“Salvation by lineage?”

MATTHEW 3:1-12

1 Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight!’”


4 Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair, and a leather belt about his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea, and all the district around the Jordan; 6 and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.


7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8 “Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance; 9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10 And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”


11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 “And His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

MATTHEW 3:1-3

1 Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, 2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” 3 For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight!’”

The imposing presence of John the Baptist

John the Baptist; what an imposing portrait he paints across time. The man with no earthly desires has no earthly fears and that summarizes the preaching of John. He had literally stripped his needs down to what it took to survive in the tough Judean wilderness. Living out of a cave or under the stars, wearing the prophetic cloth of a camel, eating locusts and honey (locusts were actually a delicacy of the time and archeologists have found that they were a favorite food of Babylonian royalty). John the Baptist owed “nothing to nobody,” God alone was his master and God alone dictated his actions.

With every breath, every word and every action he pointed towards the Messiah.  He was what we are called to be – living signposts for our coming Savior.


His message? Repent [3340, Metanoeo]; Change completely! It literally means; “Make your left hand your right and your right hand your left.” Of course, we can only do this if we turn around 180 degrees. Metanoia also means “greater knowing” or more appropriately a “deeper intimacy” (“to know” in the Hebrew language was a term for intimacy – not education). John tells us that this deeper intimacy was the way to “prepare the way for the Lord.”

Intimacy with God was to be found by serving others instead of ourselves, a perspective that seems completely against human nature. We are to worship a God who sides with the poor, who admonishes the powerful when they use their power to undermine the alienated – all of which seems to chaff against the contemporary cultural schema; today’s “knowing.” We have, John reveals, a God who counts compassion as perfection; not piety, not self-righteousness or Judaic lineage – this was completely unheard of at the time!


Was it any wonder that John drew the attention of the rich, the religious, the powerful and the “least of these?”
Do our lives resemble the signpost that John the Baptist became? Are we a calling to a deeper intimacy, a larger perspective and a greater knowing than this culture has to offer? Can we say that our portrait, presence and preaching are so clear? Is our message of alertness and preparation for the coming of the Lord so concise? Can we look at the controversy our lives are creating and see the fingerprints of John the Baptist there? I have to ask myself, is my life marked by coziness or controversy? Is my life a voice in the wilderness or a dust devil in the desert?

Get ready!

Many suspected that John was really Isaiah returned from the dead to prepare the people for the Messiah to come. It was believed by many that Isaiah’s return would precede the Lord and John’s message clearly reflected the message of Isaiah.

Compare the two messages, first from Isaiah.

Isaiah 57:14

And it shall be said, “Build up, build up, prepare the way, remove {every} obstacle out of the way of My people.”


Then, John:

Matthew 3:3

For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet, saying, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness, ‘Make ready the way of the Lord, make His paths straight!’”


“Make ready the way,” he would cry. This was not just a theological message – it was a very political one as well. This message and the crowds that John attracted were undoubtedly what turned Herod and the Pharisee’s spies upon him. John’s message was clear; a new king was coming with a new agenda. Even John had problems understanding what the new king’s agenda was going to be. Like most of Israel, John waited for a conqueror to take back the Nation from foreign rule and systemic injustice from within [see Matthew 11:2-11].


Yet, why was John’s, “Make ready the way,” statement so politically charged? When the King was ready to go somewhere in his kingdom – he was not supposed to ride around curves, climb mountains or descend into valleys. These geographical features would provide perfect opportunities to attack or assassinate the king. In addition, it was beneath the king’s dignity to travel in anything but a straight path. All of these hindrances were supposed to be leveled and smoothed out before the King ever readied his entourage for a trip.


John was asking the people – and is still asking us today – what roadblocks do we need to get rid of in order to be ready for our King? What obstacles stand between our Lord and us? What valley (anger or hatred), mountain (pride) or curves (compulsions or addictions) must we straighten out so the Lord can be fully established in our hearts? However, John was not just asking what we need to do “personally” to prepare for Christ. He was also asking what we need to do corporately — as a “people.”


Let’s not make the same mistake as John and the rest of Israel. The Lord is not coming to rule over our political, economic or religious systems. He is coming to establish a new standard for how we treat each other and – especially – the least of these:

Matthew 11:2-5

Now when John, while imprisoned, heard of the works of Christ, he sent word by his disciples and said to Him, “Are You the Expected One, or shall we look for someone else?”


Jesus answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you hear and see: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT and the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, and the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM.”

Word Study

Wilderness [G2048, eremos]; the wasteland, the desolation. The desert had special meaning to the Judean mind. It was thought to be where Satan made his earthly home. This was partly because people who ventured into the desert often came back crazed (and John would seem pretty crazy to those of his time – and even crazier in ours). The desert was also where Jesus immediately journeyed after his baptism – as if to take the battle to Satan’s backyard rather than wait for Satan to strike first.

MATTHEW 3:4-6

4 Now John himself had a garment of camel’s hair, and a leather belt about his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea, and all the district around the Jordan; 6 and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins.

Down to the basics

John the ascetic had bared himself to the basics so that he would be solely reliant on God. People were flocking to him in droves – such was the expectation for a Messiah at that time. Not only people from Jerusalem, but from all over the country! Word was rapidly spreading of the man who declared the Lord was coming.


Chief among John’s role was to cajole his listeners to acknowledge their sinfulness and to change completely – 180 degrees. Those who came to hear John were told to turn their lives utterly around, internally and externally, confessing their sinfulness and embracing the Lord. He encouraged them to begin their new life by making a public statement of commitment – baptism. Through this action, the people would declare their lives were utterly lost in sin and they desired to be reborn into a new life with God at the epicenter of their change.


How odd this message sounds to our individualistic and materialistic culture. We are counseled to think positive, give ourselves warm hugs throughout the day and to repeat ad nauseam, “We deserve a break today.” We are told we have a right to our comforts – that new SUV or Hummer. We have “earned” those new knickknacks and toys. We are “spending our children’s inheritance.” 
Yet, as we saw in our last Gospel reading – this is exactly why the Lord damned the people of Noah’s time. They lulled themselves into a stupor; they put themselves to spiritual sleep and lived a life that even a hibernating bear would be embarrassed to reveal. They ate, slept and made babies – no more, no less. They had no deeper purpose than the daily fare of a lizard. Yet, they did all this by completely shutting God out from their lives. The created ignored the Creator until God finally said, “I have no hope for these people,” so he started anew.


Our role is to wake people from their slumber – just like John the Baptist – to call each other to review and renew our lives. We’re missing the mark (sin) John tells us. We’re working our tails off for empty promises. Promises that will vanish the day we are confronted with death.


We need to wake up! We need to turn our lives around 180 degrees and gain a “deeper intimacy” with God – a higher viewpoint. We need radical baptism into a community that will support us and say; “I want to live differently. I want more from life than things and self-centered pursuits.”

Word Study

Baptism [907, Baptizo]; the ceremony around baptism has truly formed three distinct theological partitions in the Christian church. These beliefs are formed around (1) immersion or sprinkling, (2) infant or adult and (3) sacrament or sign.

Technically, baptism is a re-birth into Christ’s family, a washing away of our sinful nature so that we might be cleansed and welcomed into God’s family. Baptism is communal by nature – it is not an individual celebration. It is a celebration that implies a public pronouncement of a new commitment to a Christ-centered life. That public commitment necessitates a response by a Christ-centered community that also renews itself through the initiate’s baptism. The entire community agrees to walk with the initiate in their faith journey. Taken seriously, the community would recognize the initiate has just become a new person in Christ and that we are now united more closely in Christ than we were even in our blood families. We are bound to each other by the blood of Christ. 

Confessing [G1843, Exomologeo], this term implies more than reciting a list of sins and having our slate wiped clean. It comes from a combination of two words, [G1537 Ek] and [G3670 homologeō]. Ek or exo means to throw out and homologeos is to profess or confess. Combined we might well consider a confession to be throwing out the old story to profess a new one. This type of confession demands a complete acceptance of personal responsibility for the direction of our lives. We make the choice to sin and – though we may have been tempted by the Evil One – the choice finally rests with us. In confession, we take full responsibility for our own sin and admit we are not in any position to judge the life of others. We become both forgiven and forgiving. 

Complete forgiveness occurs when we forego the attitude of the Pharisee who said; “I thank Thee that I am not like other people!” Instead we take on the attitude of the tax collector; “God be merciful to me, the sinner.” [Luke 18:10-14]


We must admit that – without the Holy Spirit’s guidance – we are heading in the wrong direction and need help. We must also be willing to admit that no amount of work or goodness on our part will earn our way into heaven. That is the heart of confessing and the first step in growing into a full and complete relationship with Jesus Christ.

Sin [266, Hamartia, 264, Hamartano]. Hamartano is the noun and Hamartia is the subject who has sinned. The term means to be off-course or to miss the archer’s mark and thus lose the prize.

How better to describe the shadow world of sin? Wasting away for the wrong type of love, the wrong type of fulfillment, the false hope of worldly gain, money or power. How terrible to spend one’s entire energy on an endeavor that leads to an empty life. How lonely to see the effect of thinking only of oneself. You see, sin is ultimately not an “act” – but a direction!


Sinful actions are the results of a misguided direction, like Sisyphus in Greek mythology, sin is spending an entire life pushing a heavy rock up a steep mountain only to have it uselessly roll down when we near the summit. Sin is seeking the wrong end with our lives. To be without sin does not mean that we don’t err, trip or slip in the mud. It means that – with all our heart – we strive after pleasing our Creator. Our God is compassionate to those who love Him. He has covered our “slips and falls” through the sacrificial lamb, Jesus Christ.  Yet, he will not intercede to make us change our direction. If He did, we would merely be robots, earthworms. He is like a star by which we must choose to set our course every morning and every night.

MATTHEW 3: 7-10

7 But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? 8” “Therefore bring forth fruit in keeping with repentance; 9 and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham for our father’; for I say to you, that God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham. 10” “And the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.”

Pharisees and Sadducees

John was not a shadow-boxer. He did not pull punches to reduce a blow. Neither was he a dimmer switch with gradients of prophecy that softened for political correctness. John was a toggle switch; he was either all off or all on. There was no in-between.


The Pharisees were the people’s favorite; they stood up to Rome, but saw themselves as the moral minority; separate and above the rest of the “riffraff.” In fact, the very name Pharisee meant separated one. They were self-righteous but not righteous according to God (the word righteous means to do “right works” and is specifically tied to works of mercy and justice).


The Sadducees were not respected by the people – but they ruled the temple and greased the palms of Rome. They traced their priestly lineage back to Zadok (who anointed Solomon as King) and the Hasemoneans (who ousted the temple priests that allowed the abomination of the temple under Antiochus IV Epiphanes). They lived in luxury and splendor while their people mired about under Roman conscription and misery. Their ceremonial robes were said to cost the equivalent of an average family’s wage for three years.


So, just why were the pious coming to see John? John had become the “in-thing,” like Hollywood elite going to the same personal trainer or hairdresser. To the religious elite, John was a fad in passing; it just looked good to be around him.


John was hardly inebriated by his celebrity status. He accepted the platitudes of the Pharisees and Sadducees for about a negative nanosecond. His words to them as incendiary as using a flame-thrower to light a dinner candle. “Brood of Vipers!” he calls them – a nest of a hundred hatching poisonous snakes. His warning might be translated as; “Who warned you to try and run from the orgy of violence that is about to land squarely in your courts?”


God didn’t send John to negotiate a treaty with the religious and political leaders. He was not God’s diplomat; there were no deals up John’s camel-haired sleeve. God sent him with the sole purpose of saying; “Does it concern you that there is a fuse burning towards your obliteration?”


“Fruit in keeping with repentance…” was another reference to metanoia (see “change” above). In essence, John was stating that their only salvation was to produce fruit that was exactly the opposite of what they were currently producing. It was like saying; “You are growing wine for your banquets while the people around you are starving for bread. Wake up to reality; God is on the march!”


This too, is the essence of sin. Like a farm manager wasting an entire life on a crop that the owner actually abhors. Our “End-Consumer” (God) doesn’t need self-righteousness, He doesn’t need political savvy, He is not interested in being a celebrity. Our God tells us “Let justice roll down like waters and righteousness like a cascading stream [Amos 5:24].”

The Family Tree

The message of John matched the message of the prophet Isaiah, which of course, matched the words of Jesus. Basically, all of them say some version of; “Just because you say, ‘Lord, Lord,’ doesn’t mean you have let God rule your life [see Matt 25].” The Sadducees and the priests were quite fond of claiming their lineage as their passport to the front of the line. Isaiah stated that the new fruit would grow out of the “stump” of Jesse (a tree that God had cut down because it was bearing no fruit). John is saying to us; “It’s not your lineage – but your fruit that God will count as the sign of your covenant relationship.” 


Jesus makes the same direct assessment about his own family when they came to forcibly retrieve him – after his ministry had become a march towards confrontation with the religious and the political institutions. Jesus leaves his earthly mother and brothers standing at the door and says to those around him; “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it [Luke 8:19-21].”


John tells us that God can make children out of stones – after all He made us all out of clay. He certainly transformed Peter in this manner. Peter – whose very name means stone. I know that He continues to do that with me – for my head can be as thick as concrete. In Christ, lineage is not our link to God, instead relationships are the new covenant: A deeper intimacy with our Creator and his people.

WORD STUDY

The wrath to come [G3709, Orge]; It is not hard to guess what word we use that originated from this term. Essentially, this word for wrath combines two distinct concepts. The result is like combining air, gas and a spark. The combined concepts are violence and passion. The word was also used for vengeance and wrath – like the mindless, blinding anger that consumes someone in a crime of passion.

Stones [G3037, Litho]; It is interesting that, in Matthew’s quote, the word John the Baptist uses for stone is litho. It is also the word used for millstone and stumbling stone. Jesus used these very same words on multiple occasions. He called himself the stumbling stone and the cornerstone. In addition, he told his very apostles – when they tried to make room for the Pharisees by chasing away the children – that it would be much better for them to tie a millstone around their necks and throw themselves into the sea then to chase even the smallest child away from his reach.

Good fruit [G2570 Kalos, G2590 Karpos]; this is the term that John uses for “good.” It means to honest and worthy or to have a valuable crop of fruit. What is honest, worthy, and a valuable crop in God’s eyes? In Matthew 7, Jesus equates bad fruit with those who call him Lord but do not act in such a manner: [19] “Every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. [20] “So then, you will know them by their fruits. [21] “Not everyone who says to Me, “Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven; but he who does the will of My Father who is in heaven [Matt 7:19-21].”

So, if the judgmental-ism of the Pharisees is bad fruit; then what is good fruit? 

John 12:24-26

[24] “Truly, truly, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls into the earth and dies, it remains by itself alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit. [25] “He who loves his life loses it; and he who hates his life in this world shall keep it to life eternal. [26] “If anyone serves Me, let him follow Me; and where I am, there shall My servant also be; if anyone serves Me, the Father will honor him.”


Good fruit is laying aside our own needs to attend to others. Good fruit is being a servant. Good fruit honors God with compassion for the least of these.

Thrown [G906 Ballo]; this is a term one would use for angrily throwing away dung. I’ve never met a person who is excited to displace dung. It was seeking nourishment in the pig’s dung that the Prodigal Son “came to himself.” 

MATTHEW 3:11-12

11 “As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 “And His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire.”

Dynamite Power

John makes his “position in the universe” quite clear. Many were suggesting he was the Messiah but John would have none of that. He could only wash the surface of a man’s body – not the soul. He would say he wasn’t fit to even untie the sandals of the One who was to come [Matthew 3:11]. That One, the Holy Messiah, would be incomparably mightier (again the word, Dunamis, is used: Explosive, miraculous power). He would purify our hearts with fire (by the way, “Pur” is the Greek word for fire). This fire will burn away the sin that is in our life, like melting ore to its purest state. 


However, there is another fire, John forewarns, that is not meant to purify – it is meant to obliterate. One can imagine that, as John’s focused gaze zeroed in on the leaders who were using their religious and political positions for personal gain, souls must have trembled at the austerity of John’s words that day by the Jordan.


God’s fire has two purposes: To purify or to obliterate. What differentiates the result of God’s fire in our lives is whether we embrace his fire with humility or arrogantly choose the sin of hubris. Humility or humiliation: Which attitude will we choose?

WORD STUDY

Water [5204, Hudor]; it is interesting that while John baptized by total immersion in the Jordan River, the word he uses here is used for “sprinkling” like the rain. It could also be interpreted as saying; “I baptize you in a shower of heavenly water.”

Spirit [4151, Pneuma]; this word was used for breath or a breeze. It also emphasized the vitality of life and was also used for the term, ghost. Thus, people sometimes call the Holy Spirit, the Holy Ghost. When Jesus died, the King James translation stated that he “gave up his ghost [pneuma]” (spirit).

Unquenchable [762, Asbestos]; Asbestos means it cannot be extinguished, it cannot be put out, it will burn perpetually.

Then Jesus Arrived

MATTHEW 3:13-17

[Mt 3:13] Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. [14] But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” [15] But Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted Him.


[16] After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, [17] and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

Overview

These verses represent the beloved blessing of the ultimate parent to the most wonderful child. In this case the parent is God and the child is Jesus. It is the most perfect blessing in eternity. When Jesus stepped into the Jordan, he knew full well that his choice would put him in direct confrontation with both the governmental and the religious powers of his day. Herod and the Sanhedrin as well as the Pharisees had already sent their spies to build a case against John. We know also that Roman soldiers were coming to hear his message.


Stepping into the Jordan to be baptized by John meant that Jesus was stepping into controversy and our Lord was not so naïve as to think this decision wouldn’t lead him to his own confrontation with those powers as well. Greater still, our Lord knew this decision would lead him to be dead center in the battle for eternity. He would become the sacrificial lamb required to free all people from sin.


God blesses Jesus twice during our Lord’s earthly life, once here at the Jordan and then again during the Transfiguration. The blessing is the same both times: “You are my beloved son, in whom I am well-pleased.”
This blessing is found in multiple verses [Matthew 3:17, Matthew 17:5, Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22].

There is a slight differentiation in the versions of the blessing however. Matthew uses the term “This is my Beloved Son [G3778 houtos],” while Mark and Luke use the term, “Thou art my Beloved Son [G25 Agapetos],” or simply “My Beloved.”


Why the difference? Remember that Matthew is most interested in speaking to Jewish religious leaders and future instructors of the Gospel while simultaneously tying Jesus’ life to the prophesies of the Messiah. Thus, he ties his version of the “Beloved Blessing” to Isaiah 42:1-4.

Isaiah 42:1-4

[1] “Behold My Servant, whom I uphold; My chosen one in whom My soul delights. I have put My Spirit upon Him; He will bring forth justice to the nations.


[2] “He will not cry out or raise His voice, not make His voice heard in the streets.


[3] “A bruised reed He will not break and a dimly burning wick He will not extinguish. He will faithfully bring forth justice.


[4] “He will not be disheartened or crushed until He has established justice in the earth; and the coastlands will wait expectantly for His law.”


As he frequently does, Matthew makes the statement a pronouncement, Mark and Luke show us an image of intimacy between a loving parent and a beloved child.


Regardless of which version tugs most upon our hearts, the underlying truth is this: This was not a blessing of what Jesus had or did. It was a blessing of the life that Jesus had chosen, a life of service and love. This was no approval based upon performance, this was the unconditional dignity that every human being requires in order to become manipulation-proof in a corrupt world.


Any child who receives this blessing can withstand the lure of Satan who always tempts us with, “If you are loved by God, prove it…”


Because of this blessing Jesus is able to withstand the three temptations of Satan – comfort, approval and manipulative power. Don’t we desire to raise a people who could be that liberated? A child that knows they are unconditionally loved can detect and reject manipulation in all its forms.


Below is a letter from just such a child of God that I received in the mail. He was an inmate in our outreaches at the Yakima County Jail before being sent to a penitentiary in Oregon. While in the jail, he experienced God’s beloved and unconditional blessing. Listen to the deep strength that blessing has given to him.


“Dear Jerry; 
“You know that God decided to send me to the State Penitentiary in Oregon. Even though, I miss the body of believers in Yakima County Jail, I rejoice in what He has done. Last week, I was stabbed three times in the stomach by my roommate. I think he didn’t like how happy I was. He thought I was crazy – but you know this feeling. I am crazy – crazy for Jesus!


“I already forgave him (who has time to be angry when there’s so much to do)? At any rate, they’re going to keep me in the hole for a while – which is a great place to witness about the love of Jesus.
“I hope you can visit me soon…”


I pray that you will experience that type of blessing as you read this incredible story of the baptism of the Jordan.

When we know that blessing — that type of unconditional love — Jesus has truly “arrived” in our lives.

MATTHEW 3:13-15

[Mt 3:13] Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. [14] But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” [15] But Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted Him.

Then Jesus arrived from Galilee

G5119, then, tote (tot’-eh); G3854, He arrived, paraginomai (par-ag-in’-om-ahee)

Perhaps the most important word in this sentence is “then.” This word is so commonly used that we might miss its significance. Yet, it is rudimentary to understanding this reading. For indeed, all creation had been straining for this moment!


It wasn’t just the thirty years that Jesus had waited to commit to public ministry, but the eons the heavenly hosts had waited for the dawn to break.


Thirty years was the traditional time a rabbi waited to be committed to God. The commitment was solemnized through the ancient ceremony of baptism. In Jesus’ first thirty years, he had the additional task of caring for his mother. He had both earthly and spiritual responsibilities – Jesus was not confused about these roles as is often our tendency. Similarly, Paul was never confused about making tents all day and preaching all night. Like my incarcerated friend in the letter above, no matter where they were, they were serving the Lord.


Yet now the time had come. The Time! The time of eternity’s dawn.


God has a time for our life too. A time when our purpose breaks upon the sunrise. We needn’t rush it. Think of the error made when Jacob rushed God’s plan by stealing Esau’s blessing. Look at the years that it cost him. Think of Moses, trying to force God’s justice by killing an Egyptian slave driver. Look at the years that it cost him. Remember Joseph, who tried to share his dream too soon? Look at the years it cost him.


Pause, listen, be loved.


There is another important lesson in Christ’s waiting. This reading displays the power of God’s revelation in the person who “gets clean for God.” The revelation of God is in proportion to the depth with which we respond. If someone had told me (as I was pursuing my MBA), that I would be using my skills to help families broken by incarceration – I would have laughed like Abraham and Sarah laughed. I couldn’t have handled it.


Therefore, God instead revealed to me a shorter perspective. A perspective that allowed me to say; “Well, I can do that.” Sometimes I see one step ahead – sometimes I see a lifespan. Yet, always, it is just enough vision to keep me going today. The more I step out in faith, the more I “get it” in terms of God’s eternity-perspective.


Were this short three-word sentence (“then Jesus arrived”) written about me – it might instead read; “finally… Jerry got it!”


God has a time for us. We will “get it” because inclusion is our Creator’s passion. He wants willing partners, not mindless automatons. God longs to give us enough of eternity that we understand his perspective. Enough of his plan that we can see we are wanted. He will give us that “eternity-moment” if we give him our heart.

To be baptized

G907 baptizo (bap-tid’-zo)

Baptized (from the root word, bapto [G911] is a simple word used for someone who needs to wash. The word can be used for being submerged, sprinkled or just splashing your face. Just as if I told my son to wash, I wouldn’t care if he stepped in the shower or jumped in the bathtub. If I tell him to wash his face, I don’t care if he uses a washcloth or a fancy “loofa” sponge. That is not an issue to me. The issue is, “Are you clean?”


That is the only issue to God as well. The theology of baptism is made too complicated by theologians with too much head time and not enough street time. They spend far too much time delineating “the correct method” of washing. Vainly (or, in vanity), they debate whether the Lord intends for us to be dipped, sprinkled or dunked. It is like debating whether we should fry, boil or roast a chicken for a starving family. Just feed them!


One might as well argue if the true believer can then only be baptized in the Jordan River. Wouldn’t we suddenly find ourselves back to ritualism?


How alien to the very premise of Christ’s death where the power of salvation is available on any street corner! 
Yet, we must also not trivialize the intent of what our Lord was doing on this momentous day either. Jesus wasn’t just saying to John; “Hey where can a guy get a bath around here?”

Baptism was the way to consecrate or “ordain” a person to ministry who was in the Aaronic line (the line of Aaron was supposedly a genetic family tree of the royal class of priests). They were appointed priests by right of their birth and their claim to be direct descendants of Aaron. 
John the Baptist’s approach was a surprising twist that simplified the overburdened ceremonies of the exclusive religious class. He moved the ceremony to the side of a thoroughfare (the Jordan River crossing) and virtually gave the rite of cleansing to all who wanted to prepare themselves to be available to God.


John was not breaking tradition – he was exceeding it. He was pushing God’s compassion and desire to be in relationship with all of us far beyond the exclusivity of family lines and educational / financial boundaries. In Jerusalem, only certain men could be cleansed. At the Jordan, any individual (male of female) who made a decision to change their life was welcome to the water.


“All are welcome.” Do you want to be cleansed? Then, forget whether a bathtub, shower or golden dunk tanks are available. What is necessary is the right heart and a community of faith (The Holy Spirit came to a community of believers).


Christ made it so simple. He tore down the veil of complex worship put up by theologians who wanted to be gatekeepers. Since that time, we have done a sadly efficient job of trying to sew that curtain back together. New rituals, new doctrines, new requirements; did the lack of those items affect the effectiveness of Christ’s baptism!


Come to the water. Be cleansed, be loved. Be whole.

I have need

G1473, I, ego (eg-o’); G2192, have, echo (ekh’-o); G5532, need of, chreia (khri’-ah); G907, baptism, baptizo (bap-tid’-zo);

John did not want to baptize Jesus. He might have been thinking something like; “That’s like a coal miner cleaning a wedding dress!” This shows that John’s ego (the Greek word for “I and Me”) was in the right place. He knew where his position was – relative to the savior, Jesus Christ. “I am not worthy to tie his sandals!” 
However, John is called to baptize Jesus so that the world would know that Jesus could fulfill all of the commands of the prophets.


Think of it like this, Jesus was telling John; “Lay aside your needs, John. To fulfill the prophets – there are things that must be done.”


For us to fulfill the prophesied role of the church – we too have to look beyond our needs and abilities and exmine his call. It is our needs that tell us; “We can’t teach, visit, or carry the Gospel.” It is His voice that says; “It’s not an option.”

Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness

G863, Permit, aphiemi (af-ee’-ay-mee); G737, now, arti (ar’-tee); 1063, because, gar (gar); G3779, in this manner, houto (hoo’-to); G4241, it is suitable, prepo (prep’-o); G2254, for us, hemin (hay-meen’); G4137, to fulfill, pleroo (play-ro’-o); G3956, all, pas (pas); G1343, righteousness, dikaiosune (dik-ah-yos-oo’-nay)

Jesus’ response to John’s reasoning is indicative of where the Christian must be in a relationship with his Lord. One way of interpreting this reading is the common, “Permit it at this time, for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”


However, the phrase; “Permit it at this time,” can also be translated as; “Suspend your judgment and reasoning for now.”


A more meaningful translation of this verse might well be; “Suspend your rational thinking for the moment, God is doing something deeper here than you could possibly understand.”


Matthew’s constant point was that Jesus had to bring the “fulfillment of the law.” Therefore, he had to fulfill the law by presenting himself for ceremonial cleansing in the ancient Aaronic right of baptism.


Christ’s revelation to John is so appropriate to us in this time. First of all, I am often saddened by people who ask me to pray for them – but don’t want to involve the whole community in prayer. “Jerry, will you pray for this; but don’t tell anyone else about it.”


My prayer is nothing compared to our prayers! Jesus is telling John, “we must ceremonially involve the people.”
Jesus didn’t need the ceremonies! He didn’t need to be cleansed. He wasn’t baptized for his own healing or out of his own need. Can you imagine the patience of our Lord – who sat in synagogues every Saturday for thirty years listening to someone telling him about scripture?


Jesus was baptized for our needs. So that no one could say; “He’s not the Lord, he didn’t jump the hoops.” I know pastors right now who will not see detained kids from their own church because “they don’t want to jump through the hoops.” They are too busy to do the paperwork. They have too much to do in their church! All I can think is: “Ouch, that’s gonna hurt when you try to explain that to God – who wasn’t too busy to send His son to die for you.”


That is the whole point of this verse! It’s not about what Jesus wanted to do. It was not about his own needs. The first step into ministry is to be available to others. I shouldn’t go to church and wait for the congregation or pastor to “do something for me.” I should go to church — and my community — and see what God would have me offer others!

MATTHEW 3:16-17

[16] After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, [17] and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

And behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw

G3772, the heavens, ouranos (oo-ran-os’); G3735, oros (or’-os); G455 Opened up, anoigo (an-oy’-go); G846, to him, autos (ow-tos’); G1438, to him, heautou (heh-ow-too’); G1492, He saw, eido (i’-do)

There are a couple ways that a person could interpret this reading.

Physical Manifestation

This interpretation would imply that the sky literally tore in half in a manner that all people would be shocked by this manifestation. Is God capable of this? Never doubt that the One who created the rules of the universe can also bend them to his will.


However, why tamper with perfection? God doesn’t need to bend physical rules to bring about wholeness. The miracle of each day is not the extraordinary abnormalities of nature, but what we have witnessed – and usually overlook – in the ordinary moments of this week and the last. The sun that rises daily, the stars that shine nightly, the cycles of earth, moon and sun in the dance of all creation.

Spiritually Miraculous

In the Hebrew mind, which is where Matthew’s training was centered, the heaven’s were not the “place of God” as much as they were the “presence of God.” More consistently, the “heavens opened up” would mean; “In an instant, the power and elation of eternity was revealed.”


Matthew uses the words; “Autos Heautou Eido.” These words indicate that revelation was specially unveiled to an individual.


What becomes evident is not that thunder shook all the people and stars fell from the sky, but a whisper embraced an individual. Consider it this way, “In a heartbeat, at the moment of decision, Jesus understood His role in the universe. His past, present and future were revealed in a way that he had not previously perceived – and he knew what he must do!”


Here is a story close to the heart of the convert. This is the story of eternity (the perspective of God) being revealed in purpose, direction and power to his beloved son. This is exactly what is available to all who turn to Jesus in the act modeled at the river Jordan. Eternity in this moment! The heavens granting perspective and power to your searching heart!


God is ready. Let’s go!

And he saw the Holy Spirit descended on him like a dove

G1492, He saw, eido (i’-do); G2597, The Spirit Descended, katabaino (kat-ab-ah’-ee-no); G4058, a dove, peristera (per-is-ter-ah’)

The term for “he saw” is much more than visually recognizing an object. It literally means to “become aware of” or “to have understanding of” obscure knowledge. The term would not mean, “he saw a bird,” but “he had insight into the Holy Spirit.”


These words are so much deeper than the physical experience. It is insight into what God has to offer us. He is not just available to our eyes – but through the totality of our senses. In other words, he isn’t just willing to offer us sight, he is willing to give us insight as well. God reveals to us why we do what we do. He heals us by giving us purpose even in our pain.


The word for “descended” is also filled with multiple meanings. It is the combination of two root words;

Kata [G2596]: To come down into, cast out or come among. Think of Jesus getting on the grass to play with children.

Baino [G939]; This word literally means to walk – or put your foot down. Think of the men and women who were willing to join Martin Luther King, Jr. on his walks against injustice. They literally lent their bodies to the cause of equality.


What we have here is a vivid picture of the Holy Spirit coming down to walk with Jesus. The very Spirit of God putting his foot down to share in our journey.


One might imagine a man being sent by his King on a sacred and dangerous quest. His face set with resolve, yet understanding that he will never return from this mission. Boldly, he tells his family good-bye and picks up his traveling sack. Suddenly the prince himself shows up with a backpack and says; “the King wants to know if you’d mind if I joined you?”


In this case, the Holy Spirit was sent to walk with the Prince. Yet, the most important aspect is that this same Holy Spirit is willing to walk the journey with each of us.


The story of Acts is the story of how this occurred in the early church. First, the Holy Spirit goes to walk among the Jewish believers, then the Samaritan believers and finally, the Gentile believers.


We are not walking alone. We are accompanied by God’s Holy Presence in the power of a community of believers.

This is my Beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased

G27, my beloved, agapetos (ag-ap-ay-tos’); G5207, son, huios (hwee-os’); G1722, In, en (en); G3739, Whom, hos (hos); G2106, I am well-pleased, eudokeo (yoo-dok-eh’-o);

Herein are perhaps the most touching words of the entire New Testament. God revealed in his complete state. The Psalmist would say, “Selah” – pause and dwell upon – contemplate the incredible wonder of God. 
First of all, what is it that God blesses? If we look closely, we will see the essence of what matters to God. God is not joyous at the things Jesus did – because he had not done anything of note yet! There were no miracles, no conversions and no sermons prior to this moment.


Therefore, if God was not blessing the works of Jesus, what was he blessing?


Here is the ultimate insight into the unique love of our God! God blesses Jesus’ decision – not his accomplishments. Most precious to God is our decision to live sacrificial lives, not how much we accomplish or possess.


This is extremely hard to fathom in a consumer culture – yet, rarely have we been so close to losing the essence of God. Today, as in ages past, we have created God into our own image – that of materialism and consumerism. 
We define people by what they do and how much they own (or how busy they are). We ask our elderly; “So, what were you?” As if they do not exist once they are no longer employed. We ask our children; “What are you going to be?” As if they cannot be used by God until they are finished with the hoop-jumping purgatory that often masquerades as education. We have created Humans Belated (Humans that were) and Humans Becoming (Humans that will be), and, worst of all, Human Doings – humans measured by performance. Yet, God offers us an unconditional-based dignity solely in the fact that we are his children!

Jeremiah 1:5

"Before I formed you in the womb I knew you, and before you were born I consecrated you; I have appointed you a prophet to the nations."


Alternatively, our God blesses the ones who choose to discover their purpose in Him. He falls in love with the person who simply turns to him in longing and says; “I’m tired of living my way, I want to be your child.” Those are the words that fulfill God’s heart.


In a consumer culture, we love each other only for what “you can do for me.” When a child gets A’s, gets a degree, gets a job, gets a spouse, gets a house, gets a car – how manipulative!


In a God-Culture, we are loved when we give our hearts, give our minds, give our love and give our lives to the One who loves without manipulation.


Understanding this will help us understand the concept of God’s term for love, “Beloved.”


The best way to define “beloved” (agapetos), is simply to say, “Be Loved.”

To the angry person blaming his or her situation on others. “Be still and be loved!” To the teen willing to try anything to gain peer approval. “Be still and be loved.”

To the husband lost in “getting more and more” while his family can’t even remember the sound of his voice. “Be still and be loved.”

“Be Still and BE LOVED!” I want to shout.


Yet, these words cannot be shouted. I don’t imagine that on that precious day, the curtain of the sky parted and the earth shook with booming thunder. I don’t imagine the mountains trembled and the clouds ran from sight.


I imagine that as Jesus stood up from cousin John’s blessing, his heart was deeply warmed with the embrace of God. 
Be still and Be Loved! Pause and listen: “Oh my son… my cherished treasure. I couldn’t love you more.”


Dearest friends, this love is ours today! We can put all of our struggling away right now. We needn’t impress anyone. We needn’t try to convince the parent who was never satisfied, the friends who manipulate us, the peers with whom we compete, the drugs that leave us emaciated, the advertisements that promise happiness and deliver only more credit debt.


We can be a ditch digger, newspaper deliverer, construction worker, inmate, carpenter, or tent-maker – it makes no difference to God. As long as we am his. All we need say is; “Lord, I lean on you. Please help me live your life and know your joy.”


Take a moment. Return to the letter at the top of this study. This dear, young man was one of my most joyous baptisms. Hidden in the darkest corner of the Yakima County Jail is a plastic mop bucket. It’s used to clean the latrine. Three years ago, it was the only baptismal font we had for him. That’s where he asked to be baptized.


The power of the Holy Spirit is not confined to my capabilities, our fledgling belief or the carat rating of the baptismal font. It is solely related to faith. “Do you want to be healed?” Jesus would respond, “Go, then, your faith has healed you.”