What A Teacher! - Matthew 51-12 - Fourth Week after the Epiphany

 

Matthew 5:1-12 NIV

5 Now when Jesus saw the crowds, he went up on a mountainside and sat down. His disciples came to him, ² and he began to teach them.

He said:

³ “Blessed are the poor in spirit,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
⁴ Blessed are those who mourn,
    for they will be comforted.
⁵ Blessed are the meek,
    for they will inherit the earth.
⁶ Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness,
    for they will be filled.
⁷ Blessed are the merciful,
    for they will be shown mercy.
⁸ Blessed are the pure in heart,
    for they will see God.
⁹ Blessed are the peacemakers,
    for they will be called children of God.
¹⁰ Blessed are those who are persecuted because of righteousness,
    for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

¹¹ “Blessed are you when people insult you, persecute you and falsely say all kinds of evil against you because of me. ¹² Rejoice and be glad, because great is your reward in heaven, for in the same way they persecuted the prophets who were before you.

 

 

 

What A Teacher!

Oh, the crowds that followed Jesus. Jesus was always aware of the crowds. Jesus was always compassionate towards those crowds. Crowds drawn to Him to hear teaching, to witness healing, and to see miracles.

And Jesus goes up to the mount. Think about that. It seems to me, whenever I’ve withdrawn to a higher place, maybe a mountain, maybe just a higher place, especially when I’m on my own; there’s something special about it. Not only does the air thin out but it seems to me my space to God thins out. Many times, it’s much quieter than what I would experience in the valley. And God did meet His people on mountains, think of Moses. So here as well with Jesus, this mount is like a higher connection with God.

And it’s on this mount that Jesus sits to teach. Jewish teachers often sat to teach. This position was an invite for those listening to pay close attention. There is something very important about to be taught, so listen.

Now we see that the disciples come to hear Jesus. Disciples yearn to hear Jesus teach. They are followers of not only His very being, but also followers of His teachings. As we draw near to the Word in the Bible, as we draw near to the spoken Word from the pulpit, as we draw near to Baptism and Communion; we are expressing our deep desire to learn and understand what God calls us to do and how God wishes for us to act. Draw near and be eager to listen to Jesus speak.

And when Jesus begins to speak, it’s the main event. Listen, look at His expressions, and feel his love for all those who are eager to hear Him.

Just who are the poor in spirit?

If we look to Isaiah 66:2 we see…

Has not my hand made all these things,
    and so they came into being?”
declares the Lord.

“These are the ones I look on with favor:
    those who are humble and contrite in spirit,
    and who tremble at my word.

 

God looks with favor on the humble and the contrite in spirit. This is a radical teaching. Humility can get all mixed up with weakness. But the one that is truly humble is one of the most powerful characteristics of a leader. And it’s these types of people that will come into the Kingdom of God. Leaders are humble, joyful, servants of God.

Humble servants are acutely aware that they need the grace of God. They are aware that open and honest, looking into the mirror of the reality of sin, brings about a change that God begins and ends. For servant leaders know they depend on God for forgiveness, guidance and salvation, from themselves, and this evil world.

In this we mourn. We mourn for our own sins and the sins of this world. We know how evil man can be and we mourn these evil intentions that are used against one another. So, how does God bring comfort to all who mourn?

Through the actions and working of the Holy Spirit in the lives of Jesus’ disciples. Jesus will bring comfort, but the Holy Spirit will be present always. Comfort to embolden those who live in fear, and comfort to wipe away every tear, so that mourning can stop, and hope may begin.

Revelation 21:4 NIV

⁴ ‘He will wipe every tear from their eyes. There will be no more death’^[a] or mourning or crying or pain, for the old order of things has passed away.”

 

So, let’s show empathy for one another. We all struggle with something. Let’s look out for one another to wipe away the tears of sinfulness and struggle, from the lives of all those God sets in your life, day after day. We need each other.

 

Be meek and show humility. When one is meek, they are really under the control of the Holy Spirit. It’s hard to be meek by your own effort. This is a quality of Jesus. Look at His life as an example of meekness. And guess what happened as Jesus displayed meekness? He inherited everything! Not just the earth but the entire Kingdom of God.

 

Revelation 21:1 NIV

Then I saw “a new heaven and a new earth,”^[a] for the first heaven and the first earth had passed away, and there was no longer any sea.

 

So, with and through, the gifts of the Holy Spirit, we are called to meekness and to submit our lives to God’s call, taking the actions, that God has equipped, and sent us to do, day after day. When we exhibit meekness towards one another, we put the other person first and respond in grace and patience and love. This is an eternal perspective towards God and one another.

 

I saw a homeless man on the news just the other day. In the interview, he was cold and hungry and needed a warm place to stay. Sure, there were shelters around, and perhaps he found one to stay at for the night. But what struck me, although this man had nothing to live on, or places to stay, he told the reporter that he prayed a lot each day. He had faith that God would care for him, as God cares for even the birds. This man not only hungered for what he needed to sustain his earthly life; he also hungered for what God could give him to sustain his spiritual life. I’m sure God has filled this man in more ways than one. How much do I need to be thankful that God blesses me and those around me who hunger and thirst for righteousness? I’m sure God fills us to more than we could ever wish or need.

So, yes, to this homeless man on the news, you teach all of us how God drives us earnestly to seek prayer, scripture, and worship.

Psalm 107:9 NIV

⁹ for he (the LORD) satisfies the thirsty
    and fills the hungry with good things.

 

So, how can we be merciful to, and for, one another? Well, first to show compassion. Show compassion for the plight of those around us and put to action the love of God that God has shown us in Christ Jesus. This is more than prayer. Prayer is great, but following prayer we are sent out in love to respond with loving action to our neighbors. And this loving action extends to ALL people, not just those like ourselves, or those who may agree with our way of thinking or living. This means ALL. Jesus didn’t pick and choose, Jesus only did the choosing stuff, and His choosing was ALL.

 

When you don’t pick and choose, you exhibit an honest love for the other. In some sense, you are pure in heart. Hypocrisy is left behind and you love in a way that God loves His creation. This incorporates some of the end-time thinking.

 

Revelation 22:4 NIV

⁴ They will see his face, and his name will be on their foreheads.

 

When we see the face of God, He marks us as His own. His own who live in His Kingdom, now and forever. Now, that’s a pure heart!

 

The pure in heart will be peacemakers. It’s not about the winning. I’ve had to struggle with this all my life. I want to always be right. Well, I ain’t! I’m wrong a whole bunch of the time and hate to admit it. My wife, Sue, likes to keep the peace. I can learn from her, but I still tend to be stubborn and try to go my own way.

 

Jesus came to this earth to establish peace between mankind and God. How? Well, He forgave us, and He died for us to defeat sin, death and the devil that we may freely have peace. Now that, there, is a peacemaker. May we let the heart of Christ’s peacemaking grow in us to help us to put behind our pride and be people to keep the peace with and for one another. That’s what we are called to do, you know!

 

Keeping the peace is not giving in. Keeping the peace is reconciling differences in love for one another. It’s a humble act of love. Keeping the peace puts the other person’s needs above your own.

 

So, there you have it. The prosperity Gospel. But not the kind of prosperity that many preachers and people of today believe in. This prosperity comes in eternity with Jesus as we lay our lives down to do His will in the way He would have us to it. Jesus is open and honest here with His disciples. There WILL be suffering for those who walk in the way of Jesus. Doing what is “right” in the eyes of God rubs wrong with what mankind believes is “right” in the eyes of man. Doing what is right in the eyes of man is supposed to bring on power, monetary gain, prestige and accomplishments that are fruitful for life here on, and in, this world in which we live. But doing the will of God will most likely rub this world’s leaders the wrong way and bring on persecution, suffering and maybe even death. But guess what?

The true disciple of Jesus, the disciple that follows Jesus to do His will, not their own, will be given the kingdom of heaven. There’s more to life than what we see here and now. We live in this world for a really brief amount of time, compared to our life with God in His Kingdom in eternity.

This promise from God is not just a promise for now, but it’s a promise for those who live under God’s will. Our riches don’t reside here on earth.

Philippians 3:20 NIV

²⁰ But our citizenship is in heaven. And we eagerly await a Savior from there, the Lord Jesus Christ,

 

And as Jesus speaks to us in this teaching, we have already heard our Savior from heaven.

 

But as we live our life in this world of opposites as compared to heaven, we can be sure that we will be insulted and persecuted. People with worldly thinking just can’t get past themselves and their own will to gain life and riches and power in the here and now. They can’t grasp a future world beyond the one in which they currently live, nor do they want to even think of that, because they simply don’t believe in anything else.

 

So, expect to be mocked, and insulted, socially, and slandered behind your back. This is how faith comes to us as we believe in all that Jesus has done.

 

What’s the big deal here? It’s because of Jesus, that the persecution comes. When a disciple follows Jesus, that connection alone draws out the very suffering that Jesus took upon Himself to save.

 

But, guess what? This association with Jesus’ suffering and death, also comes with the promise and sure hope of resurrection. This is the ultimate blessing of Jesus for ALL his disciples.

 

And here Jesus bids us to joy. Here Jesus tells us we will be glad. Here Jesus shows us His triumph for us.

 

In my foyer, I have a few pictures that were given to me that I cherish to see each day. Two of those pictures are of Jesus with children. In one picture Jesus is sitting in a circle teaching the children. In the other picture, Jesus is dancing in a play game in a circle with the children. In both of these pictures there is a smile on Jesus’ face. The third picture in my foyer is a picture of Jesus laughing. All three of these pictures make me think of the joy and gladness and laughter Jesus has in store for all of His believing disciples. And guess what? We’re all children, living in the great reward of heaven. Sometimes you just have to look beyond the persecution, and endure and be faithful to God, to see that joy in heaven.

 

All of these teachings of Jesus are really hard to follow. But, follow, we must. I need to go back over Jesus’ teachings each and every day. Why? Because I’ll forget, or choose to be lazy and turn and run from His teachings. I need to face into my sinfulness every day. Why? Because as I face my sin, God spins me around to show me the face of Jesus and what He did to call me and claim me as His own. I need to hear the Gospel of God every day. Why? Because it’s way too easy to forget and look in to myself and my own selfish needs. I need to hear these “Beatitudes” often. Why? Because I’ll wander from their rich supply of guidance and not project the love, compassion, understanding, forgiveness and care to all those people God places in my life each and every day.

So, at least for now, stop, listen and respond to the teachings of Jesus offered in these passages of Scripture. Why? Because you too are called to live out the love of God in your world, here and now.

There it is folks! God requires His disciples to act justly, to love mercy and to walk humbly. As I look at my own sin, I must admit and confess those times that I wasn’t just to my neighbor, I wasn’t loving to my neighbor, I didn’t show mercy to my neighbor and I was proud and haughty in the face of my neighbor. Forgive me Lord! Forgive me my neighbor! Lord, you have shown me my sinfulness, now I ask that you change me into what You would have me be.

How about we just take care of one another. Stand tall against evil, the vile, the oppressor, and those who take advantage of neighbor. Speak truth from the heart with love and compassion that defends one another and does no wrong to a neighbor.

What the world thinks brings power, riches, wisdom and strength to people or places, God declares as foolishness. God doesn’t see things like we do with our earthly, fleshly, eyes. God sees all things in His own and ultimate power and strength. So, as we believe one thing, God sees, just about the opposite thing as being powerful, rich and strong. Which causes us to believe in the love of God for the poor, the powerless, the ones who mourn or those who are lost and homeless. Of these people God seeks to save and forgive and to bring to Him… today… tomorrow… and forever. Thanks be to God!

Here is a great YouTube Music Video I found…

“The Beatitudes”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oa7KN0Pl3qg&list=RDoa7KN0Pl3qg&start_radio=1

The Beatitudes

Willis Wheatley's 'Laughing Jesus.'

Listen! Did You Hear That? - Matthew 4:12-25 - Third Week after the Epiphany

 

Matthew 4:12-25 NIV

¹² When Jesus heard that John had been put in prison, he withdrew to Galilee. ¹³ Leaving Nazareth, he went and lived in Capernaum, which was by the lake in the area of Zebulun and Naphtali— ¹⁴ to fulfill what was said through the prophet Isaiah:

¹⁵ “Land of Zebulun and land of Naphtali,
    the Way of the Sea, beyond the Jordan,
    Galilee of the Gentiles—
¹⁶ the people living in darkness
    have seen a great light;
on those living in the land of the shadow of death
    a light has dawned.”^[a]

¹⁷ From that time on Jesus began to preach, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.”

¹⁸ As Jesus was walking beside the Sea of Galilee, he saw two brothers, Simon called Peter and his brother Andrew. They were casting a net into the lake, for they were fishermen. ¹⁹ “Come, follow me,” Jesus said, “and I will send you out to fish for people.” ²⁰ At once they left their nets and followed him.

²¹ Going on from there, he saw two other brothers, James son of Zebedee and his brother John. They were in a boat with their father Zebedee, preparing their nets. Jesus called them, ²² and immediately they left the boat and their father and followed him.

²³ Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, proclaiming the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people. ²⁴ News about him spread all over Syria, and people brought to him all who were ill with various diseases, those suffering severe pain, the demon-possessed, those having seizures, and the paralyzed; and he healed them. ²⁵ Large crowds from Galilee, the Decapolis,^[b] Jerusalem, Judea and the region across the Jordan followed him.

Listen! Did You Hear That?

There are always political and religious tensions going on. John the Baptist is now in prison, for having told Herod his sin with having his half-brother’s wife in marriage. Honesty sometimes comes with a price. Sometimes truth comes with a price. So, here we see the end of John’s public ministry of sorts and the full beginning of Jesus’ ministry to the world. Tension always seems to exist between religion and politics, even to this day. Jesus will also face tension and opposition, not only with the political leaders of the day, but the religious leaders of the day also.

It’s interesting that in the fulfillment of God’s plan of salvation, that Jesus starts in Galilee. God’s plan of salvation will come to include ALL people, even those located away from the center of Jerusalem and God’s Temple of that time. In the end this idea of a Temple will change and shift meanings to us, but the meaning remains the same to God throughout time as not a building, but God’s very own Son, Jesus.

So, now Jesus leaves His hometown of Nazareth and moves to Capernaum, a city by the Sea of Galilee. This is in the northern regions in the area of Zebulun. In this movement, Jesus is fulfilling prophecy. And that prophecy from the book of Isaiah is stated in the passage above. Jesus fulfills prophecies. But I, like so many others, can easily read and read and read God’s Word and just miss it. I need God to help and guide me along the way. It’s amazing how all the prophets, ages back, telling the Words of God, fulfilled God’s Word in Jesus. To me, it’s astounding!

God brings to light the fulfillment of His Word. May that same Light, ding-ding-ding, in my mind as God shines His Light into my life as well, to give me faith and understanding, and the clear knowledge that leads me to free belief in God.

This land of Zebulun and Naphtali was a mixed region of Jews and Gentiles. We learn how earlier in history these people were the first to fall to the Assyrians and be whisked away to a foreign land.

How can I not help but to think of my sinful life, when sin has whisked be away to a lost place. Yet, even here, in this passage, God comes to these people at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. This plan of God, this ministry of Jesus, goes way beyond the salvation of the Jews, as God’s Chosen People. God’s Chosen People become ALL the people who God leads to believe in His forgiveness and salvation, through Jesus. Simply amazing!

It’s sure that Jesus comes to the land of those in darkness, myself, and yourself included.

May we all see the Light and live as Children OF the Light. We ARE called out of the darkness of our sin after all, and freely granted forgiveness and salvation. Rejoice in this gift and respond! It’s not about getting what you think you deserve for doing something. It’s about responding to what you have freely been given. You freely have been given Light, so walk in that Light to love God and all those God gives to you in your life. Respond!

And with this, Jesus preaches. Jesus preaches and tells us to repent. Our sin is before us. Our sin is made obvious by what we have done and what we have left undone. So, don’t be so proud that you think you have nothing to turn and run from. After all, Jesus just preached the repent word and has turned you to Himself to lead you out of darkness and into His Light. Follow Jesus in His Light, not your own dim worn out flashlight of your actions that you believe will give life. Turn and see the great Light of Jesus. Follow that Star!

You are in for a big change. Rejoice in that change!

The Sea of Galilee was a busy place. This was a place of trade and fishing. A place where food was caught and sold. A place to feed people. Think of that. This is where Jesus comes to call out some of His disciples. These were working folks. People who knew how to sweat and earn a living the hard way. These were industrious workers. I’ve always had a special respect for the working people of the day. Out of the workers, emerges leaders. It’s the way it should be, in my way of thinking.

Just as God called Abram to follow Him and start a ministry to a strange place from Ur to Caanan, Jesus calls His first disciples. And, in my opinion, because these fishermen were hard workers, they notice that Jesus is something special and they jump at the opportunity to follow Him. There is something important happening here. Something beyond the normal call of working for food to feed people. A different kind of work to feed the people in a far different manner. But first, the call to follow and learn from Jesus.

Yes, here we have a transformation taking place. A transformation much like how disciples today are changed at baptism. Even as infants, God chooses to make each His own, to gift them with the Holy Spirit, and to place wonderful spiritual gifts in our lives to be used in service to God’s plan and for God’s people throughout the world in which each of us are set.

And with all of this, like these fishermen by the sea, we jump and go. This is exciting. This is a transformation that calls us out of ourself to something strange and something entirely new.

There comes a time when faith builds up and you have to leave yourself behind and plunge into something new. Why? Because God has chosen you and wants to use you. That’s why!

This calling of disciples, is just the beginning. Jesus goes on from there to call others. And, even today, Jesus goes on from there, into all occupations and regions of this world to call disciples. Jesus calls. It’s not about us doing something to earn the call, it’s about Jesus’ love and trust and sure hope that God will be active in the lives of His disciples, no matter the talents. God will supply all that is needed.

It’s time to jump up and leave yourself behind and follow Jesus.

Jesus’ teaching was far reaching. He not only taught in the synagogues, he also went about all the people of that region, Gentile and Jew alike to teach and heal and come to them. It’s interesting how Jesus comes TO the people to teach and heal and minister His gift of life and salvation.

And in this widespread ministry of Jesus, people showed faith in His healing. This was a widespread ministry that reached far beyond what we think. And that widespread ministry continues on today. But Jesus set the standard really high. Inspired by the Holy Spirit, Jesus’ church would follow in His footsteps in the spread of God’s action with and among all people.

So, what are we to do today? I think it’s to listen to the call of Jesus. He is reaching out for followers to move from the comfort zone and into something new that God has in store. We are shown, by the disciples, how to jump at the voice of Jesus to move into something of a different sort. God placed each one of us in this place, and in this time, to fulfill His call. But first we need to be aware enough to open our ears to His call.

How does that happen? We have God’s Word before us in the words of the Bible, in the words from pulpits, in the Sacraments, and through the mouths of fellow disciples who have responded to God’s call. So, listen and look and see. Be baptized today! Move out in the new life that God blesses you with to do His will in His way, each and every day. This is exciting stuff here. And you really don’t know where it may lead. God may use you to serve, to love others, to feed the hungry, to clothe the poor, to give shelter, to teach His Word, to proclaim His Word to all those He gives to you. The ways that God may choose to use you are infinite. But rest assured, even when you think you can’t, God gives you the gifts you need to carry out His work in this world. For a little proof, just take a look in the Bible at all the people God chose to use, even when they resisted, God still made something of it. So, listen and respond and overcome your fears. Go out with God. He will always be at your side to lead and guide.

Jesus’ Light will shine clear and brightly, especially to those in fear, in sin, in illness, in suffering and in the dark. Look and see, the Light has come.

You know what? Jesus is THE Light. There is nothing to fear in that. I’m thankful for Jesus THE Light.

Get is straight. Follow Jesus as His disciple and preach the Word to all the world… today… here and now… tomorrow… and into eternity. Thanks be to God!

Enjoy this YouTube Video that I used during this reflection

Hark The Voice of Jesus Calling (Here Am, I Send Me)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7rAbbdEGwq4&list=RD7rAbbdEGwq4&start_radio=1

Hark The Voice of Jesus Calling

Here He Is! - John 1:29-42 - Second Week after the Epiphany

 

John 1:29-42 NIV

²⁹ The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! ³⁰ This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ ³¹ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”

³² Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. ³³ And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ ³⁴ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”^[a]

³⁵ The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. ³⁶ When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

³⁷ When the two disciples heard him say this, they followed Jesus. ³⁸ Turning around, Jesus saw them following and asked, “What do you want?”

They said, “Rabbi” (which means “Teacher”), “where are you staying?”

³⁹ “Come,” he replied, “and you will see.”

So they went and saw where he was staying, and they spent that day with him. It was about four in the afternoon.

⁴⁰ Andrew, Simon Peter’s brother, was one of the two who heard what John had said and who had followed Jesus. ⁴¹ The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, “We have found the Messiah” (that is, the Christ). ⁴² And he brought him to Jesus.

 

Here He Is!

There He is! John the Baptist is probably witnessing Jesus coming out of the wilderness after Jesus’ temptation. John exclaims for all of us to hear. There He is! There is Jesus! Maybe John even pointed to Jesus! But in any case, there He is! And John doesn’t beat around the bush with his message. See! Look! This is God and He is carrying a huge load on His back. The load of the sins of ALL the world. There He is! Look and see, this is God in flesh. This IS Jesus. He is the Lamb of God.

Think back on it. Think back to the Bible of that day. People would remember how the lamb in the Tabernacle was the sacrifice to cleanse the people of sin. People would remember how Abraham told Isaac that God Himself would provide the Lamb for the sacrifice on the altar. And as John the Baptist now proclaims, here is the Lamb of God. The Lamb of God coming forth from the temptations of Satan, carrying this huge load of sin all wrapped up on His back. Our sin, not His own. I agree with John the Baptist and I give thanks to God for His only Son Jesus, that here IS the Lamb of God, that takes away the sin of the world. Thanks be to God!

See! I told you so! You may hear me speak of the Lamb of God, but this is no weak creature. This Lamb is carrying, in such a strong and powerful way, ALL the sin of the world. This IS the Guy! This is the Guy I was telling y’all about.  He so surpasses all that I had to speak of, that I can’t even untie his sandal. This IS the Man! Here is the One that I’ve been speaking of. Look! See! And yes, Listen to Him!

Now go figure this out, for sure, He’s greater than I am, and I was born before this Jesus was born, yet He was and always has been BEFORE me! And yep! Here He IS! This guy right here is why I am. I was sent to Point to Him. That’s why I’ve been calling y’all together to repent. He IS the reason. Turn and Look and See!

Talk about some conviction from John the Baptist. He tells it loud and proud and clear for all to hear. John the Baptist and Jesus may have been cousins, but John really didn’t know Jesus. Well now he does. John knows, and recognizes Jesus as the Lamb of God, and not only that, John now recognizes Jesus as God.

Now John understands. Now John understands why he was sent to baptize all these people, who repent and rise out of the waters of their sinfulness. They were rising to witness something NEW. They were rising out of the waters of the Jordan to see God in flesh, right here, right now, as Jesus emerges from the wilderness of temptation to prove to all the world that God loves His people. God loves His people enough to take on this huge backpack of ALL the sins of ALL the people throughout ALL time and forgive and save. Not in some magical easy way. But as the Lamb of God to be sacrificed upon the altar in our own place. Jesus is tough and able and ready and sent by God to carry our Salvation.

And John has the proof. John saw the Spirit descend upon Jesus at His baptism. And that Spirit stuck for good and for all time. That Spirit became One with Jesus and One with the Father and became One in the flesh and blood of Jesus. Yes, John the Baptist saw what he saw, and heard what he heard, and now John the Baptist, in no uncertain terms proclaims in trust, hope and faith what he saw and heard with his own ears and his own eyes.

May I boldly proclaim Jesus and Point to Him with the passion of John. Lord help and guide me and all disciples to do just the same with as much passion and conviction as John the Baptist has done.

Sometimes we don’t know the plan of God. I would guess most of the times we don’t know what is going on. But when that plan that we have been involved in opens up right before our eyes… well that’s the JOY of God! That’s the joy of being God’s disciple. That’ the great joy of knowing that God has used you in His service for a reason.

John sees Jesus the next day as he is with a couple of his own disciples. Make no mistake about it, this is God in Jesus! There He is! There is Jesus, the One about whom I am pointing. Go! See! Listen to Him!

Yes, focus your gaze and look at this man, this God. Jesus IS the Lamb of God. The main act of God is here and now.

Jesus alone is the One to follow. He will teach you; He will forgive you and He alone will save you from sin and death, to live with God forever into eternity. Follow Him!

So, as Jesus sees John’s disciples following Him, He wants to know what they want. Well, come on and find out! That’s how we point to Jesus. We not only point we get up and go and follow and learn. Since baptism, we are called to not only point to Jesus but get up and go and listen to His Word and teaching, see the Word made flesh not only through Jesus, but through our own very actions in loving God and one another. It’s not just a passive call; God calls us and gifts us to an active call to use the gifts God freely gives to us to love God and each other.

Now look and see what happens next. After John pointed to Jesus, after his disciples followed Jesus, Jesus spreads himself to the world. Jesus seeks out more and more and pulls disciples to Himself. A ministry is coming to life, God in the flesh, here with us and among us. God comes to us and hunts us down to take us to Him to grow in Him and out into all the world.

As I reflect upon my own life, the joys and the struggles; I sometimes get a glimpse of Jesus. There are other times that I stew in my own selfishness. I stew and become selfish, I fret and worry and fail to use the gifts God has given to me since baptism. And when I’m down and out, there are times, recent times, when all of the sudden God smacks me in the face. God smacks me in the face while I’m floundering in my selfish sin, WITH His love and compassion. Times when God makes it abundantly clear that He is with me and has always been with me. Times when God puts His gifts to action through people He calls and gifts and gives me His love through others.

It’s then that I must, I can’t help, but to turn to God. God has turned to me and shown me His love. I can’t help but to confess my sin, it’s right there before me. And when this happens God repents me and forgives me. Sounds strange, doesn’t it? But yea, God smacks me in the face with His grace, love, forgiveness, and ultimate healing, as he repents me and forgives me.

I rise out of the waters, of my death, selfishness, and idol worship to a new life in God. And there He is! Point to Him! Follow Him! Join in with Him and “get over yourself!” For God has called you to live your life for Him and for all those He gives to you to act out in love.

How recent! How abundant! How truthful! God moves out, and in, at the same time.

Jesus is the servant of God sent to save all God’s people… ALL

Jesus reveals God’s love to all the world, pulling His people out of sin and into His righteousness

As Jesus pulls you in to Himself, you will be enriched with His gifts of grace, knowledge, and skills to go out to love not only God Himself, but to demonstrate the love of God in Christ Jesus to your neighbor and all the world… today… tomorrow… and forever. Thanks be to God!

Pause and relax to this YouTube Music Video – one of my favorites for so many reasons!

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cEbQswNB6Wc&list=RDcEbQswNB6Wc&start_radio=1

No doubt about it… Right now… this day… I feel Jesus standing in the fire beside me.

Picture - Carlo_Maratti_-_Saint_John_the_Baptist_Pointing_to_Christ_in_a_Landscape

Look! See! Listen! - Matthew 3:13-17 - Baptism of Our Lord

 

Matthew 3:13-17

¹³ Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. ¹⁴ But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

¹⁵ Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

¹⁶ 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. ¹⁷ And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Look! See! Listen!

Something new is happening! Something New is here! Listen to John the Baptist, listen to Jesus, look and see and listen to the Voice of God and the Spirit’s presence in this moment and in this place. Look! See! Listen!

What was Jesus doing here? Why was Jesus coming to be baptized by John? Remember just last week, Jesus grew in wisdom and stature. Jesus was sinless, yet God had given Him His blessing of grace. A different grace from what we are given through Jesus. Jesus received God’s gift of grace and blessing for all He came to do on this earth. So, why was Jesus coming to John’s baptism of repentance? Jesus was sinless!

I think Jesus came to be baptized by John FOR you and me AND John. Jesus was showing, and teaching through His very own act of baptism by John, that John’s ministry and calling was valid. Turn to God. Seek forgiveness. Accept God’s grace of forgiveness and live a new life in and with God. And guess what? God IS here, in these waters of baptism right now, right here, IN Jesus very own baptism, leading you and me forward IN Jesus righteousness and God’s Wisdom and strength. Not as something Jesus needed, but as something that WE need!

You see, Jesus came down from heaven in more than flesh and blood to be human. Jesus came down to be WITH us in every aspect of our earthly life, AND, our spiritual life as well. Jesus humbles Himself, even in our very own repentance, to be with us, even when we must face our very own sin, as God turns us around to and toward Himself, to claim each one of us as His own. Jesus IS NOW with us! All the time! Even when we don’t want Him or know He is with us, Jesus IS with us here, and now.

As in our own baptism we are set apart to be God’s Child, we are called, blessed, by the Father, Son and Holy Spirit, to begin God’s ministry in our lives as it unfolds day after day.

Here Jesus punctuates His own Beginning Ministry to the world as He also punctuates our ministry to the world, in the waters of baptism. Baptism IS a BIG deal! Jesus demonstrates that!

Here, Jesus connects Himself to our sin and blesses us by connecting us to His righteousness. That there, is not something the world is used to, or prepared for, but it’s an action only God can take, and God makes that connection now in the life, death, and resurrection of Jesus, FOR you and me and all those Jesus leads to believe. Talk about a union with God! This IS everlasting life in and with God, here and now.

When John hesitates to baptize Jesus, Jesus gently leads John forward in the baptism. This is not about sin; this baptism of Jesus is about something new taking place. This baptism of Jesus is about being set apart for God’s work in this world through Jesus, to bring the grace of forgiveness and ever-lasting life to all the people that live in sin.

So, Jesus, gently calls John to do what John himself was called to do, to Point to Jesus as God’s Savior, and as God in this world, to this world, and for, the people of this world.

 It’s interesting to think that this passage doesn’t mention that Jesus went under the water, it only states He came up from the water. This washing is similar to the washing of a priest being called into service to God. So, Jesus raises up from the water as an eternal priest, and the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus. It’s the beginning of Jesus’ earthly ministry; the water of life flows forth from Jesus. Water that flows forth in the new creation that gives life to all the world. AND, it’s nice to think of how the Holy Spirit enters this world in a bodily form as well. Like in the dove. That reminds me of when the dove returns to the Ark in the time of the Flood and Noah, and a new creation begins again. Yet this time, through Jesus, through the Holy Spirit and through the call of the Father, this New Creation is going to stick. It comes of God!

Talk about a Trinity moment! How can this be denied, all three are present, Father, Son and Holy Spirit. All there as One. May my eyes be open, may my ears hear, may my flesh rejoice in the water that brings forth my God, my Savior, my Gift of life!

Who heard all of this? The passage says John, and through implication, Jesus as well. But guess what? It’s recorded for all the world to read, to see and to hear. So, in a sense, we all get to hear the Voice of God as is written and inspired by the Holy Spirit in Scripture. How great is that!

And like at the Creation of Paradise, in the Garden of Eden, God IS pleased! There it is again, a New Creation IS here and now in the coming of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit in this new great coming forth from the life-giving waters of Jesus. Now Jesus’ ministry begins. Pay attention folks! I’m not so sure it was only John and Jesus that heard the Voice of God and saw the descending of the Holy Spirit. Things spill out. Things are heard from a distance. And from this point on, Jesus’ ministry will be getting bigger and bigger, and louder and louder, and more visible than ever before.

Through these waters of baptism Jesus comes forth and raises Himself up and raises us up to new life. God begins a new creation here in the waters of the Jordan, and everlasting streams of life-giving water pour forth from Jesus. This is a big deal here. This is a baptism of New Creation. This is a baptism based in life-giving water. This isn’t a baptism for the forgiveness of the sins of Jesus. No, this is Jesus’ baptism FOR the sins of all that Jesus’ new ministry will draw to Himself to GIVE everlasting life, with Jesus, the Father and the Holy Spirit. This is a big deal here.

And we are called to walk into the waters of our very own baptism, in our very own sin, to be washed clean and to rise with the sinless Jesus, TO, everlasting life with God. This is a big deal here. This is a new creation.

What can I say, but for people to seek out their own place of baptism. Baptism is a gift from God. Don’t worry about being just right to be baptized. Find a church and BE baptized! Baptism is THE gift of God, not based on you, but based on what God freely gives to you. In your baptism you will raise to a new life and become a new creation, called, gifted and sent as a disciple of Jesus, into this world here and now to take the actions God unfolds for you in your life. It’s a BIG deal and a time to rejoice. Service to God is a joyful thing. Sometimes the service gets tough, but so what, God will walk with you through it all. And that’s the thing. God’s presence in your life is here and now and in eternity.

Something new is going to happen. And that something New is here with us today. See God in Jesus. Something New HAS happened! Thanks be to God!

Listen to the Voice of the Lord! Listen!

Through Jesus’ death and resurrection, we are no longer slaves to sin… Jesus continues to put to death my sin, so that, through His death, I may be raised to new life in Him… today… tomorrow… and forever. Thanks be to God!

Sit bask and relax to this YouTube Music Video that I used this past week as I studied this passage. Enjoy!

“Child of Mine”

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xfgd7AzhqvM&list=PLR3OLUzrduhru-BkgBdoojVPnOqvgmkzS

 Child of Mine