Matthew 3 Devotional Bible Study

Matthew 3 Devotional Bible Study

 

“Do You Come to Me?”

Matthew 3:13-14

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”

 

Imagine being in John’s shoes (…sandals). At this point, he knows Jesus is the Messiah, the “Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Yet Jesus comes to him and asks to be given the Sacrament of baptism. He acts John to perform a holy act for the Holy of Holies Himself. That would be so humbling for John! I can hear him saying, “Are You serious right now, Jesus?! You want me to do this for You? I’m not worthy to serve You in this way! Are You sure?”

 

And Jesus says, “Yes, I’m sure. I want you to do this.”

 

And the fact is that Jesus comes to each one of us and asks us to do things for Him that we are not worthy or qualified to do. The good news is we don’t need to worry about our own holiness, status as “good enough” Christians, or other qualifications. All we need to do is recognize that Jesus has asked us to do something and then do it. The merit of our service to Him comes not from ourselves but from Him who asked us to perform it!

 

What is Jesus asking you to do today? Are you worrying about yourself being able to do it or are you leaning on the One who asked you to do it? Don’t try to deter Him with excuses about yourself; simply trust Him and perform your service as requested.

 

 

“Let It Be So Now; It Is Proper for Us to Do This to Fulfill All Righteousness”

Matthew 3:13-15

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.

 

Why did Jesus say it was proper for Him to be baptized to fulfill all righteousness?

 

Jesus is our example. He did everything that we’re supposed to do to show us the way.

God’s plan is a mystery. We don’t always know why something happens or why He asks us to perform a particular task. Like John, we simply need to “let it be so now” and trust our good and wise Lord to know what needs to happen to fulfill all righteousness.

The Spirit of God Alighting

Matthew 3:16

As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him.

 

What is the significance of the Holy Spirit coming down on Jesus in form of a dove?

 

Genesis 8:10-11 - He waited seven more days and again sent out the dove from the ark. ¹¹ When the dove returned to him in the evening, there in its beak was a freshly plucked olive leaf! Then Noah knew that the water had receded from the earth.

 

The dove in the story of the Flood signifies a new beginning for the earth. The Holy Spirit alighting on Jesus is a visible signal that God is again making a new beginning as Jesus starts His ministry.

 

Do you remember when the Holy Spirit first came to you? What did that feel like? How did it open your spirit and mind to the things of God? How did that experience open your heart and emotions to the Lord?

 

Is the Spirit still with you in that way? Are you still aware of Him awakening you to the things of God and giving you spiritual clarity? When I feel distant from God or out of touch for some reason, I ask the Spirit within me, “Are You there? I need to feel Your Presence.” I encourage you to pray that now.