The "Right" of Obedience

   The Scripture for today comes from Matthew 3, where Jesus comes and is baptized by John the Baptist. John does not see the need for this and tells Jesus that it is he, John, that needs to be baptized by Jesus. After all, John knows that Jesus is the righteous one and he, John, is the one that needs to be forgiven. Jesus then tells John that it is right that He is baptized, and John goes ahead and completes the act.

   Now Jesus was the sinless One. The baptism that John performed in the Jordan was for people who wanted to repent of their sins and prepare for the coming of the Messiah. From John's standpoint there was no need for this on the part of Jesus, there was nothing to repent of. 

   Maybe Jesus, in his "man-ness" did not need this, but He sensed or knew that the Father wanted this done. So, He did it. He was obedient to the wishes of the One who sent Him. In that there is a message for me also.

   There are a lot of reasons for me to be obedient to some authority, and a lot of these stem from a fear of punishment, or of someone not being proud of me, or because it might lead to a failure of some kind. 

   Sometimes I need to be obedient because it is just the right thing to do. Jesus says in John 14, “If you love me, you will obey my commandments."

   Obedience out of an attitude of love, the best reason of all.