SOCL, Baptism
- Admin
- Jan 10
- 2 min read
Updated: Mar 16
Sunday January 12, 2025
The heavens were opened and the voice of the Father thundered: This is my beloved Son, listen to him.
See
The great scenes in the Bible, precisely because of their greatness and indeed uniqueness, can be difcult to access personally. For the Baptism of Jesus, there are at least two potential approaches. Firstly, we could go back in our minds to a life-changing turning point in our own lives, so that we can speak of before and after. Secondly, we could also turn to our own experience when we felt deeply the afrmation of our identity and worth as “the beloved” of someone. In the case of Jesus, these are combined: his identity and life are one, something we would like to be able say about ourselves too.
Listen
Reflect
(Luke 3:15-16, 21-22)
-The people were searching and John pointed them in the direction of Jesus. On your life’s journey who have been the John the Baptist people for you, people who have pointed you in the right direction?
-The Baptism of Jesus was a very special moment for him that afrmed him in his identity as Son of God and in his mission. Recall the experiences that afrmed you – either in your sense of who you are, or in relation to the direction you were taking in life.
-The Baptism of Jesus marks a transition point in his life, and the start of his public ministry. Recall the transition points in your own life. Where did you see the grace of God at work in those times?
-This experience of Jesus occurred when he was at prayer. What part has prayer played in opening you to being aware of God in your life? What part has prayer played in helping you through a transition point in your life?
Pray
Loving Father, who spoke Your delight over Jesus at His baptism, help us to stand humbly in Your transforming presence, to hear Your voice of love in our lives, and to receive Your Spirit's power for service and witness.
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