Bible Class - Now, Before I Can Begin…

Refreshment for the Fall A Message from the Master #2 Now, Before I Can Begin… What feelings, thoughts or reactions do you have to the following words from Jesus? Matthew 28:16 The eleven disciples went to Galilee, to the mountain where Jesus had told them to go. 17 When they saw him, they worshiped him; but some doubted. 18 Then Jesus came to them and said, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Therefore go and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 and teaching them to obey everything I have commanded you. And surely I am with you always, to the very end of the age.” Matthew 3:3 In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near.” Mark 1:4 John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 5 The whole Judean countryside and all the people of Jerusalem went out to him. Confessing their sins, they were baptized by him in the Jordan River. “The kingdom of God is near.”________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ “Repentance for the forgiveness of sins…” A message both wildly popular and horribly threatening._________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ “The whole Judean countryside…” John’s audience and the huge problem it created.__________________________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ John 1:29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ 31 I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.” Oh, so much to talk about!____________________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Matthew 3:13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented. 16 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. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.” “John tried to deter him.” Why?_______________________________________ _________________________________________________________________ “Fulfill all righteousness.” What is Jesus saying?__________________________ _________________________________________________________________ “This is my son…” This moment must have been__________________________ _________________________________________________________________ Paul on baptism… Romans 6:What shall we say, then? Shall we go on sinning so that grace may increase? 2 By no means! We are those who have died to sin; how can we live in it any longer? 3 Or don’t you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were therefore buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. 5 For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his If Jesus insisted on being baptized before beginning his work in the kingdom of God, wouldn’t it be appropriate for us to do the same thing? What do you think?