MARCH 3 - THE BAPTISM OF JESUS
READ Matthew 3
After His baptism by His forerunner, John, Jesus’ ministry is validated by God the
Father.
INSIGHT
No matter when, no matter where, repentance is necessary when meeting God for the first time. To repent means to change your mind. If you have been living your life without God, you must change your mind about Him. You must stop thinking of Him as something less than Sovereign Lord of the universe. You must acknowledge His right to define what is right-and wrong-for you. And you must trust Him to reconcile you to Himself through His only begotten Son. If you were transported back to John’s time and heard his message, would you repent?
PRAYER
At Jesus’ baptism, God confirmed Jesus’ divine sonship to all who were at the scene. Thank God that He reveals Himself in ways that all people understand:
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour out speech;
night after night they communicate knowledge.
There is no speech; there are no words;
their voice is not heard (Psalm 19:1-3).
For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse (Romans 1:20).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God (Romans 3:10-11).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this
affirmation to the Lord:
How joyful is the one
whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered!
How joyful is a person whom
the Lord does not charge with iniquity
and in whose spirit is no deceit!
(Psalm 32:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5).
After His baptism by His forerunner, John, Jesus’ ministry is validated by God the
Father.
INSIGHT
No matter when, no matter where, repentance is necessary when meeting God for the first time. To repent means to change your mind. If you have been living your life without God, you must change your mind about Him. You must stop thinking of Him as something less than Sovereign Lord of the universe. You must acknowledge His right to define what is right-and wrong-for you. And you must trust Him to reconcile you to Himself through His only begotten Son. If you were transported back to John’s time and heard his message, would you repent?
PRAYER
At Jesus’ baptism, God confirmed Jesus’ divine sonship to all who were at the scene. Thank God that He reveals Himself in ways that all people understand:
The heavens declare the glory of God,
and the expanse proclaims the work of his hands.
Day after day they pour out speech;
night after night they communicate knowledge.
There is no speech; there are no words;
their voice is not heard (Psalm 19:1-3).
For his invisible attributes, that is, his eternal power and divine nature, have been clearly seen since the creation of the world, being understood through what he has made. As a result, people are without excuse (Romans 1:20).
Pause for personal praise and thanksgiving. As you seek to keep your life free from sin, pray this confession to the Lord:
As it is written: There is no one righteous, not even one. There is no one who understands; there is no one who seeks God (Romans 3:10-11).
Confess any sins that the Holy Spirit brings to your mind. Now pause to pray this
affirmation to the Lord:
How joyful is the one
whose transgression is forgiven,
whose sin is covered!
How joyful is a person whom
the Lord does not charge with iniquity
and in whose spirit is no deceit!
(Psalm 32:1-2).
As you make your requests known to the Lord, pray for:
- Day-to-day repentance
- The Lord to reveal Himself to others through you
- Your activities for the day
Finally, offer this closing prayer:
This hope will not disappoint us, because God’s love has been poured out in our hearts through the Holy Spirit who was given to us (Romans 5:5).
A Dogwood Church Discipleship Ministry Resource. © Walk Thru the Bible 2026.