`*+*...`Welcome To My Christian Circle Of Faith* Hope* Love*...`*+*`
`ReDo`~``+`~ JAN 12 / FEAST DAY OF JESUS BAPTISM BY ST.JOHN THE BAPTIST~`+`~
~`+`~ JAN 12 / FEAST DAY OF JESUS BAPTISM BY ST.JOHN THE BAPTIST~`+`~
In the days of Jesus, a Gentile would need to be baptized publicly to identify himself
as a convert to Judaism.
However, it is important to note that Jesus was not converting. The baptism of Jesus
served as an identification of Jesus
as God's Son and to announce the beginning of His earthly ministry.
Matthew 3:13-17 records the baptism of Jesus this way: "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 lighting on him.
And a voice from heaven said, 'This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.'"
Please note that Jesus did not need
the Holy Spirit.
However, He wanted to be an example
to us, so He emptied Himself and relied upon the power of the Holy Spirit.
Philippians 2:5-7 says, "Your attitude should be the same as that of Christ Jesus:
Who, being in very nature God, did not consider equality with God
something to be grasped,
but made himself nothing, taking the very nature of a servant, being made
in human likeness."
The baptism of Jesus and His reliance upon the Holy Spirit serves as an example for us.
==========~`+`~==========
~`+`~John The Baptist~`=`~
Jordan RiverJohn was reluctant to baptize Jesus, for he said "I have need
to be baptized by you." John knew that Jesus was the son of God.
Jesus had no need to be forgiven of sins because he was sinless.
Knowing John's reluctance, Jesus told him, "It is proper for us to do this
to fulfill all righteousness."
So John obeyed Jesus and baptized him in the Jordan River.
God's Response.....
When Jesus came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit descended as a dove,
and the voice of God spoke from Heaven, saying ....
"This is my Beloved Son, In Whom I Am Well Pleased."
Jesus Begins His Ministry.....
Following his baptism, Jesus was lead by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness
to be tempted by the devil. Jesus began his ministry after these events.
Nature of God.....
The baptism of Jesus confirms the doctrine of the trinity. Besides John the Baptist,
there are 3 individuals presented in the baptism:
==========~`+`~==========
John had been baptizing in the Jordan River. One day Jesus came from Nazareth
in Galilee and asked John to baptize him . John protested because he felt that
Jesus was the one who should be baptizing him. But Jesus told him that they
needed to do this to fulfill all righteousness. It was the right thing to do.
So John baptized him in the river.
Immediately after he was baptized, as he was praying, the heavens were opened
and a dove came down and rested on Jesus. It was the Spirit of God in the form
of a bird that had come down to show who Jesus was. Jesus saw it
and John also saw the dove.
Suddenly there was a voice from heaven saying, "You are my beloved Son,
in whom I am well pleased". The dove and the voice of God were a sign to John
that Jesus was the Messiah who had been promised.
After this, John was again assembled with a group of people, and Jesus approached
the group. John told them what had happened. He said, "Behold! The Lamb of God
who takes away the sin of the world!" He told them that he had seen the Spirit
of God coming down on Jesus in the form of a dove. He said this had been a sign
to him because God had revealed to him that the person on whom he saw a dove
descending would be the Son of God. This is how John would know for sure.
Now John and Jesus were relatives and had grown up together. John's mother,
Elizabeth, had known from the beginning, even before Jesus was born,
that her kinswoman Mary was going to be the mother of the Son of God.
Jesus was God in human form who had come to earth.
It seems that John was not aware of Jesus' true identity
until this event at Jesus' baptism.
