Night Prayer #2

MARK 1:11-15 {11} And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased. {12} And immediately the Spirit driveth him into the wilderness. {13} And he was there in the wilderness forty days, tempted of Satan; and was with the wild beasts; and the angels ministered unto him. {14} Now after that John was put in prison Jesus came into Galilee, preaching the gospel of the kingdom of God, {15} And saying, The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand, repent ye, and believe the gospel.

INSPIRATION: God the Father took this occasion, the baptism of Christ, to declare his delight in his Son. Though the Father is always pleased with the Son, yet he proclaims the fact here to put special emphasis on his approval of what Christ had just done. Jesus did not enter the waters of baptism to symbolize repentance of sin, for he had none to repent of. Instead, he went down into the water to represent his death fro sinners on the cross and arose out of the water to represent his coming resurrection. He was here, at the outset of his earthly ministry, committing himself to the cross.

PRAYER: Your baptism, Lord, was a token of your willingness to die for and save your people from their sin. It was an act of committal to your Father’s will. May we also die daily to our own selfish desires and arise in newness of life, ready to serve you. When we were baptized, we indicated our trust in your saving power and our commitment to live a “resurrection life” for your glory. We rededicate ourselves to that vision today. Amen