I hope you'll not mind, but today our story gets us to think about you and about the family you belong to. I wonder can others in your family say with pride that you belong to the same family as they do?
All of us have been guilty at times of bringing shame and disgrace to ourselves and our families. But why do people continue to do, and say, and think those things that are a disgrace to themselves or their friends? God says it is because of the family they are in! "He who does what is sinful is of the Devil". 1*.
The Lord Jesus explained to religious people why they still loved lies and wickedness; "You belong to your father the Devil and you want to carry out your father's desire." 2*.
The sinful desires people have prove they do not belong to God's family. God's message for everyone is "Repent". 3*. To repent means to be turned or changed from the ways of sin and wrong.
When God sent John the Baptist to preach "Repent", he also had to announce that God was sending the Messiah to bring salvation for mankind. 4*. John baptized those who obeyed and trusted God.
You must never think that being baptized gets the person into God's family! Here is proof that that is not what it is for.
"When all the people were coming to be baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as He was praying, Heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from Heaven, `You are My Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.'" 5*.
Was Jesus baptized to make Him become the Son of God? Certainly not! Jesus ALWAYS WAS the Son of God. Jesus' baptism was to help to make those around aware that He really WAS the Son of God. God even spoke from Heaven at that time to say that Jesus really was His Son. From now on the people would have no excuse for not knowing who He was and why He was able to say and do such wonderful things.
Before Jesus' baptism almost everyone would have thought of Him as being just another one of Joseph and Mary's family. 6*. Yet all the time He was the true Son of God who had miraculously come into this world by a virgin birth. 7*.
The human family that Jesus became a part of is traced back carefully for us in the Bible record. Jesus is seen to be linked with the same family as King David... and Abraham... and Noah... and Adam. 8*.
But why did the Son of God become the son of man? It was so that you and I could become related to God through Him! God has made it possible for any sinner to be changed and become a member of God's family through faith in Jesus Christ. Trust Jesus to forgive YOUR sins and make you a member of God's true family right now. 9*. You will then want to live your life to please God who will then be your Heavenly Father.
Read of Jesus the Son of God being baptized in Luke chapter 3, verses 21-38.Bye for now, John Nixon, Ballincollig, Cork, Ireland. P31HD98. Contact: jnixonj@gmail.com
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Footnotes. Bible quotations from N.I.V. In order to browse further "Good News Compage" prompts and commentary for Luke's Gospel check out the review index.
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1 1st John 3:8.
2 John 8:44.
3 Acts 17:30. 20:21.
4 Luke 3:2-6.
5 Luke 3:21-22.
6 Matthew 13:53-58. 12:48-50.
7 Luke 1:31-35. Hebrews 2:14-17.
8 Luke 3:23-38.
9 John 1:12-13. Galatians 4:4-7.