We are starting a new blog series called “3:16”. We are going to go through the New Testament and unpack each 3:16 verse from the books of the New Testament.
We start with Matthew 3:16 – And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;
When Jesus approached John to be baptized, John was understandably hesitant. John understood that Jesus was superior to him in character, status, and authority. Knowing all of that, Jesus insisted.
Here is what I love about this…God uses the broken, the marginalized, and the people that maybe others may see as a “lower class” and asks them to do great and mighty things. Here is a key we can all take away from this – John was hesitant, but he was willing!
In what way is God calling you to do something but you don’t feel equipped, worthy, or called? Where are you hesitant?
Early in my ministry, I told our senior pastor that I would come on staff if I didn’t have to be on the stage. I wanted to be behind the scenes. Truth be told, I never thought I was gifted in preaching/teaching, but I was always drawn to it. Wish I had the gifting to do that. I was like John in this scripture, I was hesitant, but I was also unlike John, I wasn’t willing.
Fast forward to today and I have preached, taught, written blogs, help lead and counsel people. God is doing some work through this broken, ill-equipped man that He wasn’t doing before. The difference, I decided to be willing.
Men, are you willing? Are you willing to look past the brokenness, the failures of your past, the feelings of “not being good enough” or “I’ll fail” (all the lies the enemy loves to feed us) and say “God – I’m willing if you want to use me!”
I also love Jesus in this verse. Jesus wanted and asked to be baptized. He wanted to begin his ministry with a public declaration of his devotion to God. Jesus was baptized to show that, like all the faithful, he was obedient to God and he intended to carry out all God’s purposes.
This was a stake-in-the-ground moment for Jesus – He made this declaration, then began his ministry.
Do you need a similar declaration to start (or restart) your ministry? Are you willing to show the world your devotion to God and be obedient to Him by carrying out His purposes in your life?
You don’t have to be polished or perfect – you just need to be devoted, obedient, and willing.
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