Posted on 01/01/2019 6:36:27 AM PST by metmom
“Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan” (Matthew 3:13).
There is something majestic about Jesus’ baptism that brought all the previous events of His earthly life into focus. Here He came fully onto the stage of the gospel story and His work and ministry truly began.
Following an eternity past in heaven and thirty years of obscurity in Nazareth, God presented the Savior publicly to the world. John the Baptist, as “the voice of one crying in the wilderness,” had heralded the coming of the Messiah (3:3; cf. Isa. 40:3), and now He was fully and publicly prepared to begin the fulfillment of His earthly mission.
A parallel passage in Luke tells us that this was no private or secluded ceremony: “Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized” (Luke 3:21). The word translated “arrived” in Matthew 3:13 often indicated an official arrival or public appearance by a dignitary. From now on Jesus would be in the public eye and call no place His permanent earthly home (8:20).
This important episode from the beginning of Christ’s ministry clearly shows us that Jesus, though knowing what a high degree of visibility would ultimately cost Him, obediently stepped from the comfort of obscurity into the high-risk position of a public figure. His work would invite strong opinion, but in order to accomplish the Father’s will, it must take place in full view of the world. It must come at the cost of being widely observed.
Ask Yourself
We are called to be salt and light, not merely to enjoy God’s seasoning and illumination in our own lives but to be His conveyors of grace to others. How does this public calling alter the way you express and live your Christianity? Pray that you will live not in fear but in faith.
Studying God’s Word ping
Jan. 1 is the traditional celebration of Jesus circumcision, not His baptism...which is celebrated on the 13th, and also officially ends the Christmas season.
While I appreciate McArthur’s remarks here.....Why is the Christian calendar so alien to so many Protestants?
Presumably you mean Catholic calendar.
Because we are not Catholics.
Catholics can celebrate as they wish.
No one else is beholden to that.
There is a Christian calendar? Who knew?
...and now He was fully and publicly prepared to begin the fulfillment of His earthly mission
>>>
This important episode from the beginning of Christ’s ministry clearly shows us that Jesus, though knowing what a high degree of visibility would ultimately cost Him, obediently stepped from the comfort of obscurity into the high-risk position of a public figure. His work would invite strong opinion, but in order to accomplish the Father’s will, it must take place in full view of the world. It must come at the cost of being widely observed.
Talk about timing. This explains the dream I had this morning.
I had met up with him and we were happily walking along. (He's dressed in regular guy clothes, not a 1st century flowing robe.) Not much of any conversation, but there was one specific incident. I had immediately noticed something about his hands (I was handling them and looking them over) -- his nails were dirty. Not that his hands were dirty, but that there were obvious dark lines of soil underneath the nails, as if he had been working in a field or garden right before we met up. Thus the comment that instinctively came out was, "You have farmers' hands." He looked at me a little funny as if I weren't aware that the phrase meant a lot more what I was observing. Hmmm, well it was simply my instinctive response upon seeing the dirt.
Upon further reflection, a farmer's hands are his tools - his literal hands or his farm tools or the workers that work his fields, the farm hands.
A hands-on, involved manager of anything is the guy who's willing to "get his hands dirty" to do unpleasant but necessary tasks in potentially risky environments, not one who merely sits in the comfort of his air-conditioned office while barking orders to the underlings.
"Dirty nails". That could repel those who might interpret that to mean he lacks proper attention to hygiene. He's not a little kid so he should know better, or something to that effect. ("His work would invite strong opinion".)
Who knows, but "out there" in internet searchland is the theme that dreaming of having dirty fingernails indicates being disgraced, as in being subjected to an undeserved bad reputation. Interesting.
I was really hoping for some enlightenment on the Christian calendar. I know of the Gregorian calendar, the Mayan calendar and the Hebrew calendar but not the Christian calendar.
The pope Gregory calendar is the Christian calendar.
What makes the Gregorian calendar the “Christian calendar”? Seems like semantics double talk to me. Did Jesus and His Disciples use the Gregorian calendar? NO. They used the Hebrew calendar based on lunar events. I hope you’re not under the delusion Jesus and company spoke English just because you read a King James Bible once. Is English the Christian language also?
You just celebrated something off the Christian Calendar, or the “Church Calendar”: Christmas. Easter is also prominent there—and was probably the first date with a yearly celebration attached to it.
Between Christmas and Easter, various events in the life of Christ are noted (even if we really don’t know the date of the original events were, like His baptism), along with notable Christians birthdays or death-days (assuming they were martyred.) then and in the rest of the year.
Protestants, 450+ years ago, rejected most of the Church calendar (usually except Christmas & Easter), Roman Catholics, Anglicans & Lutherans kept the Calendar. (Eastern Orthodox have their own, separate calendar.)
Saints days (for example, Jan 2, is a feast day for St. Basil, and St. Nazianzus....very important leaders in the early centuries of the Church).
In the liturgical Churches (Roman Catholic, Anglican, Lutheran, & E. Orthodox), special orders of worship, or prayers will be read on the important feast days (like today), noting that day, and who it’s commemorating.
So, THAT’s the Church Calendar.
I might add that Jesus and the Disciples never celebrated Easter or Christmas or hid Easter eggs.
No they didn’t. And Jesus only celebrated Communion once.... SO WHAT? None of that means its wrong to celebrate all the events of His life—just as the Jews celebrated all the major events in the life of their nation—as God commanded them to.
Do whatever you wish. Just know that it is not Biblical but it is what the world does.
What's really sad is when Christians agree with that spoilage, and fail to celebrate with fellow Christians the great events of the life of Christ (all from the bible, mind you...)--thinking they are more holy or biblical because of that....
Just know that's not biblical or Christ-like AT ALL!
December 25, January 1, February 2 as holy days make it the Christian calendar.
So does Good Friday,Holy Saturday and Easter Sunday.
Those holy days also make it the Christian calendar.
You do make a good point that Christ didn’t use the Gregorian.
But neither did the first Protestants who have records of calling the papacy and pope antichrist.
Wonder what their opinion of the pope Gregory calendar would have been had they been alive when it started..
Would their premise still hold? Antichrist calendar?
Good afternoon Bible scholars
God is a God of order not chaos and He has a plan for us to follow. Our obedience to Gods Will is proof that we are His. If we abandon Gods Word and use human reasoning, we inevitably go astray. Eve in the garden certainly did.
God has given us a calendar using lunar events complete with Feast Days and instructions. You have instead decided to follow the Roman Catholics in this matter. You were warned in Daniel 7:25 ‘He shall speak words against the Most High, and shall wear out the saints of the Most High, and shall think to change the TIMES and the law;’.
You think you are honoring Jesus by celebrating the way you want but Jesus states John 14:15 “IF you love Me, keep My Commandments”.
I could go on and on but I am sure this is all alien to you.
Quote(You think you are honoring Jesus by celebrating the way you want but Jesus states John 14:15 “IF you love Me, keep My Commandments”.
I could go on and on but I am sure this is all alien to you.)
Bipolarbob, today is the 26th day of the 10th month,as in the days of Moses.
And the 26th day of the 4th month, as in the days of Noah.
According to scripture, it is the Father’s 4th working day.
The day that commemorates the Creation of the lights in the firmament to separate the day and night and for signs and appointments days and years.
If someone counts from the Day of the New Moon, according to scripture,the Father’s 6th work day, the 28thday, will be Rome’s Saturday ( Antichrist Judaisms false Sabbath) and the Fathers 7th Day Sabbath, the 29th day, will be on Rome’s Sunday. ( A day Rome calls its 1st day)
It seems the whole world is being deceived to believe in Rome’s version..
Maybe Satan has done exactly what is written in the scriptures.
Someday Muslims and Jews and Christians will understand why Jeremiah predicts inherited lies (like Saturday being the Father’s Sabbath) where there is no profit..
Tough to ‘remember the Sabbath’ if Satan has changed time and set up a false Sabbath and false premise the religions of the world are forced to choose from..
Slavery and bondage to buy and sell what Satan is selling..
In a twist of sorts,Rome and her ‘Christian’ daughters will be keeping the 7th Day Sabbath holy on Rome’s Sunday coming up,while Antichrist Judaism and those seventh day Adventist people will not be keeping His Sabbath Day holy..
It’s all found within the bible and one need not be a Bible scholar. Just anability to read, count and unlearn what they always knew.
Just what we could expect from Satan and the work of deception within the Antichrist religions. The Father says work, Satan has people resting. The Father says rest, Satan has people working.
Quite a sight to see if one is blessed with eyes to see.
We cant expect much from Antichrist Islam or Judaism as they don’t have the Son,so they don’t have the Father.
And Christianity has been sold another Jesus, based upon a calendar that confirms the built in bias.
unfortunately, they have no clue what Passover means to the Father.
If they did, they would know Passover is His 6th day, regardless of when it ‘lands’ on the Pope’s calendar.
Islam and Christianity isn’t going to learn that from Judaism but they all could learn that if they rejected the calendars the world use.
I don’t know how alien this is to you, but there is a biblical reason I called the pope Gregory calendar ‘Christian’..
And maybe you assumed that is a good thing to me..
It isn’t. It’s Satan’s most suble work of deceit.
And it is a great blessing to know what today is to Him who created and heavens and Earth and fountains of water.
Islam, Judaism and Christianity have a long way to go..
Or, a short time left while Truth marches on..
Until then, Satan continues to deceive the whole world. And Satan can’t do it without Islam,Judaism and Christianity.
And each of those need the others to keep their beliefs and practice and worship schedules afloat.
And each needs the pope Gregory calendar.
Amazing to see when His Creation and scripture says He was born. And when He was circumcised. And when He was presented in the temple. And when He was baptized. And when He began His ministry. And when He finished His Work and laid His life down. And when He rested in the tomb. And when He Rose from the grave. And when He gave the gift of the Holy Spirit.
All found within the scriptures and appointments The Father gave Israel ( that Judaism misses more than they meet)
The Word made Flesh.
But until Rome and Christianity and Islam and Judaism stop peddling or stop accepting inherited lies, Truth will be hidden and inherited lies and counterfeits reign.
Choose this day whom you will serve..
And He has consigned all to disobedience so that He may have mercy on all..
For His Glory!
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