Summary: In Luke 5, we learn about the amazing meaning of the word "Gospel," which means the good news about Jesus. In this story, Jesus meets three fishermen named Simon Peter, James, and John. He asks them to follow Him, and they become His very first disciples. A breathtaking moment occurs when Jesus helps Simon Peter catch an incredible number of fish. This miraculous event reveals Jesus' extraordinary powers. Because of this miracle, Simon Peter decides to follow Jesus after repenting his sins. Jesus tells Simon Peter and his friends, James and John, that instead of catching fish, they will now be "fishers of men," which means they will help share God’s love with others. This story shows us how Jesus started His important work of teaching and helping people! (Ava): What did Simon Peter do with all the fish? When the Bible says, "they left everything and followed Jesus" (v. 11), does it refer to all the fish they caught or their occupation as fis...
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ReplyDeleteAnswer #1: Children are baptized in some churches NOT because they have done anything wrong but because baptism is a sign of God’s covenant with all who believe in Jesus Christ (including their children) and it is a mark of how you join the local church.
Answer #2: The dove was symbolic and showed that Jesus was anointed by God to be the Son of God. The dove appeared only at Jesus’ baptism because God wanted to show the disciples of Jesus, and us too, that Jesus was anointed and empowered by the Holy Spirit for his earthly work.
Answer#3: Actually, there is only one baptism. If you’ve received baptism as a child, that’s because you’re parents acted in faith and had you baptized and brought into the blessings and protection of the church. If you’ve received baptism as a child, you don’t need another baptism when you get older. Instead, when you get older, you can receive confirmation. Confirmation is not a baptism, but a public profession of faith in Jesus Christ and this is your decision and not your parent’s decision (like that of baptism).
Answer #4: Jesus was both 100% God and 100% human. He was 100% human in that he was born, from a human mother. He is also 100% God in that he existed before he was born in Bethlehem. This makes Jesus special! He is like us, a human being. But he is also very different from us, he is God who took upon human flesh. The reason why we call Jesus a “he” is because the New Testament reveals Jesus as a male human being. God is neither male nor female. God doesn’t have a gender. So why did God reveal himself as a “male” figure? Because Adam who is male, is the head of the human race. Adam was created first before the woman and he represents the human race. However, both male and female, are equal before God.
Answer #5: Baptism is a serious event and symbolizes God’s blessings of salvation. Splashing or sprinkling water is not what makes baptism important but the words that goes with the ‘splashing’ or ‘sprinkling’. It is a ceremony and not a “fun” activity in the splash park because it is a serious event that shows what God has done when we receive baptism.
Answer #6: Baptism is a decision that is made by the parents not by the child. It is an expression of the parent's faith in Jesus Christ to bring their child into the covenant of God's salvation and expresses their understanding that their child even though they have not yet willfully and consciously sinned, are in need to having their sins washed away by the sacrifice of Jesus Christ on the cross. Do children sin? That depends on what you mean by "sin". Sin is more than just bad behavior. It is also having bad thoughts and bad desires. Children are not innocent but very selfish. And being selfish reveals that we come into the world with a heart that is corrupted by a sinful nature. As you get older as a child, you come to realize that you are sinner by nature and also by action and in your heart.
Answer #7: Water is the most important substance on earth not only for life but also has many other important functions, like cleaning dirty faces. Water is used in baptism to symbolize the cleaning power of the cross. Water symbolizes the washing away of our sin. That is why water is used. We use water to clean our hands and feet and body, not with oil. Oil doesn't clean, but water is a great cleansing liquid, which is why water is used symbolically in baptism.