Thu Sep 17

Listen up, little ones

Especially for the littles in your household.

Listen for the words John, baptize(d) and baptism.

Reading

Luke 3:1–20—A Voice of One Crying Out in the Wilderness

Optional Reading

Isaiah 40:1-11

Keys for kids

Also for the littles. Young households might choose, after Keys for Kids, to go directly to praise and prayer.

God called John from the wilderness.
John got busy telling people to turn to God.
We must turn to God, too.

Questions

(Some read the ?s before the notes/ ask them after.)

What does it mean to repent?
What sort of fruit does true repentance produce?
How does Jesus baptize?

Catechism

(1 Q&A each week related to the preaching text)

WSC #94

What is baptism?

Baptism is a sacrament, wherein the washing with water in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, doth signify and seal our ingrafting into Christ, and partaking of the benefits of the covenant of grace, and our engagement to be the Lord’s.

Matt. 28:19; Rom. 6:4; Gal. 3:27

Notes

(See Saturday for authors.)

Luke shows us here the beginning of John’s public ministry. He identifies the public figures of the day, but focuses on John, son of Zechariah and Elizabeth. He was in the wilderness where Luke had told us he was until his public ministry began (Lu 1:80). As soon as he heard from God, he began to proclaim Jesus.

Isaiah had told us that this would happen just like Luke now said these things were being accomplished as he started his gospel (Lu 1:1) account.

As John worked, he told people they were going the wrong way on the road. Turn around, he said. Repent. To repent is to change our mind and our lives—to turn away from sin and turn to God—the One who leads us to repentance by His kindness (Rom 2:4). And all who are granted repentance by God’s grace will hate sin and turn to God.

But some were just coming for the show. They wanted to get a little bit wet and be a little bit good. John said they were like poisonous snakes. Instead, show your repentance through your fruit. Unless your fruit is good, you are yourself bad (Lu 6:43-44).

John assured these repentant, baptized people that Jesus would improve their baptism. After Jesus’s earthly ministry was completed, He will baptize His disciples with the Sprit and with fire (Acts 2:3-4).

Swedish Method questions

See the Sunday notes for meaning of the symbols.

Praise

Psalm 7b, 119v

Prayer

Pray that you will hate sin and love God.
Pray for the preparation for preaching God’s Word this Lord's Day.
Pray for a member of our church, for your family, and for a non-Christian friend/family member.