You're One of Us Now!
3 Years • Sermon • Submitted
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Series Introduction
Series Introduction
Goal: Walk through 3 years with Jesus
Good drill: figure out His life in Chronological order
Not easy
Mostly looking at 4 gospels (what are gospels?)
Matthew most events (serves as baseline)
Mark mostly supports, Luke supports and adds a little
John messes EVERYTHING UP! Different kind of book
Mt, Mk, Lk are SYNOPTIC GOSPELS
So, let’s walk through the next 3 years together
Today we’re going to cover 2 main events
23 Jesus, when he began his ministry, was about thirty years of age, being the son (as was supposed) of Joseph, the son of Heli,
Jesus is 30, probably in 29 AD
Today we’re going to cover 2 main events (begin with baptism)
Jesus’ cousin John the Baptist is baptising in the Jordan
His purpose is to prepare the way
is 40:
3 A voice cries:
“In the wilderness prepare the way of the Lord;
make straight in the desert a highway for our God.
He was calling people to be ready for a change
11 “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.
Notice the gap he puts between him and Jesus:
I’m not good enough to tie his shoes
If a master had slaves, the lowest one had to untie the masters shoes
John says, I’m not even good enough to do the lowest task for my master
Even the worst example is too god for me!
Then Jesus comes walking onto the scene
Barack Obama’s announcement of killing Osama Bin Laden
He had such swagger
If you watch it, it’s no big deal, but you could sense something was coming
I wonder how it was when Jesus walked up
The way that John had been clearing was ready for Jesus
Then he says this:
29 The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!
He says, that’s the guy!!
I imagine the anticipation of the crowd...
I’m not good enough to tie his shoes
That’s the guy? Now what!
Jesus say, “Baptize me, John.”
WHAT?!
Imagine Adele asking you too sing her a lullaby
Richard Petty asking you to drive him home
Gordon Ramsay asking you to make him dinner
Makes no sense!
John agrees, watch:
mat 3:13-1
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.
John’s response, no!
Two amazing things here
Jesus is associating with sinners
John the B is awesome!
28 I tell you, among those born of women none is greater than John. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he.”
How many people not born of women in here?
NONE of us can compete with John, making him second great
This isn’t “Jordan is #1 and LeBron is #2 because of championships and ppg...”
This is the best born among women, versus the Son of God!
This is really good, versus perfection
Because John the B still had a big flaw: SIN!
So John says, I shouldn’t even tie your shoes!
Now you want me to BAPTIZE You?
It makes NO SENSE does it?
That’s the beauty of God!
Does it make sense that Jesus would die for you? No!
You’re unworthy! I certainly am not worthy!
But God doesn’t only decide based on worth
He uses Grace, which is a righteous measurement...
Jesus is saying, regardless of worthiness, I want to be among you sinners
Jesus is associating with sinners
I want to know you, and I want you to know me
Therefore I will be baptized like the rest of you
You may ask, why does Jesus need to be baptized, He doesn’t have anything to repent for!
Remember, baptism is SYMBOLIC
For us, it symbolizes repentance
We have death, burial, and resurrection...
That means NEW LIFE!
What has John been saying as he “prepares the way?”
2 “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
Repenting is change
It’s the begging of something new!
That’s why John the B’s first word is repent!
Jesus’ first teach in is repent!
The first disciples’ message in is repent!
The first thing Jesus says to disciples after resurrection in is repent!
The first exhortation in the first sermon of the church in is repent!
Paul’s recalls his first Christian message in begins with repent!
What do you think is the first thing God is recorded saying?
No, He said “Let there be light!” Don’t you read???
Repentance is a place of new beginnings...
The idea of repentance isn’t just “stop doing bad stuff”
It’s get yourself right with God!
When Jesus says, “it is fitting to fulfill all righteousness...”
He is saying, “I will be that righteousness!”
Let ME fulfill that which you are seeking
Not only that righteousness, but His sin
Not the ones He would commit, but the one’s He would carry
YOURS! And mine!
And John says, great idea!
But there’s a second part
2. If Jesus is getting baptized, someone has to do it!
Jesus isn’t going to dunk Himself!
He says, “You want you to do it.”
That tells us a lot about our relationship with Jesus
He wants us to participate in His work with Him!
That’s awesome!
I can tell you I have no business standing here
If John can’t tie His shoes, I shouldn’t lick the soles of His shoes!
God could do a WAY better job than me!
But He said, I want you to do it...”
We have to ask ourselves the question...
What does He want YOU to do?
What things have you said, “No God, I’m not worthy...”
I’m not good enough...
Surely someone else can do better
No, YOU do it...
To start His ministries Jesus makes those two powerful statements!
I want to be with you
And I want you to be with me
16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
mat 3:16
Mark says it this way
10 And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
In a fantastic display, heavens tear open
The Holy Spirit comes down
This doesn’t mean some white-looking pigeon landed on his shoulder
It means the Holy Spirit was manifested and was visible
As it came down, it rested on Him and stayed
33 Whoever receives his testimony sets his seal to this, that God is true.
33 I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’
The Spirit REMAINED on Jesus, not temporary
And everything from this point forward would change
This kicked off an incredible 3 year journey that would change the world
It starts off with an epic battle!
12 The Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness. 13 And he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. And he was with the wild animals, and the angels were ministering to him.
Right after His baptism, Jesus jumps right into another identification with sinners
First Jesus identified with us in His baptism
Now He identifies with us in His TEMPTATIONS...
15 For we do not have a high priest who is unable to sympathize with our weaknesses, but one who in every respect has been tempted as we are, yet without sin.
This is important, it means Jesus went through EXACTLY what we go through
It wasn’t easier because He is God
This is why we say he is 100% God and 100% human
Or you might say 200%!
The Spirit LED Jesus to this!
That’s something we often miss...
Just because we’re struggling and facing temptation...
Doesn’t mean we’re somewhere God doesn’t want us to be
God isn’t giving us temptations, but He will help you fight when Satan is there
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
Jesus endured trials and temptation
The
There’s something special about this story...
How did Matthew, Mark and Luke know this?
Jesus was BY HIMSELF at this time
That means Jesus took the time to sit down with His disciples and tell the story
What must it have been like to sit with Jesus and hear from His own lips...
HE EXPLAINS THIS:
I was there 40 days and nights
I was starving, weak and tired
Then Satan showed up
He always does in those moments
Then this happened
3 And the tempter came and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, command these stones to become loaves of bread.”
mat 4:3
Come on Jesus, you think you’re awesome! Prove it
And then eat! I know you’re starving...
How does Jesus respond?
4 But he answered, “It is written,
“ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
4 But he answered, “It is written,
“ ‘Man shall not live by bread alone,
but by every word that comes from the mouth of God.’ ”
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
“ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and
“ ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ”
Mat 4:
Ooh! Jesus slaps him with some Scripture
He hit him with a little
3 And he humbled you and let you hunger and fed you with manna, which you did not know, nor did your fathers know, that he might make you know that man does not live by bread alone, but man lives by every word that comes from the mouth of the Lord.
I don’t need bread, I need God’s word!
Now Satan takes Him a little more serious...
You wanna play the Scripture game? I got you!
5 Then the devil took him to the holy city and set him on the pinnacle of the temple 6 and said to him, “If you are the Son of God, throw yourself down, for it is written,
“ ‘He will command his angels concerning you,’
and
“ ‘On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.’ ”
mat 4:5
He’s quoting and 12
11 For he will command his angels concerning you
to guard you in all your ways.
12 On their hands they will bear you up,
lest you strike your foot against a stone.
That is STILL a tactic of Satan today...
Twisting Scripture out of it’s meaning
Let me give an example
20 Then Job arose and tore his robe and shaved his head and fell on the ground and worshiped.
37 He said, “The one who showed him mercy.” And Jesus said to him, “You go, and do likewise.”
27 Then after he had taken the morsel, Satan entered into him. Jesus said to him, “What you are going to do, do quickly.”
Does that mean we all need to hurry up and go shave our heads?
Called Scripture twisting
This is where most cults come from
That’s why we study Scripture to understand God’s word
Here’s how Jesus responds
7 Jesus said to him, “Again it is written, ‘You shall not put the Lord your God to the test.’ ”
mat 4:7
Jesus fights the twisting of Scripture with a proper understanding of it
He quotes Deut 6:16
That’s why we study Scripture to understand God’s word
Satan then tries one more time
He’s no longer tiptoeing, he goes straight for the jugular
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
“ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’ ”
8 Again, the devil took him to a very high mountain and showed him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to him, “All these I will give you, if you will fall down and worship me.”
mat 4:8-
Do you realize what he’s really offering?
Jesus is already the King of kings!
Satan isn’t offering anything that doesn’t belong to the Christ
But he’s offering a chance to get around the cross...
This tells us another thing about Satan...
He is powerful IN THIS WORLD...
, John 14:30 calls Satan the prince of the power of the air
calls him the god of this world
Here’s what Luke’s account says
5 And the devil took him up and showed him all the kingdoms of the world in a moment of time, 6 and said to him, “To you I will give all this authority and their glory, for it has been delivered to me, and I give it to whom I will. 7 If you, then, will worship me, it will all be yours.”
luke 4:
Satan has authority over all the kingdoms of the world and he can give it to whoever he wants...
That is A LOT of power!
That’s why we see his marks everywhere!
So how does Jesus respond?
Except that he has already been defeated!
10 Then Jesus said to him, “Be gone, Satan! For it is written,
“ ‘You shall worship the Lord your God
and him only shall you serve.’ ”
11 Then the devil left him, and behold, angels came and were ministering to him.
mat 4:10-
Jesus says poof be gone, Satan!
Side note: The Nightmares wrote a song in 6th grade
God is the ONLY one to be worshipped!
And Satan was gone...
When God is the focus of your life, trials and temptations will come
But they will also go...
Because Satan is powerful!
We should be terrified!!
Except that our battle has already been won.
Satan is defeated and all he can do now is lie to you!
Here’s the main idea:
Jesus prepared for His mission...
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
Jesus endured trials and temptation
He identified with sinners, He faced temptation by trusting God
Then, as He was filled by the Spirit He went out and changed the world
Guess what we’re supposed to do?
Because of Christ...
We repent as sinners, we face our temptations by trusting God
Then, as we are filled by the Holy Spirit, we go out and change the world
Because of the grace of Christ
In that, we see that He lived as we live
Next week, we see Jesus really start His ministry
So then we have to endure trials and temptation
He knows how we struggle and suffer
So when we’re done, we are sent out by the Holy Spirit to change the world!
And so now we do the same, why?
Look:
Look:
3 Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, the Father of mercies and God of all comfort, 4 who comforts us in all our affliction, so that we may be able to comfort those who are in any affliction, with the comfort with which we ourselves are comforted by God.
Jesus comforts us in our affliction, and we turn and do the same for others
Now, when they were done, Jesus went out by the Holy Spirit and changed the world
Except that he has already been defeated!
So then we have to endure trials and temptation
So when we’re done, we are sent out by the Holy Spirit to change the world!
Look: