MATTHEW 3:13-17, MARK 1:9-11, LUKE 3:21, JOHN 1:29-34

Baptism is an external expression of an internal change. It represents the old us being buried with Christ and the new life being raised with Christ. But why does Jesus have to be baptized? He doesn’t deserve death, nor need to be raised into a new life with the Holy Spirit! He is the incarnate God, never sinning and completely holy…

Matthew 3:1-12, Mark 1:1-8, Luke 3:1-20, John 1:19-34

“I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me” (Malachi 3:1), “A voice of one calling; ‘In the wilderness prepare the way for the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God’” (Isaiah 40:3).

John the Baptist was born into the priestly order, of a people who were under the rule of a foreign nation. The Hebrew people were longing for a savior, a sign from God, telling them that they would be free of Roman rule. Then a sign came. It was the foretelling of the birth of John the Baptist, which was the first time anyone had heard from God in over four hundred years. One of the figures that had been prophesied had come to be. 

Matthew 1:18-2:23, Luke 1:26-56, Luke 2

The Christmas story is common knowledge to anyone; 1st grade teachers cut out Santas and snowmen and play Mariah Carey before winter break. The neighborhood lights up for 2 months with decorations, occasionally you will hear caroling, families share quality time together opening and giving gifts, and if it’s really old fashioned, a nativity scene or a birthday cake for Jesus may be present. As pagan as Christmas has become, we as Christians cannot afford to miss the beauty and perfection and awe-inspiring plans of God through the birth of Jesus and how complex it was. God was not sparing anything in his glorious entrance into the world, and left no doubt that Jesus is King and the Son of God.

JOHN 1

As we kick off this season of lent, we begin in the first 18 verses of John 1, an introduction to the gospel. Looking at verses 9-14 specifically:

Verse 10 says “He was in the world, and the world was made through him, yet the world did not know him.” From the moment sin entered the world it created a separation between us and God. In our rebellion we turned from our very creator and the heartbreaking reality of our fallen world is evident today. Around this time two years ago, a quarantine marked the beginning of a now two year long global pandemic. At the very moment I sit writing this devotional, Russia has launched military strikes across Ukraine. By the time you read this, you’ve likely seen the many heartbreaking headlines to follow, yet this is still only a mere glimpse into the extent of brokenness in our world. We ourselves desperately need the hope of the gospel to lift our gaze and remind us of the hope we have in Christ. How much more then, do those who do not yet have this hope need to hear the most beautiful and transformative truth of our lives…