Matthew 3:13-17
Jesus left Galilee and went to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John kept objecting and said, “I ought to be baptized by you. Why have you come to me?”
Jesus answered, “For now this is how it should be, because we must do all that God wants us to do.” Then John agreed.
So Jesus was baptized. And as soon as he came out of the water, the sky opened, and he saw the Spirit of God coming down on him like a dove. Then a voice from heaven said, “This is my own dear Son, and I am pleased with him.”
Scripture taken from the Contemporary English Version © 1991,1992, 1995 by American Bible Society, Used by Permission.
Have you ever gotten an extravagant gift? Maybe someone did something for you that in no way could you repay or reciprocate. Perhaps you protested genuinely… “Oh, you shouldn’t have. I cannot accept.” Maybe the person persisted… “I insist! I want you to have this,” or “I want to do this for you.” Maybe someone offered to do something incredibly generous for you and said, “You must let me do this for you. I won’t allow you to refuse.”
Learning to accept gifts graciously is a big life lesson for many of us. And accepting Jesus’ gifts with obedience and gratitude is no exception. See, none of us deserves anything from Jesus. We truly are not worthy to even hear Him whisper our name, much less receive any of the blessings He bestows on us. Truly, John… the anointed forerunner of Christ… acknowledged that he was not worthy to baptize Jesus. But at the same time, John realized that obedience trumps worthiness. So when Jesus said, “… this is how it should be,” John listened.
I wonder…how well are we listening to God? Does it even occur to us that we really are not worthy of the things Jesus has done for us… the blessings, grace and mercy He continues to shower on us through His Holy Spirit each and every day? Have we grown so used to His gifts that we no longer feel the urge to protest? Do we act out of a sense of obedience to a God who has given so generously to us, or have we become complacent and now take Him for granted?
John’s baptism of Jesus was a major turning point in Christian history. Not only was Jesus’ significance to God emphasized, but both Jesus and John exemplified obedience. Jesus also demonstrated grace. In this moment, the importance of listening to God and doing what He commands was brought home in a profound way. We will never deserve a single thing from God. Yet He continues to shower us with His goodness. Our responsibility is to be obedient… even if it is to say, “Thank You for such a wonderful gift.”
With God, there is no need for “Oh, you shouldn’t have…” because that is a “given.” But a heartfelt, “Thank You, Master… how can I serve You?” is always appropriate. Have you stopped lately to thank God for what He does for you every minute of the day? Are you respectful and submissive? Do you attend to His will out of a sense of gratitude and faithfulness… or because you think you have to earn your way? When we come to a point in our Christian living where we operate from a profound sense of obedience and gratitude, we have turned a corner. When God calls on you to do something, how will you answer?
©2012 Debbie Robus
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