"Heaven Breaks Through" - January Lesson 3

​     Hello everyone! Thanks for being with me for our third and last Learning Together lesson of January.
     Our current story is “Heaven Breaks Through” and can be found on pages 200-207 of The Jesus Storybook Bible by Sally Lloyd-Jones.
     Children: Please read our story out loud, or maybe you can read it to another family member.
     To John the Baptist’s amazement, he was asked by Jesus to baptize Jesus in the River Jordan.
     Jesus was old enough to remember His baptism day, but you were probably too small to remember anything about yours. If so, your parents will be able to tell you all about the event and share photos and stories with you. It was a very important day for you and everyone!
     Being baptized means you are officially a member of God’s church.
After baptism, each believer becomes part of our church. Becoming a Christian through baptism is a bit like sharing your promise to a better way of life. Because it’s witnessed by family, friends, loved ones, and church members, baptism is a public confession of faith. 
     The life of John the Baptist teaches us some very important lessons. We learn to be responsible for whatever our mission in life is, to be sorry for our sins, and humbly to do our work of service without drawing attention to ourselves.
     Adults: The Biblical references to our story are Matthew 3, Luke 1 and 3, and John 1.

The Baptism of Christ
Ippolito Scarsellino
1585-1590


       Remarkably, Christ's baptism shows all three Persons of the Trinity at the same time: the Son being baptized, the Holy Spirit descending, and the Father speaking from the heavens. In this event, the Father and the Holy Spirit confirm the deity of Christ, and Jesus submits to his Father's will.
      Herodias asked for the head of John the Baptist on a platter and sadly her wish was granted. He was beheaded in 31AD.
     John the Baptist is of great theological importance in the New Testament. He ended nearly four hundred years of prophetic silence and paved the way for the Messiah. In the spirit of Elijah, he preached a message of repentance and baptism. In his darkest hour he questioned if Jesus was the One who was to come, or whether there would be another. He inaugurated a spiritual movement that had influence long after his death and extended throughout the Mediterranean world.
     He was truly a transitional figure, forming the link between the Old and New Testaments. He spans the ages with one foot firmly planted in the Old Testament and the other squarely placed in the New.
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~This week’s prayer: Lord, thank you for the precious gift of baptism. Amen
     Next week, Sunday School will gather on Sunday, January 28, at approximately 11 a.m. There will be story reading, discussion, and a fun craft. Hope you can make it!
Sincerely,
Margo Greer

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