Today's Scripture:
Luke 3:1-6 In the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar—when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, Herod tetrarch of Galilee, his brother Philip tetrarch of Iturea and Traconitis, and Lysanias tetrarch of Abilene— 2 during the high-priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John son of Zechariah in the wilderness. 3 He went into all the country around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. 4 As it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet: “A voice of one calling in the wilderness, ‘Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him. 5 Every valley shall be filled in, every mountain and hill made low. The crooked roads shall become straight, the rough ways smooth. 6 And all people will see God’s salvation.’” .
Reflect: Reflect on a story in your life that pertains to this scripture.
I might be wrong, or it might not apply to you, but it seems to me that we sometimes value more the suffering that we went through to “get to God” than what God did to get to us. God’s redemption is quick and swift but it might take us 40 years of wandering to realize that we need to be saved. John the Baptist proclamation prepared the hearts of a people that did not realize their guilt and need of forgiveness. We need to be reminded of that need and how Jesus created a smooth path so to reach us and so that we can see God’s salvation and our baptism should remind us of that. In moments of temptation and suffering, when all seems to be crashing down on us, Luther advises to “Pull out our baptism and wave it under the devil’s nose and say, ‘I am baptized… I have God’s bath. It is Christ’s own blood”. This advent let’s be boastful and take pride in the work of our God and Savior.
Read: What is this scripture telling you during this season?
Luke uses Isaiah prophecy of God’s redemption of Israel by returning them from their Babylonian captivity as parallel to Jesus’s coming to redeem His people. John the Baptist takes the prophetic role of preparing the hearts and minds of the people by proclaiming a public admission of sin and forgiveness through the rite of baptism.
Respond: How is this scripture calling you to respond?
Holy Spirit,
Unlike us, Christ did not have any impurity that needed to be washed away, yet to fulfill all righteousness on our behalf and for our benefit, he humbled himself in baptism.
Grant us to us to believe that in our baptism is a sign that points to our purification and a seal of the promise of being united to our Lord for all eternity.
Grant us to have grateful hearts for what our Lord did for us and mouths that are ready to proclaim his works to all.
With your loving care, guide us, lead us, and until His return helps us cry out “Come, Lord!”.
Amen.
About Ramon Gahona:
Husband to Rosmeli. Getting in the way of staff productivity here at Grace.
I have been on staff since 2017 serving Grace en Español and recently full time Administrator.