Jesus is baptized, gathers disciples
Bible Accent: Sacraments
Jesus is baptized, gathers disciples
Even though he was in prison, John the Baptist was hearing stories and rumors about the bold teaching and miraculous works of Jesus. John wanted to confirm whether or not Jesus was the Messiah, so he sent some of his own disciples to ask Jesus a question.
When they had found Jesus preparing to speak to a large crowd, one of John’s disciples identified themselves and asked him, “Are you the one who is to come, or should we look for another?”
Jesus smiled and looked directly at the men and said, “Go and tell John what you see: the blind regain their sight, the lame walk, lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and the poor have the good news proclaimed to them. And blessed is the one who takes no offense at me.”
John’s disciples bowed slightly to Jesus and immediately headed back to tell John what Jesus had told them.
Jesus walked to a spot where the people could see him, and he used the visit from John’s disciples as part of his teaching. “What did you go out to the desert to see? … To see a prophet? Yes, I tell you, and more than a prophet.” Jesus pointed in the direction John’s disciples were going. “This is the one about who it is written: ‘Behold, I am sending my messenger ahead of you; he will prepare your way before you.’”
In order to make his message clear to those who did not know what Jesus was trying to tell them, he spoke plainly to them. “… (There) has been none greater than John the Baptist; yet the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.”
Then Jesus wanted to remind the people how some of them had reacted to the ministry of John as well as his own.
“For John came neither eating nor drinking, and they said, ‘He is possessed by a demon.’ The Son of Man came eating and drinking and they said, ‘Look, he is a glutton and a drunkard, a friend of tax collectors and sinners.’” Jesus paused so that the people could think about what he was saying to them. Then he said, “But wisdom is vindicated by her works.”
Jesus wanted everyone to know that his most important message was his love, so he told them, “Come to me, all you who labor and are burdened, and I will give you rest.”
READ MORE ABOUT IT:
John 1
Q&A
1. What did John the Baptist see come out of the sky? 2. What did Jesus say when he invited Philip to be his disciple?
Bible Accent: Sacraments
The Catechism of the Catholic Church tells us that baptism, Eucharist and confirmation, the sacraments of initiation, “lay the foundation of every Christian life.” Baptism comes from a Greek word that means “to immerse in water,” and it represents a cleansing from our sins. Many of us were baptized as babies, and the church expects our parents to provide the training we need by bringing us to church and religious education classes as we grow up. The church also provides religious education for adults who want to become baptized or join the church. This program is called RCIA, the Rite of Christian Initiation for Adults. To set an example for us to follow, Jesus was baptized before he started his public ministry.
