Begin with 2 minutes of silence and stillness before God.

As we transition from chapter two into chapter three of the book of Luke, the writer gives us a sort of status update. We have jumped forward nearly two decades of Jesus’ life. Tiberius Caesar is on the throne. John, Jesus’ cousin, has encountered the Word of God and has begun his ministry preaching repentance to those who live in the region surrounding the Jordan River. This fulfills the Old Testament prophecy written by Isaiah that a man would come preparing the way for Christ to begin his ministry. In chapter two, we read about Jesus’ interaction with his parents after they found him in the temple conversing with the rabbis.

“Why did you seek me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”

We can assume from this that Jesus knew wholeheartedly what His mission on Earth as the Son of Man was. So, what is Jesus’ “Father’s business?” Let’s take a look at the Old Testament quote from Isaiah.

“Every valley shall be filled
And every mountain and hill brought low;
The crooked places shall be made straight
And the rough ways smooth;
And all flesh shall see the salvation of God.”

Imagine for a moment that every valley on earth would be filled, every mountain would be flattened, every crooked path made straight, and every rough place made smooth. The entire earth would be uniform. Everything would be made equal. So, is John proclaiming that Jesus would come to make everyone equal? In many ways, yes. I believe that it’s more accurate to refer to Jesus’ ministry as a system reset. While the Pharisees had taken holiness and turned it into an elite social class, those who were considered “unholy” were living lives that were just what their title described. Christ came to bring these two groups together, united under the same grace shown by His sacrifice on the cross.

Later in this chapter, we see Christ baptized by John. Baptism for Christians is a visual representation of the repentance that we declare over our lives after having experienced the grace of God washing over our hearts as Christ enters our lives. Jesus was perfect, fulfilling every line of the Law of Moses…So… why would He need to be baptized as a sign of repentance? Jesus' choice to be baptized does two things for His ministry.

1.) Jesus allows Himself to be identified with sinners so that sinners would identify themselves with Him. It would have been impossible to bridge the gap between Heaven and earth had Jesus not stood in the gap Himself.

2.) We see Jesus officially go public with His intentions to restore humanity. We see the Trinity together in one instance: The Son of God was baptized with the Father in Heaven affirming His actions, while the Spirit of God descended upon the Son like a dove.

I feel like I cannot be thankful enough for Jesus coming down to earth from Heaven to level the playing field for humanity. He came to us in our mess and bridged the gap between Heaven and earth.

Reflections:

• Spend some time today in prayer and thought reflecting on the sacrifice that Jesus made for us.
• Scripture says that if we draw near to God, He will draw near to us. (John 14:6) Think of some ways that you can draw closer to the Lord. Christ has already brought the Kingdom of Heaven to Earth. Now we must make an effort to recognize it, live in it, and share it!

Take 2 minutes to reflect in silence

Family Application: Luke 3

Author: Jana Whittington

Yesterday we learned about Jesus as a twelve-year-old boy at the Temple. Many years went by, and Jesus grew from a boy into a man. In Luke 3 we learn about His cousin, John the Baptist. He was a preacher. He preached about people’s need to turn away from their sins (repent) and turn to God. John told people they needed to be baptized as a symbol of their changed lives. He baptized many people in the Jordan River. When a person is baptized, they are lowered completely into the water. It is an act of obedience commanded by Jesus. They do this to show others that they are followers of Jesus. One day, as John was baptizing people, Jesus Himself came to the water to be baptized!  

Does this mean that Jesus needed to be forgiven of sins? No, Jesus never sinned. But Jesus wanted the people to see His example of following God’s will. After Jesus was baptized, something amazing happened. The Holy Spirit came and rested on Jesus in the shape of a dove! Then a voice from Heaven said, “You are my Son, whom I love; with You, I am well pleased.” It was God’s voice! That must have really encouraged Jesus to know that His Father was happy with Him. Everything Jesus did was to obey His Father. Jesus also wants His followers to believe in Him and be baptized. Baptism celebrates a new life in Christ. This public commitment glorifies God and brings Him honor.  

• Prayer: God, thank You for the gift of Jesus! Thank you for your love! In Jesus’ name, Amen.