Why do we

celebrate the
New Year?
 What are
your usual
New Year’s
Resolutions?
DIET REPENT
removing removing
what is not what is evil in
part of us our lifestyle,
that makes us behavior/acti
unhealthy ons
NEW NEW
LOOK SPIRIT
Maybe a Turning away
new from my old
hairstyle or sinful life and
wardrobe/c living clothed
lothes with the grace
of God
GET GROWING
BETTER IN
GRADES HOLINESS
working
harder for a striving to reach
better future heaven
HAVE A HAVING
NEW JESUS AND
BOY/GIRL THE HOLY
FRIEND SPIRIT
Wanting to find Wanting to find
the one to live God who alone
with happily every can give eternal
after happiness
MAKE ME MAKE
HAPPY JESUS
Turning away HAPPY
from Living for God
selfishness and loving
Jesus in others
 Baptism
Living Our New Life in
Christ
Jan 9: Solemnity of the
Baptism of the Lord
• Ends the season of Christmas
• Manifestation or epiphany of the Lord (To
manifest means to show) –> God showed
Himself during the Baptism of the Lord.
Theophany: All three Persons of God
were present during Jesus’ Baptism.
16 And when Jesus had been baptized,
just as he came up from the water,
suddenly the heavens were opened to
him and he saw the Spirit of God
descending like a dove and alighting
on him. 17 And a voice from heaven
said, “This is my Son, the
Beloved,with whom I am well
pleased.”

Matthew 3:16-17
 Trinitarian Nature of God
The true and unique God,
Father, Son, and Holy Spirit,
shows Himself in Christ,
through Him, with Him and
in Him.
If Baptism washes
away sins, why did
Jesus have to be
baptized? Did he
sin?
• Baptism in the Jordan reminds us of
the Christmas theme of
“Christification”
• “Christ” – means “Anointed One”,
the prophesied Messiah, the “One
who is to come”
• Through His Baptism, Jesus is
revealed to be the “Anointed One”,
the promised Christ for the salvation
of all mankind from the death of sin.
By Jesus’ descending on the waters of
the river, He sanctifies the water to
give it power to beget sons of God.

Water sanctified by Jesus has the

power to cleanse us our our sins and
make of us a new creation.

Water is used as a symbol of our

becoming children of God.
 Why is
Baptism
important?
 LET’S LOOK AT
BAPTISM IN THE
BIBLE….
 Matthew 3:16-17
John the Baptist baptizes Jesus...

• What happened when Jesus was baptized?

• What did Jesus receive?
• How did God testify/witness to His Son?
 Luke 12:50

What do you think is the Baptism

that the Lord is talking about here?
 Mark 1:4-8
John the Baptist talks about the
coming Messiah

How is the baptism of John the

Baptist different from the
Baptism of Jesus?
 Mark 16:15-16
Before Jesus ascended into
heaven...
• What did Jesus command His
apostles before He ascended into
heaven?
• What did Jesus say are two things
needed for a person to be saved?
 John 3:3-6
Conversation between a Pharisee
named Nicodemus and Jesus...
• What did Jesus say must happen first
before a person can enter the
Kingdom of God?
• What does the water spoken of by
Jesus symbolize?
 Ephesians 2:1-5
St. Paul speaks to the Christians in
Ephesus
• According to St. Paul, what causes a person to be
"spiritually dead"?
• Who is the "spirit" the St. Paul is talking about in
verse 2: "the spirit who now controls the people who
disobey God”
• In verse 3, how do you think the wants and needs of
our minds and bodies can cause us to sin against
God?
• How did God bring us back to life from our state of
spiritual death?
 Romans 6:22-23
St. Paul tells the Romans about the
payment for sin
• What did St. Paul say was the wages
of sin or the result of sin?
• What does being "slaves to God"
mean? Is God a dictator?
• What is the fruit of holiness,
according to St. Paul?
 Acts 1:1-5
St. Luke tells Theophilus about
the Promise of the Spirit
• What is the event being
talked about here by St.
Luke in verse 5?
 Acts 2:36-39
Peter tells the people that Jesus whom
they crucified was the Lord and
Messiah/Christ...
• What 2 things did Peter say are needed
for the forgiveness of sins?
• What then would be given by God to
those who would do these 2 things?
• Who did St. Peter say God is giving this
promise of forgiveness to?
 Acts 8:35-38
St. Philip converts the Eunuch

• What did apostles need to do for

converts to become fully united
with Christ?
 Acts 16:14-15
The conversion of Lydia..

• Were only the adults baptized?

What of children?
 Acts 16:29-33
St. Paul converts his jailer...
• What did St. Paul say to the
jailer when he asked how one
can be saved?
• Who were baptized in the
jailer's household?
 Acts 22:12-16
St. Paul talks about his conversion
and mission...

• What is the responsibility or

mission of the baptized?
 Romans 6:3-4
St. Paul talks about our new life in
Christ...
• What does "we have been
baptized into the death of
Christ" mean?
• How is this passage related to
Luke 12:50?
 1 Corinthians 12: 12-13
St. Paul speaks to the Corinthians
about all Christians being part of one
Body of Christ
• What does our being part of one Body of
Christ mean?
• What is the "mystical body of Christ"?
• What is the role of the Holy Spirit in
keeping the unity of the members of the
Body of Christ?
 Ephesians 5:25-27
St. Paul likens the love of Christ for the
Church to the love of a husband
towards his wife
• How did Christ sanctify (made holy) the
Church?
• As a man and a woman become one in
marriage, so does the Church become
one with Christ. What are the qualities
Jesus wants His Bride, the Church to
have?
 Colossians 2:12
• How did Jesus cancel our debt
(trespasses/sins) and its result
(death)?
• What is necessary for us to obtain
the fruits of Jesus' passion and death
on the cross and His resurrection?