The Way - Chapter 1 - Jesus' Baptism and Temptation

This week's lesson takes us first to the Jordan River and then to the Judean wilderness.  It is Adam's premise that these two experiences are necessary to Jesus' ministry, cementing his understanding of the struggles of those with whom he would be in ministry.  What is more comforting than knowing Jesus dealt with the same struggles we face every day?  The difference between us, of course, is that Jesus did not give into human weakness, but gives us an example of how to live a life that honors God.

Read Chapter 1: Baptism and Temptation.

Click here if you would like to watch the sermon video that this lesson is shaped around.  It will include the video we watched in class, along with some extra footage.

Think about these questions as you remember the reading.  They will help reinforce the major ideas in the chapter.

1. Did Jesus need the kind of baptism that John was offering?  Why or why not?
2. For what purpose did Jesus have John baptize him?  How did this set up Jesus ministry from the beginning?
3. God spoke an identifying word to Jesus in his baptism… how does that word translate to us when we are baptized?   
4. What role does baptism play in your faith tradition?  Where in the cycle of faith does it occur?  What means are used?  
5. How do you “Remember your baptism?”  Is it possible to remember it if you were baptized as an infant?
6. What were the three ways that Jesus was tempted after his time in the wilderness?  How do those translate into the kinds of temptations that we face each day?
7. What message do we take away with us from this lesson?  What is the hope that is given to us?

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Two interesting discussions came from our time in class.

1.  In class we talked about remembering our baptisms.  What does that look like at different times in our lives?  I thought about this as I watched Adam stepping into the Jordan River, remembering his own baptism, immersing himself in what appeared to be frigid water.  I had always considered "remembering my baptism" as an intellectual process.  I was baptized as an infant.  I have pictures, but remembering for me was about appreciating that my parents committed to raising me in the church.  Remembering involved recommitting my life to my faith in Christ as I grew in faith, ultimately responding to call to ordained ministry.  It was a revelation to think about immersing myself into the "remembering" process.  I will definitely think about that more.

Others in the class talked about how murky the water was, and the idea of being dunked in the cold, opaque water.  But isn't that part of the point?  The water isn't about cleaning us physically, it's about the ritual and spiritual cleansing - the sense of coming to a place where we know that we need to be made clean, and that we can't do it for ourselves.  

Different traditions have different understandings about baptism.  They basically fall into two categories... those that believe that God makes the first move and those that believe that we make the first move.  So for some Christian traditions, baptism is a once in a lifetime event, and for others, baptism can occur multiple times.  The good news is that every time we recommit our lives to Christ, either as we come back to a life of faith or as we take our journey to a new level of commitment, baptism is our reminder that God's love, mercy and grace wash us clean from our sin and bring us to heart of God.

What does it mean to you to remember your baptism?  What has that looked like for you?

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2.  In the reading, Adam asserts that we are tempted not to do the right thing as often as we are tempted to do the wrong thing.  So we ask, is failing to do the right thing as serious as doing the wrong thing?  It's easy to condemn ourselves and others for the sin in our lives.  But what about the times when it's not about what we've done, but when we have not acted when we have had the chance?  What if we get too much change at the grocery store - do we take it back or think, "No one will know"?  What if we see someone bullying another person - do we intervene or worry that we may be the next target?  Jesus spent much of his ministry doing the right thing, even though it alienated him from the religious status quo. This is what a life of faith is about for us, too.  It's about remaking our lives by a new pattern... not just following the law, but going out of our way to do the right thing. 

But this isn't what faith life always looks like.  Why is this part so hard?  Is the more difficult temptation to not act when we can?  What do you think?

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I'll close by sharing a story from my family.  When I was in seminary, our whole family gathered at my brother's house for Christmas.  On December 26th, we took off as a family for the local mall, to do a little shopping and have a nice lunch out.  We went in two cars because there were eight of us, and as we drove we saw a traffic accident happen right before our eyes.  A young man had sprinted across the street against the light and was hit by a car... I remember seeing the body fly into the air.  In front of us, my brother pulled into a parking lot, and immediately went to give aid.  I joined him, giving first aid to the boy who had been hit, while my brother attended the driver.  My mom, in her purple pants suit, started directing traffic.  My sister went to a pay phone and called 911.

When the first police car showed up, the officer told my mom to just keep up the good work while he went to direct traffic in the other direction.  Eventually, more police and two ambulances came, and two hours after we started out, we made it to Chili's for lunch.  We got our table, our menus, and made our order, all the time chatting about inconsequential things.  Finally, I asked, "Excuse me, are we ever going to talk about what just happened?"  And my mom's response will stay with me forever... She said, "What is there to talk about? This is just what we do... "

Please feel free to share your stories...