Matt 3 — John the Baptist and the Baptism of Jesus
Matt 4:1-11 — The Temptation of Jesus
Matt 4:12-22 — Jesus Begins His Ministry and Calls His Disciples
Thoughts about serving others
This link includes a list of posts about Serving the Least, the Lost, and the Lonely.
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Let the Word evoke words. May your life encourage lives.
Two short chapters in Matthew cover many topics for discussion, it’s difficult to pick just one. As I sit in the quietness of my room, I read that Jesus submits to John for baptism, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). Jesus, in all humility, is about to begin his public ministry. His first step: humbly submits to John the Baptist. Here, in one step, he honors God and provides the ultimate endorsement of John the Baptist by submitting to him for baptism in the Jordan River. “At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove” (3:16). Not a bolt of lightning, no earthquake and complete destruction of all evil, a dove, a simple sign, followed by “a voice from heaven…’This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased'” (3:17).
We long for the bolt of lightning, the emphatic display of God’s judgement and resolution, but Jesus comes quietly, face-to-face, a voice speaking from a human body to another. God help me to learn from the earthly ministry of Jesus, the personal touch, the calm demeanor. Teach me to be bold, yet humble; strong in your will, but not lofty. Show me what is righteous and how to walk in your ways.