Have you ever considered what the very first day of Jesus’ ministry was like?
Do you know what he did first?
Matthew 3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. CSB
Jesus was baptized.
This announced the start of His ministry.
Everything He did was to obey the Father and to bring redemption to the world.
On that first day, Jesus left his home in Nazareth to meet His cousin, John the Baptist.
John preached in the wilderness and was known for his oddities. His destiny was to introduce the Messiah to the world.
Jesus set His gaze on the Jordan River and kept walking.
I wonder if Jesus felt the oppression of the evil surrounding Him. Religious leaders, who would later call for His crucifixion, were there.
This was a sacred moment between Jesus, His Father and the Holy Spirit. Yet, it was also a moment to include every man, woman and child who would accept the gift of redemption.
Jesus knew each dreadful day in store for Himself.
Still, Messiah kept walking.
As Jesus approached, John the Baptist had been preaching to a crowd. Many were being baptized. A fire was stoked in the evil hearts of Jesus’ enemies.
John became a target for their rage calling them vipers who would find their place in Hell. Matthew 3:7
Let’s let Matthew tell the rest of the story.
Matthew 3:13-17
…but John tried to stop him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?”
Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John allowed him to be baptized.
When Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.”
See the graphic image—Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, each playing a part in mankind’s salvation.
God so Love the World that He sent His Son John 3:16
Jesus, the Son, came to seek and to save the lost. Luke 19:10
…through the washing of regeneration and renewal by the Holy Spirit. Titus 3:5
Christian Standard Bible (CSB)
The Christian Standard Bible. Copyright © 2017 by Holman Bible Publishers. Used by permission. Christian Standard Bible®, and CSB® are federally registered trademarks of Holman Bible Publishers, all rights reserved.
Getting the Seed out of the basket and into hungry hearts. Matthew 13 