Welcome to Pastor Jack Buckley's weekly blog and podcast.
You have three ways to hear his weekly message:
- Read Pastor Jack's GODblog.
- Listen now to an audio of the scripture reading and Pastor Jack's sermon.
- Listen anytime. You choose the time and place. Download Pastor Jack's GODcast to your MP3 player.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
With God On Your Side
Isaiah 42:1-9; Matthew 3:13-17
Read the story of Jesus' baptism by John and you get the sense God just loves to shake up the status quo.
I mean, John the Baptist was a wild and wooly prophet, warning everyone about judgment just around the corner. He talks about axes and torches and bonfires. "Turn back to God!" he cries. "Let go of your sins, open your hands and hearts to God!"
And be baptized to show you really mean it.
Baptism. Some water on your skin to symbolize the washing of your soul. We're talking sin and salvation.
Now, John himself shakes up the status quo. But then there's Jesus.
When he shows up to be baptized, John doesn't know what to do. For he knows this guy. They're cousins. And he knows the family folklore, about angels and shepherds and wise men all celebrating Jesus as God's gift to the world. Perfect in every way. Sinless, you might as well say.
So he protests, "You should be baptizing me! I'm the sinner here."
And Jesus shakes things up all the more by saying, "Don't worry, bro. This is exactly the right thing to do. It's just what God wants." [Translation: "I need your ritual bath. I need to have my non-existent sins symbolically washed away, just like you did for those guys in front of me."]
Now, how in the world does that compute?
Listen to the GODcast!
posted by Jack Buckley at
9:48 AM
<< Home
|
|
 |
|
|
