this time; for in this
way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he permitted
Him.”
I
mentioned in our last SD that there have been many theories into why Jesus was
baptized, and as we go through this section over the next few days I believe we
will really find out why our Lord was baptized by John the Baptist, however we
will first look at some of the details of the baptism and then at the
significance.
The
first word we see in verse thirteen is the word “then” and so as we look at
that word we are pretty clueless as to when the baptism of Jesus took
place. We know it had to be when John
was baptizing, but whether or not it took place right after the events we have
been looking at we don’t know. My
thoughts that it probably did not happen when the Pharisees and the Sadducees
were present, so that would mean that it happened some time after they
left. This is just my theory, and when
one thinks about it I don’t suppose it really matters. Let us look at what Dr. Luke has to say about
this: “1 Now in the fifteenth year of the
reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and
Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the
region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, 2 in the high priesthood of Annas
and Caiaphas, the
word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness.” This tells us when John the Baptist began his
ministry in the wilderness and so it had to be around that time while he was
baptizing that Jesus came to be baptized by John. Some has speculated that because John was six
months older than Jesus and Jesus began his ministry when he was thirty that
perhaps John began his ministry six months before Jesus. Some scholars suggest that the age of thirty
was the generally acceptable age for Jewish religious leaders to begin their
ministry writes John MacArthur. If
thirty was the perfect age for Jesus to begin His ministry then I have to think
that it was the same for John.
We
see from verse thirteen that “Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan.” Jesus did not come for a private
ceremony. Now as I think of this
statement that it was not private I am thinking about my oldest grandson who
will be baptized this coming Sunday, Jan. 26, 2020. He will be the first of my daughter and
son-in-laws children to be baptized as my son and his wife’s children have
already been baptized. That means only
three more to be baptized for these proud grandparents. Sorry, but these things are very important to
me. This statement that Jesus did not
have a private ceremony is an important clue as to why Jesus was baptized.
Jesus
was baptized in the Jordan, but as far as the spot we do not know where in the
Jordan this happened. John states in
John 1:28 “These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan, where John was
baptizing.” Now you probably want to
know what things John is talking about here in verse 28. “19 This is the testimony of John, when the
Jews sent to him priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, "Who are
you?" 20 And he confessed and did not deny, but confessed, "I am not
the Christ." 21 They asked him, "What then? Are you Elijah?" And
he *said, "I am not." "Are you the Prophet?" And he
answered, "No." 22 Then they said to him, "Who are you, so that we
may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?" 23
He said, "I am A VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, ’MAKE STRAIGHT THE
WAY OF THE LORD,’ as Isaiah the prophet said." 24 Now they had been sent
from the Pharisees. 25 They asked him, and said to him, "Why then are you
baptizing, if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?" 26 John
answered them saying, "I baptize in water, but among you stands One
whom you do not know. 27 “It is He who comes after me, the thong of whose
sandal I am not worthy to untie.’” Now
we know what “these things are.” As far
as where Jesus was baptized we have to terrorize that it was near the Dead Sea.
In
our next SD we will look at whether or not Jesus knew John before this event.
Spiritual meaning for my life today: Baptism is an important event in the life of
a believer and it was in mine. I have to
say that I was baptized when I was 12 years old, well if you count being
sprinkled baptism. It came after I was
to join the Lafayette Methodist church which took place after catechism which I
took twice because I did not get it the first time. Next I was baptized in a swimming pool after
I became a believer by a very young and inexperienced Pastor. The third time was the charm when I was about
to join Grace Baptist church of Westlake Ohio.
I spoke with the pastor and he told me that when you join a church being
baptized was the right way to do it according to what the Scriptures
teach. It was April of 1978 when I went
into the waters of baptism and when I was under the water I actually saw in my
mind me lying in a casket. I later told
Pastor Burns about this and he told me that he did not see it. Not sure what he was trying to tell me.
My Steps of Faith for Today: Continue to fight the good fight, to continue
to have the Lord teach me humility, and to pray that I always have joy in
studying the Word of God.
1/23/2020 12:38 PM
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