01/07 - A Good Son and a Proud Father

Matthew 3:13–17

This is our first look at Jesus the adult. His words and actions reveal his principles and his intentions, which we will see him live out consistently for the rest of his life.

John was understandably reluctant to baptize Jesus. He knew Jesus, who would soon be a fellow prophet, already lived a righteous life. However, Jesus knew a bigger purpose for baptism than just a commitment to repentance, its primary role in John’s ministry.

For Jesus, his baptism was important simply because it was a good act, a way to “fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus did not come simply to not do bad—he came to do all possible good, including unnecessary acts like rededicating himself to living a righteous life through John’s baptism.

The baptism served another purpose for Jesus. He had spent years thinking, observing, praying, and studying, and he was now ready to change the world. Like any person embarking on a great, new mission, he wanted an event to mark the turning point in his life. Jesus’ baptism launched his public ministry.

It was a spectacular launch. As Jesus arose out of the water, two significant events occurred that would sustain him to the end of his ministry.

First, he received a new, and probably more powerful, presence of the Holy Spirit. The scriptures do not tell us to what extent he had the Holy Spirit earlier in his life, but certainly from this point on, he would have everything the Spirit could provide to help him in his quest.

Second, he heard words of approval from his proud Father. A human father tells his son or daughter how proud he is right before the child starts a new phase of life, like entering the university, starting a new job or getting married. The father hopes his words will sustain the son or daughter in the tough times that are sure to come.

God was no different. He was proud of his son and wanted that pride to sustain Jesus in the tough times. We can only guess at how often Jesus thought back to this day to gain strength to keep going.

01/06 - God Was Back in the Prophet-Sending Business

Matthew 3:1-12

Everything about John the Baptist and his methods go against today’s accepted wisdom for generating spiritual revival.

First, he was an extreme eccentric. He ate strange foods and dressed in course clothing. John looked odd and probably smelled unpleasant.

Second, John chose a poor location for his work. Commonsense says to do big ministry in major population centers. Folks in big cities such as Jerusalem had to travel a day or more to hear his message.

Third, his personality was gruff, blunt, even rude, and his message was threatening and unpleasant. When he finally got the attention of mainstream religious people—both conservatives (Pharisees) and liberals (Sadducees)—he insulted them and called them names instead of making them his allies.

John’s methods and personal qualities did not hinder his success. In fact, many people came to see him out of curiosity, got caught up in his message, and became his disciples.

John accomplished his main goal: preparing the way for Jesus’ ministry. His preaching caused thousands of people to examine their hearts, repent, and dedicate themselves to God. Many of these people later migrated to Jesus’ ministry, and several in his inner circle of twelve were first followers of John.

The people felt anticipation because of John. No prophet had come in many generations, and the sending of John signaled that God was in the prophet-sending business again. And if God would send one prophet, He might soon send another one, exactly like John was saying. When Jesus started his ministry, he found a nation expectant that God was at work.