Thursday, July 15, 2021
Today’s Scripture
Today’s Author
Leigh Bonner
Would you have someone like John – smelly, unkempt, gnarly, eating something akin to cicadas, and announcing the arrival of the kingdom of God, telling people to turn from sin – baptize you or your child?
I’ve got some good news: someone like that baptized Jesus.
Yes, that’s good news.
The first verse of Mark’s gospel is: “The beginning of the good news of Jesus Christ, Son of God.”
When Jesus is baptized, the Holy Spirit descends upon him like a dove, and a voice from above declares, “‘You are my son, the beloved; with you, I am well pleased.’” This seems like a breath of fresh air, something we would expect to happen.
But then verse 12 tells us what’s next: “And the Spirit immediately drove him out into the wilderness.”
Just as John came out from the wilderness, Jesus is immediately called into it: sweaty, smelly, gnarly, parched.
And that’s good news?
Yes.
It’s the beginning of the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Good News is that in baptism, we become one with the Lord, who became one with us, walking among everyday people, sharing their joys and suffering, their food, their homes, and their whole lives. God walked among us, sweaty, smelly, and messy – even then, God goes with us.
In baptism, we are grafted into the Body of Christ, the Church.
Bodies are messy. Bodies fail. Bodies die.
And bodies heal. Bodies move, live, breathe, and enjoy the goodness of creation.
The Good News is that the Body of Christ does the same, as this messy Body, the Church. And God goes with us, even sometimes sends us, into the messy wilderness together.
Summer Devotional
God Goes With Us
This summer’s devotional is a walk through the Bible. Join our pastors and staff for daily reflections on scripture passages from Genesis to Revelation. In the beginning, God said, “I will be your God and you will be my people.” Come and see how this covenant promise changes through time yet remains steadfast from generation to generation.
Each Sunday, Chris Holmes will share a short message on the texts for the week, and written reflections will go out every Monday through Thursday morning.
We wish you blessings and deeper faith this summer!
