In Matthew 10, Jesus sets out clear expectations for his followers of what it will look like to serve him and walk with him. And he wants us to know, quite frankly, that if we were trying to find our way to a lifestyle dream—a place of comfort and pampering—we have come to the wrong place, and we have chosen the wrong Lord.
As Israel spent 40 years being tested in the wilderness, so Jesus spends 40 days—and is proved entirely faithful. The faithfulness of Jesus, God’s true Son, is the foundation for our salvation. His perfectly righteous life is the basis of our standing before the Father.
In entering the water of baptism alongside repentant sinners, Jesus identifies with them. Ultimately, he will fulfil all righteousness by taking their place at the cross and standing for them as the Son who truly pleases the Father.
In entering the water of baptism alongside repentant sinners, Jesus identifies with them. Ultimately, he will fulfil all righteousness by taking their place at the cross and standing for them as the Son who truly pleases the Father.
History is full of surprises. Sometimes, history is downright stranger than fiction. Church history, including Baptist history, is no exception to this principle. When the Baptist movement, as we know it today, emerged in the seventeenth century, early Baptists had to settle their views on several important issues. For those with a cursory knowledge of Baptist life and history, you can probably guess some of the significant questions: Calvinism vs. Arminianism and Open vs. Closed Communion, for example. Yet, some early Baptist disagreements may be a shock. In my experience, many present-day Baptists are baffled when they learn that the...
