2. THE SON OF GOD

2. THE SON OF GOD

John had prepared God’s way, now God was preparing his. John baptized Jesus with water, and Jesus baptized the Jordan with glory.

Luke 3:1-23.

1. A task of preparation.

John’s primary task was to make straight paths for the coming Messiah.

We can really learn to appreciate the peculiar. John was sent to prepare the way of the Lord, and John himself, was prepared for a work of the Lord. God is ready and willing to do a fresh and powerful new work in our lives (Isaiah 43:18). God wants to update your resume.

The original Greek word for “paths” in Luke 3:4 is “tribos,” which means “a beaten pathway.”

The word it comes from means to “wear away, to rub, to break to pieces.” Jesus is at work 24/7(John 5:17). He will do a godly work in your life that will blow your mind. Some debris needs to be removed from the path, so that God can come and do a powerful work in our midst.

2. A significant location.

Matthew 3:5 states the people went out from Jerusalem and all Judea and the whole region of the Jordan and were baptized by John in the Jordan River.

The Jordan was literally the gateway to the promise of God (2 Corinthians 1:20). Christ is the “yes” of God, and we say “amen.” Going to the Jordan River was the way that Christ came as the very gateway to the promises of God.

The name “Jesus” is “Joshua in Hebrew.”

Joshua 3:1-5 – God wants to do a new work in our lives, but what prevents that from happening, is that we want to stay in the same place. He wants to take us some places we have never been before.

The word for consecrate (or sanctify) in Hebrew is “qadhash,” which means “to be clear, dedicated, declared holy, treated as holy.”

Do we treat ourselves as holy? We have been set apart in Jesus Christ; to go from the common to the uncommon, from the unclean to the sacred – to be set aside. That is who we are in Christ, but we are to live it out; applying it to our reality on the pavement of life. If we do that, God will come in our lives and o amazing works – wonders among you.

The Hebrew word “pala” means “wonders” or “to be separate, distinguished, singular, extraordinary, marvelous, miraculous.”

The basic meaning out of the Hebrew Dictionary is “to be wonderful, and cause wonderful things to happen.” Jesus is wonderful, and He cannot help but do wonders; and He is just looking for someone to let Him do it!

Genesis 18:9-15 – The words “too hard” is “pala” in Hebrew. If you are over your head, you are sitting pretty for an amazing work of God. His specialty is anything and everything that is way too hard for you. Just let Him do it and clear the path!

3. An unexpected visitation. (Luke 3:21; Matt. 3:13-15.)

John had prepared all his life, and when he got to glory, he was the only one who had baptized the Lord Jesus Christ.

4. A glorious representation.

Matthew 3:5-6 – John is preparing the people to encounter the Savior; the only One that can bring them salvation. He was baptizing them unto repentance and getting them ready.

Confession means

• Acknowledgement

• Agreement

The people were coming to a place in those waters where they were acknowledging their sins, and agreeing with God about them.

Christ came to be baptized by John into ministry; the representation of the death, burial, and resurrection.

Acts 3:19 – We can quench the Spirit with our unconfessed sin. To acknowledge it, we have to name it, and talk with God about it. It is like refreshment to our souls.

5. A divine demonstration. (Luke 3:22; Matthew 3:16.)

As in Genesis 1, God opened up the sky like a window and showed Christ the vision through it. It had been a long time since Christ had seen that vision. Heaven was also opened to Stephen. We look up in the sky and He is right there; He is near to us.

6. A paternal proclamation. (Luke 3:22; Matthew 3:17.)

A whole lot of His prayer was Him talking to God. Knowing what He was answering Him in His Spirit, and through His Word; but to hear that audible voice of His Father, it must have fallen on Him with the dearest of all familiarity; that was the love of His life. Christ had the blessing of His Father.