Family Activity

Water and Wind

In the baptism of Jesus, Mark and Matthew presented a dramatic scene. When John baptized Jesus, the sky was torn open, so that heaven and earth were no long divided. From heaven, the Spirit came to rest on Jesus. Symbolically, the Father sent his very life upon his Son to mark the beginning of his Son's public ministry. That was a big change for Jesus.

Two images jump out of this scene: waters of Baptism and the descent of the Spirit. In Greek and Hebrew, the word for "spirit" is the same as "breathe" and "wind." So try putting these two ideas together. Place a bowl of water on a table. Have a contest who can blow on the water and move the most water without spilling water out. After the contest, read Genesis 1:1-2 and Exodus 14:21-22. Then read Mark 1:7-11. Compare the three readings. What is Spirit (breathe or wind) doing? What are the results? Thank God for the power of his Spirit in baptism.