[Propertalk] Sermon ideas Baptism of Jesus - Jan. 9 - Part 2

[Joe Parrish]

It would sound very different if it were said only after Jesus had healed the sick, embraced the outcast, and preached good news to the poor. It would be very different because then we might conclude that God's favor was upon him because of all he had done, that in some way Jesus had earned the blessing. Instead, Jesus was immersed in God's favor before he had an opportunity to say anything or do anything. The very first words that Jesus heard as he emerged from the womb of baptism were like words whispered in a baby's ear: "You are my Son, the Beloved; my favor rests on you."

http://www.csec.org/csec/sermon/copenhaver_5214.htm

Martin Copenhaver, 2009 
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Our daughter, Stephanie, is a person with special needs, learning and motor skill disabilities.  Concepts do not come easily for her.  Because of that I supposed that she might never receive baptism since she cannot meet all the conceptual pre-requisites demanded by many Baptists.  You see, she does not understand the substitutionary theory of the atonement or the historical critical method of biblical studies the way the rest of us do.  But on the third Sunday in December, 1991, on the way home from church, Stephanie, age 16, announced to her mother and me, "I think its time for me to be baptized."  We talked about it and she was resolved, so we went to see our pastor, and he was everything a pastor should be for such a moment.  He did not speak to her of what she had to KNOW, but what she wished to BE.  "If you receive baptism, Stephanie," he said, "you are saying that you want to be a follower of Jesus.  Do you want that?"  She said yes and we prayed together.
And on Christmas Eve, Stephanie entered the baptistery of the Crescent Hill Baptist Church, Louisville, the same baptistery where her father had taken the spill years before.  "Profess your faith," the pastor said.  "Jesus is Lord," Stephanie replied.  And under she went in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit, in the presence of a congregation that had nurtured her to faith throughout her 16 years. 
We are all special needs persons, you and I.  In some of us, it is just more public than in others. Not one of us can ever conceptualize enough to make us worthy of God's grace.

http://day1.org/2540-the_river

Bill J. Leonard, 2011
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...Jesus' understanding of his mission and the meaning of his own discipleship to God unfolded to him as he lived his life. Rather than viewing Jesus as a static divine being who had it all "worked out" from the womb or from early days, I argued that Jesus' understanding of his ministry and identity emerged for him through his teaching, healing and suffering. Therefore we can look at the Gospels as descriptions of Jesus' own struggle to define and clarify the meaning of faithful discipleship to God. The first opportunity he had to do so was in his baptism by John. 

http://www.drbilllong.com/LectionaryIV/Matt3.html

Bill Long, 2007
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3:13 The verb "arrived" indicated a final point. That point was not the Jordan, but the person of John the Baptist. In Matthew, Jesus made the journey with the sole intent of being baptized by John.
3:14 "John kept trying to dissuade him" is literally "John was preventing him." The verb "prevent" was in the "imperfect" which indicated continual action (hence, "kept trying..."). In context, John's protestations were fruitless.

http://www.word-sunday.com/Files/Seasonal/Baptism/A-Baptism-a.html

Larry Broding 
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Jesus' reply, that we should "let it be for the time being," in order to "fulfill all righteousness" (Mt. 3:15) is not exactly a model of a crystal-clear explanation. I think, however, that we are safe in understanding these words as suggesting that it is only in complete solidarity with all humans that Jesus can "fulfill all righteousness." Jesus cannot fulfill all righteousness if he assumes a position superior to us, but can do so only if he submits to the same ministration as everybody else. 

http://andrewmarr.homestead.com/files/girard/mybelovedson.htm

Andrew Marr
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God blesses Jesus twice during our Lord's earthly life, once here at the Jordan and then again during the Transfiguration. The blessing is the same both times: "You are my beloved son, in whom I am well-pleased."
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Baptized (from the root word, bapto [911, (bap'-to)], is a simple word used for someone who needs to wash. The word can be used for being submerged, sprinkled, or just splashing your face. 

http://onefamilyoutreach.com/bible/Matthew/mt_03_13-17.html

Jerry Goebel: 2005 © http://onefamilyoutreach.com.
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