Luke 3:15-18, 21-22 - As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, John answered them all, saying, "I baptize you with water, but He who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in His hand, to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire." So with many other exhortations he preached good news to the people. ... Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, "You are My beloved Son; with You I am well pleased."

We get two pictures of Jesus in this Bible reading. The first is kind of frightening, to be honest. John talks about Someone whose sandals he is not worthy to touch—Someone who baptizes with the Holy Spirit and with fire. And this Jesus is coming for judgment—"to clear His threshing floor and to gather the wheat into His barn, but the chaff He will burn with unquenchable fire."

Luke calls this good news, but I can't help feeling differently about it. Because I know my own heart, and as a sinful human being, I'm a lot closer to chaff than to good wheat. How can I hope to survive the judgment?

But there is good news in this passage, even for me—and it comes at the end. Because there we get the second picture of Jesus. Luke writes, "Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying ..." Wait a minute. That isn't a scary picture of Jesus! That shows me Jesus among the people as one of them—baptized like them, praying like them, like me. That shows me Jesus as God-with-us, God come to save us—even the most sinful and broken of us.

Yes, the day will come when we see Jesus returning as Judge—but that day no longer holds terror for us, because we have already seen Him come as our Savior. Because He went willingly to the cross for our sakes, to die and to rise again, now we can be sure that everyone who trusts in Him will be forgiven, cleansed, made new. We are no longer terrified sinners, but God's own children, because of what Jesus has done for us. And so the Day of Judgment becomes good news for us—because it is the day when the One we love most returns to bring us home in peace.

WE PRAY: Come quickly, Lord Jesus! Amen.

This Daily Devotion was written by Dr. Kari Vo.

Reflection Questions:

1. Do you ever worry about the Day of Judgment?

2. How does Jesus' death and resurrection for you help with that fear?

3. If Jesus is God-with-us, what does that do for our fear?

Today's Bible Readings: Job 1-2    Matthew 7

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