Welcome to Thursday’s Podcast. Our reading today is Matthew 3: 1-17 but today we’ll focus on verses 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 fulfil 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.”

REFLECTION:

In today’s passages we meet John the Baptist.

The cry of his heart echoes the deep hope of the Jewish people:  The Messiah would come and rescue them.   But there’s a twist in John’s declaration.  John’s declaration is that the kingdom of God ‘has come near’. 

John the Baptist was a character.  I imagine him to be a wild man – slightly terrifying with a kind of prophetic fire in his eyes.  He had quite a reputation which resulted in quite a following so that many would visit him – his message was clear:  Repent – change your life in the knowledge that God is on the scene.

And accompanying his message – he’d baptise people with water: displaying a hopeful sign of new life.  Baptism marks a decisive moment in life.  A moment when someone declares publicly what God has done and will do inwardly.  It’s meaning is deep – its symbolism has roots in God’s people passing through the Red Sea as they leave slavery.  To enter the Promised Land God’s people had to cross the River Jordan which was impossible.  It formed a natural defence preventing them from crossing.  So as God miraculously made it possible to cross and Joshua led the people of God into their new land – so too Jesus’ Baptism in the Jordan represents the beginning of new life in God for all people.

And Baptise people because Jesus does it.  It’s an outward sign – a statement of our declaration and love for God representing the recognition of his abundant Grace and forgiveness & ongoing transforming presence in our lives.

And in Jesus’ baptism something remarkable happens:  The Holy Spirit descends upon him like a dove and the voice of God the father is heard declaring:  ‘This is my son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.’

There’s a lot we could say about this.  So, what might this say to us today in this season of life?

Before Jesus does any public ministry – he starts from the place of complete approval from God.

This is a bit of a challenge to me.

Like many of us our family is living through a new season.  Kids are back to school – although it’s different – it’s the new normal.  My wife, Clarissa has returned to her part time work.  It’s different for her – she’s working through the new normal.  And for me – I’ve stepped into a new role and we’re navigating the new normal.  Truthfully it’s unsettling.  It’s not comfortable.  And if you’re like me – when you experience those kinds of feelings it’s very easy to reach out for things to bring that comfort or validation.  Or look for external ways to check – am I doing OK?  Is this working?

There not bad questions to ask – they’re normal.

How do I navigate this season?  Well, I’ve been remembering my baptism.  Now I was baptised as a child so that’s hard but as I walk into this season of life – I’m super grateful that back in October 1979 some lovely Brummies prayed over me and made promises that they would raise me in the Christian faith and that people have committed to pray for me and show me how to navigate this life.  That I was declared to be part of God’s family:  That I belong to him.

In fact as we pray with our kids each night – with varying degrees of success – I’m praying that the vows that we made on their behalf will be a true reality in their lives – that we’ll raise them in the faith.  That we declared that they are God’s – they’re part of His family (whether we meet online or not) and his love won’t ever leave them.

And I think I’m remembering that at the very start of Jesus’ ministry – he starts from a place of total acceptance.  Total affirmation.

So, today you and I walk through this new normal – with changing restrictions and deep uncertainty with the knowledge that Lord also declares over us – ‘you’re my child’.  Receive that truth this day!

PRAYER:

Father, may we walk in complete peace that we are secure in your love.

Amen

BIBLE READING: Matthew 3:1-17

In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” This is he who was spoken of through the prophet Isaiah:

John’s clothes were made of camel’s hair, and he had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. People went out to him from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River.

But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to where he was baptizing, he said to them: “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not think you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ I tell you that out of these stones God can raise up children for Abraham. The ax is already at the root of the trees, and every tree that does not produce good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire.

“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me comes one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor, gathering his wheat into the barn and burning up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

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.”