Jesus’ Baptism

“Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.”  Matthew 3:13

John the Baptist was six months older than Jesus, and it is believed that John began his ministry about six months before Jesus began His ministry.  The people of Israel probably heard more about the work of God in those six months than they had heard over the last 400 years without one of God’s prophets living among each generation.  John could not believe that Jesus came to him to be baptized.  John balked at the idea of baptizing Jesus because he felt unworthy to do such a sacred honor for God’s Son.  John’s mother also had the same humble attitude when visited by Jesus’ mother Mary.  Luke 1:43: “And whence is this to me, that the mother of my Lord should come to me?”

John told Jesus that Jesus needed to baptize him, not the other way around.  Even though John was filled with the Holy Spirit before he was born physically (Luke 1:15), he still acknowledged his need to be baptized by Jesus.  The most righteous person who ever lived still needs the cleansing that only Christ can provide.  Even Jesus’ mother, Mary, needed the salvation that only Jesus could bring.  John was aware of the fact that he was a sinner just like the folks who were coming to him for baptism.  He couldn’t understand why Jesus, the Son of God, desired to be baptized by a sinner.  The reason, as Jesus made clear, was to fulfill all righteousness.  Jesus wanted to be obedient to the Mosaic law and set the example for all of His followers.  The Levitical law required all priests to be consecrated when they were about 30 years of age (Numbers 4:3; Luke 3:23).  The consecration was twofold–first the washing (baptism) and then the anointing (Exodus 29:4-7; Leviticus 8:6-36).  John did not receive this explanation, but he trusted Jesus that His baptism was required, thus he baptized Him in the Jordan River.

People cannot agree upon the form of baptism by which Jesus was baptized, consequently, different churches practice different forms of baptism.  Some sprinkle the baptismal candidate and others immerse, completely submerging the body into the water in a baptismal pool or outdoors in a pond or lake and then raising the person back up from the water.  Immersion is a picture of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.  Matthew 3:16 tells us that “Jesus…went up straightway out of the water” which I have always pictured as baptism by immersion.  Others see it differently.  They see Jesus stepping into the water, John scooping up water in his hand and pouring it over Jesus’ head.  If that was the case, why step into the water and not just stand at the edge of the water?  I can’t verify either method, but the Greek term used here for “baptized” is “baptizo” which mean “to make fully wet”.  The point is that Jesus, as God in human form, did not required baptism, but underwent the sacrament to set the example of obedience for His followers.

After Jesus was baptized, “the heavens were opened to Him and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him”.  Unger’s Bible Dictionary gives us several spiritual symbols of a dove:  reconciliation, peace, tender and devoted affection, and of mourning.  Matthew Henry in his commentary wrote, “The Spirit descended, not in the shape of an eagle, which is, though a royal bird, yet a bird of prey, but in the shape of a dove, no creature of which is more harmless and inoffensive.  Such was the Spirit of Christ”.  One time there was a female cardinal on my birdfeeder.  A mourning dove landed on the feeder and began to feast on the seeds.  The female cardinal who apparently was selfish and wanted the birdseed all to herself, began to squawk and flap her wings at the dove in an effort to run him off.  It didn’t work.  He was not intimidated, nor did he retaliate.  He just kept on eating and ignored the cardinal.  When he finished, he flew away.  Another bird who was not so gentle landed on the feeder and ran the cardinal off.  The actions of this dove reminded me of when Jesus was being accused and stood before Pilate.  He wasn’t intimidated nor was He offensive in any way.  He stood strong and patient.

Not only was the appearance of the dove important, but as it was lighting on Jesus, a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”  This was God’s voice.  Can you imagine standing by the shore of the lake, watching the baptism, seeing the dove land on Jesus, and then hearing a voice from above.  Scripture tells us about God’s voice being still and small (I Kings 10:19) when He spoke to Elijah, but I imagine when God was praising His Son, His voice was loud and booming.  We are not told who was present at Jesus’ baptism other than Jesus and John.  I would guess that there were others there because this was to set an example among the people.  His ministry didn’t begin until after His baptism.  It was then when He began to appoint His disciples.  Jesus is God’s beloved Son, and to believers all over the world, Jesus is our beloved Savior.