As
the story of Christ’s becoming one of us - His birth - moves on towards
the story of His dying in our place - His crucifixion, the story of His
baptism is a significant step forward. Jesus identifies with us. He
stands in the place of the sinner. John the Baptist said to Jesus, “I
need to be baptized by You. Why are You coming to me?” (Matthew 3:14).
Jesus was doing everything that God required of Him - everything that
needed to be done for sinners to be saved. The chief focus is on His
death for us - “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world”
(John 1:29). We do, however, need to look back from His crucifixion to
His birth and His baptism. In His birth, we see the sovereign purpose of
God. In His baptism, we see the definite choice made by Jesus. In
salvation, there is the work of God, and there is our response. God
reveals Himself to us through His Son: “This is My beloved Son, with
whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17). We respond to God’s revelation
and redemption when we put our trust in the Lord Jesus Christ, when we
look away from ourselves - sinners - to Jesus Christ, the Saviour of
sinners, “the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world” (John
1:29).
"The Son of Man came to save the lost" (Matthew 18:11). In Matthew 18:12-13, Jesus speaks about sheep. He's really speaking about us. He is the Shepherd. We are His sheep. Sheep wander away from the shepherd. We wander away from the Lord. The shepherd looks for the lost sheep. Jesus has come to seek for us and find us. He brings us home to God, our Father. Through His saving grace, we receive new life - a life in which we rejoice in our great Saviour, the Lord Jesus Christ. He delivers us from the condemnation, which our sin has brought upon us. He brings us into the knowledge of His forgiveness. This Gospel of salvation changes us. It teaches us to live in the power of God's love. Jesus speaks about "the Kingdom of heaven" (Matthew 19:12,23), "the Kingdom of God" (Matthew 19:14,24) and "eternal life" (Matthew 19:29). Jesus' way of thinking and living is so very different from the world's way of thinking and living. He chall...
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