Forty Things That Jesus Did For You and Me: 12 ~ 14

12. Jesus received baptism from John in the Jordan River. Heaven opened and God said, “This is my son whom I love.” Matthew 3:16-17 and Luke 3:23

Jesus was thirty years old when he began his ministry. He came to where John the Baptist was calling the people to repent of their evil ways and return to God’s laws. Here on the banks of the Jordan River, John bore witness that this “is the Son of God.”

Here are a few other comments made concerning this event:

Isaiah, the prophet:

Isaiah 11:2 “The spirit of the Lord shall rest upon him.”

John, the Baptist:

John 1:29 “Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”

God, the creator:

Matthew 3:17 “This is my beloved son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Jesus did not require any sort of baptism, but he told John that it should be done to carry out what God required. Jesus’ baptism represented a water baptism that believers receive after they are saved. It represents the baptism by the holy spirit. It also represented the water of God’s judgment that would sweep over him on the cross.1

Baptism is important in God’s kingdom. Jesus did this to show us so.

He did it for you and for me.

1. The Transformation Study Bible, David C. Cook, Colorado Springs, CO 80918, 2009, p. 1606.

13. Jesus spent forty days in the desert where he ate nothing and was cared for by angels. Luke 4:1-2 and Matthew 4:11

Immediately after his baptism, Jesus was shuffled off to the desert by the Spirit of the Lord. There he had three encounters with the devil. The devil tempted Jesus in ways that he is often successful at with humans. As one would predict, satan had no success with Jesus. Jesus has never and will never sin. He is perfect in every way.

The time in the desert was for intense prayer and conversation with God. One of the purposes of fasting is to remove the distractions of food. For this reason, Jesus did not eat. He ate nothing for forty days. Not many humans have accomplished that degree of fasting.

I love the fact that the angels came and ministered to Jesus after satan exited. With satan gone, the climate was clear for the angelic host. This might be something we should keep in mind. Get rid of satan and expect angels to hang around…

Jesus threw the devil out. He took pampering of angels instead. Jesus did that. Perhaps we should learn from example, because…

Jesus did that for you and me.

14. Jesus walked to Galilee where he taught in The Good News in synagogues. Luke 4:15

After the time in the desert, Jesus “returned in the power of the Spirit into Galilee”. Jesus walked to neighboring towns and cities where he spoke before the teachers, judges, and people. At the onset of his ministry, those who heard him were impressed.

As time went on, there became grumblings. Some asked who this small town carpenter thought he was. After all, what good can come from Nazareth they jeered.  Eventually, they drove him out of their towns because he was saying things they didn’t like. They really took offense when he drove demons into their pigs and they lost the whole lot of them off some cliff!

Then it was the Sadducees and Pharisees that began to plot against him. They didn’t like him at all. They stirred up false accusations against this teacher and healer. Finally, at the end, the words became violent. Their chanting called for brutal beatings, condemnation, and yes, finally death on a cross. “Crucify him”, was their cry.

All of this against a man who spoke of God’s love in the synagogues. Why did Jesus willingly walk to these places and set himself up for that fateful day at Calvary? You got it, he did it

for you and for me.

Read more about baptism: Lingering Spirit