<html><head></head><body><div><div><div>Mark 1;9-11<div><br></div><div><b>9. &nbsp;In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.</b></div><div><b>10. &nbsp;And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a Dave;</b></div><div><b>11. &nbsp;and a voice came from heaven, “Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.”</b></div><div><b><br></b></div><div>Sacraments are not just human activities, they are the actions of God conveying grace to us as gifts to helpless&nbsp;beggars.</div><div><br></div><div>John said that his baptism was with water for repentance, but we know that repentance is God’s gift to us. &nbsp;Baptism is first the activity of God working through visible means, like water, wine, and unleavened bread connected to God’s own spoken&nbsp;‘Word of Command’, (In Latin, this spoken&nbsp;‘Word of Command’ is called the ‘Verba’)&nbsp; When the visible means are connected to the Verba, God is acting on our behalf, gifting us with His&nbsp;grace. &nbsp;Therefore the Sacraments are referred to as ‘Means of Grace’. &nbsp;Through these God is gifting us with forgiveness and&nbsp;<span>the very righteousness of Christ, for by them we are being joined into Christ. &nbsp;As such then, we too are receiving the same Holy Spirit which descended upon Jesus.</span></div><div><br></div><div>We too are promised the Holy Spirit along with the gift of repentance in holy Baptism. &nbsp;(Acts 2;37&amp;38)</div><div><br></div><div>&nbsp;Jesus is the sinless Son of God, of what did he need to repent? &nbsp;The answer is nothing. &nbsp;Why then did he ask John to baptize him? &nbsp;Jesus gives us the answer, “<i>Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by him. &nbsp;John would have prevented him, saying ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’ &nbsp;But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so for now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’ &nbsp;Then he consented.’” &nbsp;</i>(Matthew 3;13-15)</div><div><br></div><div>The words, <i>“for us” </i>include not just Jesus and John the Baptist, they refer to the entire Church. &nbsp;We are all joined into Christ in Holy Baptism, His baptism is for us all. &nbsp;<i>“Do you not know that all of us who are baptized into Christ Jesus, are baptized into his death? &nbsp;We were buried therefore with him into his death, <u>so that</u>&nbsp;as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” &nbsp; </i>(Romans 6;3&amp;4)</div><div><br></div><div>Our Baptism is not simply a washing away of sin, it is a joining into Christ for death to sinful self, and new life. &nbsp;Notice that Jesus too was raised. &nbsp;He did not raise himself, he was raised, <i>“by the glory of the Father” &nbsp;</i>so too with us who are raised with Christ, the new resurrected&nbsp;life we live now is the the work of God the Father in us. &nbsp;<i>“For&nbsp;God&nbsp;is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”</i></div><div>(Philippians 2;13)</div><div><br></div><div><i>“The life I&nbsp;now live in the flesh&nbsp;I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”</i></div><div>(Galatians 2;20b)</div><div><br></div><div>Therefore, the Father’s pleasure rests upon us, for we are baptized into Christ.</div><div><br></div><div>Prayer: &nbsp;Merciful Father, grant us faith and reverence toward who and what&nbsp;you have made us, members of the very&nbsp;Body of Christ. &nbsp;In gifting us with the Holy Spirt, you have given us the means to walk in newness of life, and we praise you. &nbsp;In Jesus we pray, Amen.</div><div><br></div><div>Love,</div><div>Dad/Baba/Eric</div><div>Grandpa Pickle Pastor</div><div>“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word. &nbsp;God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”</div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br></div><div><br><br><div><a href="https://mail.onelink.me/107872968?pid=nativeplacement&amp;c=Global_Acquisition_YMktg_315_Internal_EmailSignature&amp;af_sub1=Acquisition&amp;af_sub2=Global_YMktg&amp;af_sub3=&amp;af_sub4=100000604&amp;af_sub5=EmailSignature__Static_" rel="nofollow" target="_blank"></a><br></div></div></div></div></div></body></html>

Mark 1;9-11
9.  In those days Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.10.  And when he came up out of the water, immediately he saw the heavens opened and the Spirit descending upon him like a Dave;11.  and a voice came from heaven, “Thou art my beloved Son; with thee I am well pleased.”
Sacraments are not just human activities, they are the actions of God conveying grace to us as gifts to helpless beggars.
John said that his baptism was with water for repentance, but we know that repentance is God’s gift to us.  Baptism is first the activity of God working through visible means, like water, wine, and unleavened bread connected to God’s own spoken ‘Word of Command’, (In Latin, this spoken ‘Word of Command’ is called the ‘Verba’)  When the visible means are connected to the Verba, God is acting on our behalf, gifting us with His grace.  Therefore the Sacraments are referred to as ‘Means of Grace’.  Through these God is gifting us with forgiveness and the very righteousness of Christ, for by them we are being joined into Christ.  As such then, we too are receiving the same Holy Spirit which descended upon Jesus.
We too are promised the Holy Spirit along with the gift of repentance in holy Baptism.  (Acts 2;37&38)
 Jesus is the sinless Son of God, of what did he need to repent?  The answer is nothing.  Why then did he ask John to baptize him?  Jesus gives us the answer, “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by him.  John would have prevented him, saying ‘I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?’  But Jesus answered him, ‘Let it be so for now; for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’  Then he consented.’”  (Matthew 3;13-15)
The words, “for us” include not just Jesus and John the Baptist, they refer to the entire Church.  We are all joined into Christ in Holy Baptism, His baptism is for us all.  “Do you not know that all of us who are baptized into Christ Jesus, are baptized into his death?  We were buried therefore with him into his death, so that as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.”   (Romans 6;3&4)
Our Baptism is not simply a washing away of sin, it is a joining into Christ for death to sinful self, and new life.  Notice that Jesus too was raised.  He did not raise himself, he was raised, “by the glory of the Father”  so too with us who are raised with Christ, the new resurrected life we live now is the the work of God the Father in us.  “For God is at work in you, both to will and to work for his good pleasure.”(Philippians 2;13)
“The life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.”(Galatians 2;20b)
Therefore, the Father’s pleasure rests upon us, for we are baptized into Christ.
Prayer:  Merciful Father, grant us faith and reverence toward who and what you have made us, members of the very Body of Christ.  In gifting us with the Holy Spirt, you have given us the means to walk in newness of life, and we praise you.  In Jesus we pray, Amen.
Love,Dad/Baba/EricGrandpa Pickle Pastor“A chapter a day, every day, progressively, be transformed, ‘soak’ in the living Word.  God’s Word is our habitation, and we are His.”




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