Numbered with Us
The last words of the Old Testament speak of a prophet who will appear and prepare the way for the Messiah to come. These words are found in Malachi 4:5-6 which state, “Behold, I am going to send you Elijah the prophet before the coming of the great and terrible day of the Lord. He will restore the hearts of the fathers to their children and the hearts of the children to their fathers, so that I will not come and smite the land with a curse.” After that, there was 400 years of silence. No prophets prophesying. Only silence from God as the Greeks and then the Romans took control of Israel.
After that long silence, a man appears in the countryside going from village to village preaching. He preached repentance because God was sending the Messiah. He was weirdly dressed as he was covered with animal skin and ate locusts and honey. He preached with power and authority and people responded in droves. His name was John the Baptist.
Thousands came to hear John and were baptized. Then one day in that large crowd gathered on the banks of the Jordan River, a very unique man appeared. In this man’s face John saw something he had never seen in another person’s countenance. As John stood in the water baptizing people who were repenting of their sin, this unique man approached John to be baptized. John knew right away that this man had to be the one that he was preparing the way for. John said to Him, “I should be baptized by you yet you come to me?” This man had nothing of which to repent. He had no need to be baptized at all. Yet, he told John, “Permit it this time, for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all
righteousness.” So John baptized Him. His name was Jesus.
If He had no need to repent, why was He baptized? There are numerous reasons but I believe that we find one of our answers in what Jesus said when He told John, “in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness”.
By being baptized, Jesus was beginning the process of being counted with us so that He could redeem us. The prophet Isaiah had prophesied 700 years before that the Messiah would be “numbered with the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12). That verse was not just a prophecy about the death of the Messiah being crucified between two thieves. It was also about His life and the beginning of His public ministry.
When John baptized Jesus, I believe that they were fulfilling that Scripture because now Jesus was truly counted with us. Jesus stood on the bank of the Jordan with thousands of sinners who entered the waters to be baptized. Just like them, Jesus willingly stepped into the water and became counted just like one of them.
He who was above all and Lord of all, took on our afflictions. He took on our transgressions. By being baptized, He was counted as one of us. He took on our iniquities and eventually carried them all the way up a hill called Golgotha where He nailed them to a cross. As John boldly proclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
These are your Words for Wednesday. Have a great rest of your week!
In Christ,
Kevin
After that long silence, a man appears in the countryside going from village to village preaching. He preached repentance because God was sending the Messiah. He was weirdly dressed as he was covered with animal skin and ate locusts and honey. He preached with power and authority and people responded in droves. His name was John the Baptist.
Thousands came to hear John and were baptized. Then one day in that large crowd gathered on the banks of the Jordan River, a very unique man appeared. In this man’s face John saw something he had never seen in another person’s countenance. As John stood in the water baptizing people who were repenting of their sin, this unique man approached John to be baptized. John knew right away that this man had to be the one that he was preparing the way for. John said to Him, “I should be baptized by you yet you come to me?” This man had nothing of which to repent. He had no need to be baptized at all. Yet, he told John, “Permit it this time, for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all
righteousness.” So John baptized Him. His name was Jesus.
If He had no need to repent, why was He baptized? There are numerous reasons but I believe that we find one of our answers in what Jesus said when He told John, “in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness”.
By being baptized, Jesus was beginning the process of being counted with us so that He could redeem us. The prophet Isaiah had prophesied 700 years before that the Messiah would be “numbered with the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12). That verse was not just a prophecy about the death of the Messiah being crucified between two thieves. It was also about His life and the beginning of His public ministry.
When John baptized Jesus, I believe that they were fulfilling that Scripture because now Jesus was truly counted with us. Jesus stood on the bank of the Jordan with thousands of sinners who entered the waters to be baptized. Just like them, Jesus willingly stepped into the water and became counted just like one of them.
He who was above all and Lord of all, took on our afflictions. He took on our transgressions. By being baptized, He was counted as one of us. He took on our iniquities and eventually carried them all the way up a hill called Golgotha where He nailed them to a cross. As John boldly proclaimed, “Behold, the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!”
These are your Words for Wednesday. Have a great rest of your week!
In Christ,
Kevin
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