Matthew 3:13-17 v 15 “But Jesus said, “It should be done. For we must carry out all that God requires. So, John agreed to baptize Him.”
In this short passage Matthew recounts the start of Jesus’s adult ministry, with His baptism by John, His cousin. Jesus was following God’s requirements of Him. And so did John. Then a voice from heaven said” This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”
If you have children of your own, then it is easy to understand the joy shared between a parent and a child. Watching siblings play cooperatively together, when your child performs at a school concert or on a sports team or everyone working together to unpack the tent on a family vacation. Moments of joy provided by your children. As in this passage what goes on before those moments of joy is following the requirements of playing together, learning the rules of a game, or the songs and lines in a play.
When we follow the spiritual requirements set out by God, at their most simple to love the Lord and our neighbors. And to read the bible daily and pray. To go out into the world and teach others about Jesus then we find that deep seated joy in our lives too. We find moments when heaven and earth join together, as a dove descends or that feeling of inner peace.
Heavenly Father, Lord of all, thank you for showing us the way to find joy in our lives by following your requirements, to be aware of the moments when heaven and earth unite in Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.
CrossWalk 