01/13 – Luke 3:15-22 – Why was Jesus Baptized

Isaiah 43:1-7

The Lord who created Jacob and formed Israel now says: Do not be afraid, because I have reclaimed you. I have called you by name; you are mine. When you go through the sea I am with you. When you go through rivers they will not sweep you away. When you walk through fire you will not be burned, and the flames will not harm you.

I am the Lord your God, the Holy One of Israel, your Savior. Egypt is the payment I made for you. Sudan and Seba are the price I exchange for you. Because you are precious in my sight, you are honored and I love you. I will exchange others for you. Nations will be the price I pay for your life.

Do not be afraid, because I am with you. I will gather you from the east and gather you from the west. I will say to the north, “Give them up,” and to the south, “Do not keep them.” Bring my sons from far away, and my daughters from the ends of the earth. Bring everyone who is called by my name, whom I created for my glory, whom I formed and made.

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Romans 6:1-11

What should we say then? Should we continue to sin so that God’s kindness will increase? That’s unthinkable! As far as sin is concerned, we have died. So how can we still live under sin’s influence? Don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? When we were baptized into his death, we were placed into the tomb with him. As Christ was brought back from death to life by the glorious power of the Father, so we too should live a new kind of life.

If we’ve become united with him in a death like his, certainly we will also be united with him when we come back to life as he did. We know that the person we used to be was crucified with him to put an end to sin in our bodies. Because of this we are no longer slaves to sin. The person who has died has been freed from sin.

If we have died with Christ we believe that we will also live with him. We know that Christ, who was brought back to life, will never die again. Death no longer has any power over him. When he died, he died once and for all to sin’s power, but now he lives and he lives for God. So consider yourselves dead to sin’s power but living for God in the power Christ Jesus gives you.

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Luke 3:15-22

People’s hopes were rising as they all wondered whether John was the Messiah. John replied to all of them, “I baptize you with water, but the one who is more powerful than I is coming. I am not worthy to untie his sandal straps. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing shovel is in his hand to clean up his threshing floor. He will gather the wheat into his barn, but he will burn the husks in a fire that can never be put out.”

With many other encouraging words he told the Good News to the people. John spoke out against the ruler Herod because Herod had married his own sister-in-law, Herodias {har-OH-dee-us}. He also spoke out against Herod for all the evil things he had done. So Herod added one more evil to all the others; he locked John in prison.

When all the people were baptized, Jesus too was baptized. While he was praying heaven opened, and the Holy Spirit came down to him in the physical form of a dove. A voice from heaven said, “You are my Son whom I love. I am well pleased with you.”