我们由今天开始查考四卷福音书的经文，借此认识我们的救主，耶稣基督的生平。今天的经文是祂第一次公开行动，记述耶稣离开他成长的地方拿撒勒，下到施洗约翰传道和为人施洗的约旦河，两地相距有一百多公里。

有关施洗约翰传道的消息，一定已经传到拿撒勒这个小镇；基督显然意识到，这表示是祂开始工作的时间了。当约翰在河畔认出下一个等待接受洗礼的人是谁时，你可以想像当时的情景吗？约翰说了甚么呢？「我曾经说过，你要用圣灵和火来给我们施洗，现在你竟然要我给你施洗。」留意基督的回应是如何得体：「你暂且许我，因为我们理当这样尽诸般的义。」

耶稣为何要受洗呢？约翰呼吁人受洗，是为了表明自己认罪和悔改。基督是无罪的，那么，祂为甚么认为祂要受这样的洗呢？这是一个与百姓认同的行动，祂想表明自己是他们当中的一份子。摩西、尼希米、但以理等人，在他们的日子。也以相类似的方式与神的百姓认同。

除此之外，这也是祂开始事奉之前的一个献身行动。当祂受洗以后，父神在天上对祂说：「这就是我的爱子，我所喜悦的。」我们借此便知道神喜悦这个行动。不少人曾经指出，三位一体神的每一个位格都在这一幕出现：父神在天上说话；神的儿子在接受施洗；圣灵降临在基督身上。

基督得到父神与圣灵的印证，便开始祂在地上的事奉。我们也是一样：除非我们得到神的印证和加力，我们的事奉才蒙神的祝福。让我们每天都寻求神的心意和印证。

We commence today with a number of readings from the four Gospels which depict the earthly life of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Here is His first public action, having left Nazareth where He had been brought up and walked down the Jordan Valley to the place where John the Baptist was preaching and baptizing. The distance would have been more than 60 miles, 100 kilometers.

No doubt the news of John’s ministry had reached the little town of Nazareth and Christ must have recognized that this was an indication that the time had come to begin His work. Can you imagine the scene by the river bank as John in some way recognized who the next one was in the line of those coming to be baptized? What did John say? “I’ve been saying you will baptize us with the Holy Spirit and with fire. Now you want me to baptize you.” Notice the gracious words of Christ, “I want you to do this, because we must do everything that is right.”

But why did Jesus need to be baptized? John called for men and women to be baptized as an act of confession of sin and to show their repentance. Christ was sinless, so why did He think He should be baptized in this way? It was an act of identification with His people. He wanted to show He was one of them. In a rather similar way, Moses, Nehemiah, Daniel and others identified themselves with God’s people in their day.

It was also an act of dedication at the beginning of His ministry. That God saw it that way was clearly seen in what followed. God the Father spoke from heaven saying, “I recognize this one as my own Son and I am fully pleased with Him - and what He has done.” It is often pointed out that the Trinity is involved in this scene. God the Father spoke from heaven, God the Son was baptized and God the Holy Spirit descended on Christ.

With this endorsement by the Father and the Spirit, Christ moved on to the beginning of His earthly ministry. It is the same for us - we can only be blessed in our work for God if we have His endorsement and His empowerment. Let us seek that day by day.