We Are Worthy

My encouragement for you today is to let you know that we are worthy. It's as simple as that.

In Matthew chapter 3, John the Baptist baptizes Jesus. John the Baptist was a preacher who preached in the wilderness. John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.

John the Baptist has been baptizing those who were coming to him. Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John didn't feel worthy of this. He tried to tell Jesus that he was the one who needed baptized by Him. He was confused that Jesus had come to him to be baptized. Jesus answered with this: "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill righteousness." 

When Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased." 

There are two things I want to make a point about.

1. We should never feel like we are not worthy. John wore a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt, his food as locusts and wild honey. I mean picture what John probably looked like. He preached in the wilderness. I picture him as like a super tough looking mountain man. Jesus came to him. Let me say that again. Jesus came to him. He probably never thought in all his life that he would be the one to baptize Jesus Christ. How often do we feel like we aren't worthy. How often do we feel like we are incapable of things because of status, looks, etc? We should never feel that way.

2. When John the baptist said: "I need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?" He was in a place of disbelief. This is what changed everything. When Jesus said: "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for guys to fulfill all righteousness." Jesus told him that this needed to happen now. I picture the Holy Spirit whispering that in our ears every single day. "Let it be so now." It's time! It's time to pursue Christ and to live a life full of righteousness. It's time to make that decision. It's time to stop waiting until we feel comfortable. "Let it be so now," God says. The time is now.

To conclude, remember that we are worthy and that the time to fulfill righteousness is now.