Lesson 11 – The Baptism of Jesus
Jesus was baptized to “fulfill all righteousness” so that our Baptism might give us forgiveness of sins and rescue us from death and the devil.
Opening
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
This lesson will use the Bible, the Bible Exploration Guide and the Lesson 11 Leaflet from the Student Pack. The front cover shows how the artist sees Jesus after being baptized. Also paper and pencil will be needed.
What is your favorite image of forgiveness? Some Scriptures, such as throwing our sins as far away as the east is from the west (Psalm 103:12); changing sin from red to white as snow (Isaiah 1:18); nailing sins to the cross (Colossians 2:14); washed in the waters of Baptism (Acts 2:38; 22:16).
We often take God's grace for granted, telling ourselves it doesn't matter what we do because Jesus already forgave us, or thinking freedom in Christ means we can do whatever we want. Sometimes we try to hide from God, thinking He can't see our sin.
“Do you not know that your body is a temple of the Holy Spirit within you, whom you have from God? You are not your own, for you were bought with a price. So glorify God in your body"
Who paid the price to buy us? When did it happen? And what was the price? Jesus paid for our sins on the cross. In His death and resurrection, Jesus died for the sins of the whole world (John 3:16, 1 John 2:2), so that now, whoever believes in Him and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned (Mark 16:16). At Baptism, the Holy Spirit begins to live in us; we belong to God.
Prayer: Jesus, help us learn Your ways and live as Your forgiven people. Amen.
God Speaks
This lesson is about the connections between John the Baptist and Jesus.
What work did John do in his public ministry? Preaching, calling people to repentance, baptizing.
What event started Jesus' public ministry? Jesus' Baptism was the beginning of His public ministry, His public preaching of repentance and forgiveness of sins.
Read directions on Folio page 2 together: Read Luke 3:15-22, answer the questions, and follow the directions.
People respected the ministry of John the Baptist. What question did they ask him? They asked if he was the Christ.
How did John answer the question? No, he was not the Christ. A Mightier One was coming.
What did John say about the Mightier One? John said he baptized with water, but a Mightier One was coming. John was not worthy to untie His sandals. The Mightier One would baptize them with the Holy Spirit and fire. He would begin the harvest and separate chaff (unbelievers) from wheat (God's children, saved by grace through faith in Christ).
This was good news because people "were in expectation" (v. 15). What does this mean? They waited expectantly for the Messiah. They longed for God to keep His promises to send a Messiah, a Savior to His people.
Herod Antipas, son of Herod the Great, ruled the region of Galilee and a small area east of the Jordan River for Rome. What did he do to John the Baptist? This account says Herod threw John into prison. It mentions Herodias, who was the wife of Herod’s brother and whom Herod married.
For your knowledge, other Gospels say Heodias tricked Herod into killing John by beheading him.
Who baptized Jesus? John
What happened when Jesus was praying after being baptized? The heavens opened the Holy Spirit descended on Jesus in bodily form "like a dove” and a voice from heaven said "You are My beloved Son with You I am well pleased.
Now are the three persons of the Holy trinity present at Jesus' Baptism? Draw a picture showing this on the right side of this page. The Spirit of God descended bodily on Jesus the Son of God. God the lather spoke, offering love and approval of His Son.
We Live
What does God do for us through His Word and the water of Baptism? Cleanses us of sin, rescues us from death and the devil gives us eternal life, grants us faith, and makes us holy
Watch the video "Harrison Preaches on Baptismal Promises”. Note audio may not be loud enough at times. Enable Closed Caption.
LCMS President Harrison preached this sermon at the LCMS convention opening worship service on August 29, 2013. The sound is missing in the first part, so keep palying it.
Why did Pastor Harrison say we crucified Jesus? Jesus died for sinners. Christ suffered on the cross to remove our sin and grant us eternal life.
What did Pastor Harrison mean when he said, "If you are not a hardboiled sinner just like the rest of us. Jesus is not for you"? Jesus said, "I came not to call the righteous, but sinners (Mark 2:17), Unless we admit our sin, we see no need for God’s grace and cannot receive the forgiveness He so freely offers.
Pastor Harrison shares Martin Luther's words about Jesus' own Baptism, that when Jesus is baptized, He sticks Himself in the water so that when we go into the water of Baptism, we pull Jesus out with us. Name something that Pastor Harrison said "is in the water." Heaven; Jesus' perfect obedience; the Holy Spirit; God the Father's words of approval of Jesus at His Baptism; Jesus suffering, death, and resurrection; our old self; sin; justification by grace. It's all in the water. We are set free in the water and live with Him in the water.
In Baptism, God gives us Jesus and all He earned for us in His death and resurrection. How can remembering our Baptism daily encourage us and keep us in the one true faith? We remember our Baptism when we daily confess our sins and receive Christ's forgiveness. This reminds us of who we are: baptized, redeemed, forgiven, and loved children of God.
Baptism gives us the mind-set of Christ, to "look not only to [our] own interests, but also to the interests of others” (Philippians 2:4). By the Holy Spirit, we serve Jesus by serving others and we live with joy.
Read the Fourth Part of the Sacrament of Holy Baptism on page 4 of the leaflet and answer the questions.
What is contrition? Repentance? Contrition is sincere and deeply felt remorse for sins committed. Repentance is feeling or showing sorrow or regret; to feel so sorry for your sins that you never want to sin again; to turn back to God and seek His forgiveness.
So, what's one way to daily remember our Baptism? To feel contrite, repent of our sins, confess them to our Lord, and seek forgiveness in Jesus' name
Read the last paragraph on page 4: Luther suggested that another way to remember our Baptism is to make the sign of the cross whenever we say the Trinitarian invocation, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit." This sign was made and these words were spoken over us when we were baptized. By making the sign of the cross, we remember our Baptism.
Read about "The Baptism of Jesus" on pages 28-29 of the Bible Exploration Guide.
Closing
Listen to "On Jordan's Bank the Baptist's Cry".