Footsteps teach in a powerful way

1. Footsteps teach in a powerful way • Footsteps imply a way of life (1 Jn 1; Rom 6:4)

2. Footsteps teach in a powerful way • Footsteps imply a way of life (1 Jn 1; Rom 6:4) • Footsteps teach without words (1 Pt 2:1-2; Phil 4:9)

3. Footsteps teach in a powerful way • Footsteps imply a way of life (1 Jn 1; Rom 6:4) • Footsteps teach without words (1 Pt 2:1-2; Phil 4:9) • Jesus wants us to see His footsteps (1 Pt 2:21-25; Jn 13; Lk 7:19-23)

4. Footsteps teach in a powerful way • Footsteps imply a way of life (1 Jn 1; Rom 6:4) • Footsteps teach without words (1 Pt 2:1-2; Phil 4:9) • Jesus wants us to see His footsteps (1 Pt 2:21-25; Jn 13; Lk 7:19-23) • This study is a great opportunity!

5. Where did Jesus’ footsteps begin? • Jesus did not have a beginning (Col 1:15-18)

6. Where did Jesus’ footsteps begin? • Jesus did not have a beginning (Col 1:15-18) • Jesus did have a beginning as a man (Heb 1:6; 10:5)

7. Where did Jesus’ footsteps begin? • Jesus did not have a beginning (Col 1:15-18) • Jesus did have a beginning as a man (Heb 1:6; 10:5) • How could God become man? What does this mean? (Jn 1:10-12)

8. Where did Jesus’ footsteps begin? • Jesus did not have a beginning (Col 1:15-18) • Jesus did have a beginning as a man (Heb 1:6; 10:5) • How could God become man? What does this mean? (Jn 1:10-12) • What sacrifice did Jesus make to do this?

9. Jesus’ Footsteps led to the Preaching of John the Baptist • This was part of God’s eternal plan! (Lk 1:13-17)

10. Jesus’ Footsteps led to the Preaching of John the Baptist • Luke 1:13-17 (NKJV) - But the angel said to him, “Do not be afraid, Zacharias, for your prayer is heard; and your wife Elizabeth will bear you a son, and you shall call his name John. 14 And you will have joy and gladness, and many will rejoice at his birth.

11. Jesus’ Footsteps led to the Preaching of John the Baptist • 15 For he will be great in the sight of the Lord, and shall drink neither wine nor strong drink. He will also be filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mother’s womb. 16And he will turn many of the children of Israel to the Lord their God.

12. Jesus’ Footsteps led to the Preaching of John the Baptist • 17 He will also go before Him in the spirit and power of Elijah, ‘to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children,’ and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just, to make ready a people prepared for the Lord.”

13. Jesus’ Footsteps led to the Preaching of John the Baptist • John’s work was prophesied before his birth.

14. Jesus’ Footsteps led to the Preaching of John the Baptist • John’s work was prophesied before his birth. • John was called from his “mother’s womb” in that his great work in preparing the way of Jesus was his purpose in life.

15. Jesus’ Footsteps led to the Preaching of John the Baptist • John’s preaching and work was from God.

16. Jesus’ Footsteps led to the Preaching of John the Baptist • John’s preaching and work was from God. • He taught in a distinctive way that caused men to see their sins and repent. (Mt 3:1-6)

17. Jesus’ Footsteps led to the Preaching of John the Baptist • Matthew 3:1-6 (NKJV) - In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, 2 and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” 3 For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah, saying: “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; Make His paths straight.’”

18. Jesus’ Footsteps led to the Preaching of John the Baptist • 4 Now John himself was clothed in camel’s hair, with a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. 5 Then Jerusalem, all Judea, and all the region around the Jordan went out to him 6 and were baptized by him in the Jordan, confessing their sins.

19. Jesus’ Footsteps led to the Preaching of John the Baptist • John’s work indeed involved turning hearts back to God. This is the great work that Jesus would complete.

20. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • Beginnings often tell much about the nature and the future of a matter.

21. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • Beginnings often tell much about the nature and the future of a matter. • Consider the call to Isaiah and Ezekiel. (Isa 6:1-8; Ezk 1:4-9; 2:3-4)

22. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • Isaiah 6:1-8 (NKJV) 1In the year that King Uzziah died, I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. 2Above it stood seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew. 3And one cried to another and said:

23. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • “Holy, holy, holy is the LORD of hosts; The whole earth is full of His glory!” 4 And the posts of the door were shaken by the voice of him who cried out, and the house was filled with smoke. 5 So I said: “Woe is me, for I am undone! Because I am a man of unclean lips, And I dwell in the midst of a people of unclean lips; For my eyes have seen the King, The LORD of hosts.”

24. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • 6 Then one of the seraphim flew to me, having in his hand a live coal which he had taken with the tongs from the altar. 7And he touched my mouth with it, and said: “Behold, this has touched your lips; Your iniquity is taken away, And your sin purged.” 8 Also I heard the voice of the Lord, saying: “Whom shall I send, And who will go for Us?” Then I said, “Here am I! Send me.”

25. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • Ezekiel 1:4-9 (NKJV) - Then I looked, and behold, a whirlwind was coming out of the north, a great cloud with raging fire engulfing itself; and brightness was all around it and radiating out of its midst like the color of amber, out of the midst of the fire. 5 Also from within it came the likeness of four living creatures. And this was their appearance: they had the likeness of a man.

26. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • 6 Each one had four faces, and each one had four wings. 7 Their legs were straight, and the soles of their feet were like the soles of calves’ feet. They sparkled like the color of burnished bronze. 8 The hands of a man were under their wings on their four sides; and each of the four had faces and wings.

27. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • 9 Their wings touched one another. The creatures did not turn when they went, but each one went straight forward.

28. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • Ezekiel 2:3-4 (NKJV) - And He said to me: “Son of man, I am sending you to the children of Israel, to a rebellious nation that has rebelled against Me; they and their fathers have transgressed against Me to this very day. 4 For they are impudent and stubborn children. I am sending you to them, and you shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord GOD.’

29. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • Jesus chooses this occasion to begin His ministry at the age of 30. (Lk 3:23)

30. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • Jesus chooses this occasion to begin His ministry at the age of 30. (Lk 3:23) • The fact of the Bible’s silence concerning these 30 years adds to the importance of this beginning.

31. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • Jesus chooses this occasion to begin His ministry at the age of 30. (Lk 3:23) • The fact of the Bible’s silence concerning these 30 years adds to the importance of this beginning. • We should not treat anything in this beginning lightly.

32. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • Jesus chooses this occasion to begin His ministry at the age of 30. (Lk 3:23) • The fact of the Bible’s silence concerning these 30 years adds to the importance of this beginning. • We should not treat anything in this beginning lightly. • The baptism of John showed men that his authority was from God.

33. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • No one had practiced baptism before John instituted it.

34. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • No one had practiced baptism before John instituted it. • The uniqueness of it like caused men to call him “John the Baptist (or baptizer).”

35. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • No one had practiced baptism before John instituted it. • The uniqueness of it like caused men to call him “John the Baptist (or baptizer).” • This new action caused men to question who he was and thereby explain his authority for doing these things. (Jn 1:19-28)

36. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • John 1:19-28 (NKJV) - Now this is the testimony of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levites from Jerusalem to ask him, “Who are you?” 20 He confessed, and did not deny, but confessed, “I am not the Christ.” 21And they asked him, “What then? Are you Elijah?” He said, “I am not.” “Are you the Prophet?” And he answered, “No.”

37. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • 22 Then they said to him, “Who are you, that we may give an answer to those who sent us? What do you say about yourself?” 23 He said: “I am ‘The voice of one crying in the wilderness: “Make straight the way of the Lord,”’ as the prophet Isaiah said.”

38. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • 24 Now those who were sent were from the Pharisees. 25 And they asked him, saying, “Why then do you baptize if you are not the Christ, nor Elijah, nor the Prophet?” 26 John answered them, saying, “I baptize with water, but there stands One among you whom you do not know. 27 It is He who, coming after me, is preferred before me, whose sandal strap I am not worthy to loose.”

39. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • 28 These things were done in Bethabara beyond the Jordan, where John was baptizing. • Jesus later pressed the Pharisees on this issue because He knew that when the question of John’s authority was established then there could be no questioning His. (Lk 20:3-7)

40. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • Jesus later pressed the Pharisees on this issue because He knew that when the question of John’s authority was established then there could be no questioning His. (Lk 20:3-7)

41. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • Luke 20:3 through Luke 20:7 (NKJV) - But He answered and said to them, “I also will ask you one thing, and answer Me: 4 The baptism of John—was it from heaven or from men?” 5 And they reasoned among themselves, saying, “If we say, ‘From heaven,’ He will say, ‘Why then did you not believe him?’

42. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • 6 But if we say, ‘From men,’ all the people will stone us, for they are persuaded that John was a prophet.” 7 So they answered that they did not know where it was from.

43. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • The baptism of John involved two crucial themes of Jesus’ ministry: repentance and remission of sins. (Mk 1:4; Lk 3:3)

44. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • Mark 1:4 (NKJV) - John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins. • Luke 3:3 (NKJV) - And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins, • Repentance is brought about from a knowledge of God's will. (1 Jn 3:4; 5:17)

45. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • Mark 1:4 (NKJV) - John came baptizing in the wilderness and preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins.

46. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • Luke 3:3 (NKJV) - And he went into all the region around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the remission of sins,

47. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • Repentance is brought about from a knowledge of God's will. (1 Jn 3:4; 5:17)

48. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • 1 John 3:4 (NKJV) - Whoever commits sin also commits lawlessness, and sin is lawlessness.

49. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • 1 John 5:17 (NKJV) - All unrighteousness is sin, and there is sin not leading to death.

50. Why did Jesus begin His ministry with baptism? • Repentance is preceded by godly sorrow. (2 Cor 7:10)