The Baptism of Jesus

Introduction

Good Morning Friendship Church, how are we doing this morning? ....

We are continuing today in our Series called “CHRISTOS” where we are diving deep into the story of Jesus to learn how we each can become more like Him.

Last week we introduced and important figure in Jesus’ story whom Jesus calls “John the Baptist”. He was a bit of a weird guy. He wore crazy clothes, ate crazy food and declared a very radical message - but all of these things worked together to show him to be the “Forerunner” of the Messiah that the Prophets prophesied about.

What we didn’t spend much time on last week was the one thing that even his moniker points to. John’s ministry was marked by his baptizing of many people, and the reason that this is worth spending a separate week on is that along with so many others, John ends up baptizing Jesus, and this is a pivotal moment in His life and ministry.

So in order to understand the significance of this, we have to know something about what baptism is, especially because many of us probably think it is something that only Christians do, and that it started here with John the Baptist. But that is just not true.

In fact, when understood correctly, we can see how the very first “baptism” is found all the way back in the book of Genesis. One might even argue that next to Jesus’ baptism, this would be the second most significant one, because this baptism involved every person on the face of the earth.

Do you know what I am talking about yet? Maybe it will help if I clarify that the Greek word that we get our English word “Baptism” from is βαπτίζω (baptizo), and it means “the action of immersing someone or something into liquid (usually water).”

That’s right, the very first “baptism” was when God fully immersed the entire World in water in order to cleanse it from the defiled place that it had become. He immersed the entire world, and then brought just 8 people through to experience newness of life on the other side.

You might say…I don’t know Dan, that seems like a stretch. I mean just because a lot of water is involved in both events doesn’t mean that they are necessarily connected…and I would tend to agree with you except for the fact that the Bible makes this connection. In 1 Peter chapter 3 the Apostle Peter says that:

“...God’s patience waited in the days of Noah, while the ark was being prepared, in which a few, that is, eight persons, were brought safely through water. Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body (physical act) but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ,” 1 Peter 3:20b-21

Peter is making this profound correlation between what God did to purify the world through the flood in Genesis and what God did to purify the world through the resurected Jesus. And the “appeal” behind the act of baptism is that connection point.

We don’t have time to chase this rabbit today, but we could point to so many different ways in which the flood brought our natural world into a whole new kind of place. Many of you know this, because you have been down to Kentucky to visit the Creation Museum and the Ark Encounter. It is amazing how this one incredible event served to make our entire world a new place. Much of which we are still discovering today.

But when it came to those 8 people who were “brought safely through the water.”, the newness of their lives wore off much quicker. Fortunately for us, God promised not to “baptize” with a World Wide flood again, but this event did establish “immersion” as a symbol for purification and being made new again.

And this symbol continued into the history of God’s people. Of course the Greek word “baptizo” wasn’t used, but even today orthodox Jews practice something called טְבִילָה (Tevlah) which is the act of immersion in a natural sourced water, called a מקוה (Mikva), which translated means “a lot of water”. The goal behind this practice was also to restore a condition of "ritual purity" to a Jewish man or woman.

This practice can be traced back to the law of Moses where it was commanded for purification in many different situations including coming in contact with a dead body, or certain bodily fluids, or even in preparation for marriage as - of course - the bride and groom desire to go into their new marriage in a pure and righteous condition. In all these situations, the person would go to Mikva and practice Tivlah or being “immersed” in “a lot of water”.

Tension

The big idea here is that the act of baptism was not something that Christians invented nor was it something that began with John the Baptist. It was set up by God as an experience that brought someone from a condition of impurity to a condition of purity.

So when John called the people to his “baptism of repentance”, they didn’t enter into the Jordan River thinking, “Ok, this is neat I wonder what this is all about”.

No, they understood the significance of this choice. They were walking into the Jordan river to be baptized by John as a public declaration that they were not right with God, and they wanted to be. They were answering John’s call to “Repent for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand”.

And remember this was not a small group that came out John...

Matthew 3:5–6 ESV

5 Then Jerusalem and all Judea and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him, 6 and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.

This is what baptism is all about. A desire to change ones condition. To be cleansed, purified and made new in order to be pleasing to a holy and righteous God.

This makes sense for you and me, but it begs the question: Why then was Jesus baptized?

If the point of baptism is a recognition and repentance of sin and a desire to live right again, then what was Jesus’ baptism all about? He was and is completely sinless and righteous, so what did He need baptism for?

It’s a good question, and in fact it was one that John the Baptist asked as well. So as we look at this pivotal part of Jesus’ story, we are going to try and find that out.

All four Gospel accounts include a reference to this story, but we are going to focus in on Matthew chapter 3 again, so open your Bibles there with me, it’s on page 808 in the Bibles in your chairs.

While you are opening up there, I will pray.

Truth

The first thing that we have to understand about this part of Jesus’ story, is that

Jesus chose to be baptized by John (Matthew 3:13–15, John 1:29–31).

Matthew 3:13 ESV

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

Matthew gives us no question of how Jesus ended up on that shoreline that day. He went to the Jordan river to be baptized by John. It was not something that he was coerced into or that he just happened to be walking by, it was something that he intentionally set out to do.

So where did Jesus find John the Baptist that day? While some theologians differ on the exact spot, the Gospels do give us some meaningful clues. From Matthew here we learn that it was on the Jordan River, which is this significant river between the two larger bodies of water on the map of this area. That leaves us with a lot of possibilities. But we also know from Matthew that Jesus came “from Galilee” which is in the North and that the people who came to be baptized by John came from “Jerusalem and all Judea” which puts us more south than north. We can also get some help from John’s account where it says

John 1:28 ESV

28 These things took place in Bethany across the Jordan, where John was baptizing.

So this “Bethany” was not the Bethany of Mary, Martha and Lazarus, but a city on the east side of the Jordan river probably this point that I have marked that is just east of Jericho.

So why does any of this matter, unless you just really like maps like I do it might not seem like it matters much except when we remember who John is.

Last week we talked about John’s crazy outfit corresponded with what the great prophet Elijah wore? Well this particular part of the Jordan River, just east of Jericho, is the spot where Elijah rolled up his cloak and hit the water and it parted so he and his protege Elisha could walk across. Then Elisha saw Elijah taken up into heaven by a fiery chariot and turned around and did the same thing with the cloak and Jordan parting before him. This is that place...and now John, the forerunner of the Messiah is here on this very spot baptizing people in preparation for the coming of the Lord.

That’s pretty awesome…isn’t it? How all of this fits together almost as if someone was orchestrating these events to an intentional ending…hmmm.

And of course this adds weight to the significance of the role John plays in the story of Jesus. In fact, Jesus himself spoke of the significance of John. He said

Matthew 11:11 ESV

11 Truly, I say to you, among those born of women there has arisen no one greater than John the Baptist. Yet the one who is least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than he.

Seems to me that Jesus is saying that John the Baptist is closer than anyone else in getting this earthly living right, and yet even he wasn’t able to be what God has planned for us in the kingdom of Heaven. And didn’t John know it!

Jesus chose to be baptized by John…but...

John felt unworthy to baptize One without sin (Matt 3:14–15).

Matthew 3:14–15 ESV

14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented.

John knew where he ranked when it came to Jesus. Don’t forget, John was a celebrity in his day! The biggest name on the prophetic circuit. In fact he was the only name right now, and the text says that everyone was coming out to see him. He was so popular that some people tried to make him out to the be the Messiah, but John would not have it.

Luke 3:15–16 ESV

15 As the people were in expectation, and all were questioning in their hearts concerning John, whether he might be the Christ, 16 John answered them all, saying, “I baptize you with water, but he who is mightier than I is coming, the strap of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.

And then that “He” showed up, expecting to be baptized by John and John was like, “Woah wait a minute don’t we have this backwards?” John knew Jesus did not need to repent or change His mind, he had the very mind of Christ! He understood things rightly so why would he need a baptism of repentance? But when Jesus said, this must be done “to fulfill all righteousness”, John was like: Who am I to stand in your way. So John consented.

What do you think Jesus meant by, “to fulfill all rightousness”? The answer to why Jesus needed to be baptized is wrapped up in that statement - but it is not all that easily understood is it.

I do not in any way see myself as Hebrew scholar, but as I read this past week I discovered something really interesting about the Hebrew words involved in their kind of baptism. Ancient Hebrew is one of many languages that can have more than one meaning for a particular word, and sometimes it’s hard to see that they even relate to one another. I thought this at first as I saw that the Hebrew word for “Mikvah” that can be translated “a lot of water” is translated in many places in the Old Testament as “hope”.

Think on that with me for a moment will you. How many of the stories and events in the history of God’s people are centered around the subject of water. A significant sea or river. A well from a forefather. A devastating drought relieved by a rain. The more I think about it, especially in an arid climate like this, having a steady source of water would be a symbol of great hope.

One of the verses that we see this very plainly is in Jeremiah 17:13 where it says...

Jeremiah 17:13 ESV

13 O Lord, the hope of Israel, all who forsake you shall be put to shame; those who turn away from you shall be written in the earth, for they have forsaken the Lord, the fountain of living water.

What a powerful connection between hope and “living” water. Looking even deeper at this verse as you will find that the phrase “put to shame” is the Hebrew word  יבשו (yevoshu), but it is also translated “withered”. So Jeremiah could just as easily and accurately have been saying

“O Lord, the “lot of water” of Israel, all who forsake you shall be “withered”.

Have you ever felt “withered”? As I reflected on this, all I could think on was how I have forsaken God so many times. How I have chosen my own sin and selfishness over what I know God expects of me so many times. And we know this is true because God’s Word tells us that this is our condition.

“All we like sheep have gone astray”, says Isaiah, “we have turned - everyone-to his own way.”

And even in the New Testament Romans tells us “All have sinned and have fallen short of the Glory of God.” Romans 3:23

The conclusion that I came to was, If I had to “immerse” myself every time that I needed to repent, I would never be dry.

And some people have tried this with Baptism, or some other religious practice of repentance. Every time they hear of an opportunity to get baptized, or say the sinners prayer or walk down the aisle to say yes to Jesus they will jump at it again, thinking that maybe this time they will do it the right way because the last time they repented must not have been “good enough”.

This is the story of Pastor and author J.D. Greear, I want to share of his story with you from his book , Stop asking Jesus into your heart, How to know for sure you are saved. He says:

During my freshman year of college, as a scoured the Bible to determine what qualified as “real” repentance” I could not escape the questions: “How could I ever repent enough to be truly worthy of Jesus? How could I ever give a sufficient response to his Lordship? How could I ever be sorry enough for my sin?” Even my best repentance, my fullest surrender, was a far cry from what was due unto Jesus. I knew God could never look at me and say “Your repentance was perfect! You were sorry enough for your sin. You gave to wait to my glory

That thought kept me from peace. But then I came across the N.T. Wright’s explanation of the odd little story of Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:17. John the Baptist was offering a “baptism of repentance.” Jews, Roman soldiers and sinners of all stripes were coming to him to be baptized, repenting of their sins. As they were Baptized, symbolizing their repentance towards God, John would command them, “Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance”.

One afternoon, Jesus stepped into the water, requesting baptism. John objected, understandably: Why do You need to undergo a baptism of repentance? Indeed what did Jesus have to repent of he had never sinned!

Jesus told John, however, not to resist him for he was doing it “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matt 3:15) Whose righteousness would that Baptism fulfill? His righteousness was already fulfilled, and could not be any fuller.

It was my righteousness, he was fulfilling. He was undergoing a baptism of repentance in my place repenting in a way that could truly be called “righteous” so that his death could be a perfect substitute for mine.

He lived the life I should have lived. All of it. He did everything perfectly in my place. So the good news for me is that I don’t have to repent “perfectly”, because He did so for me. As the Puritans used to say, “Even our tears of repentance must be washed in the blood of the lamb.”

This does not negate that when we come to Christ, there must be a recognition of and submissiveness towards his Lordship. It simply takes off of us the weight of feeling like we have to repent “perfectly” in a way that earns his approval. Jesus earned it. Believe that and submit to it.

Some of us have been living for a long time wondering if we have “repented perfectly enough”. Maybe we have been baptized many different times, never really realizing that our “hope” is not in the physical act of “immersion” but in what the perfectly complete life, death and resurrection of Jesus has done for us.

Let’s not forget the second half of Isaiahs messianic verse:

Isaiah 53:6 ESV

6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned—every one—to his own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all.

Jesus was baptized so that we would have “hope” in the overflow of his righteous life, even as we strive daily to be righteous in response to this.

And perhaps the most striking part of Jesus’ baptism story is what happened after he was baptized, when

God affirmed Jesus as His Son (Matthew 3:16–17).

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.”

This is probably the most vivid picture of the Trinity in the entire Bible, as we see all three persons present and active. God The Holy Spirit descends to fill and strengthen God the Son even as God Father affirms Jesus as his Son. This event reveals Jesus’ identity, His relationship with His Father and the purpose for which He was sent.

So far in Jesus’ story we have walked through his work in creation, the ancient prophecies of Him, His birth story and adolescence and this event marks the beginning of Jesus’ ministry on earth as an adult. Much will be discovered in the weeks to come.

Gospel Application

Jesus’ ministry begins with a vivid picture of the Trinity, but it ends with instructions for a proclamation of the Trinity. Turning to the end of the Gospel of Matthew, after Jesus’ ministry, death and resurection He is meeting with his disciples on a mountain...

Matthew 28:18–20 ESV

18 And Jesus came and said to them, “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. 19 Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, 20 teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, to the end of the age.”

This is the mission of the Christian Church given to us by the author and perfecter of our faith. It’s our shared mission or the “Great Co-mission” as it is called. To make disciples, baptizing them, “immersing” them in the hope that is found in the resurrected Jesus Christ.

The election this coming week has many of thinking about what that word “authority” is really all about. What does it mean to be a citizen of this country, and yet subject to a different King. Did you hear those opening words of Jesus to us… “All authority in heaven and on earth has been given to me. Therefore…we are to be about this great ministry of making disciples, baptizing and teaching them.

We each have a part to play in the election of our countries governing officials this coming week, and like everything else we do we should do it for the glory of God...but no matter what happens in that arena, or the fallout that follows those results... we can know that it doesn’t even touch the authority of Jesus. Because of this, we will continue to be about making disciples, baptizing them and teaching them to obeserve everything Jesus has commanded. Nothing gets in the way of that.

Landing

Here at Friendship Church we observe two ordinances. One of them is baptism by immersion as we talked about today. If you have never been baptized and that is something that you want to pursue in obedience to Jesus’ command here then we would love to talk to you about it. You can talk to me or one of the other Overseers about it, or you can check that box on the communication card in the chairs, turn it in at the boxes at the back and one of us will get in contact with you on it.

The other ordinance is Communion, and we are going to celebrate that together this morning as well...

Romans 6:3–4 ESV

3 Do you not know that all of us who have been baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? 4 We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.