A Study of Matthew: Baptism. Who Needs It?

Matthew 3

In those days John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” For this is he who was spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said, “The voice of one crying in the wilderness: ‘Prepare the way of the Lord; make his paths straight.’ ” Now John wore a garment of camel’s hair and a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins. But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? Bear fruit in keeping with repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father,’ for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children for Abraham. Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.” Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 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; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

We started looking at this passage last week. John the Baptist is at the Jordan River, preaching repentance and baptizing people. The religious leaders show up to check out what’s going on, and John starts preaching at them. He calls them a brook of vipers. They were supposed to be drawing the people to God, but instead they had created a system where they were the experts on holiness and everyone else needed them, creating an even greater distance between man and God. John warned them that God will judge them.

Immediately after that, Jesus shows up, asking John to baptize him. John’s response is, “You’re the one who should be baptizing me!”

Why would John say that?

It’s because John recognizes who Jesus is: The Christ. The Anointed One. God made flesh and dwelling among men. The One who will restore mankind to right relationship with God.

Baptism is all about repentance and pursuing God’s righteousness. Jesus is the sinless, perfect Son of God. He is the epitome of righteousness. If there was ever anyone in the history of ever who did not need to be baptized, it’s Jesus. So why is he here?

Jesus says, “It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Baptism demonstrates repentance and submission to God. While Jesus had nothing to repent, it was important that he demonstrate his complete submission to his heavenly father.

Compare Jesus’ attitude to that of the religious leaders who were there. Did any of them seek baptism? No. Why not? Because they were supposed to be the perfect example of righteousness. If they were to get baptized, it may be interpreted as admission that they had something to repent of.

Remember, they didn’t actually come to see God’s handiwork. They were there out of academic and political motivation. They wanted to check out what John was doing and teaching, so that they could decide whether or not it would be in their best interest to support it or condemn it.

The thing is, the religious leaders were advocating being close to God, but they were doing it through worldly systems. It was all outward works and religious rituals to be considered ceremonially clean or unclean. Jewish society was a mixture of different kinds of authority. They were subjects of the Roman Empire, but they also had a king, Herod. But there was another group with power—the religious leaders. They were the supposed experts on Godliness, and they had the power to kick somebody out of the community—not just the church, but have the whole Jewish society turn against them. They could even have someone executed for violating certain religious traditions.

These men loved their power. They thought they had God all figured out. Baptism. Who needs it? Not us! We are the voice of God and his hand of authority.

And then, there’s Jesus again, standing in the water so that John can baptize him. Think about it. John is a good man. He was called by God and filled with the Holy Spirit before he was even born. He has lived a life of purity, abstaining from alcohol and certain foods all his life. And for all that, John is still just a man. He knows how flawed he is. Jesus knows how flawed John is. And yet John is the one God sent to prepare the way for Jesus. Therefore Jesus submits the the authority God has placed on John as the baptizer.

It is in this story, this scene taking place, that we see the difference in the values of the world and the values of God’s kingdom. The religious leaders were full of worldly values. They needed to present themselves in a way that appeared superior. Their position and power were the most important thing.

Jesus and John were all about the kingdom of God and its values. Jesus is literally the highest authority in the universe, being one with God. But he doesn’t need to show off that authority; instead, he lovingly submits to his father.

And what is the result of that submission and obedience?

Matthew 3:16–17 ESV

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; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

While the religious leaders were doing everything they could to make themselves look important, Jesus submitted himself to the same baptism that everyone else was doing. He didn’t need to exalt himself. And because of that, his father was more than happy to do the exalting!

Philippians 2:5–11 ESV

Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

There is our example.