A series preparing hearts for Easter… (Day 7)
Listen to His Word (read):
Matthew 3:13-17 from NLT
Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?”
But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him.
After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.
And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”
Linger ..silently meditate on His Word:
(Close eyes and envision the passage, re-read again… again…linger. Don’t rush on.)
And a voice from heaven said, “ This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”
Lift up voice in prayer, responding to His Word:
Father, Your sinless One, Jesus, humbled himself for a baptism He did not need for He desired to carry out all that You need. Do we? Show us how.
Because of Jesus’ humble obedience, the heavens open now for us too, allowing the fruits of the Spirit, love, joy, peace, long-suffering, gentleness, goodness, faith, to descend upon us. Change us now.
Plunge us today into the waters of salvation and wash our sins away because of the Trinity: Father sending Obedient Son, Son showing us the Way to You, Spirit coming down with fruits. We bend low.
Adopted into Your family because of Your dearly loved Son who brings us great joy, cause us today to bring the Father great joy.
Live the Word (contemplate it so long that it settles down into heart, hands, feet):
Today, bring Father great joy by living the fruits of the Spirit: Do an act of love for someone in your family today.
Be a peacemaker and bite your tongue. Speak gently. Think on the Spirit descending on the Son.
And let Him light today upon you.
Print, mount, cut, hang art symbol on Easter Tree
Artist: Verrocchio, Andrea del
