Matthew 3:13-17 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and alighting on him; and lo, a voice from heaven, saying, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
I love this scripture. The humility of John. The obedience of Jesus. The faithfulness of the Father. In such a short passage we find so many levels in the reading. I have written in the past about my admiration of John the Baptist. His clear identity of his role and who he is, No confusion or wanting to take on another person's role or identity.
Jesus comes and John fears that baptizing Jesus could be overstepping his role. Why should he baptize the one who is to come after him whose sandals he id not fit to untie? Perhaps even Jesus does not understand the magnitude of the moment, but he does understand that this baptism is meant to happen. It seems foolish on the surface, but for some reason God the Father chose this moment to provide the power of the Holy Spirit for Jesus next three years of ministry. Jesus just followed obediently what he knew the Father wanted of him.
The Father was faithful to his purpose and plan. The scripture says that his word goes forth and will not return without completing his purpose. Every move God makes continues to work toward the completion of His plan. We throw one obstacle after another, but God just recalculates like my GPS and proceeds toward our redemption. I thank God for His faithfulness. He never stops working for our good. No matter what we do with our free will, God will continue to be faithful to his purpose.
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