Clothesline 284 "Your real birthday"

After Jesus’ baptism, he began his ministry. He cured the sick, and people were attracted to him. Then, in order to spread the Good News further, he called twelve unsuspecting men—his apostles—to follow him. They followed Jesus because they believed he was “the One” they’d been waiting for. Think about that for a minute…

Jesus’ ministry begins with a motley crew of uneducated men. One by one—Peter, James, John, Andrew—each one hears the call, and they get it, and they begin to leave the security and comfortability of their jobs, the everyday predictability of their lives, and they follow this new Rabbi, where… they don’t know… why… they don’t know… they just know that they have to. Did you ever think of it that way? They could have said no. They could have asked for a guarantee about their future—did Jesus have a 401K to offer them? Would they get mileage compensation for travel? But they ask no questions. They follow… and their ministry begins; the action begins—the action that would change their lives and the lives of every living person in the world.

So I ask you: Whom do you follow? Do you ever wonder if you were one of those twelve, would you have followed Jesus so readily? Following Jesus means accepting who he is. And who is he? As Peter so faithful pronounced: He is the Messiah, the Son of the Living God! And anyone in the presence of this Jesus and his healing power is changed…always! If you have accepted Jesus as your Lord and Savior, you cannot help but be changed! And the first time you accepted Jesus was at your baptism!

You may not remember your baptism, but during the service, you or your godparents were asked: “Do you turn to Jesus Christ and accept him as your Savior?” And the response: “I do!” Those words—that conscious acceptance of Jesus—is a life-changing event. But there’s more! If our lives have been changed because of the presence of the Holy Spirit, we will tell others. We will do all we can to bring others into the presence of Jesus. That is what a disciple does—brings others to know and love Jesus.

Look up the date of your baptism and celebrate it. That day is your real birthday. That’s the day you became a disciple of Jesus, a mover in the church, a follower of Jesus.

The next time to meet someone who is searching for the truth, remember your baptism. Remember your charge to bring others into the kingdom. He doesn’t promise wall-to-wall comforts or daily sunshine. What he does promise is eternal life if we follow him, spread the Good News, and bring others into the knowledge and love of God. So…what’s stopping you?