Luke Bible Study, Day 7
Today’s passage: Luke 3:21–38
Focus verse:“You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:22)
When the people ask John if he’s the Messiah, whom the Old Testament prophets foretold, he tells them he’s not, but he’s indirect about it.
By way of an answer, John explains that he baptizes with water (to signify remorse for our mistakes), but someone much greater will soon come. This Messiah is more powerful than John.
John says he’s unworthy to even bend down to untie the Savior’s sandals. Instead of water, this Messiah will baptize people with the Holy Spirit and fire. Whatever this means, it sounds extraordinary.
Though some attempt to connect New Testament baptism with Old Testament uses of water in religious ceremonies and rituals, any correlation seems weak.
Definitions of baptism use the words cleanse and purify, among others. This helps some, since the first few books of the Old Testament talk a lot about cleansing and purification. Yet pulling the ceremony of baptism from this feels like a stretch.
The word baptize only occurs in the New Testament. Prior to John performing his water ceremony, it’s never mentioned.
The Old Testament doesn’t talk about baptism, and there’s no biblical account of its origin. It seems to have just started on its own, beginning with John. Did he invent it?
Perhaps God told him to do this new thing, pointing people to a new way—Jesus.
Further confusing the issue, in a curious passage in Corinthians, Paul talks about the Old Testament Israelites in the desert undergoing some sort of baptism into Moses.
Yet the Old Testament doesn’t record this event. So we can assume this was a figurative baptism, not an actual one.
None of this, however, gets us any closer to understanding the basis behind baptism. But what’s important is that Jesus later tells us to do it.
John, by the way, baptizes Jesus.
Why?
Jesus’s baptism is mysterious—because he’s sinless and doesn’t need to repent of anything. It’s also awe-inspiring—because Papa shows up.
As part of his baptism, Jesus prays. When he prays, heaven opens, allowing a glimpse into the spiritual realm. The people see the Holy Spirit come down. He visually descends in a form that resembles a dove.
Then, to underscore this extraordinary event, a voice booms from heaven. It’s Father God. He speaks to Jesus.
He says, “You’re my boy. I so love you. I’m most pleased with you and what you’re doing.”
Jesus, the Son of God, comes to earth and pleases his Father in heaven. And this is just the beginning.
Questions:
Why did Jesus, who didn’t sin, want John to baptize him?
What can we learn from this story?
[Discover more about baptism in Matthew 28:19, Acts 2:1–4, and 1 Corinthians 10:1–2.]
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Read more about the book of Luke in Dear Theophilus: A 40-Day Devotional Exploring the Life of Jesus through the Gospel of Luke, now available in ebook, paperback, and hardcover.
Peter DeHaan writes about biblical Christianity to confront a status quo faith and live a life that matters. He seeks a fresh approach to following Jesus through the lens of Scripture, without the baggage of made-up traditions and meaningless practices.
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