When Jesus appeared before John the Baptist to be baptized by him, John tried to prevent him as he saw no need for Jesus to be baptized. However, Jesus persisted and told John that there was reason for his baptism. Jesus’ baptism demonstrates three things in particular.

Jesus:

Is on your side

Is well acquainted with your sin

Makes it all personal

At the beginning of every New Year we are faced (both internally and externally) with the pressure of making ourselves better. We’ve all heard the cliche saying: New Year, New Me. 2020 is no different. God’s word however, gives us a different take on what new beginnings look like and what it truly means to be new. John gives us a perspective of the very beginning and the One who makes all things new.

Joseph discovered that Mary was pregnant and he knew that he was not the father. In order to spare her the possibility of great shame at the least, and being stoned to death at the worst, he determined to divorce her quietly. However, an angel of the Lord spoke to him in a dream and told him that God was at work in Mary and that he should not fear taking her as his wife because the child in her womb was the promised one of God. Joseph made a momentous decision to move from being a spectator to a participant in the work of God. We are challenged to do the same.

Spectating is vicarious, vain and vacant.

Participation is personal, powerful and purposeful.

Which shall you choose?

We have a Kingdom:

John the Baptist ends the 460 year prophetic silence with his wilderness call for people to repent. As he does, he also challenges his listeners to move from their self-centered expectations to God-centered anticipation. God is about to do something way beyond their expectations. They are to turn to God and anticipate the remarkable display of his goodness and grace.

Are we led by our self-centered expectations of God or by our holy anticipation of the goodness of God?