WORTHY

Written By: Kirk Peterson

All around us

I believe God is all around us.  Recently in studying His word, the sheer amount of layers that I see interwoven throughout the Bible reveals to me that his words are true and trustworthy.  As I put more of my time into studying His story in the Bible, I see the mysteries that were once beyond my grasp slowly begin to form before me by his unmerited favor & Holy Spirit.  In saying this, I try to keep a humble heart...  For we are told if we must boast, then let us boast about the LORD--and that is what I pray I’m am doing now. 

As I learn more about the ways of God, my heart finds peace in the authenticity of what I’m reading when I begin to see how everything in the Bible is related.  The laws of Moses and the messages of the prophets of the Old Testament—the preaching of the Kingdom of Heaven in the New Testament all come together and hold true.  God’s word tells us that he is unchanging.  His word also tells us that He is the living God, and I see his Bible literally come to life, reaching up out of its pages, coming back in on itself and weaving forward to unlock new directions for me in my own walk. 

One time I asked my wife, “I wonder why God hasn’t given us any more to the Bible, it was written so long ago…does God not have anything else to tell us?”

I love her answer, she simply said “Maybe God hasn’t written any more to the Bible because He has already given us everything we need.”  (WOW, I don’t know about you folks but that sure makes the Holy Spirit jump up and pull at me!J)

The Baptism of Jesus

13Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. 14But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?” 15But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him. 16After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.” (Matthew 3:13-16, NLT)

The Baptism of Jesus

21One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened, 22and the Holy Spirit, in bodily form, descended on him like a dove. And a voice from heaven said, “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy.” (Luke 3:21-22, NLT)

32Then John testified, “I saw the Holy Spirit descending like a dove from heaven and resting upon him. 33I didn’t know he was the one, but when God sent me to baptize with water, he told me, ‘The one on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ 34I saw this happen to Jesus, so I testify that he is the Chosen One of God. (John 1:32-34, NLT)

As I was studying Matthew chapter 3 this week in Bible study, the Bible study lesson asked us a great question--“In your opinion, why did Jesus decide to be baptized?”

Jesus, though he came down to earth from Heaven, who was entirely the deity of God empowered with the spirit without limit, was also at the same time entirely man in flesh, subjected to all the emotions, sufferings and temptations we all face in this earthly body—yet The Son of God who was perfect--and despite being tempted by all our human weaknesses--did not sin and fall short of the glory of god!  (1 Corinthians 15:45,47. John 3:34. Hebrews 2:14,17-18. NLT)

So, if baptism was to symbolize confessing the things we do wrong, or when we disobey what God says in His Word (Sin) and turning away from our wrongs and toward God (Repent) by walking the right path…why did Jesus choose to be baptized if he was without sin?

The Spirit of God

As I read about the baptism of The Messiah, hearing that the Spirit of God descended upon the chosen One in bodily form as a dove…the Holy Spirit inside of me began to pull.  I wondered what it was The Advocate, who guides all believers into truth, was trying to tell me.  I believe the Holy Spirit was telling me that there was significance to the event of the spirit coming to rest on Jesus... 

We know that Christ’s baptism marked the beginning of his ministry in bringing the good news of the gospel to the world. 

We also know that John the Baptist was told by God that the one whom he sees the Spirit descend and rest is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit, and John the Baptist testified that this was Jesus.  So this fulfills God’s promise to John the Baptist who was called by God to prepare the way for the Messiah in God’s story in the Bible where God the Father reveals to us His mysterious plan of salvation for all mankind through faith in Jesus Christ.

Writing this blog now, I also see that rest perhaps has significance as well.  All throughout God’s word we see what rest means.  In the beginning God created everything in the heavens and the earth in 6 days--and on the 7^th day he rested.  I believe in Hebrews we see that rest represents Heaven, and if this is true, then how appropriate is it that the Spirit descended and rested on Christ? 

The Holy Trinity

I believe the authenticity of God is shown here by the incredible level of symbolism and perfection of how God is revealing to all of us His plan.  At the beginning of creation, God the Father, God the Son & God the Spirit were there. (Genesis 1:1-2. John 1:1-4. NLT) 

How appropriate that God would mark the beginning of Jesus’s ministry into our world with the Holy Trinity there at the beginning.  God the Father was there speaking down over everything, God the Spirit was there descending from heaven to rest on Jesus, and God the Son was there rising up to embark on his calling from God to save all His people!

My pastor put it like this, “Christianity is the only religion where God came down to earth to make us right with God.  With every other religion in the world, man has to earn our way up to God in Heaven.”  Well said pastor, well said!

Worthy

I still was seeking as I was driving home from Bible study about the significance of the Spirit descending on Christ, when I finally chose to let go of everything and prayed to God to show me what The Advocate was trying to tell when he was pulling at me.  That is when the Spirit inside of me, shot straight into the very core of my soul and revealed to me this song on the radio. 

As the song started playing, I was praying to God and felt the spirit tell me my answer was in the VERY FIRST LINE of the song.

 

See music video of Phillips, Craig & Dean’s “ Revelation Song” here: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dsiDukXIeVY

 

Perhaps God chose to have his Holy Spirit descend and rest on his perfect son because he was WORTHY.  Jesus Christ was worthy to come down from heaven, in perfect duality as Deity and Man, suffering all the hardships we face as mortal men & women, experiencing all our weaknesses and strengths acting as our perfect High Priest to God the Father—ALL BECAUSE HE IS WORTHY.

 

Peace be with you Brothers and Sisters.