1. What stood out to me from this chapter?
When I read this text I was struck by how strong John's words were to the religious leaders. He does not sugar coat them, nor does he try to "win their favor" per say. Yet he does not just mindlessly, carelessly insult them either. He is trying to shock them out of their rigid religiosity and into real repentance. In today's society John would have been labeled as a judgmental, hellfire and brimstone, Christian extremist, and mocked by modern media. But Jesus later says that there is no one born of women greater than John the Baptist.
2. How does this passage relate to any other Scripture I know?
In verse 17, we hear the voice of God claiming Jesus as his Son and declaring God's pleasure in him. This is not the last time we hear something like that. Later in Matthew 17, in the story of the Transfiguration, God once again repeats these words in an audible voice with the added command, "Listen to him!" I kind of wish that would have happened when Jesus was on public trial in front of all the religious and governmental authorities. Or when he was hanging on the cross in front of the crowds. I feel like maybe more people would have believed. But I'm not God, and praise the Lord for that. :)
3. What does this mean for my life?
Repentance! Ouch! Repent! Ouch again! That word is a strong word. It implies that something about us is headed in the wrong direction and needs to be corrected. One does not repent without first humbling themselves to admit to themselves and agree with God that they were wrong. The word "repent" literally means to do a mental about face and change your mind, agreeing with God and setting your actions in a new direction. Despite all the good things God has done in my life, there are still some patterns of behavior and attitudes that I need to repent of. Confession admits the wrong, forgiveness absolves the wrong, but repentance shows the genuineness of the desire to live in the newness of God's calling.
4. What questions do I have about this passage?
Why did Jesus have to get baptized? If John's baptism was mainly with water for the repentance of sins, and Jesus had no sin, why was he baptized? It seems that he was the first to receive the Holy Spirit through baptism in this way. Also, John and Jesus were like second cousins (their mothers, Elizabeth and Mary, respectively, were cousins). Did they hang out while growing up? Did John know Jesus well? Did he know all along that he was the Messiah? Did John know that he was specifically talking about Jesus, or was he just speaking of the Messiah and then sensed from the Holy Spirit that it was Jesus when he showed up? I don't think I'll ever get a clear answer, but I'm a curious fellow.
In Christ,
Dan
I also found it really interesting that John wouldn't baptize the people until they confessed their sins first (verse 6). Sometimes it seems that baptism is just a tradition without much meaning to it, but this makes me think that God views baptism as a really big deal, not to be taken lightly. Like you said, you first have to humble yourself and agree with what God already knows- that "all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God" (Romans 3:23). I also love what John says to the religious folk in verse 8- "Prove by the way you live that you have really turned from your sins and turned to God." That is the ultimate proof of God in our hearts and that is totally amazing to me. That God would use our external lifestyle to prove that He exists is super humbling. I recently read a devotion by Beth Moore that said we are to be living stones, rolled away to reveal the truth of Jesus Christ by our very lives. That is a high calling only possible by the Holy Spirit!
ReplyDeleteI also have always wondered how many people were there at Jesus' baptism and if everybody saw the sky opening and God's voice calling. Like you said, many more people would have believed. And it seems like that would be so much easier for God to do something like that to allow more to believe in Him. But, I am not God either, and His wisdom is far greater than my finite mind can comprehend! :)