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Jesus Stepped in for Me
Andrea Lende • April 12, 2021
Matthew 3:14-15
Jesus Stepped in for Me
You can also listen to the devotion and prayer at: https://anchor.fm/andrea-lende/episodes/Jesus-Stepped-in-for-Me-euos8o
Matthew 3:14-15
“But John protested strenuously, having in mind to prevent Him, saying, It is I who have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?”
“But Jesus replied to him, Permit it just now; for this is the fitting way for [both of] us to fulfill all righteousness [that is, to perform completely whatever is right]. Then he permitted Him.”
We know this story well.
Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist.
Even though John didn’t agree with Jesus’ request to be baptized, John performed this act.
Jesus, the Man Who did not sin, asked to be baptized.
He had no need to be baptized.
He had no need to outwardly express that He was in Christ because He was the Christ.
He had no need to repent.
So, why did He get baptized?
There are probably a number of reasons theologians state this act had to be done.
I like this one: I am imperfect, and Jesus was baptized for me.
He was baptized for all people past, present, and future.
He was baptized to fulfill the Law so there was no mistaking us for being unrepentant.
We will all be accused by Satan in all ways, but we are covered by Jesus’ blood and His baptism.
Jesus lowered Himself from His Almighty glory in heaven to step down and live on this earth.
He lowered Himself to be beaten and innocently condemned.
He lowered Himself to be nailed to the cross and suffer a most grueling death.
He lowered Himself to be equal to and no greater than the criminals He died alongside.
And He lowered Himself to become the One Who was baptized on our behalf.
I am amazed at the humility of our Lord and Messiah.
Although a King, He was born in the lowliest of circumstances.
Grew up a Carpenter.
He continued to live in the humblest manner with no home of His own.
He prayed on the bank of a mountain instead of a grandiose chapel or church.
He ate fish on sandy beaches.
The Messiah walked from town to town with no equivalent of the motorcades we have today.
A simple Man of no worldly treasure.
This is the Man Who was baptized in place of us.
This is the Man Who suffered on the cross for us.
And this the Man Who loves us beyond our comprehension.
Today I am overwhelmingly grateful for the sacrifice of our Lord Jesus and His commitment to stand in the gap for me and all mankind.
May you find the Lord’s sacrifice and willingness to take our place in all ways is worthy of your praise today and every day.
Daily Prayer:
O Lord, my God, thank You for sending Your Son to live on this earth in the lowliest of circumstances. Thank you for the humble means He was born into, grew up in, and lived throughout His life. Thank You for sending Him to stand in the gap for all people for all time. Thank You for His unending love for us as He willingly left His place as King to serve us here on earth. We are undeserving of His sacrifice in both the way He lived and the way He died. May we worship You and Him with our whole heart. May we serve You and Him with our entire being. Help us love as You love and seek You first. Keep our eyes on You, Lord. Keep us humble and at Your feet. Help us bless someone today, Lord. Thank You for hearing our prayer.
Answer: I sent My Son to take your place and make you holy in My eyes so I could reside in you.
Response: Undeserving of such sacrifice, thank You Almighty and gracious God and Father.
We start a New Year! How exciting! Paul had just finished telling the Ephesians to put off their old nature. They had been run around by their feelings and desires. He told them to be renewed in their spirit. The Amplified Bible defines this to be “having a fresh mental and spiritual attitude.” As we say goodbye to this year, let us put on the new and leave the old behind. We have an opportunity to reflect on what to bring forward into this New Year.
This is a great message for the New Year. We can be in control of our own words. As a mother, I used to tell my children to use their words to explain what was happening in their minds. I tried to help them find the right words. Words that would help the situation and not make it worse. I must do the same thing when talking to them. It’s important to use words that do not damage their spirits. Words that lift up instead of tear down. Even though my children have grown, I still want to be careful how I speak to them because my worlds will impact them for the rest of their lives.
As we approach the New Year, it is a perfect time to take inventory of what part of our lives, our hearts, and our souls are not bearing fruit. What can we give up as this year comes to a close? What do we need to give to the Lord for His cleansing and pruning? The answers to these questions take time. Time with the Lord. We are creatures of routines and habits which serve us well. But we can also change our routines and habits to serve us and the Lord better. So, we can ask God to show us what He wants us to give up so that He can have more of us.
I cannot think of a better verse to meditate on as we approach the New Year. Jesus said, "the kingdom of God is within you [in your hearts] and among you [surrounding you]." For so many years I believed I had to wait to go to heaven to experience the kingdom of God. I have longed to step into heaven and meet the Lord and His Son. However, as we read the Gospels and study Jesus and all that He said, we begin to understand the kingdom of God is all around us. The kingdom of God is within.
Paul wrote to the Colossians and told them he was praying for them. He prayed they would be refreshed, renewed, and invigorated. He also prayed they would be strengthened. May his prayer be heard by the Lord God Almighty on our behalf today just as it was received two thousand years ago. God is the Source of all things beautiful and wonderful. There is no shortage of renewal, refreshment, or inspiration in His kingdom. And as the Creator of this universe, He continues to pour all good things into His people. Paul wrote that refreshment and strength are needed so we may have endurance.
This verse is the perfect verse to reflect on as Christmas comes to a close. The Lord sent His Son to us. He sent Him to this world as a babe. Jesus was given the task of growing up. A difficult one for all of us. He endured the awkward stages we all go through as we grow past them. I look back at old picture and cringe, yes, I cringe. This life provides plenty of opportunities to feel awkward and just plain weird, but our Father loves us as though we are perfect every day of our lives. This is why Jesus came. He came to make us perfect in God’s sight.
God made Himself flesh so He could take away the sins of the world. The story of the very first Christmas was humble, yet the most powerful and loving birth ever recorded in history. All humanity changed in an instant. When Jesus was born, love filled the earth. Love came down and lifted us up. The angels came to tell the shepherds of this beautiful birth. The stars in the heavens also told the story. As we do all tasks that we do to ensure a beautiful Christmas day, may we remember the miracle that God sent long ago. The miracle of all miracles.
The first Christmas was going to be documented, so that it could be read many times over for all Christmas’ to come. It was also documented so the prophecy of the Messiah’s birth would be known to be fulfilled. Prophets of old foretold Jesus would come from the house of David. They also prophesied that He would be born in Bethlehem. And all this came to pass. Even though Jesus would be known as a Nazarene, His beginning began in Bethlehem. God’s divine plan was set in motion with the first census while Mary was at the end of her pregnancy.
What a wonderful passage to read during Christmas week. Our passage touched my heart as I read it through the lens of Jesus’ birth. “It was God [personally present] in Christ, reconciling and restoring the world to favor with Himself.” We have so much to be thankful for in these few short words, “restoring the world to favor with Himself.” So undeserved and yet so graciously given. We are offered favor with the Lord. Imagine having favor with the almighty God, the Creator of the universe. Jesus chose to leave heaven’s door where all was perfect. He chose to be born into this dusty messy world.
Jesus had just spoken to a fig tree and deemed it unworthy to live because it had no fruit on it. His disciples were amazed when they saw the fig tree wither and die. Then the Lord talked to them about prayer and belief. He told them that whatever they asked for, if they had the faith and belief, they would receive it. I remember the day I started hearing music and lyrics. I had just bowed my head at the piano and asked if the Lord would bless praise and worship music. As soon as I prayed that prayer, the Lord bestowed the gift of song writing upon me.