1. Example for Others: Jesus' baptism served as an example for others to follow, demonstrating the importance of repentance and commitment to God. 2. Identification with Humanity: By being baptized, Jesus identified with humanity and showed his willingness to take on the sins of the world. 3. Fulfillment of Prophecy: Jesus' baptism fulfilled the prophecy of the coming Messiah, as foretold by the prophets. 4. Commissioning for Ministry: Through his baptism, Jesus was officially commissioned for his public ministry and empowered by the Holy Spirit. 5. Submission to God's Will: Jesus' baptism symbolized his complete submission to the will of God the Father. HERE IS A BONUS: 5 MORE REASONS: - to identify with the nation of Israel - to identify with sinners - to identify with the message that John is speaking - to identify with the Mosaic Law (and point to his fulfillment of it) - to identify with the remnant

If Jesus arose early Sunday morning, how could He appear to His disciples in the locked room (John 20:19) on the evening of the first day of the week? Wouldn't this be before Sunday morning? The first day of the week in Jesus' day was Sunday (as it still is today for many). The Gospels report Jesus rose from the tomb before dawn on the first day of the week, and John also reports He appeared to the disciples on the evening of that same day. Notice John's entire narrative about that day: John 20:1 Now on the first day of the week Mary Magdalene came early to the tomb, while it was still dark, and saw the stone already taken away from the tomb. John 20:2 So she ran and came to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and said to them, “They have taken away the Lord out of the tomb, and we do not know where they have laid Him.” John 20:3 So Peter and the other disciples went forth, and they were going to the tomb. John 20:4 The two were running together; and the other disciple ran ahead faster than Peter and came to the tomb first; John 20:5 and stooping and looking in, he saw the linen wrappings lying there; but he did not go in. John 20:6 And so Simon Peter also came, following him, and entered the tomb; and he saw the linen wrappings lying there, John 20:7 and the face-cloth which had been on His head, not lying with the linen wrappings, but rolled up in a place by itself. John 20:8 So the other disciple who had first come to the tomb then also entered, and he saw and believed. John 20:9 For as yet they did not understand the Scripture, that He must rise again from the dead. John 20:10 So the disciples went away again to their own homes. John 20:11 But Mary was standing outside the tomb weeping; and so, as she wept, she stooped and looked into the tomb; John 20:12 and she saw two angels in white sitting, one at the head and one at the feet, where the body of Jesus had been lying. John 20:13 And they said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping?” She said to them, “Because they have taken away my Lord, and I do not know where they have laid Him.” John 20:14 When she had said this, she turned around and saw Jesus standing there, and did not know that it was Jesus. John 20:15 Jesus said to her, “Woman, why are you weeping? Whom are you seeking?” Supposing Him to be the gardener, she said to Him, “Sir, if you have carried Him away, tell me where you have laid Him, and I will take Him away.” John 20:16 Jesus said to her, “Mary!” She turned and said to Him in Hebrew, “Rabboni!” (which means, Teacher). John 20:17 Jesus said to her, “Stop clinging to Me, for I have not yet ascended to the Father; but go to My brethren and say to them, ‘I ascend to My Father and your Father, and My God and your God.’” John 20:18 Mary Magdalene came, announcing to the disciples, “I have seen the Lord,” and that He had said these things to her. John 20:19 So when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week, and when the doors were shut where the disciples were, for fear of the Jews, Jesus came and stood in their midst and said to them, “Peace be with you.” Notice in v.1 John says Jesus rose on the first day of the week (i.e., Sunday). Then later in v.19 John says "when it was evening on that day, the first day of the week," speaking of the same day as mentioned in v.1. So Jesus arose before sunrise on Sunday and later appeared to the disciples on that same day.

Open your Bible and begin reading...anywhere. Very soon, you will encounter mention of shepherds or sheep. The Bible references shepherds caring for sheep perhaps more than any other metaphor or picture of our relationship with the Lord. Psalm 23 is probably the best-known example: Psa. 23:1 The LORD is my shepherd, I shall not want. Psa. 23:2 He makes me lie down in green pastures. He leads me beside quiet waters. Shepherds in ancient Israel were (and still are) humble young men who toil quietly, caring for flocks in lonely places. Despite their unassuming qualities, shepherds were subject to scorn by some (e.g., in ancient Egypt; see Genesis 46:34) and were never celebrated, even in Israel. It's easy to take a shepherd for granted. Nevertheless, the Bible elevates shepherds time and again as honorable and essential servants of the people, and as such, they became a helpful picture in the Bible of Christ and the leaders in the church whom Paul calls shepherds in Acts 20:28. It's particularly noteworthy that God counted shepherds worthy to be included among the first people to witness the arrival of our Messiah. In Luke's Gospel we read: Luke 2:8 In the same region there were some shepherds staying out in the fields and keeping watch over their flock by night. Luke 2:9 And an angel of the Lord suddenly stood before them, and the glory of the Lord shone around them; and they were terribly frightened. Luke 2:10 But the angel said to them, "Do not be afraid; for behold, I bring you good news of great joy which will be for all the people; Luke 2:11 for today in the city of David there has been born for you a Savior, who is Christ the Lord. Luke 2:12 "This will be a sign for you: you will find a baby wrapped in cloths and lying in a manger." Luke 2:13 And suddenly there appeared with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God and saying, Luke 2:14 "Glory to God in the highest And on earth peace among men with whom He is pleased." Luke 2:15 When the angels had gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds began saying to one another, "Let us go straight to Bethlehem then, and see this thing that has happened which the Lord has made known to us." Luke 2:16 So they came in a hurry and found their way to Mary and Joseph, and the baby as He lay in the manger. Luke 2:17 When they had seen this, they made known the statement which had been told them about this Child. Luke 2:18 And all who heard it wondered at the things which were told them by the shepherds. Luke 2:19 But Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. Luke 2:20 The shepherds went back, glorifying and praising God for all that they had heard and seen, just as had been told them. We've all heard the story before, and we've sung it many times in Christmas carols: shepherds visited in their fields at night by the angel delivering the good news that the Messiah has arrived as promised by the prophets. Have you ever considered why the announcement of such an important event was given first to shepherds? Everything about the Lord's arrival was quiet, peaceful, and unadorned. He was a Baby, not a conquering King. He was sleeping in a place intended for animals, not a palace. His parents were anonymous, His hometown was ignominious (John 1:46), and His enemies were powerful (Matthew 2:13-18). It's easy to see a close connection between the Lord Himself and those God called upon first following His arrival. Rather than announce Christ's arrival in pomp and circumstances befitting a King, the Lord preferred to deliver Jesus in a manner befitting a shepherd: quiet, unassuming, isolated, surrounded by lowly animals, and despised. As Isaiah foretold: Is. 53:3 He was despised and forsaken of men, A man of sorrows and acquainted with grief; And like one from whom men hide their face. He was despised, and we did not esteem Him. Furthermore, when the Lord assigned others the privilege of heralding Christ's arrival, He selected a group that perfectly represented the Messiah's ministry of service to God's flock. Notice in Luke 2:17 that after learning of the Messiah's birth and visiting Him in person, the shepherds leave to "make known" everything they had experienced. Who were they telling? Shepherds typically spent their time in the fields alone, but because of their excitement, they came in from the areas and went into the towns and villages proclaiming the good news to family, friends, and probably strangers. So why did the Father orchestrate the arrival of His Son into the world in such a curious manner? Jesus entered the world humbly to match His purpose in coming: to save those who humbled themselves and believed in Him. So Jesus came gently, like those He purposed to save. Nevertheless, the Father still intended for His Son's arrival to cause a stir and to bring attention to this miraculous moment, so He called upon equally lowly and humble servants to carry that message to the world. These men became His first witnesses, just as humble Jesus became the First Fruits of the Resurrection. Notice the impact the shepherds had upon the people who heard their proclamations. In v.18, Luke records that the people wondered about what they heard from the shepherds. The Greek word wonder means to be amazed and astonished by the news of the shepherds. Even though they were lowly shepherds, the information they brought was wondrous and welcome. It's not the messenger; it's the message! Not much has changed in 2,000+ years. The good news of Christ's arrival is still good news. Jesus is still calling the world to know Him and follow Him. And the Lord is still calling humble, lowly servants to leave our stations so we may proclaim what we have heard and experienced to our family, friends, and even strangers. We reveal a Savior born in Bethlehem and call the world to accept Him as Lord. We may not be impressive messengers, but we deliver a message of unequaled power (1Cor 2:1-2). Let's be like the shepherds of that first Christmas. Let's talk to someone this week about the Messiah and why we celebrate His arrival. Merry Christmas!

During the temptation of Jesus in the wilderness (Matthew 4), Pastor Steve Armstrong referred to Jesus as a "mere man." Is this to say that the Holy Spirit did not empower Him in any way to resist Satan? Was Jesus able to refrain from succumbing to temptation based on the strength of His will alone? As Pastor Armstrong taught, Jesus experienced the temptations in the wilderness as any human being would. The enemy tempted Jesus' flesh to disobey the Father by giving in to hunger and pride to avoid the pain of the cross. He endured these temptations without sin. Only after He succeeded in withstanding these temptations did the Lord receive comfort supernaturally by angels in v.11. The purpose of Jesus' temptations was to demonstrate that Jesus was worthy to be our "Second Adam." Adam consented to sin under much more pleasant circumstances, so Jesus was forced to endure much greater pressure to demonstrate that He was far more obedient and would not do as Adam did. For that reason, Jesus had to face temptation as Adam did: in His humanity without supernatural advantage. So, although Jesus was led into the desert by the Spirit and though He is God at all times, in His humanity He did not receive the benefit of supernatural power to resist temptation. Scripture confirms that Jesus experienced this moment as we would: Heb. 2:18 For since He Himself was tempted in that which He has suffered, He is able to come to the aid of those who are tempted. Heb. 4:15 For we do not have a high priest who cannot sympathize with our weaknesses, but One who has been tempted in all things as we are, yet without sin. The purpose of Jesus spending 40 days in the wilderness was to be tempted as we would be yet without sin. Moreover, supernatural power was not required to withstand the temptations. Human beings can (and do) fast for 40 days, and we also depend upon Scripture to defeat the schemes of the enemy just as Jesus did. Likewise, though we, too, have the Spirit of God, He does not empower us supernaturally to resist temptation. We must resist as a matter of our will, which is the common experience Jesus shares with the rest of humanity: 1Cor. 10:13 No temptation has overtaken you but such as is common to man; and God is faithful, who will not allow you to be tempted beyond what you are able, but with the temptation will provide the way of escape also, so that you will be able to endure it. Therefore, there was nothing supernatural in the way Jesus confronted His situation. He struggles against the temptation to sin and yet never conceded to sin as a demonstration that He could accomplish what Adam did not (i.e., resisting the desire to disobey God), and as such, He could be our sinless Savior. For more information on Jesus' supernatural power working with His humanity, please read: When did Jesus receive the Holy Spirit? Did Jesus sin?

In Matthew 8, Pastor Stephen Armstrong of Verse By Verse Ministries International discusses how Jesus healing the leper was considered to be a miracle only capable by the Messiah. But in the Old Testament (2 Kings 5:10), we read of Elisha giving instruction for Naman to wash himself in the Jordan River and thus be healed of leprosy. So as Jesus was not the first to heal a leper how can the story in Matthew be considered a Messianic miracle? As Pastor Armstrong explains in the teaching, the book of Leviticus contains an entire chapter (Leviticus 14) devoted to how a Jew healed of leprosy must respond to the healing. After centuries, the rabbis noticed that the rituals required by Leviticus 14 had never been used in all the history of Israel because no Jew had ever been healed of leprosy. This caused the rabbis to assume (correctly) that this miracle could only be done by the Messiah when He arrived. So the healing of a leper was a mark of the Messiah. Naaman, the General, was not a Jew (he was Syrian), so he was not under the Law of Israel and therefore he was not required to follow the rituals found in Leviticus 14 after being healed. So his healing (though a miracle) did not serve as a Messianic Miracle because it never involved Leviticus 14. So the Messianic miracle was not healing anyone of leprosy. It was healing a Jew of leprosy because that was the only way for Leviticus 14 to apply. Jesus Himself testifies that no Jew was ever healed of leprosy by the prophet: Luke 4:27 “And there were many lepers in Israel in the time of Elisha the prophet; and none of them was cleansed, but only Naaman the Syrian.” When Jesus did heal lepers, He required they go to the priests in fulfillment of Leviticus 14 so that the proof of the Messianic Miracle could be seen: Luke 17:11 While He was on the way to Jerusalem, He was passing between Samaria and Galilee. Luke 17:12 As He entered a village, ten leprous men who stood at a distance met Him; Luke 17:13 and they raised their voices, saying, “Jesus, Master, have mercy on us!” Luke 17:14 When He saw them, He said to them, “Go and show yourselves to the priests.” And as they were going, they were cleansed. Finally, Jesus affirms that healing a leper was proof He was the Messiah when he answers John's disciples in Luke: Luke 7:20 When the men came to Him, they said, “John the Baptist has sent us to You, to ask, ‘Are You the Expected One, or do we look for someone else?’” Luke 7:21 At that very time He cured many people of diseases and afflictions and evil spirits; and He gave sight to many who were blind. Luke 7:22 And He answered and said to them, “Go and report to John what you have seen and heard: the BLIND RECEIVE SIGHT, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, and the deaf hear, the dead are raised up, the POOR HAVE THE GOSPEL PREACHED TO THEM. For more information on the Messianic Miracles, please read: What is the unforgivable sin?

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Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged.

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged.

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged.

Lorem Ipsum is simply dummy text of the printing and typesetting industry. Lorem Ipsum has been the industry's standard dummy text ever since the 1500s, when an unknown printer took a galley of type and scrambled it to make a type specimen book. It has survived not only five centuries, but also the leap into electronic typesetting, remaining essentially unchanged.