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Luke 3b: HG Bishop Youssef

Baptism of Christ

00:00-11:13

21 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. 22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”

  • Shortest account in the Synoptics of the baptism of Christ
  • St Luke mentions two things that are not mentioned in the other gospels:
    • Christ was praying
    • Christ waited until all the people were baptized, and then He was baptized
  • When people came to be baptized by John, they came confessing their sins... but Jesus did not have sins to confess. He is God. He prayed, keeping up communion with His Father in heaven. So the Father in Heaven testified about the Son "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased"
  • Theophany means "Manifestation of God"
    • We call the Feast of the Baptism of Christ the Theophany because God, the Trinity, was manifested
  • By baptizing the Lord Jesus Christ, John the Baptist revealed to the people that Jesus is the Messiah
    • "He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’" (John 1:33)
    • Messiah
      • "Anointed One" - "Christ" - "Al Masee7"
      • Here, the Lord is Anointed as King, High Priest, Prophet
  • At the baptism, according to St Matthew, Christ said: “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”
    • Righteousness of the Law is by keeping all the requirements of the Law... and no one could do that. Jesus came and took our humanity, and in our humanity, He fulfilled all the righteousness and requirements of the Law. When I abide in Him, in Him I also fulfill all the righteousness of the Law
    • My prayer in itself is weak... but when I am in Him, abiding in Him, one with Him, then when I pray, I pray "in Jesus" so I will have access to God the Father ("no one can come to the Father except through Me")
    • When I fast, my fasting in itself is nothing... but when Jesus fasting, in Him when I fast, my fast fulfills the righteousness of the Law
    • That's why all the Old Testament fathers went to Hades... if their own righteousness was able to save them, they wouldn't have gone to Hades. But the fact that they went to Hades and waited until Christ was crucified and died and went to Hades to restore them, shows that none of us can fulfill the righteousness of the Law except through Christ.
  • The Lord Jesus Christ accepted His mission as the "suffering servant" by allowing Himself to be counted among the sinners!
    • He stood among the sinners who came to be baptized by John the Baptist
    • He was counted among the sinners on the Cross, and crucified between two thieves
    • By accepting the baptism of John, it is in anticipation of another baptism - the baptism of Blood on the altar of Cross for the remission of our sins.
    • Thus, we who believe in Him and accept Him as our Lord and Savior, need to be joined to His baptism of death
      • "We are buried with Him in Baptism" (Colossians 2:12)
      • If we die with Him, we will rise with Him
    • Baptism is essential for our salvation so that we can participate in His Resurrection and His glory.

Genealogy of Christ

11:14-

23 Now Jesus Himself began His ministry at about thirty years of age, being (as was supposed) the son of Joseph, the son of Heli, 24 the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, the son of Melchi, the son of Janna, the son of Joseph, 25 the son of Mattathiah, the son of Amos, the son of Nahum, the son of Esli, the son of Naggai, 26 the son of Maath, the son of Mattathiah, the son of Semei, the son of Joseph, the son of Judah, 27 the son of Joannas, the son of Rhesa, the son of Zerubbabel, the son of Shealtiel, the son of Neri, 28 the son of Melchi, the son of Addi, the son of Cosam, the son of Elmodam, the son of Er, 29 the son of Jose, the son of Eliezer, the son of Jorim, the son of Matthat, the son of Levi, 30 the son of Simeon, the son of Judah, the son of Joseph, the son of Jonan, the son of Eliakim, 31 the son of Melea, the son of Menan, the son of Mattathah, the son of Nathan, the son of David, 32 the son of Jesse, the son of Obed, the son of Boaz, the son of Salmon, the son of Nahshon, 33 the son of Amminadab, the son of Ram, the son of Hezron, the son of Perez, the son of Judah, 34 the son of Jacob, the son of Isaac, the son of Abraham, the son of Terah, the son of Nahor, 35 the son of Serug, the son of Reu, the son of Peleg, the son of Eber, the son of Shelah, 36 the son of Cainan, the son of Arphaxad, the son of Shem, the son of Noah, the son of Lamech, 37 the son of Methuselah, the son of Enoch, the son of Jared, the son of Mahalalel, the son of Cainan, 38 the son of Enosh, the son of Seth, the son of Adam, the son of God.

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