Repent, Renew and Reach Out
Knox, Port Carling & Zion, Torrance Presbyterian Charge
Sunday July 5, 2020
Sermon Series: The Ministry of Jesus “Baptized and Anointed”
Message: Repent, Renew and Reach Out
Reverend Glynis Faith
SCRIPTURE
Matthew 3:13-17 (NIV)
The Baptism of Jesus
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
MESSAGE
“This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
Beautiful words of love – to be called ‘beloved’
Words of intimacy – ‘my son’
Words of admiration – ‘in whom I am well pleased’
These words of the Father to the Son are the words that ordained Jesus and began His ministry.
“My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
This is a tender moment between Father and Son. A moment of acknowledgment and confirmation ‘my beloved son’. This is an uplifting moment – the kind of moment that would make any son or daughter beam with joy ‘in whom I am well pleased.’
It is impossible to say at what point in his life Jesus knew his destiny, but it is here we see the foreshadowing of the Cross and it is here where the Holy Spirit descends upon Him and the voice of God confirms Him ‘My Son – My beloved Son – in whom I am well pleased’
This is where the ministry of Jesus, the precious son of Mary and the beloved Son of God begins. Through this baptism of repentance Jesus identifies with the sinners He has come to save. Through the outpouring of the Holy Spirit and the blessings of the Father He is ordained to the ministry He has come for – a ministry to teach the people of God’s great love and to show us how to live in God’s love. Christ’s short ministry showed the gentle power of Love to the world and shone a light on the path of righteousness that leads us home to the Father.
In our passage today, John the Baptist is calling people to repent and be baptized. His ministry was preparing the way for the long-awaited Messiah, but never in his wildest dreams could he imagine himself baptizing the one who would be his Saviour. Naturally, John resists, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me.”
The baptism John offers is a baptism of repentance, and John recognizes that Jesus is without sin. Why be baptized if you have nothing to confess?
Jesus’ response to John is puzzling, “Let it be so for now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness.”
To put this into a modern conversation ‘Trust me on this John, this is the first step in my mission to identify with sinners that I might cleanse them from their sins and bring them into a righteous relationship with God.’
Again, we don’t know if Jesus is aware that His baptism is the first step in the journey to the Cross, but what we do know is that He is following God’s will. Jesus’ ministry begins by trusting God and humbling Himself to an act of repentance that He did not require. That is the key to all ministry – following God’s will.
The ministry of Jesus begins with Him submitting to an act of repentance, while He is without sin – a foreshadowing of His journey to the Cross, where He would submit to death and bear the sins that were not His own.
Through baptism, Jesus accepts the ‘common sin’ or the ‘sins of the people. He identifies with sinners that He might redeem us.
Jesus begins His ministry by doing something for you. He identifies himself with you. That means Jesus knows your sins – every last one. And yet knowing our sins, He carries out the ministry He was called to, all the way to the Cross where He took our sins and paid our debt.
Scripture tells us that “While we were sinners, Christ died for us.” We see evidence of that in this moment as Jesus (without sin) steps humbly forward to receive a baptism of repentance, beginning His ministry that eventually leads to the Cross where He will die (without sin) for us. That is true love!
It is important to pause for a moment and consider the act of baptism. Baptism is about new life. Acknowledging our sins and our dependence on Christ. In baptism we are cleansed from our sins and we enter into a new life – a life in Christ. The sacrament of baptism is symbolized by water – cleansing/refreshing
Now, lets consider what happened on the Cross?
Our sins were laid upon Jesus, who willingly laid down His life to redeem us. On the Cross Jesus died for our sins, but because He was without sin, death could not hold him and on the third day He rose from the dead, giving new life to all who would put their trust in Him.
The ministry of Jesus began as a foreshadowing of the Cross where Christ would redeem the sinners He identified with in His baptism.
Jesus did not need to be baptized, He did it for you and for me.
Our mission is to continue the path Jesus has set for us. To repent of our sins and turn our sights towards God. As individuals and as the church we are to regularly renew our commitment to God, because we are sinful by nature and we do need to get back on track from time to time. Our mission is to seek God’s will and follow whatever path He places before us, and as we do we are to point to the Cross, where sin was defeated, and we are to point to Jesus as the way, the truth and the life.
Jesus has also set the pattern for where our ministry should begin – individually and collectively as the church.
Close your eyes for a moment and envision the day when you walk into the light of eternity and stand in the presence of God.
- feel the warmth of the Father’s love
- smell the cleanliness of new life – eternal life
- listen to the joyful sounds of the heavenly choir singing ‘holy, holy, holy are You, almighty God’
Now listen to these words from the Father
Welcome, by beloved child, in whom I am well pleased. Enter and live forever in peace.
Please pray with me:
Jesus, as we take time each week to follow and study Your ministry, help us to gain new insight into the ministry You call us into. Saviour we thank you and we praise you, and we put our faith in You to lead us and strengthen us. AMEN