Baptism of Jesus

We have been focusing these last few weeks on John the Baptist and his work in the Jordan wilderness. We now move our focus from John to Jesus as He enters His ministry.

(NKJV)

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.

After eighteen years of silence Jesus is brought back to the forefront. The last time we saw Him was when He was in left in Jerusalem and spent time in the temple. We find this in :

(NKJV)

48 So when they saw Him, they were amazed; and His mother said to Him, “Son, why have You done this to us? Look, Your father and I have sought You anxiously.” 49 And He said to them, “Why did you seek Me? Did you not know that I must be about My Father’s business?”

Jesus was in this court with the leaders. This was a room or area set aside for the teachers and the religious leaders to discuss the things of God. The religious leaders would use this as an area to share their thoughts and it was known for a place of learning and knowledge. This was the room Jesus was in and He was discussing theological things with those leaders of His day. In fact, we read this about the event:

(NKJV)

46 Now so it was that after three days they found Him in the temple, sitting in the midst of the teachers, both listening to them and asking them questions. 47 And all who heard Him were astonished at His understanding and answers.

Jesus as a twelve-year old boy was sitting with the religious leaders of that day and He was astounding them by His wisdom. Between 12 years old and 30 we have no information about who He was or what He did. Now Jesus is walking up to John, His older cousin, and seeking to be baptized with the people.

John, if you remember from last week, was talking about the one who would come that was greater than he was. So much so that John said he was not even worthy to carry His sandals. We now get to see this forerunner be fulfilled. Jesus the Messiah has come and we see this all this come together now:

(NKJV)

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” 15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

As we come into this I want to ask, does John know Jesus is the Messiah? The quick answer is, I do not think John so. This is what we read in the Gospel of John:

(NKJV)

29 The next day [after the baptism of Jesus] John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ [Even though John is older he is saying that He, Jesus has always been]31 I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” 32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

The day after Jesus is baptized, we see that John and Jesus meet up again. This time John says to all those who were around “Behold! The Lamb of God…”. We also read John say this: “I did not know Him.” John is letting everyone know that he did not realize Jesus was the Messiah. John knew Jesus they were Cousens. What he did not know what the Jesus was the Messiah. He was looking for a very specific sign and that sign was to come after Jesus was baptized. They grew up together, maybe not in the same town, but they visited, and knew each other at the least. John had to have known something was so perfect about this young man. John was just waiting for the sign for the Lord.

So back to our text in Matthew why does John then say that Jesus should be baptizing John. Jesus’ life was clear, and it seems that Jesus was living in such a way that John thought he was not in need of repentance. John is looking at Jesus and saying to Him I am not worthy to baptize you.

I find it interesting as well that John tries to prevent Him from being baptized. Yet Jesus says this:

(NKJV)

15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

I like the way the Message reads:

(The Message)

15 But Jesus insisted. “Do it. God’s work, putting things right all these centuries, is coming together right now in this baptism.” So John did it.

Jesus knew this needed to happen in order to continue God’s work. Jesus was not focused on Himself and what He needed, in fact He was never about self he was and is always about you and I and this world. The question may arise then, Why would a man who was perfect and without need of repentance be baptized? Jesus says it is to “fulfill all righteousness” so John lets this happen.

Why was Jesus baptized? There are a few thoughts; one was that Jesus was signifying His new start in this part of His life. A transition from ordinary life to ministry. This is what some suggest would happen as a person was called, or a person would take on a new position in ministry they would be set apart for that ministry through a cleansing process.

Another thought is that Jesus was baptized in preparation for the judgment to come. It was not about Jesus and His sin, it was about the sin that He was going to carry on the cross. Jesus knew that He was going to carry the sin of the world and this is the beginning of that work.

One other thought is that Jesus was doing this to continue to live as you and I. We read this in :

(NKJV)

12 …And He was numbered with the transgressors…

Remember at this time no one understood that Jesus was the Messiah, not even John. John know that Jesus was pure, but who thinks that their cousin is going to be the Messiah. Jesus, from the onlookers was just as one of the transgressors. He was fulfilling prophecy in ways they could not see at this point. Jesus knowing who He was did not care what others thought, He did not come to the crowd and say: I am good, in fact I am perfect, I am doing this for you all. He did not try and defend his character or His walk with the Lord, He did this in silence, He did it so that He could be numbered among us. On a side note, do you notice that Jesus never defends himself or His character. He flees at times for protection, but you never see Him explaining that He is right and the world is wrong. He just lives and lets the world see who He is. I mention this because at times it seems many people spend so much time defending who they are and they tell us who they are. I want our actions and lifestyle to be our defenders. Paul says this:

(NIV)

14 Do everything without grumbling or arguing, 15 so that you may become blameless and pure, “children of God without fault in a warped and crooked generation.” Then you will shine among them like stars in the sky 16 as you hold firmly to the word of life. And then I will be able to boast on the day of Christ that I did not run or labor in vain.

Live a life pure and right and the world will see the light of Jesus. They may accuse you but you will be without fault because you are walking blameless.

Back to Jesus, His baptism was not about His life or sin it was about identifying with us and sinful man. Morgan says it this way:

“In baptism He confessed, as His own, sins which He had not committed, and repented of them before God. He was numbered with the transgressors and bore the sins of many.” (Morgan)[1]

Again, this is our awesome God, the one who came to give all. He made Himself a servant leaving His thrown behind so we could be made right with Him. We now see that Jesus’ baptism is not just another cleansing:

(NKJV)

16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

This is a scene that I cannot imagine. The heavens for a brief moment in time open in an unnatural way to us. Almost as if for a moment heaven and earth are connected as one. As the heavens open the Spirit of God falls on Jesus.

On a quick side note there are so many weird comments about this section. Things like this is when the God Jesus came down to earth, before this Jesus was just a man and not fully God. Jesus did not know that He was to be Messiah. Jesus the man was moved out until the crucifixion and just before he was crucified, He, God, ascended into heaven. This takes out the power of the cross all together that Jesus came and lived perfectly and fully man and God for our sin. If Jesus the Son of God did not defeat the grave then He is a liar.

Some also say this is the first time the Spirit of God ever talked to Jesus. This is crazy to me, why would this be the case as we find Jesus at 12 astounding the religious leaders.

Yet what we find is God clearly speaking to the world that this man is not just a man this is the Son of God, the one John was talking about, this is the Messiah the one who has come to save the world from sin. The other thing that is important is that this is for John. This is what was foretold to him so he would know who that Son of God was:

(NKJV)

32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”

John saw before him Jesus being confirmed as Messiah, not for Jesus’ sake but for the rest of the worlds sake. This was also for the crowd. They now see that Jesus was not just another man, He is the Son of God. Remember this was a man who worked like you and I He was fully man and fully God. We read in Mark that the crowd responded like this to Him:

(NIV)

3 Isn’t this the carpenter? Isn’t this Mary’s son and the brother of James, Joseph, Judas and Simon? Aren’t his sisters here with us?” And they took offense at him.

We also get to see an amazing display of the Trinity. God the Father is speaking as God the Spirit descends, on God the Son. The is clearly here before us, we get to see all at one time in one place working as they do individually yet as one nature.

I also want to point out that before Jesus enters into His ministry, He has the Spirit of God fall on Him. I know that Jesus is already fully God. Yet this is a picture of what is needed in our lives as we enter into any ministry capacity. We often want to do the work on our own, we want to just figure things our, yet we need the power of the Holy Spirit as we move into the work of God. This is what Jesus told the Disciples to wait for before they ministered to the people in .

Let me also clarify something here, ministry is our everyday life. Think of Paul, he was a tent maker while teaching the people and writing all the letters he did. He was living and god used Him. This ministry is right where we are serving Him as we are. Ministry is not a vocation necessarily, it is a life surrendered to the power of the Holy Spirit available for His work. That is what we see from the life of Jesus. He lived honoring God the Father for 30 years and he only spent three years in “ministry,” that can be our thought, but His entire life was ministering to the people who were around him that is why God says “in whom I am well pleased.”

We read this in our text:

(NKJV)

17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

God says to the crowd I am well pleased with my Son. Jesus had been living life like you and me. I know I have mentioned this before, but it is so important for us to see. Jesus has lived as we live. He did this to take on all we are to be the last Adam or the perfect sacrifice for our sin. Jesus was a carpenter, He was a hard-working man. He got tiered, He struggled with a project timeline, and money coming in. He experienced all we have He can sympathize with us in every way the author of Hebrews tells us.

This is why I know that our ministry is not about a position but a willingness to be used where we are. Jesus was honoring God in the everyday and God was well pleased with this. Sometimes we can work so hard at trying to be more or have a position. I have heard people say, “If I could only quite working then I would have the time to be used.” Or “all I want is to be in full time ministry.” You need to understand that if you are not in fulltime ministry now you never will be. I have to confess this is something I struggled with for years. I would argue with God because I knew my calling what was talking Him so long. Yet I needed to learn to be used where I was and not look for a position but a willing heart to just be used by His Spirit.

Ministry is not a title it is the place God has put you. The calling on each of our lives is to be used as we are filled with the Spirit of God everywhere we are. We are to be in full-time ministry which is life. Of course, for some that will be their vocation but for many it will be their heart for God that allows them to be used. We are to be studying, praying for others, working towards His glory as we minister to all we come in contact with. Ministry should be, as Christians, our everyday life.

With ministry in mind lets move on. After Jesus is baptized we are told that He has pleased God, it is confirmed that He is the Son of God, and now we know that He now moves to do great miracles, and save the world. Well not so much like that yet. He does do great things and does save us from our sin but first we read this:

(NKJV)

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil.

We read “then” or next in the progression of events Jesus was led by the Spirit. Did you ever think that being led by the Spirit of God equaled being challenged spiritually? Often times we think of being led of the Spirit to great works or places in ministry. We say things like God lead me to sell this house, or God lead me to pray with this person. I cannot remember a time I heard anyone say I was led by God to go through this horrific situation so that I could be refined for what God has instore for me. God is now taking the faith and testing it, do you really trust me. I hate this part of life. I want it easy.

Just a quick reminder God does not do the tempting or bring evil to our lives:

(NKJV)

13 Let no one say when he is tempted, “I am tempted by God”; for God cannot be tempted by evil, nor does He Himself tempt anyone.

God does not lead us to evil, but He will lead us to a place and allow life to happen which includes being tempted by the evil one. He does this to grow us and to show us that we can make it through all things when we are His. We know this to be true as believers:

(NKJV)

28 And we know that all things work together for good to those who love God, to those who are the called according to His purpose.

As much as we know it to be true can we live it? This is one of those verses that we look at and forget its fullness. We say things like, God works all things…or God does good for those who are His. We often forget to add on who are called according to His purpose. This purpose is so different then our purpose, we want His purpose to lead us to the easy life and without hardship. Yet it is in the hardship that we find God being God. We learn in our temptation that we can overcome the evil one and all things as we surrender to Him. It is in the impossible that God makes possible. We need to see that God leads us right where He needs us to be in order for us to be really grow in our faith. It is in these times of difficulty that we see we are only as good as we let God be alive in us.

I hate this idea that God leads us to places to be tested. But a faith that is not tested is a faith that cannot be trusted. Our faith like anything needs to be tested and refined in order to be most effective in us.

I want us to see that as we are led to the wilderness it is God who wants us to grow. It is in our alone time with Him and our separation from everything that He become so real to us. Yet it is Satan who wants us to destroy. It is when Jesus is at His most weak that He is challenged, it did not happen at the beginning of the fast it was when Jesus was weakest. This will happen with us as well. Satan wants us dead remember , he is not going to wait until we are at our strongest but when we are weak.

Jesus was fasting for 40 days and 40 nights, he should be dead, hunger is an understatement. And when we are hungering for things this is when Satan comes at us:

(NKJV)

1 Then Jesus was led up by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. 2 And when He had fasted forty days and forty nights, afterward He was hungry. 3 Now when the tempter came to Him, he said, “If You are the Son of God, command that these stones become bread.” 4 But He answered and said, “It is written, ‘Man shall not live by bread alone, but by every word that proceeds from the mouth of God.’ ”

This first temptation is one that goes after the provision of God. Satan says to Jesus, you are hungry, are you not the Son of God, Your Father cannot take care of you, you need to take matters into your own hands. If you are all powerful why not make these rocks turn to bread. Jesus look at this it could be yours to eat but you must use your power for self.

Jesus had the power to turn this into bread. We see Him do this type of thing at other times. He fed thousands with very little. Yet in this case it was about the flesh and all he saw. This was an attack on the lust of the eyes and how He could fulfill it for self. Jesus never uses His gifts, His power for self. He uses it for others and for glorifying the will of God. This is what Satan is trying to get Him to do, to use His power for self. The lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes and the pride of life.

(NIV)

16 For everything in the world—the lust of the flesh, the lust of the eyes, and the pride of life—comes not from the Father but from the world.

Jesus response is directly from God’s word: “you shall not live by bread alone.” Jesus does not hesitate or think about it, he just uses God’s word. This is from when Moses is reminding the nation of Israel of all God has done. He says it is not about the food, it is about the word of God. He is the one that sustains you. We also read that Jesus points out that “man” shall not live by bread alone. Jesus does not make this about His Godship, it is about His humanity. Jesus in doing this gives us the confidence that we too can overcome the temptations of Satan. “Man” you and I do not live by bread alone we are sustained by His word alone and this is how we are able to overcome all.

The next temptation we see is attacking Jesus with the lust of the flesh as well as living our will and not the Fathers.

(NKJV)

5 Then the devil took Him up into the holy city, set Him on the pinnacle of the temple, 6 and said to Him, “If You are the Son of God, throw Yourself down. For it is written: ‘He shall give His angels charge over you,’ and, ‘In their hands they shall bear you up, Lest you dash your foot against a stone.’ ” 7 Jesus said to him, “It is written again, ‘You shall not tempt the Lord your God.’ ”

Look Jesus you can jump down and be safe. Are you not the great Son of God? Will God not protect you? Jesus is being told that He can tell God the Father that He wants Him to follow His will not the Fathers will. Morris says this:

It is a temptation to manipulate God, to create a situation not of God’s choosing in which God would be required to act as Jesus dictated. Jesus rejects the suggestion with decision.[2]

He is trying to build up His pride in making Jesus think I am worth that. I am God of all, I deserve a little recognition.

Satan also at this time uses scripture, funny he is trying to use Jesus’ words against Him. It says in the word that nothing can hurt you so test it. Jesus says in a clear response, again, you shall not tempt the Lord. In other words, He is saying I have no right to look to God the Father and tell Him when He is to act or work. We are servants of Him not the other way around.

The last temptation we see here is the attack on the pride of life:

(NKJV)

8 Again, the devil took Him up on an exceedingly high mountain, and showed Him all the kingdoms of the world and their glory. 9 And he said to Him, “All these things I will give You if You will fall down and worship me.” 10 Then Jesus said to him, “Away with you, Satan! For it is written, ‘You shall worship the Lord your God, and Him only you shall serve.’ ” 11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

Again, the next event that happened, in this temptation. And Jesus comes at him once again with the Word of God. Jesus is told that all this could be His if he was willing to give up everything. Satan saying what is partial truth, in fact I wonder how much he really believed it was his to give. He had the keys to this earth, but it is only allowed for a time. Satan truly seems to think He has real authority. He came to Jesus saying this could be yours. Morris says this:

Many who profess to follow the Christ have purchased their own “empires” at the cost of the acceptance of evil.[3]

Jesus put it like this:

(NKJV)

36 For what will it profit a man if he gains the whole world, and loses his own soul?

This is what Satan is trying to get Him to do. To give up all of His soul for all this world has to offer, which is nothing. Not to mention it is already belongs to Jesus. Jesus reminds us to be last, give up everything of this world then you will gain real life.

(NKJV)

34 When He had called the people to Himself, with His disciples also, He said to them, “Whoever desires to come after Me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow Me. 35 For whoever desires to save his life will lose it, but whoever loses his life for My sake and the gospel’s will save it.

Satan is trying to convince us to keep our lives, yet it is when we are willing to give them up to Him that we will really gain it all. One author puts it like this:

“Serve the devil and rule the world. In modern terms, be practical, realistic, ready to compromise; ‘the end justifies the means’. To help people you must get position and power.”[4]

We try and convince ourselves what we are doing is ok, and good. But that justification is only a lie from the devil. Let the Lord bring you to where you need to be in power do not force your way in compromise or lies. Let God exalt you.

We may think if I am a Christian in this world, I will never make it. Daniel made it way further than he ever anticipated. He was just happy to be alive, yet God said I have more for you. Joseph gave up everything and God lifted Him up. Paul left it all behind as Saul and God made Him great. It is not about what we think we can do but what we are willing to let the Spirit of God do in us. It was not what Jesus could do with His power it was all about the power of the Word of God. The word of God defeated Satan then and it will now. The devil left him we read Luke says this:

(NKJV)

13 Now when the devil had ended every temptation, he departed from Him until an opportune time.

He will never be done with us. It is not over after any one battle the battle is a spiritual war. We need to stay near to our Lord for it is in Him alone we will be able to defeat the wiles of the devil. We also read this in closing

(NKJV)

11 Then the devil left Him, and behold, angels came and ministered to Him.

After every attack we are not left to our own either. I believe The Lord is who will minister to us in and through every trial and testing. You are never alone!

[1] Guzik, D. (2013). Matthew (). Santa Barbara, CA: David Guzik.

[2] Morris, L. (1992). The Gospel according to Matthew (p. 76). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.

[3] Morris, L. (1992). The Gospel according to Matthew (p. 77). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.

[4] Morris, L. (1992). The Gospel according to Matthew (p. 77). Grand Rapids, MI; Leicester, England: W.B. Eerdmans; Inter-Varsity Press.