Loving The God of Truth

Welcome to all those in the ODM who desire to know and to love the God of Truth through the faithful study of His Word. Please feel free to share your comments, insights, questions, concerns, words of encouragement, thanksgiving, praise, and prayer requests with all of us.

May God most richly bless the reading of His precious Word to our hearts this year.

"The law of the Lord is perfect, reviving the soul.
The statutes of the Lord are trustworthy, making wise the simple.
The precepts of the Lord are right, giving joy to the heart.
The commands of the Lord are radiant, giving light to the eyes.
The fear of the Lord is pure, enduring forever.
The ordinances of the Lord are sure and altogether righteous.
They are more precious than gold, than much pure gold;
They are sweeter than honey from the comb.
By them is your servant warned;

In keeping them there is great reward."

(Psalm 19:7-11)

Thursday, January 21, 2010

The Baptism of Jesus

As I was reading the passages, I realized there must be significant reasons why Jesus' baptism was added in the Bible and what message that God conveys through these passages. By using my reference there are several profound significance of Jesus' baptism .

At Baptism, Jesus was consecrated to God and officially approved by God to carry on His ministry. God's righteous requirement for the Messiah was fully met in Jesus.

At Jesus' baptism, we know that he came as a man although he has no sin thus no need of repentance, yet we humbled himself and became our substitute. Jesus' baptism was also a great example for his followers because baptism itself is public announcement of declaring our faith in Jesus Christ and commitment to live as a follower of Christ. At his baptism, we encountered with Holy Spirit for the first time in New Testament.

We also see all three person of Trinity, God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit in these passages. I have read these verses many times yet it's until now I realized how significant Jesus' baptism was to us because it is the starting point where Holy Spirit equipped Jesus as a fully man and fully divine Messiah to carry on God's redemptive work on this earth.

5 comments:

darlayoo said...

thanks, kwijung, for an insightful reflection on a difficult passage. i think the key to understanding these verses lies in the fact that

Jesus chose to be identified with sinners.

Jesus comes to john to receive a baptism of "repentence". john feels the absurdity of administering such a baptism to the Son of God.

but Jesus responds, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness" (v 15).

in other words, Jesus did not need to be baptized, but chose to do so, to identify with sinners like you and me.

following this one act of obedience, Jesus receives these precious words from God the Father:
"This is my Son, whom I love; with Him I am well pleased" (v 17).

i wonder if it was an assurance Jesus needed in His humanity, before embarking on a difficult ministry.

we need that assurance too. when we act in faith and obedience to a very difficult call, and submit ourselves like Jesus to the will of the Father,

you may well receive within your spirit a certain assurance from the God the Father that you are His child, and that you are well-loved.

how much we need that in these difficult days!

eullie said...

Thanks for your post Kwi Jung and comments Dulla!
I never realized before that the new testament starts out with examples of obedience...this being the most humbling so far.

Eskeelo said...

I'm very humbled by the life and acts of Jesus. He really lived what He preached, and always led by example. It's hard not to respect or follow a leader such as Him.

I'm sure John was shocked by Jesus' request, but as Dulla mentioned..."Jesus chose to be identified with sinners." Jesus did not have to get baptized, but explained the significance.

As I continue to learn more about Jesus and grow in my own faith, I hope to able to lead by example the life Jesus carried so humbly.

Thank you for your post Kwijung and everyone's response. This is very encouraging, and really helping me stay accountable.

Sungeun Kim said...

Imagining the scene of Jesus being baptized, I feel so holy and full of light. Jesus is showing exact ways we should follow and go so that we can also hear that our Father God says "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased"..

Lynn said...

Hey, before Kwijung mentioned this, I never realized that the baptism of Jesus was where all members of the Trinity was present and active. God the Son, consecrating His life in obedience to God the Father. God the Father declaring His pleasure of approving His Son, Jesus Christ. The Holy Spirit, descending on Jesus in the likeness of a dove. All this time, I assumed that the trinity always acted together somehow in some mysterious way. This passage clearly shows as Kwijung mentioned, each persons of the Trinity working together. The scene is just so seamless, all actions and declarations are so united together, reinforcing and supporting the roles and actions of each member. Here you see, the one and only plan of salvation, made by the one and only God, is being fulfilled by the one and only God- God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit. It is mysterious and also wonderful.