Why Be Baptized?

Acts of the Apostles tells an amazing story that has a promise for us. What changed Peter from fear and denying Jesus to being a bold Christ follower?  

Acts 2: 1-4 And when the day of Pentecost was now come, they were all together in one place. ^2:2And suddenly there came from heaven a sound as of the rushing of a mighty wind, and it filled all the house where they were sitting. ^2:3And there appeared unto them tongues parting asunder, like as of fire; and it sat upon each one of them. ^2:4And they were all filled with the Holy Spirit, and began to speak with other tongues, as the Spirit gave them utterance. 

After receiving this, Peter stood up and gave one awesome sermon and gave the listeners a challenge action step.  

Act 2: 37-40 Now when they heard this, they were pricked in their heart, and said unto Peter and the rest of the apostles, Brethren, what shall we do? ^2:38And Peter said unto them, Repent ye, and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ unto the remission of your sins; and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit. ^2:39For to you is the promise, and to your children, and to all that are afar off, even as many as the Lord our God shall call unto him.

Baptism comes with a gift and the promise it to you and your children and to all.  The gift of the Holy Spirit.

The Gospel of John



John 21:24-25

New International Version (NIV)

 ²⁴ This is the disciple who testifies to these things and who wrote them down. We know that his testimony is true.
 ²⁵ Jesus did many other things as well. If every one of them were written down, I suppose that even the whole world would not have room for the books that would be written.

The gospel of John is such a treasure because it was written by a first hand eye witness to Jesus.   I love the verse "We know that his testimony is true."  If I had to lose every other book of the Bible, I would hold on to the Gospel of John.  The richness, the love, the images:  

"the light of the world"^[8:12]

"the gate of the sheep"^[10:7]

"the good shepherd"^[10:11]

"the resurrection and the life"^[11:25]

"the way, the truth, and the life"^[14:6]

"the real vine"^[15:1][8]

"the bread of life" 6:35

It is no wonder, the Gospel of John is often first recommended to new believers or to those who have never read the bible. 

Ask

My mom used to say the same thing over in over in conversations.  I hate to admit it, but I do the same thing.  I think sometimes we just really want to know we were heard.  More than once I have heard, "OK, I get it."  In the gospel of John, Jesus in the last night He shared with His disciples repeated some important truths.  John 14:13,  And I will do whatever you ask in my name, so that the Father may be glorified in the Son.   And again, John 15:7, ⁷ If you abide in me and my words abide in you, ask whatever you wish, and it will be done for you. And again, John 15:16,  You did not choose me, but I chose you and appointed you so that you might go and bear fruit—fruit that will last—and so that whatever you ask in my name the Father will give you.  Also John 16:23 In that day you will no longer ask me anything. I tell you the truth, my Father will give you whatever you ask in my name.

I don't understand why some prayers aren't answered.  I think the book of John gives us keys to answered prayer.  Will the Father be glorified, verse 13?  Are we abiding in Jesus, verse 16?  And are our prayers for bearing fruit, verse 16?  I don't know all the ins and outs of prayer.  I do know that we were told to ASK, ASK, ASK.  I pray for people and ASK for Spiritual blessings, Physical blessings, Emotional blessings and for them to have God's wisdom.  I pray believing that God's Will, will be done.  I believe my prayer is what Jesus wants me to do.        

The Shortest Verse in the Bible

John 11:35  "Jesus Wept"  This is the shortest verse in the Bible and every time I read John chapter 11 the story of Jesus raising Lazarus, I tear up.  Jesus not only had his disciples, he had friends He loved.  This family Lazarus, Mary and Martha play prominent roles in the gospels.  Mary 11:2 "anointed the Lord with ointment and wiped his feet with her hair".  Martha, Luke 10:40   But Martha was distracted by all the preparations that had to be made. She came to him and asked, "Lord, don't you care that my sister has left me to do the work by myself? Tell her to help me!" And finally Lazarus John 11:3 "Lord, he whom you love is ill."  We know the gospel says Jesus waited until Lazarus died "so that the Son of God may be glorified."

Why did Jesus cry?  He knew he was going to raise Lazarus.  I love verse 33.  "When Jesus saw her weeping, and the Jews who had come with her also weeping, He was deeply moved and in his spirit and greatly troubled."  Jesus was human, he was God, but he felt love and felt sadness.  Death is the consequence of a sin stained world.  Just like a loving parent, we hurt when we see the children we love hurt.  We wish we could keep them safe and from stupid mistakes and bad consequences but we can't.  The pain we feel, He understands.  This chapter is our hope.  Here is our command when we are in sorrow.  Verse 40, Jesus said to her, "Did I not tell you that if you believed you would see the glory of God?"   Believing when you are in sorrow is difficult, sometimes if feels impossible.  It hurts so bad, we have prayed and prayed and prayed and yet this has happened.  Faith is not a feeling, it is a choice.  Here is my prayer when I am buffeted with sorrow. Hear what another troubled parent said in Mark 9:24, Lord,“I do believe; help me overcome my unbelief!” 

   

The Abundant Life

John 10:7-11

Therefore Jesus said again, “Truly, truly I say to you, I am the gate for the sheep. ⁸ All who have come before me are thieves and robbers, but the sheep have not listened to them. ⁹ I am the gate; whoever enters through me will be saved.^[a] They will come in and go out, and find pasture. ¹⁰ The thief comes only to steal and kill and destroy; I have come that they may have life, and have it  abundantly.

   ¹¹ “I am the good shepherd. The good shepherd lays down his life for the sheep.

I struggle in my life resisting God's call. Dying to self is not easy. Like so many spiritual truths it is counter intuitive.  Jesus promises an abundant life.  There have been periods in my life of testing and sorrow where I did not feel the abundant life.  Hebrews 11:1, Faith is the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen. When I struggle Lord, help me to choose to believe, to choose to believe what I do not see.  To believe that You came that I might have life and have it abundantly.  I claim and stand on what You said. Amen  

The Bread of Life

John 6:35-40 Then Jesus declared, “I am the bread of life. Whoever comes to me will never go hungry, and whoever believes in me will never be thirsty. ³⁶ But as I told you, you have seen me and still you do not believe. ³⁷ All those the Father gives me will come to me, and whoever comes to me I will never drive away. ³⁸ For I have come down from heaven not to do my will but to do the will of him who sent me. ³⁹ And this is the will of him who sent me, that I shall lose none of all those he has given me, but raise them up at the last day. ⁴⁰ For my Father’s will is that everyone who looks to the Son and believes in him shall have eternal life, and I will raise them up at the last day.”

Jesus was speaking these words the day after He feed the 5000.  After feeding the crowd, Jesus had to withdraw to the mountain because He knew they wanted to take Him and make Him their King.  He knew they were missing the point. They wanted physical bread, Magic Jesus is what some people want.  They want the outside world to be fixed. Jesus came with a message their intellect could not understand.  If it didn't make sense, they couldn't believe.  On a daily basis we accept many things we don't understand. We believe Cancer exists, yet we are not really sure why it starts in some but not in others.  We believe in life, yet we only have theories about creation but some people believe strongly in evolution.  Yet for some, believing in Jesus is foolish, yet they have never studied the possibility that this person was either a raving lunatic or really who He said he was.  The Case for Christ, was written by an atheist turned Christian.  He was the former legal editor of the Chicago Tribune who wrote the book after a two year investigation. I encourage Christians to read his book to help when non-believers struggle with such a revolutionary idea of Jesus. God who became a man, to die so that we might believe in Him and share in eternal life that starts the day they accept Him. 



Breaking The Rules

John 4 tells one of my favorites stories in revealing how Jesus broke all the rules (man made rules).  When Jesus was going to Galilee he went through a Samaritan Town.  Today that would be like going through a bad neighborhood where there was hatred on both sides.  John clearly said in verse 9, "Jews have no dealings with Samaritans".  But Jesus ignored the years of hatred and looked at the heart.  Jesus spoke, not only to a Samaritan, but to a woman!!  And what a woman!  First it says it was the 6th hour.  This is around noon, and women drew water together in the early morning, before it got hot or the cool of the evening.  This woman came alone, no friends to hang out at the water cooler!  We also find out, this woman had had 5 husbands and now with living with someone.  In her town she was a slut!  The women hated her and the men looked down upon her.  Jesus knew all of this.  Her race, her lifestyle didn't stop Jesus from His mission to spread the gospel, the good news.  To this woman, sinner, racially mixed person he shared His true identity of being the Messiah. The story continues to amaze me.  This woman had just found the Messiah!!  What joy she must have felt.  The Messiah had reached out and touched her!!  She could have ended there with happiness but she goes to the town.  She goes to the people who hate her and wants them to come to Jesus.  Verse 29 says, "Come, see a man who told me all that I ever did.  Can this be the Christ?"  Ah, smart woman.  She already knew it was the Christ, but she knew if she told them, they would laugh and ignore her.  She played the one down and asked them to determine for her if he was the Christ. Because of this woman, with questionable moral character verse 39 says, "Many Samaritans from that town belived in Him..." And more amazing, He stayed with them TWO days!  His disciples must have been blown away!!  Jesus asks us to follow his example.  Ignore the outside trappings of lifestyle, gender, and race and look at the heart. God wants us all to be His children.