Matthew 3:13-17 says,
Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. But John tried to stop him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?”
Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John allowed him to be baptized.
When Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. And a voice from heaven said: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.”
I don’t think we can underestimate the importance of how God chose to identify Jesus when He spoke at His baptism. God could have chosen from any number of descriptors or names to call Jesus, but He chose “my beloved Son.” And God refers to us in a similar way. Throughout the rest of the New Testament we see over and over again how God adopts us as His children, how in Christ we are no longer slaves but rather adopted as dearly loved children with all the blessings and inheritance that go with that new position. God is not quiet about His love for us and His design that we be a family.
And yet, how easy is it for us to forget that we are His children, loved for who we are and not what we do? We so easily think that if we don’t spend enough time in God’s Word and prayer, then God won’t love us as much. Or we forget that we are a family, and so, we don’t prioritize our relationships with other believers. At our church, we always say that the church is not like a family, it is a family.
Tips for Teaching This Week’s Session of The Gospel Project for Adults
Every week for Volume 4: From Captivity to the Wilderness, Ken Braddy, Lifeway’s director of Sunday School, will offer guidance to help leaders prepare to lead and teach each session of The Gospel Project for Adults.
Podcast (adultsleadertraining): Play in new window | Download
Tips for Teaching This Week’s Session of The Gospel Project for Students
Every week, student ministry leaders offer guidance to help leaders prepare to lead and teach each session of The Gospel Project for Students. Listen in as he shares:
- The main point of the session
- Any challenges and opportunities for additional discussion that may arise during this session
- Encouragements for leaders
Podcast (studentsleadertraining): Play in new window | Download
A Final Reminder
Don’t forget, you can find tools to help you prepare and lead the discussion in the Additional Resources for this volume. We hope these are a blessing to you as you walk through this session together.
*This week’s leader devotional is written by Dhati Lewis. It is adapted from the daily devotions for Unit 20, Session 1 from The Gospel Project for Adults’ Daily Discipleship Guide.
