Issue 1696 – Jesus’ Baptism – March 26, 2025
In yesterday’s “Gleanings,” I shared my baptism experience.
One of the responses was from a dear friend who shared a baptism verse that has profoundly impacted her.
I have a baptism to be baptized with, and how great is my distress until it is accomplished! Luke 12:50
Here it is again from a different translation.
I have a terrible baptism of suffering ahead of me, and I am under a heavy burden until it is accomplished. Luke 12:50 NLT
When we are baptized (out of loving obedience to His commands), it is in water. His water baptism was out of loving obedience to the Father.
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” Mathew 3:13-17
His other baptism was rejection, torture, humiliation, and a painful death. For a brief moment in Gethsemane, Jesus prayed for the burden to be removed, but He still underwent this baptism willingly out of His love for us.
When I remember that each moment of sin is a rebellion against the King of Kings, it caused me to stop and ponder the price. The wages of sin is death. How many deaths and how much suffering is needed to atone for my sin alone?
I was born with a sin nature and have acted on it my entire life. Even as a believer who desires to please Jesus in everything, I still stumble and fall into rebellion more often than I care to admit. Many times, I know I am sinning and still continue.
What mercy He has to endure that in my stead. What mercy to endure the penalty for everyone. We sometimes take it for granted, but when I really think about it, it staggers my mind. I cannot truly grasp the magnitude of his baptism of suffering and death.
None of us is worthy under our own merit or the Law to be reconciled to the Lord. Yet He came to make that possible for us.
It’s why John penned these words.
See what kind of love the Father has given to us, that we should be called children of God; and so we are. The reason why the world does not know us is that it did not know him. 1 John 3:1
Look to Him and give thanks with a grateful heart.
Be blessed
Hallelu Yah / Praise God
Kevin
Gleanings From The Word
Experience an extraordinary God in ordinary life.
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All contents, “Gleanings From The Word” and “Experience an Extraordinary God in Ordinary Life,” are © 2001, 2025 K.F. “Kevin” Corbin, Gleanings From The Word.
Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture is from the English Standard Version (ESV).