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<DIV><FONT size=4>It would sound very different if it were said only after Jesus
had healed the sick, embraced the outcast, and preached good news to the poor.
It would be very different because then we might conclude that God’s favor was
upon him because of all he had done, that in some way Jesus had earned the
blessing. Instead, Jesus was immersed in God’s favor before he had an
opportunity to say anything or do anything. The very first words that Jesus
heard as he emerged from the womb of baptism were like words whispered in a
baby’s ear: “You are my Son, the Beloved; my favor rests on you.”</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.csec.org/csec/sermon/copenhaver_5214.htm">http://www.csec.org/csec/sermon/copenhaver_5214.htm</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Martin Copenhaver, 2009 </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV><FONT size=4>
<DIV>Our daughter, Stephanie, is a person with special needs, learning and motor
skill disabilities. Concepts do not come easily for her. Because of
that I supposed that she might never receive baptism since she cannot meet all
the conceptual pre-requisites demanded by many Baptists. You see, she does
not understand the substitutionary theory of the atonement or the historical
critical method of biblical studies the way the rest of us do. But on the
third Sunday in December, 1991, on the way home from church, Stephanie, age 16,
announced to her mother and me, "I think its time for me to be baptized."
We talked about it and she was resolved, so we went to see our pastor, and he
was everything a pastor should be for such a moment. He did not speak to
her of what she had to KNOW, but what she wished to BE. "If you receive
baptism, Stephanie," he said, "you are saying that you want to be a follower of
Jesus. Do you want that?" She said yes and we prayed together.</DIV>
<DIV>And on Christmas Eve, Stephanie entered the baptistery of the Crescent Hill
Baptist Church, Louisville, the same baptistery where her father had taken the
spill years before. "Profess your faith," the pastor said. "Jesus is
Lord," Stephanie replied. And under she went in the name of the Father,
the Son, and the Holy Spirit, in the presence of a congregation that had
nurtured her to faith throughout her 16 years. </DIV>
<DIV>We are all special needs persons, you and I. In some of us, it is
just more public than in others. Not one of us can ever conceptualize enough to
make us worthy of God's grace.</DIV>
<DIV> </DIV></FONT>
<DIV><A href="http://day1.org/2540-the_river"><FONT
size=4>http://day1.org/2540-the_river</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Bill J. Leonard, 2011</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - - </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>...Jesus' understanding of his mission and the meaning of his
own discipleship to God unfolded to him as he lived his life. Rather than
viewing Jesus as a static divine being who had it all "worked out" from the womb
or from early days, I argued that Jesus' understanding of his ministry and
identity emerged for him through his teaching, healing and suffering. Therefore
we can look at the Gospels as descriptions of Jesus' own struggle to define and
clarify the meaning of faithful discipleship to God. The first opportunity he
had to do so was in his baptism by John. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.drbilllong.com/LectionaryIV/Matt3.html">http://www.drbilllong.com/LectionaryIV/Matt3.html</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Bill Long, 2007</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV><FONT size=4>
<DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in" class=indent>3:13 The verb "arrived" indicated a
final point. That point was not the Jordan, but the person of John the Baptist.
In Matthew, Jesus made the journey with the sole intent of being baptized by
John.</DIV>
<DIV style="MARGIN-BOTTOM: 0in" class=indent>3:14 "John kept trying to dissuade
him" is literally "John was preventing him." The verb "prevent" was in the
"imperfect" which indicated continual action (hence, "kept trying..."). In
context, John's protestations were fruitless.</DIV></FONT>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><A
href="http://www.word-sunday.com/Files/Seasonal/Baptism/A-Baptism-a.html">http://www.word-sunday.com/Files/Seasonal/Baptism/A-Baptism-a.html</A></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Larry Broding </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Jesus' reply, that we should "let it be for the time being,"
in order to "fulfill all righteousness" (Mt. 3:15) is not exactly a model of a
crystal-clear explanation. I think, however, that we are safe in understanding
these words as suggesting that it is only in complete solidarity with all humans
that Jesus can "fulfill all righteousness." Jesus cannot fulfill all
righteousness if he assumes a position superior to us, but can do so only if he
submits to the same ministration as everybody else.</FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><A
href="http://andrewmarr.homestead.com/files/girard/mybelovedson.htm">http://andrewmarr.homestead.com/files/girard/mybelovedson.htm</A></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Andrew Marr</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>God blesses Jesus twice during our Lord’s earthly life, once
here at the Jordan and then again during the Transfiguration. The blessing is
the same both times: “You are my beloved son, in whom I am
well-pleased.”</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><></FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Baptized (from the root word, bapto [911, (bap’-to)], is a
simple word used for someone who needs to wash. The word can be used for being
submerged, sprinkled, or just splashing your face. </FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><A href="http://onefamilyoutreach.com/bible/Matthew/mt_03_13-17.html"><FONT
size=4>http://onefamilyoutreach.com/bible/Matthew/mt_03_13-17.html</FONT></A></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4></FONT></FONT> </DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4>Jerry Goebel: 2005 © </FONT><A
href="http://onefamilyoutreach.com/"><FONT
size=4>http://onefamilyoutreach.com</FONT></A><FONT size=4>.</FONT></DIV>
<DIV><FONT size=4><FONT size=4>- - - - -</FONT></FONT></DIV>
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