Jesus Grew up fast! part 2

So, Jesus appears in Luke's gospel, again after a number of years; 18 to be precise. The verses covered in the gospel reading for today were in the third chapter of Luke, verses 15-17, and 21-22. We transitioned from John the baptist being asked if he was the Messiah, to him prophesying about Jesus coming to separate the wheat from the chaff, to baptism with fire, to Jesus' baptism and the accompanying approval from God Almighty. Quite a bit of action for such few verses, yet one common theme runs throughout: change. 

John the baptist had been effecting change already by calling people to turn from their sins and turn to God. He had just given them general, and then specific instructions on how they should do this in their everyday lives. Our faith in God should have a drastic effect in our everyday lives as well. Knowing Jesus makes all the difference in our lives, as we have access to an unlimited source of love, grace and hope. Share that fact with someone in your life today!

Jesus gives himself to his new calling in life through his baptism. It as at this point he receives both the power of the Holy Spirit, and his new identity as the best minister that ever was. He is about to launch out on a short yet intense missional journey to advance the kingdom of God. His Father in heaven rings through with overwhelming approval. "That's my boy!" Gaining God's approval is rather easy for us as well, all we have to do is accept his son, Jesus. 

There is twice the mention of fire; one is the baptism of fire and the other is the unquenchable fire that burns the chaff, after Jesus separates it from his wheat with his winnowing fork. Sounds to me like one way or another I must embrace fire; either after final judgement, or now as I accept the fire the Holy Spirit ignites in me as a new creation of God! What change we will bring to the world this year as we allow the fire within us to rage, and live out lives that blaze with the gospel of the kingdom of God consuming us!