Matthew 3:13-17 Mark 1:9-11 Luke 3:21-22
Baptism is a means of identifying with another person or
their message. John baptized people who
wanted to identify themselves with his message of repentance. We baptize people today who desire to be
identified with Christ in His death, burial and resurrection. It is difficult for us to know why Jesus
sought to be baptized by John because John’s message was one of repentance and
Jesus did not have any sin from which to repent. John recognized this fact and questioned
Jesus about this very issue. However,
God the Father is pleased by what transpires and makes a verbal affirmation of
this fact. We may not fully understand
all that transpires in this passage and the motives behind this event; but we
can certainly learn valuable truths from the three characters mentioned in this
narrative. This marks a turning point in
the record of the Gospels because Jesus is publically presented here and we see
a transition from the ministry of John to the ministry of Jesus.
JESUS DESIRES TO BE BAPTIZED: The desire of Jesus to
participate in John’s baptism is hard for us to explain or understand because
we know that Jesus was without sin. It
may be even more difficult for us to explain the motives behind this
baptism. It could have been that Jesus
wanted to publicly demonstrate His support of the message of repentance that
John was proclaiming. Jesus had come to
save people from sin and repentance was vital to accomplishing that
purpose. It might have been that Jesus
wanted to set an example for us to follow.
He wanted His followers to identify themselves with Him in baptism so He
set an example of baptism. It could have
been a means of initiating His public ministry with John’s affirmation and the
Father’s public blessing. Whatever the
motives might have been, the fact remains that Jesus comes forward and from
this point on will be the main character in the Gospel narratives. This was the first of many steps in the
ministry of Christ in the direction of the cross. All that He did was done for our benefit so
that we might be saved from sin. The
true motive behind all that He did was His love of us and His love of the
Father and His desire to reconcile us to Himself. This is certainly an example worthy of
following.
JOHN DENIES HIS NEED OF BAPTISM: John joins us in our
confusion as to why Jesus would come to be baptized. He knew the true identity of Jesus and
therefore knew that Jesus did not need to be baptized. In fact John’s desire was to be baptized by
Jesus. Jesus convinces John to baptize
Him by stating that it was a means of fulfilling all righteousness. In other words, it was God’s will that He be
baptized so He was going to be obedient to that will as God has a purpose to
accomplish through it. It must have been
one of those unforgettable moments in John’s life that he will likely cherish
for all of eternity. The privilege of
participating in the plan of God is a wonderful thing. John had been called to prepare the way for
Messiah and to point others to Him. As
he baptized Jesus he was fulfilling both of those purposes. As we seek to participate in God’s plan of
redemption for the nations we are called to point others to Christ through our
actions and our words. We may not always
understand the ways in which God chooses to use us but we can be rejoice in the
honor of participating in this glorious mission. In order for us to be a part of what God is
doing we must first identify ourselves with Jesus through faith in His death
and resurrection. Baptism is a means by
which we publicly proclaim our desire to be identified with Him.
GOD DELIGHTS IN HIM AT HIS BAPTISM: In order for the mission
of Christ to be accomplished it was absolutely vital for Jesus to be identified
as Messiah. The only means by which man
can be rescued from sin is by identifying Jesus as the Son of God and trusting
in His work on the cross to set us free from the power and price of sin. To that end God the Father makes a public
declaration as to the identity of Jesus at His baptism. At this turning point in history God the
Father manifests Himself to all who were gathered on that day and publically
proclaimed to all that Jesus was His Son.
In order to benefit from what Jesus did for us we must first correctly
identify exactly who Jesus is. Those who
witnessed this amazing event could testify to the identity of Jesus. Their testimony has spread across generations
and continents until it has come to us.
Now it is our job to continue this testimony to the next generation and
to those nations who have yet to hear that Jesus is the Son of God. The Holy Spirit physically descends on Jesus
in the form of a dove. Jesus was God so
He already had all the power needed to accomplish His mission. However, Jesus was also man and as a man; He
required the empowerment of the Holy Spirit to accomplish the Father’s will. The fact that Jesus was dependent upon the
Holy Spirit makes our attempts to serve the Lord in our own strength look even
more futile. All three members of the
Trinity converge on this occasion working in perfect harmony and yet with
distinct roles to play. The Father
delights in the Son. The Spirit empowers
the Son. The Son submits to the Father
and depends upon the Spirit. This same
pattern ought to be true of the life of every believer. We are to depend on the Spirit to empower us
to testify as to the work of the Son for the glory and delight of the Father.
APPLICATION: Follow the example of Christ by being obedient
to be baptized as a means of being identified with the cross of Christ. Testify to others as to the true identity of
Jesus Christ as Messiah. Rejoice in the
privilege of participating in God’s mission to reconcile man to Himself through
Christ. Worship God for His grace,
power, wisdom and love that have been poured out on us through the work of
Jesus. Depend on the Spirit of God to
empower us to be witnesses of the person and work of Jesus.
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