Why was Jesus Baptised [Part 1]I
Matthew 3: 13-17
Jesus Christ is the king, the Messiah, the saviour of the world, the sinless son of God and yet we’re told that John the Baptist baptises him. Why did Jesus get baptized how would you ever explain that? Has the baptism of Jesus ever bothered you, then how do we explain this? Before I do that lets do a check in at where we are up to so far in the book of Matthew.
Do you remember how we opened this book of Matthew; it began by saying, this is the book of the Genealogy of Jesus Christ, the Son of David. Therefore, straight up Matthew intended to present to us Jesus Christ as the “Son of David”. If you know anything at all about the Old Testament? You know that God made a covenant with David and promised him that one day one of his descendants would sit on the throne of David, forever. So, to say that Jesus is the son of David is to also say that he is the King of Israel.
What follows that opening statement is the genealogy. The point made in the genealogy is the same as that that is made in that opening statement, namely that Jesus is the son of David and as the son of David he is the king in Israel. A major of the opening passage of Matthew is to tell us that and tell that he was called, Jesus because he shall save his people from their sins, and Emmanuel, because that means God is with us.
Matthew chapter two follows up on that by telling us that the wise men came from the east. They too wanted to find the new born King. Get the picture, Matthew intends to present to us Jesus Christ as the king. Repeatedly in the events of chapter two we are told that all of the things depicted happened in order to fulfil prophecy. So again, we’re given this high and exalted view of who Jesus is.
Then Chapter 3 opened with the story of John the Baptist. Now that meant that Matthew fast forwarded 30 years or thereabouts. Chapters one and two where about the birth and infancy of Jesus Christ. But by the time we get to chapter 3 he is 30 years old. John the Baptist then appeared preaching repentance and baptism for the forgiveness of sins and those who confessed were indeed baptised by him. Then comes a very startling development. The next thing that happens in the Gospel of Matthew is that Jesus gets baptized. Has that ever bothered you? Jesus Christ is the king, the Messiah, the saviour of the world, the sinless son of God and yet we’re told. John the Baptist baptises him. Why did Jesus get baptized how would you ever explain that? Has the baptism of Jesus ever bothered you, then how do we explain this? That is some of the questions I’d like to invite your attention to in the next section of Matthew Chapter 3. We’re going to look at the passage that tells us about the baptism of Jesus. It begins in Matthew Chapter 3, verse 13.
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?”
(Matthew 3: 13-14)
This passage begins with Jesus coming to John to be baptized. As a matter of fact, the scripture says John the Baptist tried to prevent him from being baptized. I want us to look at that carefully, what I’m going to call the riddle of the baptism of Jesus. It even puzzled John the Baptist, and he was the one who baptized him. As I pointed out in the last few episodes John baptized people who confessed their sins, and who were waiting for the Messiah. Their baptism was for the confession of sins and was also a sort of an identification with that group that was waiting for the Messiah to come. So, it just doesn’t make any sense that Jesus should be baptized by John the Baptist. So, what’s going on here? It’s a comfort to me that John didn’t understand that either. Good to know that there were people as great as John the Baptist who didn't understand some of things that were going on. When John the Baptist says, “You ought to baptize me” that’s a reference to earlier in the passage in verse 11, when John is telling the people that they needed to be baptized with water unto repentance, but someone is coming after me who is mightier than I, whose shoes sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire. So, when he says in verse 14, I baptize you, no, you need to baptize me. I think he has a reference to the fact that John thought that he needed the spiritual baptism that Jesus was are offering. He just didn’t get why the Messiah would want John to baptise him.
Now, all of this produces and promotes one great question, namely this is Jesus receiving the baptism of John the Baptist and the riddle revolves around that question, so let me pause before we look at the rest of the passage, and let’s answer that question. Is Jesus receiving the baptism of John the Baptist in order to answer that, let me remind you that the Bible teaches that there is more than one baptism. As a matter of fact, it’s worth looking at that passage. Let’s consider what Hebrews chapter 5 has to say about this.
We have much to say about this, but it is hard to make it clear to you because you no longer try to understand. In fact, though by this time you ought to be teachers, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! Anyone who lives on milk, being still an infant, is not acquainted with the teaching about righteousness. But solid food is for the mature, who by constant use have trained themselves to distinguish good from evil.
(Hebrews 5: 11-14)
So far what is said is this, some people are spiritual babies who drink milk. Then there are those who are full grown spiritual adults who eat the more solid meat of the word of God. But notice what he says verse 12, you need someone to teach you the elementary truths of God’s word all over again. You need milk, not solid food! He calls that these things basic first principles, and then they’re adults who eat the meat of the word of God. Look at the continuation of what he tells us three basic things are mentioned, remember there is not chapter break in the original text. How about these being described as the basics.
Therefore, let us move beyond the elementary teachings about Christ and be taken forward to maturity, not laying again the foundation of repentance from acts that lead to death, and of faith in God, instruction about cleansing rites, the laying on of hands, the resurrection of the dead, and eternal judgment. 3 And God permitting, we will do so.
Therefore, leaving the discussion of the basic stuff [those principles mentioned back up in, 5:12]. Let us go on to maturity, not just laying again the foundation again. Here they are this is the basic stuff, things like the doctrine of baptisms, the laying on of the hands, the resurrection of the dead, and he calls these the elementary principles. There are six principles in this passage but at the moment, I only want to look at the one that is relevant, the doctrine of baptisms. I wonder if you can list for me the baptisms in the New Testament. If you can do that then your 1/6 on the way to becoming a spiritual babe. First of all, how many baptisms are there? More than one, right? That verse says there’s the doctrine of baptism(s) [plural]. Before I tell you what they are, let me just mention this.
This we know that there was a baptism seen here as practised by John the Baptist and that that’s different from all the other baptisms. The way we know that for certain is that in acts chapter 19 the apostle Paul met some disciples of John the Baptist, asked them about their baptism. They said the baptism they had had was the baptism of John. Then it tells us Jesus laid hands on them and baptized them again. So, we got two baptisms right away and we are only a matter of a few verses beyond Jesus having ascended and returned to the father. Therefore, we know for certain that the baptism of John is different than the baptism of believers because of Acts 19. It’s not much of a jump to reach the conclusion that the baptism of Jesus is different than the baptism of John. He certainly didn’t get baptized confessing his sins because he didn’t have any.
Matthew 3:11 clearly says there is also a spiritual baptism coming. First Corinthians 12 explains that baptism. That baptism is when a person trusts Christ they are then are placed into the body of Christ.
For we were all baptized by one Spirit so as to form one body—whether Jews or Gentiles, slave or free—and we were all given the one Spirit to drink.
(I Corinthians 12:13)
That means we’re baptized into Christ and like he died, we too die to our old life. And like him we are raised to walk in newness of life, we are raised to walk a new kind of life alive to God. And that is the result of our spiritual baptism. So, there are a number of water baptisms. I’ve named three for you.
1. The baptism of John.
2. The Baptist, the baptism of Christ.
3. And the baptism of believers.
There’s also a separate “spiritual baptism” which occurs at the moment you trust Christ, as well these three water baptisms. With that you’ve basically got the doctrines of baptism.
Now that solves part of this riddle, but was Jesus baptized by John with the same type of baptism he was offering other people? I believe not. If that’s the case, why was Jesus baptized, and what sort of baptism did he have. Was there another type of baptism, just for Jesus. Well, that takes us to verse 15.
Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this [Meaning baptise Him] to fulfil all righteousness.” Then John consented.
(Matthew 3: 15)
Here is the single and sole statement in all of the Bible as to why Jesus was baptized. It was to fulfil all righteousness. That’s the reason, stated clear as day, that what it says. It was, “to fulfil all righteousness, but what does that mean? People have grappled with this question for hundreds of years, ever since the New Testament was written, people have scratched their head and said what does that mean? The most settled upon answer, and the one I think has the most merit is that Jesus was baptized to fulfil all righteousness and in doing that he identified with both the Nation of Israel, so that he could represent them, and repentant sinners so he could represent us. It is an dual act of identification, so that he could then represent them salvation history historically and people like us eternally. I think that’s as good an answer as I’ve ever heard, and trust me, I’ve looked at all the other possibilities. No other Christians have other views on this, and I would never claim they are not Christians, but this is definitely the answer that I am most drawn to.
Jesus initially had to do this to identify with Israel, with all the people who were then Jewish believers but who were going through John’s baptism of repentance. Baptism is a symbolic act, and it serves the same function as a wedding ring does in representing a life of marriage. The wedding ring doesn’t make you married it, just as a symbol that you are married. The baptism of Jesus is like that, it's a symbol of Christ identifying with us. That, I submit to you, is what the baptism of Jesus was all about. That then is the reason Jesus was baptises, but what where the results of it. Next time we shall look at what happened next, and what where the results of Jesus Christ being baptised that day, next time.