THIS IS MY SON

JESUS' BAPTISM

Read: John 1:29-34 & Matthew 3:13-17

"...'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God." John 1:33-34 NIV

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John had not met Jesus as an adult before the day of His baptism. He said of Him, "I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that this is the Son of God." (John 1:33-34) When the Spirit came down in the form of a dove, a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased." Matthew 3:16-17 NIV

John was not in the center of Jesus' earthly ministry, or even His early life. He was given the special task of calling people to repent before Jesus came. His ministry was brief in years and yet so important it was prophesied hundreds of years before he lived.

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Lord, we have a limited time, perhaps 18 years to influence our children. But we have all the time we need to do Your perfect will. Help us to make the most of the opportunity and remember the priority of loving them and leading them to You.

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The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, "Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! John 1:29 NIV

PREPARING THE WAY

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JOHN THE BAPTIST

Read: Luke 3:1–20

Finally they said, "Who are you? . . . "John replied in the words of Isaiah the prophet, "I am the voice of one calling in the desert, 'Make straight the way for the Lord." John 1:22–23 NIV (Isaiah 40:3)

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John the Baptist was the last prophet preceding the coming of Messiah. He knew from the time he was a child that God had special plans for his life. No doubt, his parents prepared him as they told him of Gabriel's message to Zechariah, "And he will go on before the Lord, in the spirit and power of Elijah, to turn the hearts of the fathers to their children and the disobedient to the wisdom of the righteous-to make ready a people prepared for the Lord." (Luke 1:17)

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We, like John, have a special purpose for living. As believers, our primary purpose is to glorify God with our lives. John was a special called-out prophet, but we believers are also called to be conformed to the image of Christ. For whom He foreknew, He also predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son… (Romans 8:29 NKJV)

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Lord, may our lives be more and more like Yours as we look into the mirror of Your Word.

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John answered, saying to all, "I indeed baptize you with water; but one mightier than I is coming, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose." Luke 3:16 NKJV

THE BOY JESUS

Read Luke 2:39–52

After three days they found him in the temple courts, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. Everyone who heard him was amazed at his understanding and his answers. Luke 2:46-47 NIV

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Mary and Joseph were busily talking with their friends on the way to Nazareth, knowing that they didn't have to check on their son, Jesus. But when they could not find him a day's journey out, they were understandably concerned.

When they finally found him, Mary was distraught and she said to him, "Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously." And He said to them, "Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father's business?" But they did not understand the statement which He spoke to them. (Luke 2:48–50 NKJV)

This exchange between mother and Son was, at least in part, a fulfillment of Simeon's words to Mary, "And a sword will pierce your own soul too." (Luke 2:35) Mary spoke of "your father and I", and Jesus spoke of "My Father," and they didn't understand.

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Lord, help me to see the eternal significance of Your plan for my family, even when I don't understand. Give us a sensitivity to Your leading in our lives and the lives of our children.

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Then he went down to Nazareth with them and was obedient to them. But his mother treasured all these things in her heart. Luke 2:51 NIV

TIRED BUT BLESSED

This afternoon I finished unpacking camping equipment from our week at the beach. What fun we had spending time with our son Michael’s family on the cliffs above San Elijo Beach. Michael and Kendra have five little boys ages 2 through 9, a lively – and loving – bunch.

In spite of the sounds of trains speeding by and the happy voices of many children and teenagers around us, it was an enjoyable week. Sleeping in a tent, waking up to the crashing of waves at high tide and sitting up late around a campfire with our children and grandchildren – I am a very blessed (though admittedly tired ) woman.

I can’t believe almost two months have passed since I started my summer break. I have been doing some writing, but also lots of reading. I am getting into a prophetic fiction series by Joel Rosenberg. The first in the series is “The Last Jihad.” Before I started it, I read his non- fiction “Epicenter.”

These are books about end times events that read like tomorrow’s newspaper. They take place in the Middle East and are based on the period of time prophesied in Ezekiel 38 – 39. While the “Left Behind” series by La Haye and Jenkins focused on Revelation and the Rapture and Tribulation period, these books take place prior to the Tribulation and so have a very” happening now” feel to them.

I plan to resume posting next week and will just post once a week until the fall. I am looking forward to getting into the New Testament, starting with the gospels. Since I posted the story of Jesus' birth at Christmas and will probably do that again, I will start with Jesus' childhood and go on from there.

I know I have just scratched the surface with my brief devotions, but I hope it has inspired you to go deeper on your own. God’s Word truly has all we need to live a life of godly influence in our generation.

In Christ,
Charlotte Mathis