Invitation Into Manhood - Part 2
God, the Father - Jesus, the Son
Why is it that we refer to God as the Father and Jesus, the Son of God? To be honest, I’m not sure I can offer a qualified answer, but I do know this: we, as fathers, can draw from this model for our own relationship with our sons.
Matthew 3 provides us with an excellent model for our discussion on the rite of passage. To begin the story, John the Baptist points out that “the kingdom of heaven is near.” He then introduces the event that was prophesied by Isaiah: “Prepare the way for the Lord, make straight paths for him.” John goes on to declare, “He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” Very little of this made sense to those present at the time. But God, the Father, soon makes a grand entry as he carries out the rite of passage for Jesus, His Son. We’ll find that even John did not fully understand what was about to happen.
When Jesus arrives, John’s confusion is revealed. It doesn’t make sense to him that Jesus, the Messiah, came to be baptized by him, a mere prophet. When Jesus states, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Well, what could John say? “Then John consented.”
Consented!? Of course he consented. He was introducing the Savior of the world. That would be like a seventeen year old challenging his father about curfew. O.K., bad example. But John did what he had to do.
Ceremonial Rite of Passage
At this point the Father carries out a ceremonial rite of passage. He calls out His Son into ministry and publicly blesses Him. And this is where we, as fathers, can draw from His example.
We see in this story all the elements of a good ceremony. Robert Lewis lays them out for us in Raising a Modern-Day Knight. They include:
First, memorable ceremonies are costly.
Second, memorable ceremonies ascribe value.
Third, memorable ceremonies employ symbols.
Finally, and perhaps most important, memorable ceremonies empower a life with vision.
We’ve already seen the process that led up to this event. John the Baptist was prophesied to be the one to “prepare the way for the Lord.” God ordained the miraculous conception of John for this purpose. John lived his entire life in preparation for this event. When Dr. Lewis says, “memorable ceremonies are costly,” this ceremony cost John his life; literally speaking - his head was served on a platter.
Next, the heavens open, the Spirit of God descends as a dove, lighting on Jesus. About this time I’ll bet John the Baptist was glad he did what he was told.
Then God, the Father, announces, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
The Father has “ascribed value” to His Son by declaring His love for Jesus and His feelings about Jesus. This expression of love from father to son is vital.
The Father “employed symbols” as the Spirit of God descended like a dove and was a light on Jesus. We see these two symbols, the dove and the light, still today in the church.
Finally, the Father “empowered a life with vision.” Jesus went on to overcome the temptations of Satan. He began preaching the gospel and healing the sick. Jesus had to know what his purpose was in order to fulfill it. He later proclaimed to a crowd, “I must preach the good news of the kingdom of God to the other towns also, because that is why I was sent” (Luke 4:43). And Matthew 4:23 gives us a clear description of His ministry: “Jesus went throughout Galilee, teaching in their synagogues, preaching the good news of the kingdom, and healing every disease and sickness among the people.” Jesus’ mission concluded with the ultimate fulfillment of prophecy; Jesus became the instrument of the new covenant. As he explained to his disciples, “For even the Son of Man did not come to be served, but to serve, and to give His life a ransom for many” (Mark 10:45). The Father empowered His Son for this purpose.
Wow! That’s a ceremony never to be outdone!
But it gives us dads a model to emulate. These four elements of ceremony can set a course for our sons that will help them overcome temptation and find God’s will for their purpose in life.
“Where there is no vision, the people are unrestrained…” (Proverbs 29:18).
Posted on December 18th, 2007 by Jeff Purkiss
Filed under: Rite of Passage
In response to Valerie’s question posted on the SQUIRES2KNIGHTS MINISTRIES page: My husband would like to have a ceremony for my 18 year old son before he goes off to college challenging him to be a man of God. Do you have any resources to help us. We would love some creative ideas.
Valerie,
Thanks for asking. I commend you for helping your husband go the extra mile for your son. Our culture has lost the art of ceremonial rite of passage and your family can help pioneer this blessing back into the next generation.
You probably read my blog articles titled “Invitation Into Manhood - Part 1 and Part 2.” In both of those posts, I quote from Robert Lewis’ book titled: Raising a Modern-Day Knight. He has some ideas, but doesn’t get into specifics.
In my book, Squires to Knights - Mentoring Our Teenage Boys, I dedicate the first chapter to this issue - Chapter 1 is titled “Who Gives the Rite of Passage?” You can order a copy at www.SquiresToKnights.com.
You can also check out www.RealArmorOfGod.com. They have a page on their site that gives a detailed script for replicating a knighthood dubbing ceremony. Go to http://www.realarmorofgod.com/knighting-ceremony.html.
In addition to the ideas in the “Invitation Into Manhood - Part 2″ post, I recommend inviting key adult male friends and family to offer a few words of blessing, advice and prayer. Describe to them your goal for the ceremony and ask them to prepare their presentation ahead of time.
Another idea is to have your son start a walk with one of these adult male friends or family. Have the adult male plan a talk that would last for about a half mile or mile walk. At the end of the planned distance, have a different man waiting to continue the walk and talk for another distance, while the first adult male departs. Then another man waits for a third walk. This could go on for several miles with several more men. The route for this journey could end at a place prepared for a party. Other friends and family could be waiting with food and gifts for the celebration.
I’ll repeat from the Robert Lewis quote:
“First, memorable ceremonies are costly.” But set a reasonable budget.
“Second, memorable ceremonies ascribe value.” This is where the adult males’ blessing, advice and prayer comes in.
“Third, memorable ceremonies employ symbols.” I have selected a medieval Crusader sword to present to my son this year as he graduates from high school. The symbology is powerful. I describe it in more detail in my book.
“Finally, and perhaps most important, memorable ceremonies empower a life with vision.” Have your husband offer concluding remarks that give him a sense of purpose as a man. Ideas for this can be found in the Knighthood Verses described on the Squires2Knights Ministries’ website. The topics from 1 Corinthians 16:13-14 would be perfect material for this. Go to http://squires2knights.com/knighthood_verses_manhood.html. Here is an excerpt from the Knighthood Verses on the website:
Act like men (be men of courage): This proclamation implores us to pursue our divine roles as men. Biblically, we are to be disciples, servants, husbands, fathers and finally, patriarchs. Not all men will be called to fulfill every one of these roles. Some of these roles will be carried out during different seasons of life. To fulfill these roles, we are called to spiritual leadership and servant leadership. We are to be the provider and protector. In this directive from Paul, the original text refers to a masculine courage.
Expanded teachings from the Knighthood Verses, along with additional Bible verses for the blessing, can also be found in the Squires2Knights Devotional. Go to http://s2kdevotional.com/index.html.
Good luck and God bless.
In His service,
Jeff