Matthew 3
November 25, 2022
“Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.’ Then John consented.” (v13-15)
Even though Jesus didn’t need to repent of any personal sin, he humbled himself to be baptized. And He did so, not only as an example for us to follow, but as a way of identifying Himself with our sin, in order to become a Substitute for our sin (2 Cor 5:21).
Lord Jesus, I praise You for the way You constantly humbled Yourself for my sake, despite having no sin. John knew he had no moral authority to baptize You. But you condescended to being baptized by John to show us that You came to identify with us and our sin. Thank You for loving me enough to live Your life in a way that modeled humility, and that ultimately led to You becoming my Substitute for sin.
— Pastor Joshua Brooks
Use the following steps to guide your daily time with the Lord…
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Start with prayer. Ask God to open your heart to help you understand and receive His Word.
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Read and observe the passage carefully. As needed, read a second Bible version to help with understanding.
➡️ What does it say?
What does this passage teach me about God? What does it say about my sinful nature and my need for God’s grace? How does this passage point to Jesus?
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➡️ What am I going to do about it?
Does this passage include a promise to claim, an action/attitude to avoid/embrace, or a principle to apply? How can this truth apply to my life? What could my next step be? How can I share this with others? Is there a verse or section of Scripture I need to memorize?
