Surprised by Jesus, Part 2

Today on Insight for living from Chuck Swindoll learn a lesson. As we learn about Jesus.

He isn't a celebrity God while he is the second member of the Trinity. While he deserves our worship and our honor and our praise. He is not a human, celebrity himself as one and those who present him as though he were wish for themselves. Celebrity celebrity is often associated with personal ambition and a strong desire to stand in the limelight but Jesus Christ was not celebrity, certainly not in the traditional sense today on Insight for living. Chuck Swindoll helps us understand the paradoxical virtue Jesus's life was a study in contrast, Jesus was both God and man. Deity and humanity, clothed in royalty and humility. Our study takes us to the third chapter of Matthew, we witness the baptism of Jesus, we begin with prayer our father, we thank you for the refuge that errors in Christ, we thank you for his wounds that were made because of his love for us the way they lacerated him with her fists and spear. He therefore understands when were torn by grief and is able to give us peace. Our souls are refreshed our father as we come together summer fatigued some work very hard, long hours.

This is a place they find rest, some or vexed by hell and they need the mighty arm that only you can provide to deliver them to deal with the enemy the adversary and to cause them to flee away and were all stalked by sin plagued by shame, we have only one defense is the one who bore your wrath and took our sin is his own.

Even though we know all of this Lord were prone to wander and were prone to leave you prone to go our own way and walk in selfishness were prone to let our anger give way to rage and in our temptation were prone to yield and we need you in our need is desperate today. We acknowledge that we find comfort only in your understanding and our only claim is your grace and because of it, which we call amazing. We come in great need and find great hope 02 grace how great debtor daily. I'm constrained to be, we come to you, our father, grateful for your understanding and your mercy and become because of Jesus's name.

Everyone said to study the book of Matthew with Chuck Swindoll. Be sure to download his searching the Scriptures. Studies by going to Insight world.or/studies. Now let's get back to the message started on Fridays program titled surprised by Jesus. We are so familiar with the scene that we forget how natural it all unfolded. How easy it took place.

Had we been there, sitting on the riverbank.

We were noticing long lines of people heads bowed, perhaps in prayer we would hear the splashing of water from the river. We would not know most of any of the people who would gotten in line. We would hear quiet words spoken by John the one who has turned his life over to the Savior and is this baptism of John is been going on. Jesus slips into the group without attention, without any fanfare, and John looks up from the work of baptizing and he sees the Messiah.

He had no idea that he would be the one who would baptize the one he was announcing.

Now we read that verse 11, I baptize with water. Why do that with said about this become so common, few people ask that you may not know that baptism in John's day was something done, what a Gentile converted to Judaism when a Gentile thought might be moving in the direction I should be going I need to go the way of the Jews money to begin to worship on Saturdays. I need to go to the synagogue. I need to follow the teaching of Moses so they would be baptized in a ceremony a more official ceremony. This is not that kind of ceremony but it comes from that this is a baptizing and water that has to do with the kingdom of heaven that is at hand.

John had thought about his calling and it's seen him without his name there in Isaiah 40 you will be the one who prepares the way in the wilderness. He makes the rough places plain. You will be the one who will let them know of the Messiah. So John knew there was a Messiah. John's theology was was pristine as he says, a little later.I know that you existed before me, even though John is six months older than Jesus. How do you exist before someone after six months younger than that will if you are Jesus you are God and you never stop being in existence in nature. John knew that but John didn't know that Jesus was going to get in line. This day John is down there and he's baptizing people, encouraging them to change their mind turnaround in their thinking and you verse 13 we read Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River. No one went with it. A brother didn't travel all of our sister, though we had both Mary didn't come with him. He is not yet called disciples because he hasn't begun his ministry that this is brand-new the age of 30. This is the place where that great ministry will be launched, there were the water of the river he came to be baptized by John is an interesting that he hasn't cut in line and say to the others. I need to be first like celebrities to he simply comes to be baptized and John sees him standing there and realizes at that moment.

Somehow, a new this is the one so look at verse 1411. This John tried to talk him out of it. Jesus. Jesus, I'm the one you want to be baptized by you, social wire you coming to me. John doesn't get the whole picture. It doesn't understand all of it that's okay.

He just knows that he's not the one that audibly doing this. At least he feels that some of the very first words of Jesus as an adult or here verse 15. It should be done for. We quarrel you and I must carry out all that God requires. Stop and think holding who's in line sinful people. How do we know because they come.

Having reprinted repetitive sin. Jesus gets in that line, but he has no sin. John sees them in a whole different category, but John forgets that Jesus came to be identified among us, and that's what baptism means to change identity, a change of identity and I am among you who I am a human with you. I'm true truly human one with you and the father is sent me to do this we need to carry out his will. So John, I believe, reluctantly agreed to do this. Isn't it interesting for me as an aside I is interesting how we get starstruck when were around well-known people.

I read some time ago, a woman who lived in Beverly Hills and come over to Hollywood to her favorite ice cream store and she we need to get an ice cream cone. She walked in and drew money out of the person she looked up and right in front of her was Robert Redford who had ordered an ice cream cone in her first thought was helix ice cream cones. Well, he stepped aside his return and she orders a little befuddled. She orders hers and she goes quickly back to the car thinking all is really something, and she looked all around for her ice cream cone and she can find it. She thinks hold to the left and have got to go back in his get to see me come back and see. She walks back and sees her walking and she's looking ready said to are you looking for your ice cream cone. She says to Robert Redford yes I am.

He said you put it in your purse. Normally you wouldn't put an ice cream cone in your purse, but you're not normally in line with Robert Redford and when you are you think. Strange thing learn a lesson. As we learn about Jesus. He isn't celebrity body is the God man while he is the second member of the Trinity while he deserves our worship and our honor and our praise. He is not a human celebrity never conducted himself as one and those who present him as though he were wish for themselves. Celebrity economy is just like another man, though he is far more I love it that he doesn't name drop and say the guy next to him. You know who you standing next to the Stardust on the shoulders.

There you know where I was 35 years ago that that he simply steps in line and would you remember that when you become famous in making those tripled in six and seven and eight figure salaries when you remember years ago put your britches on one leg at a time in your no big shot you two are fixed by sin.

You two are haunted by shame is because because of this. John says I learned to baptize you.

Jesus is none of them.

You have every right to do it. You, the forerunner these people need to realize on one with on one among them, even though he knew no sin did no sin, had no sin. Do not make him superhuman. He's undiminished deity.

Without question, but he's true humanity. That's why he can be touched with the feelings of your infirmities. That's why you never hear from heaven.

Shame on you John take hold of me, punch me in the cold water of the of the Jordan baptize me in the dots. I love verses 16 and 17. They provide the Strode of the narrative.

After his baptism is Jesus is coming up out of the water, the heavens were opened. That has never happened before.

And John is 30 years on this earth, and their descendents from heaven. Something like a dove doesn't say it's a done all the artist renderings are dove because we don't know what it was fluid to soar like a dove, but something came from the heavens and settled on the one that was wet from the river the voice think of this.

A voice from heaven.

This is my son, the beloved one. I love the Greek sentence.

This is my son, the beloved one.

I take great pleasure in him.

Ladies and gentlemen, this deserves the word awesome. I warned you about using awesome inappropriately is become, the throwaway word I got three emails this last week that use the word awesome. One was about a football team, a football team isn't awesome even to their undefeated all season long. A car is an awesome story is an awesome your girlfriend is an awesome your husband alive is an awesome you know that, but it is an awesome start to some sacred for God. All awesome. The Trinity appeared in words or invisible for Jesus is visible. The only member of the Trinity visible the spirit descends in the voice from the father, son, spirit, father, in one moment, I wonder with those in line must've thought or said probably hopefully nothing. When will we learn that in the most awesome events of life. Words are stupid thing stick that the wonder in.

Be still and know this is God. This is God. Following the endorsement the real humanity shows as he steps into the desert to be tempted by the devil, that's next time. Now share with you three lessons that seem to linger from this they all tie in with where we been here. The first, not recognizing Jesus in our midst doesn't mean he isn't there. Jesus doesn't announce his presence.

He still doesn't do fanfares still doesn't have a great group of trumpeters playing the clarion call. Jesus is watching. He's there every moment of our life awake or asleep spirit of God hovers over our lives. In fact, lives within us, not recognizing Jesus in the midst doesn't mean he isn't there. I hope you get the double negative when you're in the hospital room and your sense that something is happened with the patient that not even the doctor can explain and there's been a turn and help seems to be returning from what looked like death within a matter of hours. He's in that room, no physician can heal. They only prescribe the healing one is the awesome when you're in the midst of a situation that doesn't can't see your way through and you suddenly get the insight you need. He's entered your midst, acknowledgment is the second not understanding the whole message doesn't mean we shouldn't participate in part of it. Not understanding the whole message doesn't mean we should refuse to participate in part of our part.

John may not have understood all about this.

He may have been very reluctant when you took Jesus and held him under the water and lifted him up and maybe embraced him. He did not understand all about that Jesus certainly was more deserving than John but that wasn't the father's plan, you participate in things which is a part of your obedience and I commend you here on it understand all of obedience doesn't mean you know everything about what you're doing. It means you know, this part is where you should be go there do that. There's 1/3 not hearing God's voice of affirmation today doesn't mean he isn't well. Please not hearing God's voice of affirmation doesn't mean he isn't well pleased.

You may have gone through.

In your life where you yielded to the same sin over and over. Note: the addiction and and you you were there they were there.

Righetti were there again and then through the grace of God, and whoever knows whatever turned you around you repetitive that you're moving in another direction.

The Lord is in the middle of it. He may not tell you in the middle the night, but I can tell you he would say if he spoke. I am pleased that you turned you maybe once known for your unfaithfulness.

You may have lived a life like that kept it secret. You finally could live with yourself and turned a corner and the Lord graciously brought you out of that to a life of integrity.

May I tell you without a voice coming from heaven, God's pleased with your integrity you what I think when I drive away from worship services like this. Almost without exception know what's in my mind I'm alone in the car and I'm driving nine and saying, Lord, I just need to know that what I did pleased to be sure of this that you were pleased with every part of what we did and how we did and why we did know what this done. The power of the spirit, his glory as if the heavens could open and say I'm pleased. I'm pleased unaware this finds you, but if nothing else, I hope it humbles you, realizing that even the son of God who came along with all the others came like all the rest blended right in to live his life like you to bow your heads, please. This may be that if you will that epochal moment for you. Are you finally acknowledge that you've spent too much of your life moving in the wrong direction and because of that you will turn around one repent to change your mind regarding the one you have rejected and regarding the life he wants you to live do that now I can assure you without a voice coming from heaven he will be very well pleased. Thank you father for the awesome moment when we meet with you around your table. Make it a very special time where we remember your son's death and the lacerated punctured his body with the spear when they beat him mercilessly when he bled and died as a sacrifice in our place, humbleness, father filled with gratitude for the one who was our substitute make this time, the remaining we pray through Christ.

You're listening to Insight for living and what followed this message from Chuck Swindoll was a sweet time of worship around the Lord's table, taking the elements of communion together. Chuck titled today's message surprised by Jesus. It's the seven study in a comprehensive verse by verse series through the book of Matthew called the king's arrival and to learn more about this ministry. Visit us online@insightworld.org as we prepared this study for you. Chuck designated a book that complements the series is called perfect trust in this preclassic is written chapters on trusting one were troubled and trusting God for the impossible.

If you're looking for a meaningful way to cultivate a stronger, more trusting relationship with Jesus. We highly recommend this book to purchase a copy of perfect trust. Go to Insight.org/offer. In addition, check is written. The new commentary that complements our year-long study in Matthew. In fact, because of its goal becomes into hardbound volumes is called swindles living insights commentary on Matthew. These two books include verse by verse insight from Chuck along with charts and maps, photos, terms and articles as well.

It's a must-have for pastors, teachers really anyone who wants to know more about the Bible. Make your purchase of swindles living insights commentary on Matthew or checks popular book called perfect trust. Visit us online or call us listening in the US dial 1-800-772-8888 checks personal mission is to help you learn more about the Bible and its relevance to your life. It's only possible. Of course, because people like you give voluntary donations and were grateful for those who've taken this mission to heart and made it their own through your gift your providing a constant source of solid Bible come to rely on chart to give a donation today calls glistening in the United States dial 1-800-772-8888 or give online insight.org I'm Dave's tomorrow Chuck Swindoll will describe how to ace the devils test. Listen Tuesday to Insight for living. The preceding message surprised by Jesus was copyrighted in 2015 and 2021 and the sound recording was copyrighted in 2021 by Charles R. Swindoll, Inc. all rights are reserved worldwide.

Duplication of copyrighted material for commercial use is strictly prohibited