Luke 3:21-38 – Baptism

Why does Christ come to John to be baptised? He’s not a sinner, so He doesn’t need His sins forgiven. Why then is He there? He is there to identify Himself with His people. For the same reason He comes to earth and lives among men, He submits Himself to baptism. He, the King of kings, becomes one of us. And it is with this humiliation, this submission that His Father is well pleased. Pride has no place in the Christian life. If Jesus counts Himself as nothing, coming to live as us, how can we count ourselves as something.

Christ is praying when He is baptised. When we bring our children to God in baptism, we too should be much in prayer. We must pray that God will change the hearts of our covenant children, causing them to follow after Him. We must be in prayer that God will protect them from the traps of the devil, the temptations of the world, and their own weakness. Much prayer should always go along with baptism.

Notice that every person of the Trinity is present at Christ’s baptism. God the Son is there as Jesus Christ, the voice of God the Father is heard from Heaven, and God the Holy Spirit comes upon Jesus like a dove. We should be encouraged that every person of the Trinity is involved in and interested in our salvation.

Most commentators believe that the genealogy in these verses is actually the genealogy of Mary, Jesus’ mother. Matthew 1:1-17 is thought to be the genealogy of Joseph. This genealogy shows God’s preserving of the line of Abraham and David straight through captivity and exile to Christ. All for the sake of keeping the promises He made.

Questions
1. Why was Jesus baptised?
2. How are all three persons of the Trinity there?
3. What promises had God made Abraham and David?

Prayer Points
1. Give thanks that we have a Saviour that became like us.
2. Use prayer points from your congregation.
3. Pray for family matters.