Jesus Had A Routine

When it was time for Jesus to start His work, He went to John the Baptist in Galilee and was baptized in the Jordan River. As soon as Jesus came out of the water, the Holy Spirit came down from heaven in the shape of a dove and landed on Him, and God's voice said, "You are my Son. I love you and I'm proud of you."

Whether you're a kid or an adult, routine is very important. Your routine is the stuff you do to get ready for your day: shower, brush your teeth, put your school stuff in your backpack, make sure you have lunch money. If you're interrupted, you'll probably forget something!

Even Jesus seemed to have a routine. In this week's Gospel (Mark 1:7-11), we see that He started His work of teaching people about God by doing certain things.

First, Jesus was baptized. Like a shower wakes you up in the morning and gets you focused on your day, Jesus' baptism in the Jordan River reminded Him what His work was all about: teaching people about God. The people watching saw that, too.

The best part of starting any day is when a grownup says to you as you're walking out the door, "Have a great day! I love you!" It doesn't always happen, but it's a special part of some kids' daily routines.

God the Father must have known Jesus needed that boost to start His work, too, because God called down from heaven, "I'm proud of you! I love you!" Jesus' Father even proved He was there by sending the Holy Spirit down to Jesus like a dove.

A good daily routine helps you to have a good day. Even Jesus seemed to know that!?

(1/8/09)