In the Steps of Jesus...

Jesus came and lived His life as an example for us. So there are a couple of things that we need to realize.
First of all, Jesus as the Son of God. He was the only begotten Son of God. Meaning His conception was a miracle. He was not born because His mom and dad got together in the usual way. His mother was visited by an angel who told her that she would become pregnant without a man and give birth to a son. She was told that she was to name Him Jesus (which means "deliverer"). This is how Jesus was able to live a sinless life and pay the price, on the cross, that we all owed. He died so that we could go free. Through Him the requirements of the Law of God... without the shedding of Blood there is no remission of sin... were met. In other words, because of what He did for us, our sin is made as though it never happened.  Through Him we are "washed" 100% clean and made acceptable in the presence of God. This is important because, since the fall of man God has longed for the relationship with His creation ( "Man", His sons and daughters) to be restored like it was in the beginning. Now, because of the shed blood of Jesus the way is open to whoever would come.
Now, I am an intelligent and rational man. As such I understand this may sound a bit crazy to anyone who has not made that step in their lives. As with so much of what the Bible teaches, the truth and the life that can be experienced involves a step of faith. You can have a new beginning and it can start right now. Accepting Jesus is who the Bible says He is. Accepting the pardon that Jesus has purchased for you. Accepting that He is the Son of God. That He lived, died, was buried and rose from the dead on the third day. Accepting that His Blood was shed for you so that you can be washed clean and begin a new life with Him, will open a door to a life you couldn't have imagined in your wildest dreams... IF YOU GIVE PURSUIT TO HIM... and that right there is was sets those who know Him intimately apart from those who push and shove one another among the church pews. 
Now, after having said that I need to say this... don't condemn people (though it can be really hard not to, sometimes). Some of those people who are pushing and shoving are fakers and some of them are Christian people who have never found leadership who would shoulder the responsibility of showing them the way to maturity. Of the fakers, some will one day find truth. Of the immature, some may eventually pass away...... can you tell who's who?
What is given to us, is to judge the spirit. Through our relationship with Jesus and by observing we can come to a place of recognizing places that are safe for us and places where we might do well to avoid.
Secondly, Jesus as the Son of Man. Here is where I'm going to say some things that may make church tradition go all "heretic hunter". However, it is so important in our growth as Christian people that we understand that Jesus said, "... follow Me...", and in order for us to do so, we need to be able to. What I'm saying is that we can never reach up to a place where we can follow in the footsteps of God. So, God reached down and walked this world with us, AS ONE OF US (Philippians 2:6-8).
As a man Jesus wasn't able to work miracles. As a man He was unable to turn water to wine or open blind eyes or to raise the dead. The evidence of this is in the first 30 years of His life. We don't hear anything about Him from His birth to His baptism other that 1 little story of Him at the Temple at the age of 12. The reason why we don't hear about Him during that time of His life is because He was not unlike anyone else. He nursed at His mother's breast. He got food all over his face when He ate as a toddler. He needed His diaper changed. He fell and scraped His knees and bumped His elbows. As He got older He learned the skill of carpentry and helped make a living for His family.
HOWEVER, everything changed the day He was led by the Holy Spirit to the Jordan River to be baptized by His cousin John. There after rising from the muddy waters of the Jordan River an event took place that rocketed Him into His ministry. The Bible says in the book of Matthew 3:16-17, " After His baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on Him. And a voice from heaven said," This is My dearly loved Son, who brings Me great joy.""
From that moment on Jesus is either going to a miracle or just coming back from one. His life is alive with a Spiritual energy that opens blind eyes and deaf ears. That causes the lame to run and leap and raises the dead. That casts demons from human hosts and fearlessly stands against the system of religion and control that dominates the day.... and to you and I He says,"... follow Me... Walk in My footsteps... Do as I do". The book of John 14:12 records Jesus saying," I tell you the truth, anyone who believes in Me will do the same works I have done, and even greater works, because I am going to be with the Father".
Why was it important that He went to the Father (God)?
Because as long as He was walking among us the Father couldn't send the Holy Spirit (John7:39).
Ok, here's a quick recap. Jesus is baptized and the Holy Spirit descends and remains on Him and His ministry begins. He lives a life fill with miracles and the super-natural then says, "... follow Me...".
There's a problem. We know that through Jesus' shed Blood we are saved and restored into right relationship with God but we can't, as mere humans, walk a super-natural life. We need the experience that changed Jesus at His baptism to change us, too. We need the baptism in the Holly Spirit... to be immersed in Him.
In the book of John 20:22 Jesus blows on the disciples and says, "Receive the Holy Spirit...".
In the book of Acts 2:1-4 we are given the account of the disciple being filled with the Holy Spirit in the Upper Room. The Disciples left that room different people. Rather than cowering in fear, their lives were filled with power as the Holy Spirit rested upon each of them and the True Church,  or Body of Christ, went into all the world just like Jesus did, in power and the super-natural. When Jesus blew on His disciples and commanded that they receive the Holy Spirit, He effectively reproduced Himself and instead of one Jesus to worry about the devil now had thousands. Today there are millions but unfortunately, perhaps, most don't really know who they are. The result is a dying world that is continuing to die, all around us. It is essential, then, that the Body of Christ mature and step into its role bringing healing to this broken world.
Now then, this is the experience of being Baptized in the Holy Spirit. Matthew 3:11 says that Jesus will baptize us in the Holy Spirit. The word "baptized" means to be immersed. When we are immersed in the Holy Spirit and are living in close relationship with Jesus, then when He whispers in our hearts to go over and touch that person, for example, and we move in obedience, it isn't our hand that touches that has power to heal but the hand of the Holy Spirit, as our hand is immersed in His.
As it says that Jesus is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit, so He did in Acts chapter 2 and He continues to do today, for all those who ask.
This is the only way we can truly bring healing to our world. This is the only way that we can truly fulfill the great commission. This is why it is so important that we learn what it is to mature as Christian people and submit to the process. This is why we need to be willing to go through the Door (the cross, as I explained in my last post) instead of being satisfied to mill around at the threshold, lashing out at anyone who doesn't adhere to our tradition.