Prepared With Purpose

Prepared With Purpose

Bible Passage: Mt 3:13–17, Acts 10:34–43

Summary: Jesus' baptism marks the beginning of His earthly ministry, symbolizing both His identification with humanity and His mission to bring salvation to all. Peter's message in Acts emphasizes the inclusive nature of the Gospel and how it is offered to everyone, regardless of background.

Application: This sermon encourages Christians to understand their own baptism as a call to live out their faith actively and inclusively. It serves as a reminder of God’s overarching plan for redemption that extends to all people, provoking listeners to reflect on their role in sharing the Good News.

Teaching: Through baptism, Jesus demonstrates humility and obedience, setting an example for His followers. The message of Acts reinforces that God shows no favoritism, highlighting the importance of embracing diversity within the body of Christ.

How this passage could point to Christ: Throughout the Bible, Jesus is depicted as the fulfillment of God's promise of salvation, inaugurating a new covenant that invites everyone to partake in His grace. His baptism is a significant moment that underscores His role as the mediator who connects God to humanity.

Big Idea: The baptism of Jesus signifies the beginning of a transformative mission that reconciles all people to God, inviting us to actively participate in spreading the Gospel.

Introduction:

The Breaking of Silence

For centuries, the people of Israel had waited. Scholars call the period between the Old and New Testaments the "400 Quiet Years," a time when no major prophet spoke and the heavens seemed shut. The people were waiting for a word from God. We remember the angelic message given to the people at Jesus birth.

When we open to Matthew chapter 3, that silence is finally broken by the divine voice of God. But it doesn't happen in a palace or a temple. It happens in the muddy waters of the Jordan River, where a crowd is gathering not to see a king, but to confess their sins. It is here that Jesus steps forward, marking the end of the silence and the beginning of a mission that would change the world.

Today, we are looking at the baptism of Jesus not just as a ritual, but as the moment God prepares His Son for a specific purpose. It is a purpose that begins in deep humility, receives divine approval, and ultimately expands to include every person on earth.

Transition: To understand this purpose, we must first look at the surprising way Jesus begins His ministry—not with a display of power, but with an act of submission.

1. Beginning with Baptism

Mt 3:13–15

The scene at the Jordan River contains a moment of hesitation. When Jesus arrives from Galilee, John the Baptist tries to stop Him. John, the fiery prophet, suddenly experiences a spiritual "inferiority complex". He recognizes the vast gap between his own sinfulness and Jesus’ perfection, arguing that the tables should be turned: "I need to be baptized by you".

Jesus’ response is profound: "Let it be so now, for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness". This phrase is the key to understanding Jesus' purpose. He was not there to confess sin, for He had none to wash away. Instead, "fulfilling all righteousness" means completing everything necessary for a "relationship of obedience to God".

By entering the water, Jesus was validating John’s ministry and, more importantly, identifying Himself with the people He came to save. He stood in the line of sinners, shoulder to shoulder with those who needed redemption. This teaches us that true purpose begins with humility. Jesus shows us that we cannot lead in God’s mission until we are willing to submit to God’s methods, even when they seem humble or unnecessary to the world.

Transition: As Jesus rises from the water, having committed Himself to this path of obedience, the heavens respond immediately.

2. Divine Affirmation Declared

Mt 3:16–17

Matthew tells us that "suddenly the heavens were opened". In this moment, the Trinity appears in perfect unity to affirm the Son’s mission. The Spirit descends "like a dove" and alights on Him.

The choice of a dove is significant. It is not a symbol of war or judgment, but a symbol of the "loving character of divine life itself". It recalls the Spirit hovering over the waters at creation (Genesis 1:2) and the dove of Noah bringing an olive branch of peace (Genesis 8:10). This signals that Jesus is initiating a new creation and bringing peace between God and humanity.

Then, the Voice speaks: "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased". For the Jewish people, this Voice was the return of divine communication. It was a formal installation, a public commissioning for the work ahead. God was not just complimenting Jesus; He was authorizing Him. This anointing "with the Holy Spirit and with power" (Acts 10:38) was the fuel for the ministry that was about to explode across Galilee and Judea.

Transition: But this anointing was not meant to stay within the borders of Israel. As we turn to Acts 10, we see the ripple effects of the Jordan River reaching the rest of the world.

3. Gospel Without Boundaries

Acts 10:34–38

In Acts 10, the Apostle Peter stands in the home of Cornelius, a Gentile. This creates a tension, as Jewish law traditionally separated Jews from Gentiles. But Peter, reflecting on the ministry of Jesus, has a revelation: "I truly understand that God shows no partiality".

The Greek phrasing Peter uses here is powerful. The word for "partiality" comes from a Hebrew idiom meaning "to lift a face". It means God does not look up to some people because of their status or race, nor does He look down on others. Peter realizes that because Jesus is "Lord of all," the peace He brings is available to all.

Peter traces this back to the baptism, reminding his listeners that the message began "after the baptism that John announced". He describes how Jesus went about "doing good and healing all who were oppressed". The purpose that began in the water—the anointing of power and the dove of peace—was now breaking down centuries of cultural and spiritual barriers. Peter realized he could not allow old prejudices to separate him from people like Cornelius, for whom Christ also died.

Transition: This inclusivity is not just a nice sentiment. It is grounded in historical fact. Peter moves from the wideness of God’s mercy to the certainty of Jesus’ resurrection.

4. Called to Witness

Acts 10:39–43

Peter’s sermon emphasizes that these things "did not happen in a corner" (Acts 26:26). He declares, "We are witnesses to all that he did". But notice the specific detail Peter uses to prove the resurrection to his Gentile audience: "us who were chosen by God as witnesses and who ate and drank with him after he rose from the dead".

For Gentiles, the idea of a physical body rising from the dead was a radically new concept. By mentioning eating and drinking, Peter confirms that Jesus wasn't a ghost or a hallucination. He was real, tangible, and alive.

This reality carries a weight. Peter reminds them that this same Jesus is "ordained by God as judge of the living and the dead". The Jesus who humbled Himself at the Jordan is now the ruler of history.

This adds urgency to our purpose. We are not just sharing a philosophy; we are testifying to the One who determines the destiny of every human being. Yet, this Judge offers "forgiveness of sins through his name" to everyone who believes.

How do we live as people "Prepared With Purpose"?

1. Walk in "Righteousness" (Obedience):Jesus told John that it was necessary to "fulfill all righteousness". For Jesus, this meant identifying with sinners. For us, it means identifying with Him. We are called to complete our relationship of obedience to God. This might mean taking a humble step of service or following a command of God that doesn't make sense to our status-obsessed world.

2. Drop the Partiality: Peter learned that "God shows no partiality". We must examine our own lives. Do we "lift the face" of certain people while ignoring others? If Jesus is "Lord of All", our circles of fellowship must be as wide as His Lordship. We are called to a fellowship free of prejudice.

3. Be Active Witnesses: Peter summarized Jesus' life as going about "doing good". We are anointed by the same Spirit and called to continue this work. Furthermore, we are called to testify to the reality of the risen Christ. Just as Peter shared what he saw and heard, we must share how the living Lord has met us.

Let us step out today, confident in our anointing, to bring the peace and the power of the Spirit to a world waiting for Good News.