SCRIPTURE: "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?" Matthew 3:13,14 KJV

Although Jesus had not yet began His ministry, we know that He was considered to be "The Teacher" to His disciples. Throughout his subsequent ministry He became known as a healer, a lover of children, and even a Rabbi (which means "Master") to some. Jesus became everything to His followers, and when He was taken from them, and imprisoned, and then finally crucified, it was a crushing blow to their faith.

Even now, people attend church services "waiting" on the Master. Please don't get me wrong: there is no better mind-set, no finer method of worship, then to come to His Temple, "waiting" on Him.  Oh those precious moments that we share when we come to Jesus with our mind and spirits cleaned out of anything else and "set" just on worshipping Him.  Those are the services that fill our hearts, and make our spirits soar. But I have to ask you a strange question this morning. Is that what He needs?

Throughout my studies in the Parenting field, the one thing that I have found to be paramount is to learn how to allow (permit) your children to "grow-up". I mean, we're not Jesus, but how many moms do just about everything for their children? Taking the lesson from those earlier days with the disciples being so crushed by the loss of someone so important in their lives.. don't you think it behooves us as parents to take a step back and allow or permit our children to grow up a little while we're still here?

One of my favorite illustrations with regards to allowing our Children to grow up is a study I did of eagles. When the baby eagles get to a certain age, the parent eagles know that it is time to give their little ones a nudge - straight down. You see, the eagle's nest is usually lodged in an extremely high area, and when it comes time for Eagle Jr. to leave the nest, the mama eagle pushes that baby eagle out of the nest. It's a natural instinct to do so. The eagle's predatory hunting skills rely almost solely on their flying prowess. If they couldn't fly, they couldn't eat, and they would die. So mama eagle shoves them one by one out of the nest, and daddy eagle follows them as they fall. Try as they may at first, they don't just take off flying so daddy eagle gently flies beneath them and lifts them a bit higher ...then letting them go again. The process repeats until the baby eagle can fly on his own.

As humans... we don't have that natural instinct to just push our children out of the nest - and let them fall.  Often, we don't have the means whereby we can "lift them up" and help them to soar. So we tend to dote on them, protecting them, never letting them realize their full potential. In effect we retard or stunt their natural God-given potential for growth by our Parenting smother. I never noticed it before - but did you notice that the word "smother" has the word mother as the major part of the word. Hey mom... if you're taking exception to that statement - perhaps I've struck a nerve.

Well, what does this have to do with today's text?  EVERYTHING!  As much as God likes US to come to Him and tell Him how much we love Him, and how much we need Him in our lives, have you ever stopped to think what He needs?

Everyday God tries to nudge us from the nest (our comfort zones), and teach us to fly... and everyday we hold on for dear life to what we know is "safe" - what we know as "the way we think it should be".  It is our opinion, and it's not entirely our fault, since we have been spiritually parented in the same way that we were naturally parented - believing that we are to let God "do FOR us".   He is our Provider, our Comforter, our Hope... but what are we to him?  What does He need?

John reacted in the same way that the greater part of all Christians would react.  We all sing,

"Jesus use me, and Oh Lord don't refuse me
surely there's a work that I can do.
And Even though it's humble - help my will to crumble;
though the cost be great I work for you." 

Yet, when He designs opportunities to "use us" we say, "No"; or "I could never do that"; or "Call Aaron my brother Lord, but don't call me for I stutter".  What does He need?

I am sure that God never intended for us to be a collection of Beanie Babies sitting somewhere on the shelf waiting to be auctioned off at the highest bid. He doesn't want a group of people who "look pretty" but have never been tried or touched by the infirmities of the world around us. He is looking for some people who when nudged will say, "Here am I Lord, Send Me".

Jesus needed John to fill the great commission on the "Son of God". Jesus said,

"... Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness." (v.15)

John had been given a ministry to perform in the Name of Jesus Christ - The Messiah. The article of baptism is one of  the greatest of all articles of faith. It is the symbolism of the death and resurrection of Christ and our association with it.  Yet, there are those who will not partake of Baptism as they say you can go down a dry sinner and come up a wet one. Well, that's true, and it is not the Baptism that saves you - but it is your submission to the belief that Jesus was the Son of God who died, and was buried, and rose again that sets you free. Paul puts it this way...

"That I may know him, and the power of his resurrection, and the fellowship of his sufferings, being made conformable unto his death;" Phil:3:10

Here we have  Jesus coming to John to be Baptized. He had no need of Baptism for He had nothing to repent of. Yet He associates Himself with what was to come by His submission to it. So He comes to he who was called to Baptize in the Name of The Father, the Son, and The Holy Ghost. He surrendered himself to the ministry for which John had been called, that it might be fulfilled that the God-Man Jesus, publicly would show in that moment, that He surrendered himself as a man to take on the element of death, (submission into the water); the coming up out of the water (being his resurrection and ascension) and the dove ascending upon Him being the promise of The Comforter - God's Holy Spirit.

Friend - I don't know for what ministry God has called you. You may be of the belief that if the Pastor doesn't do it, it's not holy or spiritual. While there are certain rites and ceremonies that by Law only the clergy can perform, Jesus has "called us all" to minister to one another.

One of the greatest healing services I've had the fortune to be a part of, was not accomplished by a visiting Evangelist, but it was the body of the church ...meeting at the altar - praying for one another. There was no one getting carried away with any "thus saith the Lord speeches", just a group of believers ministering to one another in the Spirit of love and fellowship. Now friend - That's what He needs - and that's what He wants. He's calling you today. Can you hear Him?

Let's pray,

Father, we thank you for those men and women around the world who rise up amidst the political injustices around the world. Oh that we would find more Christians who would be nudged from their "nesting in the pew, and step forward and become a true believer. One who loves and gives of themselves to their own fellowship of believers. Lord, we will never flow in the Spirit and soar like an eagle until we put faith to work. Lord, nudge us loose from our perches of complacency today and teach us how to not just fly... but soar above the clouds of despondency and despair that seems to plague every corner of the Earth. For we ask this in Jesus' Name,  Amen.