Empowerment

May 29, 1983 this date may mean nothing to you, but it means the world to me. It isn’t the day I was born..tho that is a date to remember too…lol, but it is the day that I was reborn through baptism. Today is the first Sunday after the Epiphany when the Lutheran church looks at the baptism of Jesus Christ by John. (find in the book of Matthew) Have you ever really thought why Jesus was baptized? Growing up it was always to my understanding that we are baptized for the forgiveness of our sins and to become a child of God. Jesus didn’t have any sins…so why was He baptized? I guess I never questioned it before…it was written; he did it because that was part of his life journey. This morning pastor Osslund’s sermon was based on this question; it really helped me look at my baptism in a different way than I ever had before. I know that most of us went into this because our parents took us to a church one day as a little baby so we could get the water and words for this holy sacrament…thinking that now we are saved, now I know my child will go to heaven. It doesn’t stop there though. Those people made a promise to make sure that we are influence in a joyful path following the Lord, that we are led like little lambs to follow Christ and know the words of God. Pastor said that there are three things involved in the meaning behind our baptism…1)doing good 2) healing, encouragement 3)the empowerment of baptism I believe that baptism is gracious gift and a blessing from God. I think that the empowerment is not only are we given forgiveness by grace through Christ, but that we are equipped to also be forgiving. Which is were the baptism of Jesus is given meaning and answers the question (why baptize Christ when He is sinless?) Christ was baptized as I see it, so that we know that he has the power to forgive our sins because sometimes just hearing the words are not enough for us. Baptism is about our relationship with God. Now is that time I should pull out my catechism from conformation, which I had taken umpteen years ago, but I think I will leave it at that as being my definition of the sacrament. Baptism isn’t just the way but it is the truth. When Jesus was baptize the Lord spoke and said “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”Matthew 3:17. This is just one ways that I know that Jesus is Christ. But how do I know that I am a child of God though baptism? Answer pastor discussed this morning… “because I know that what I am doing is what I am suppose to being doing.”…as in serving God. Today I pray that you look at your own baptism and see how God works through you as a child of God. How does God empower you in your life?

God Bless,
Kristy