The Vineyard- January 17, 2016

The Vineyard- January 17^th, 2016

I am the vine; you are the branches. Whoever abides in me and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit, for apart from me you can do nothing. – John 15:5

Luke 3:21-38

Pray for God to speak to you through the reading of His word. 

Read the passage. 

-          You are my beloved Son

o   When Jesus is baptized, God opens the heavens and speaks directly to him saying, “You are my beloved Son.”

o   What does it mean to you that the Son of God took on human flesh, so he could live with us?

o   What type of humility must it have taken for Jesus to be willing to leave heaven and come to earth?

-          God is one of Us

o   Jesus goes down to the Jordan to be baptized, despite never having sinned.  He does it because Jesus wants to share in our experience, even when he doesn’t have to, even when he doesn’t need to. 

o   What does it mean to you that Jesus seeks to identify with you?  What does it mean to have a high priest who sympathizes with our weaknesses?

-          Descendent of Adam

o   Jesus’ family tree links him not only to Abraham, but also to Adam.  This is to show that Jesus is the Messiah to not only the Jews, the children of Abraham, but to all mankind.

o   How does this show that God loves all mankind?

o   If Jesus came to save all mankind, what does that tell you about God’s love for each of us?

Praise God for sending us his Son!

Jesus came and identified himself with us, by experience life as a human.  Pray for the courage to identify yourself with him, so that you might experience eternal life. 

Consider these verses:

“What shall we say then? Are we to continue in sin that grace may abound? By no means! How can we who died to sin still live in it? Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” (Romans 6:1-4 ESV) 

“I have been crucified with Christ. It is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me. And the life I now live in the flesh I live by faith in the Son of God, who loved me and gave himself for me.” (Galatians 2:20 ESV)