The Rescue Begins

Welcome to my Easter blog. We have 40 days until Easter (April 5). To prepare our hearts. To know the story of Jesus: his life, his death, and his resurrection. I hope you will join me. We're using the "Jesus Storybook Bible" if you want to read it yourself (I have extras if you'd like to borrow one).
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Our story starts up again with the New Testament. Jesus' cousin, John, was a special man chosen by God to prepare people's hearts for Jesus (Matthew 3, Luke 1,3; John 1).

John's father Zechariah sang when he was born, knowing that God was fulfilling his promises to his people to send a Rescuer:

"Because God loves us with a  Never Stopping, Never Giving Up, Unbreaking, Always and Forever Love-- Heaven is breaking through! 
He is sending us a Light from Heaven
To shine on us like the sun
To shine on those who live in darkness
And in the shadow of death
To guide our feet into the way of peace."

John was unusual. He lived out in the desert, ate locusts and wild honey, and wore clothes made of camel hair. He said, "prepare your hearts for your King and Rescuer."  Good news. But it also made people sorry they'd run away from God. They wanted to be clean and in good relationship with God.

So they came to John. He baptized them in the river, a symbol of a new life. Many people came to John. One day, even Jesus came to John.

Why would Jesus come to repent and be baptized? He was the only clean one, with a perfect relationship with God.
John said, "Who am I, to baptize you?" 
Jesus said, "This is what my Father wants." Not only did God become Man, but he also identified himself with us sinners.



And when he was baptized, a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son. I love him. I am very pleased with him. Listen to him." And so the great rescue began...

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Jesus, you are a totally different kind of King than we expected: gentle and humble, giving yourself instead of grabbing power. If we were alive during the time when John was announcing the news of your coming, we would go down to the river with your people and say, "Yes, we want to be ready for this Rescuer and King."

Today, the news of what you did to rescue us has spread all over the world. And we also want our lives to be ready to receive you, the humble and glorious King!

Thank you that you made it possible for us to be included in those sweet words from our Father, "I love you. I am pleased with you." We can't earn those words, and often we can't even earn them from our biological fathers. We are shocked that our Heavenly Father God speaks those words to us, us who have messed up the world and messed up our lives and relationships and hurt our Father.

You are like our older brother, searching for us and bringing us back home to be welcomed by our Gracious Father.