Weekly Sunday Sermon - Jesus was Baptized and Tempted

 Hello! This time I took the service in a different GRII location. Thus, though the curriculum is the same they,are studying a different part of it.

This topic is "Jesus was Baptized and Tempted". After his childhood, the next major event is his baptism, but it is important to understand John the Baptist, who prepared the way before him. John the Baptist is a special person because he was prophesied about (see Isaiah 40:3 and/or Malachi 4). In these prophecies, it describes John the Baptist as "Elijah" and will prepare the way. Jesus and John the Baptist are related.

When Jesus was baptized, it is important to note that Jesus' baptism and our baptism are different things. John baptized people, who are sinful. Jesus and other humanity are different because Jesus has a divine and human nature and is sinless but we only have a human nature and are sinful. Baptism usually is about repentance from sin, so why did Jesus have to be baptized?

Actually, John the Baptist also asked this question. Jesus had to perfectly obey and be perfect, so baptism was a sign of his humanness and perfection. Baptism is not what saves, but faith does. Baptism, though, is a sign or expression of change. WSC33 (Westminster Shorter Confession) states this biblical idea, the idea that faith saves.

After, Jesus fasted and was in the wilderness. He was tempted. Why was he tempted if he is sinless? That's to show that he too overcame temptation and troubles and to show, again, his humanness. When Satan tempted him, he used Scripture to resist and fight off temptation. 

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