Reading: Matthew 3:13 – 4:17

John the reformer of God’s people meets Jesus the Savior of all people and submits himself to Jesus Christ who embraces John’s reformation ministry by being water baptized. In so doing, the priestly ministry united with the kingly ministry; it didn’t compete with it.

God wants reformation in His house because it readies His house to reach all the lost in the world with the saving message of the Gospel. When Jesus got baptized by John, He came up out of the water and the heavens opened. Obedience is critical to opening the heavens! We all must obey Christ’s command to be water baptized because it opens heaven, buries our past sins (they’re not just forgiven) in a watery grave.

Baptism is where God, through our faith in the working of God, cuts away (circumcises) the power of sin (along with all of its guilty memories) from our lives.

In Him you were also circumcised with the circumcision made without hands, by putting off the body of the sins of the flesh, by the circumcision of Christ, buried with Him in baptism, in which you also were raised with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him from the dead.
Colossians 2:11-12

When Jesus came up out of the water, the Spirit of God descended upon Him as the Father’s voice spoke audibly “This is My Son, in whom I’m well pleased.” Favor and power from heaven is critical to being victorious in spiritual warfare.

Jesus was then led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. After fasting forty days, the battle begins on three critical fronts. He was tempted to put His needs first, put his ego first, put his comfort first. He won all three battles by speaking the Word of God. Jesus said that the Word was His real need, His real identity, and all real worship and service to the Father was to be done according to what was written in God’s Word. Speak His Word Today!