April 17, 2016

JESUS BAPTIZED HIS CREATION

Matthew 3:13-17

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Encouraging Words

Only in Christianity do we see our God choosing to become one of us so that we can become one with Him. Jesus took on the flesh of mankind so that through Him we might be able to enter into eternal life. He chose to be baptized, not because He needed any sins forgiven, for He had none, but so that He could unite with His creation and restore it to its original state that existed before sin corrupted it. Jesus, fully God and fully human, is God and I am not. Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me, the sinner!