Watched the scene where Delmar gets baptized in the river.
What are your thoughts about what happened? What do you think Pete and Delmar’s attitudes and Everett’s attitude?
What’s the purpose of baptism? What does it symbolize spiritually? socially? (Some of this will be answered later)
What are some of the different beliefs about baptism?
What is our tradition? Anyone know the 3 ways we baptize and what they symbolize?
United Methodists may baptize by any of the modes used by Christians. Candidates or their parents have the choice of sprinkling, pouring, or immersion; and pastors and congregations should be prepared to honor requests for baptism in any of these modes. Each mode brings out part of the rich and diverse symbolism given to baptism by the Bible. Each is a form of washing which symbolizes the washing away of sin (Acts 2:38; 22:16; 1 Corinthians 6:11; Hebrews 10:22; 1 Peter 3:21). Being totally buried in water and raised from it is also a powerful symbol of our burial and resurrection with Christ (Romans 6:3-5; Colossians 2:12) and of being born anew of water and the Spirit (John 3:3-5; Titus 3:5). Pouring or sprinkling water upon the candidate’s head also signifies God’s pouring out of the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16; Mark 1:9-10; Luke 3:21-22; Acts 2:38; 19:1-7).
(Some info if it is needed: Jesus’ baptism was a 'high priest' baptism. There were three requirements of a high priest under the Law of God: They must have been thirty years old or above(Numbers 4:1-4), they must have been sprinkled to cleanse them (Numbers 8:5-7), and they must have been called of God (Hebrews 5:1-6). Jesus was baptized to fulfill the law to be allowed in the Temple, not baptized for repentance. He was Jesus, so why repent?)
Read aloud Matthew 3. 1-2 While Jesus was living in the Galilean hills, John, called "the Baptizer," was preaching in the desert country of Judea. His message was simple and austere, like his desert surroundings: "Change your life. God's kingdom is here." 3John and his message were authorized by Isaiah's prophecy:
Thunder in the desert! Prepare for God's arrival! Make the road smooth and straight!
4-6John dressed in a camel-hair habit tied at the waist by a leather strap. He lived on a diet of locusts and wild field honey. People poured out of Jerusalem, Judea, and the Jordanian countryside to hear and see him in action. There at the Jordan River those who came to confess their sins were baptized into a changed life.
7-10When John realized that a lot of Pharisees and Sadducees were showing up for a baptismal experience because it was becoming the popular thing to do, he exploded: "Brood of snakes! What do you think you're doing slithering down here to the river? Do you think a little water on your snakeskins is going to make any difference? It's your life that must change, not your skin! And don't think you can pull rank by claiming Abraham as father. Being a descendant of Abraham is neither here nor there. Descendants of Abraham are a dime a dozen. What counts is your life. Is it green and blossoming? Because if it's deadwood, it goes on the fire.
11-12"I'm baptizing you here in the river, turning your old life in for a kingdom life. The real action comes next: The main character in this drama—compared to him I'm a mere stagehand—will ignite the kingdom life within you, a fire within you, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He's going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He'll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he'll put out with the trash to be burned."
13-14Jesus then appeared, arriving at the Jordan River from Galilee. He wanted John to baptize him. John objected, "I'm the one who needs to be baptized, not you!" 15But Jesus insisted. "Do it. God's work, putting things right all these centuries, is coming together right now in this baptism." So John did it. 16-17The moment Jesus came up out of the baptismal waters, the skies opened up and he saw God's Spirit—it looked like a dove—descending and landing on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: "This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life."
We discussed: Why would Jesus, who is sinless, get baptized? (look above. Basically, he was fulfilling the law, being sent from God as the Messiah, and to show who he was. What does this chapter tell us about baptism? What makes baptism important? Have you been baptized? If so, what was it like? What significance did this event play in your life? If not, what has kept you from taking this step? Would you like to? Why or why not? Is it even necessary to be baptized?
• How is baptism supposed to set a person apart from the crowd? Do you feel that you’ve been set apart? Why or why not?
• How can you live up to your responsibilities as a person baptized into the faith?
Everyone was given a handout of questions (which are below) and time to answer them and then asked:
As you meditated on Scripture and imagined what it would have been like to see Jesus being baptized, what did the Holy Spirit show you?
How can you follow Jesus’ example?
If you made a commitment to follow God, what can you do to keep your commitment after you leave here today?
Then said: To be righteous means to be right with God. In other words, by being baptized, Jesus was identifying himself with God. He was, and is, the only Son of God. He’s the one God sent to die for our sins and to show people what God’s love is like. Jesus’ baptism marked the beginning of his public ministry. It showed he was committed to following God by doing what he had been sent to do.
After Jesus was baptized, God said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased”
We then closed in prayer, asking God to strengthen our commitments to God and to help us follow Christ's example.
Jesus then appeared, arriving at the Jordan River from Galilee. He wanted John to baptize him. John objected, "I'm the one who needs to be baptized, not you!"
15But Jesus insisted. "Do it. God's work, putting things right all these centuries, is coming together right now in this baptism." So John did it.
16-17The moment Jesus came up out of the baptismal waters, the skies opened up and he saw God's Spirit—it looked like a dove—descending and landing on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: "This is my Son, chosen and marked by my love, delight of my life."
Scripture: Read Matthew 3:13-17.
Meditate: After you’ve read the
Scripture, think about what it would
have been like to be at the Jordan River
on the day Jesus was baptized. How do
you think you would have felt if you had
been there? Think about the relationship
between John the Baptist and Jesus.
How do you think John felt as he baptized
Jesus? Think about how Jesus
may have felt as he was baptized, the
Holy Spirit landed on him, and God’s
voice spoke from heaven. What did the
voice from heaven tell people about
Jesus’ identity and importance?
After a few moments of meditation,
say a silent prayer, thanking God for
Jesus and thanking Jesus for his commitment
to following God.
Questions: Write your answers to
the following questions.
How did Jesus’ baptism demonstrate
his commitment to God?
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If God’s voice were to suddenly
speak from heaven, what would he say
about you? Why?
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How Pleased do you think God is with You? Why?
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How can you follow Jesus’ example of commitment to God?
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Commitment: In the space below,
write a prayer of commitment to God.
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