UPDATE ON SUNDAY SCHOOL - January 29, 2012

JESUS’ BAPTISM

John, the son of Elizabeth and Zechariah, and kinsman to Jesus, was a charismatic preacher.  John called the people to repent in preparation for the coming kingdom of God.  John would then baptize them in the Jordan River.  This symbolic cleansing by water helped the people understand that God has washed away their old, sinful life.  Baptism prepared the people for the coming of the kingdom of God, which John believed to be imminent.  Many people believed that John was the messiah that the scriptures promised.  But John was quick to point out that he was not the Messiah, but he was a messenger.

Early Christians often had difficulty with Jesus coming to John to be baptized.  Why did he seek baptism? He had nothing to repent!  Perhaps Jesus had heard of John’s ministry through baptism and sought baptism as a gesture of doing what was right.  Perhaps Jesus wanted to identify with the people and their needs.  Maybe Jesus recognized that the time was right to begin his task on earth.  Baptism was s symbol of this be beginning where Jesus claimed his relationship with God.

Who was Jesus?  We tell stories about Jesus to help the children understand what Jesus did.  We tell stories about Jesus to help the children understand what Jesus was like.  We tell stories about Jesus to help the children understand what Jesus taught.  But too often we fail to tell the children the most important fact-Jesus is God’s only son.

Baptism has become a symbol of belonging to God’s family.  John used baptism as a concrete act that stands for a spiritual rebirth. 

Sunday your children will hear about the story of John the Baptist.  God gave John a special task.  He would help the people prepare for the coming of the promised Messiah.  When Jesus presented himself for baptism, John recognized him at once.  Jesus’ baptism became a revelation of who he was and marked the beginning of his ministry.  Baptism, a sacrament of the church, is an outward acceptance of God’s grace and our membership in God’s family.

Our story will be prepare the way, we will talk about the names of Jesus.  I would also like to read about John a bit and where he came from (Luke 1:5-24,39-80.  We will also practice our parts for presentation in church.

Bible Verse

And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, the Beloved with whom I am well pleased.”

Matthew 3:17

Bible Story

Matthew 3:1-17;Mark 1:1-11; Luke 3:15-23; John 1:19-34