The King is Annointed & Affirmed Matthew 3:13-17

God Anoints and Affirms His Kings

When God chose David to be the King of Israel, he sent Samuel, the prophet, to anoint him and confirm that David was the king of God's own choosing. David was the youngest of his brothers, and although he was handsome, he didn't have the appearance of a king. However, he had a heart after God's own heart, which made him the perfect choice. God chose to set him apart to replace Saul, the people's king. To do this, God instructed Samuel to anoint David's head with oil, which consecrated him to be set apart and dedicated to the Lord's ministry. This act of anointing was part of God's affirmation that David was indeed God's chosen king. David was also baptized with the Holy Spirit, which empowered him to do the work of the king and advance God's kingdom. Therefore, God spoke affirmation through the prophet and anointed through his Spirit, the king he wanted to lead and save his people.

The baptism of Jesus bears some similarities to David's anointing. When Jesus emerged from the water, he heard his Father affirm his sonship, and the Spirit anointed him for ministry. Just as David was anointed and affirmed as God's king for his people, so Jesus was anointed and affirmed as the Son of David, the King Messiah who would save God's people.‌

Jesus is the King who was anointed by the Spirit and affirmed by the Father to joyfully advance His kingdom in the church community and home.

There are a couple of pressing questions before we get into Jesus’ anointing and affirmation.

Why was Jesus baptized?

John is reluctant to baptize Jesus in verse 14. He knew Jesus was the Lamb of God. John the Baptist performed baptism for the forgiveness of sins, but Jesus was sinless. The Bible affirms in Hebrews 4:15 that Jesus is a high priest who can empathize with our weaknesses, having been tested in every way like us, yet without sin. Similarly, 2 Corinthians 5:21 states that Jesus, who knew no sin, became sin for us so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him. John the Baptist was hesitant to baptize Jesus, knowing that Jesus did not need to confess sins or be baptized. However, Jesus insisted that He be baptized, telling John that it was necessary "to fulfill all righteousness." This phrase is often misunderstood to mean that Jesus was fulfilling Jewish law, but baptism was not required for Jews. Instead, the context of Matthew’s gospel suggests that Jesus was fulfilling the prophecy of Isaiah about the Suffering Servant who would justify many and carry their iniquities (Isaiah 53:11).

According to Craig Bloomberg, the phrase "to fulfill all righteousness" means to complete every aspect of a relationship of obedience to God."[1] John Piper adds to that, “Jesus saw his life as the fulfillment of all righteousness. Jesus obeyed everything the Father required of him; every thought, word, and deed; even to the point of dying as a criminal on a cross in place of sinners. To do so, Jesus had to identify with sinners.

The fact that Jesus participated in a baptism of repentance, despite having no sins to repent of, reveals that the righteousness He sought to fulfill was not His own, but rather the righteousness required of every sinful person. The suffering servant, who is also a righteous servant, identifies with the very rebels He is saving. Isaiah 53:12 states that Jesus "was counted among the rebels." Jesus completely identified with fallen and broken humanity to the point He was even baptized like a Gentile.

Jesus’ baptism is about identification.

Jesus' baptism was not a repentance, but rather an identification with the guilty, those who are at war with God. At his baptism, Jesus counted himself among the rebels and affirmed his solidarity with them. Leon Morris explains that instead of standing with John and calling on sinners to repent, Jesus chose to make himself one with the sinners to accomplish the process of salvation.

We get baptized to identify with Christ's death and resurrection, shedding our sinful identity and taking on Christ's identity. Jesus was baptized to identify with us.

Jesus did not come to be served, but to serve and give his life as a ransom for many (Mark 10:45). His love for humanity was deep and profound. Despite being the sinless Son of God, he chose to identify with his broken, sinful, and hard-to-love people. This is the essence of Christian and church ministry. We reflect the love of Jesus when we love like Him. The church should represent the very people Jesus came to identify with at his baptism, sinners like you and me; broken but working out our Christ wrought redemption.

Who is present at Jesus’ baptism?

Trinity is the term used to describe the Godhead, which is comprised of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Wayne Grudem defines the Trinity as the eternal existence of God as three persons, each of whom is fully God, yet there is only one God. Although the word "trinity" doesn't appear in the Bible, the concept is evident in the creation story, where the Father speaks the world into existence, the Spirit hovers like a dove over the water, and Jesus, who is the Word and the means by which everything was created, is present (John 1:1, 3 and Colossians 1:16). This shows that the Trinity was present at the beginning of the world's creation.

Tim Keller explains that three parties were involved in creating the world: God, God's Spirit, and God's Word. All three were also present during Jesus's baptism. The Father spoke with his voice, the Son was the Word, and the Spirit appeared like a dove. In Genesis 1:26, God uses plural pronouns like "us" and "our" when referring to making man in their image. This indicates that there is a plurality within the persons of God, a holy Trinity.

In Matthew 28:19-20, Jesus commanded his disciples to baptize converts in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. This passage affirms the doctrine of the Trinity, which teaches that God exists as three persons in one: the Father, the Son (Jesus), and the Holy Spirit. To help us understand this concept, some people compare it to the different types of love: marital love, love between parents and children, and love for animals.

The Trinity is present at Jesus’ baptism: God the Father, God the Son, and God the Holy Spirit, to anoint and affirm the Messiah King.

King Jesus is anointed by the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16)

Matthew 3:16 ESV

16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him;

It is worth noting, there are three movements happening in Jesus’ baptism.

Jesus emerged from the water.

John has fully submerged him underwater during his baptism. This is one of the reasons why we believe in full submersion for believer's baptism. Since Jesus is rising out of the water, it means that he was completely submerged under the water. He was not sprinkled nor was ha baptized as a child.

The heavens were torn open.

The term “heavens” can mean either the sky or God's dimension behind ordinary reality. In this case, it is the unseen realm. It was like an invisible curtain right in front of Jesus that suddenly pulled back, revealing a different reality altogether. Jesus, for the first time in 33 years, got a glimpse of his eternal home he left when he became incarnate.

The song "The Glories of Calvary" by Sovereign Grace Music speaks about a present reality that we cannot see yet, but it's just as real as the one we are living in now. The song speaks about saints who are presently praising and worshiping Christ, and how God is actively listening to us right now.

There is a realm, or some call it another dimension, where the sons of god exists, where Satan has freedom to come and go, and where angels and demons war with each other. It is a realm where the writers of Hebrews speaks of witnesses who cheer us on to the finish line (Hebrews 12:1-3). Though the veil of our reality covers his physical presence, God is here with us.

N.T. Wright makes an excellent point:

"A good deal of the Christian faith is a matter of learning to live by this different reality even when we can’t see it." N.T. Wright

Sometimes, during decisive moments, the curtain is pulled back, and we see or hear what's really going on in the unseen realm, but most of the time, we walk by faith, trusting the God who rules both the unseen realm and our realm.

As a quick point of application, at Jesus’ baptism we get a quick glimpse of a reality that exists, a reality that we will one day live. Until then, it is important that we strive to live on earth in the same way that we would live in heaven. When we pray the Lord’s prayer, don’t we pray, “My Father, who is in heaven, make your name holy and advance your kingdom in my heart. Help me to obey your will on earth as it is in heaven (the unseen realm)-with joy and eagerness.”

This means that your conversations should reflect the kind of conversations that would be had in heaven, and our love for each other should be reflective of the love found in heaven. We should always be willing to serve each other in the same way that we would serve in heaven. We should be constantly thinking about how the saints in heaven live in the presence of Christ, with love, loyalty, trust, faithfulness, and generosity. If God tore open the heavens to let you see whats going on, would the citizens of heaven looking back at you be appalled by your life, or would they rejoice in what they see?

The Spirit descended like a dove.

When I was a young believer, I watched the Jesus movie and saw the scene where Jesus emerged from the water. A bright light shone on him as a white dove landed on his shoulder and he looked up to the sky. For a long time, I assumed that a physical dove had come down from the sky and landed on Jesus' shoulder when he was baptized. After all, Luke 3:22 says, “and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in a physical appearance like a dove…” The dove is used to symbolize purity and is an emblem of the Holy Spirit (Matt 3:16). John Barry points out that birds that were considered ceremonially clean and usable for sacrifice, particularly by those who were too poor to afford a larger sacrificial animal, were used ( Psalm 68:13 ).

Bible authors often use similes to convey truth. A simile is when you use "like" or "as" to compare something. “For example, 1 Thessalonians 5:2 says, “ For you yourselves full well know that the day of the Lord will come like a thief in the night.” The Greek word can be the word “on” or “upon,” but it supports the word “into” just as well.

In Genesis 1:2, the Targum (an Aramaic translation of the Old Testament) compares the fluttering of the Holy Spirit over the water to that of a dove. However, Robert H. Stein clarifies that the phrase "like a dove" is a simile and does not suggest that the Spirit took the form of a dove to descend upon Jesus during his baptism.

The dove descending represents the Holy Spirit anointing Jesus and equipping him for his ministry. Jesus was being "filled" with the Spirit to accomplish his work. God did this to King David. God gave His Spirit to David to lead and fight for his people as a Warrior King. Just as God had anointed David and given him his Spirit before sending him into battle, so the Holy Spirit anointed Jesus to empower him to preach the gospel, heal the broken, and set the captives free, joyfully advancing the kingdom of God! Jesus says

Luke 4:18-19

Luke 4:18–19 ESV

18 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he has anointed me to proclaim good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim liberty to the captives and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty those who are oppressed, 19 to proclaim the year of the Lord’s favor.”

Luke says in Acts 10:38

Acts 10:38 ESV

38 how God anointed Jesus of Nazareth with the Holy Spirit and with power. He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him.

Jesus anointing is vital to your faith. Jesus anointing of the Holy Spirit empowered Him to live faithfully all the way to the cross and through the cross. His life, death, resurrection, and ascension are empowered by the Holy. Peter says,

1 Peter 3:18 CSB

18 For Christ also suffered for sins once for all, the righteous for the unrighteous, that he might bring you to God. He was put to death in the flesh but made alive by the Spirit,

Romans 1:4 CSB

4 and was appointed to be the powerful Son of God according to the Spirit of holiness by the resurrection of the dead.

The Holy Spirit raised Jesus from the dead. And Jesus, when he ascended, poured out His Spirit to you.

Jesus’ Baptism was a foretaste of your baptism

When you see Jesus being anointed for ministry, empowered by the Holy Spirit to go forth and do God’s work, on this side of the cross, it should compel you consider Jesus’ baptism for you. When Jesus ascended into heaven, he poured out his Spirit to empower us to His work in joyfully advancing his kingdom. Jesus promised his disciples that the Holy Spirit would come upon them who will help them and empower them (John 14:15-25). Jesus also says,

Acts 1:8 ESV

8 But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you, and you will be my witnesses in Jerusalem and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.”

This is a promsie for all believers. Upon your confession of faith, you are baptized with the Holy Spirit to be empowered to joyfully advance the kingdom of God by making much of Jesus as his disciple. It is the power of the Spirit in you that produces the fruit of the Spirt that proves your belong to Jesus and glorifies the Father; love, joy, peace, patience, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness, and self-control (Gal 5:22-23).

Its the power of the Holy Spirit that helps you fight the temptation of sin. During World War II, a magazine published two pictures depicting a soldier facing a tank in combat. The first picture showed a small soldier with a rifle, about to be crushed by a massive tank. This image highlighted the overwhelming odds that a foot soldier faced when confronting such a powerful machine. The second picture showed the same soldier holding a bazooka, or rocket launcher, which made the tank appear smaller in size and the soldier more significant. With the rocket launcher the soldier was empowered to overcome the tank.

Similarly, when we face sin, we are like an infantry soldier against a tank, powerless and helpless. On the other hand, empowered with the Holy Spirit, we can overcome sin and live as God intended us to live. Through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can love, forgive, suffer, and even die faithfully. As believers in Christ, we have been given the anointing and power, just as Jesus had been given, to do the impossible-love god with all of our mind heart soul and strength, and love our neighbors as ourself. Thank God for anointing King Jesus.

King Jesus is Affirmed by the Father (Matthew 3:17)

I was in the eight grade. We were living in Lake Bluff, Illinois. My dad was a Navy Instructor at Great Lakes Naval Base. Even though he was not out to sea, his schedule was still demanding on our family. So when he showed up at my sectional wrestling meet, I was ecstatic. Just before I was to wrestle my first match, I looked over to the top bleacher on the far right side of the gym where he was sitting next to my mother. He gave me a thumbs up. It was powerful. My father, in one single gesture, affirmed me as a wrestler and as his son. He gave me his approval to fight and win, and there he was there to support what I was trying to accomplish. It was a moment I will never forget.

Jesus experienced something similar in Matthew 3:13-17. Matthew records,

Matthew 3:16–17 ESV

16 And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

At Jesus’ baptism, the Father and the Holy Spirit are present to anoint and affirm the work Jesus was called to do. The Spirit rests on Him and the Father proclaims that He is pleased with His Son, a thumbs up if you will. A thumbs up that says I am pleased with you and you are good to go and fight the good fight, conquer sin, death, and Satan, and save the elect for all eternity.

The affirmation of Jesus by the Father reveals the deep love between the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. The first words that the Father spoke to His Son were, "You are my Son, I love you, and I am pleased with you." This was even before Jesus passed His test of temptation, healed any sick person, or preached the gospel. Jesus began His ministry with the Father's affirmation, "You are my Son, I love you, and I am pleased with you." Tim Keller explains that when Jesus came out of the water, the Father enveloped Him with words of love, while the Spirit covered Him with power. This is a glimpse into the heart of reality, the meaning of life, and the essence of the universe.”

Why this affirmation and empowerment? It is because the Father, the Son, and the Spirit share a deep love for each other, and enjoy serving one another. According to the Word of God, they seek to glorify and honor each other. For instance, in John 14:15-25, the Spirit is sent to testify and exalt Jesus. Similarly, in John 17:4-5, Jesus seeks to glorify His Father. Throughout the New Testament, we find numerous examples of the Father glorifying the Son.

What does it mean to glorify?

Again Tim Keller, notes, “When you find something beautiful for what it is in itself, you are glorifying it. Its beauty compels you to adore it and captures your imagination.” John Piper adds, that glorifying God means being satisfied in Him: "God is most glorified in you when you are most satisfied in Him." In essence, Keller and Piper are saying that when you glorify God, your heart is overcome by His worth and beauty. Being overcome with his worth and beauty involves loving Him (Matthew 22:37), trusting Him (Romans 4:20), being thankful to Him (Psalm 50:23), and obeying Him (Matthew 5:16).

What the Trinity teaches us at the baptism of Jesus is a God glorifying life paints a portrait of unselfishness: completely other-centeredness. The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit live to make the others happy, gloriouslyknown, cared for, beautiful, and more. It is a relationship where love for the other is at the center of their joy. As Tim Keller explains, “the Father, the Son, and the Spirit are each focusing on the others, adoring and serving them. Because they give glorifying love to one another, God is infinitely and profoundly happy. Just imagine finding someone you adore and who feels the same way about you. It feels sublime! That's what God has been enjoying for all eternity.”

The Father, the Son, and the Spirit are pouring love, joy, and adoration into each other, each one serving the other. They are infinitely seeking one another's glory, and that is why God is infinitely happy, and that is how will make you infinitely happy.

One of the sins of the church is self-centeredness; my kingdom mindedness. Some may think, "I will serve the church if it benefits me, such as making me feel good about helping others or receiving affirmation from my peers." Although this may seem acceptable, it is actually selfishness if Jesus is not at the center of one's heart. As an illustration, Keller explains that when someone says they will only serve if they receive benefits, they are not truly serving others, but rather using them to serve themselves. This behavior is not orbiting around others, but rather getting others to orbit around oneself. Nonetheless, many people appear to be dutiful and unselfish when they cannot say no and end up being used by others.

Many people commend those who are selfless and always willing to help others. However, some individuals lack boundaries and allow others to take advantage of them. They find it hard to say no because they fear rejection and, as a result, cannot serve others out of love. True love means serving someone unconditionally, not because of what we stand to gain from it, but because we appreciate who they are. This kind of love can only be realized when Jesus is at the center of our lives. The Trinity is an example of how we should treat one another- with love, loyalty, trust, faithfulness, and generosity. When we live out our faith the same way, we can build a church full of love and unity.

Conclusion

Jesus is the King who was anointed by the Spirit and affirmed by the Father to joyfully advance His kingdom in the church community and home.

Just as David was anointed and affirmed to lead, guide, and save God’s people, so was the Son of David, the Messiah King. He was also baptized to identify with his people as sinners in need of redemption. His baptism at his birth of his ministry points to his work to heal the broken, set free the captives, and redeem the elect. To redeem the elect Jesus must endure another baptism, one of death on a cross. He must suffer the wrath of God in the place of sinners if they are to be justified and fit for his kingdom. He bore the cross, died the the death we deserve, and rose from the dead to give us life in his kingdom, and the power to live for his kingdom now. Do you know the King?