The King Walks Onto The Scene

How does it change your view of a story when you know the outcome? What effect does that have when you look at the details of the story?

For instance, imagine you were reading a detective novel. The first time you read that novel, all the information is new to you. All the details are coming at your mind for the first time. You may have pre-conceived notions about certain aspects of the story, but you don’t have the conclusion. You start to form your own conclusions about the characters, the events, the facts, the storyline about halfway through the book - but you still aren’t privy to the outcome! There is a sense in which reading or watching a story like that unfold is invigorating, and often you are surprised by how it turns out.

If its a good book, or a good movie, then the first time you take it in won’t be the last time you take it in! There was a series of books I enjoyed reading as a child, and one of them I bet I read 5 or 6 times. Of course, after the first time I read it, I knew the conclusion. But why did I keep reading it? Well, because I enjoyed the story, that’s an obvious reason - but perhaps underneath that is this fact. When you understand the outcome of a story, the details begin to take on more and more significance. When you know who the guilty party is in a crime novel, then every word or action of that person in the story starts to be dripping with obviousness. You say, “how could I have missed that?” or “that makes perfect sense now!” It is an incredible advantage to have the understanding of the outcome, or the whole picture, before you start to interpret the parts.

Here in the second part of Matthew 3, we have one of these defining revelations about the life and ministry of Jesus. This is the kind of narrative that gives weight to the rest of the story. When you see the rest of Jesus’ words and actions interpreted through the information that we get from this story, then Jesus’ life begins to drip with meaning in our mind. What is revealed about Jesus in this story gives us a glimpse into the fulness of the meaning of his whole coming, of his whole ministry. This is the first time that we see Jesus as an adult in the Gospel records, and the words he speaks here are the first recorded words of Jesus that we have since he was 12 years old in the Temple when he said, “I must be about my Father’s business.” Now he is 30 years of age, and Judea is about to be significantly shaken by this Jesus.

It is both strange and wonderful that Jesus lived in relative infamy for 30 years. No doubt, those right around him knew that there was something special about this man. He would have been devout but kind, fastidious but gentle, sinless but humble, righteous, but not self-righteous. Still, his public teaching and ministry of miracles did not begin until after the event that we have in this passage. If we think of this story in terms of Jesus as King, then we have here the public coronation, the public installation, the outward testimony to the true reality that Jesus is the Messiah, that his mission is worthy, that he is the sinless son of God.

It would take some of Jesus’ followers years to come to the realizations that are laid out in this passage, and truly, many of those around Jesus would remain ignorant of these wonderful truths. But what we have here is the precursor to the revelation that Peter finally came to grips with in Matthew 16, and Peter’s words are a good reminder of what Jesus’ Baptism shows us.

Matthew 16:13–16 (ESV)

Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesarea Philippi, he asked his disciples, “Who do people say that the Son of Man is?” And they said, “Some say John the Baptist, others say Elijah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets.” He said to them, “But who do you say that I am?” Simon Peter replied, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.”

God had revealed that truth to Peter over the course of his walk with Jesus - beloved, we are privileged to have that information now. Peter game to terms with that truth as he saw Jesus’ teachings, miracles, and life unfold, but we get to see and examine this glorious truth here at the beginning of Matthew’s Gospel.

Matthew has already told us in the birth narrative that Jesus came to save his people from their sins, he already told us, through the words of John the Baptist, that Jesus would be the greatest man to walk the face of the earth. He already told us, through the genealogy and the virgin birth, that Jesus was the Son of God, Immanuel, God with Us. But here at Jesus’ baptism we have all these things confirmed by God Himself.

Jesus’ baptism gives us a confirming image of His righteousness, His mission, and His Divinity.

1. The Son’s Obedience - 13-15

We pick up the narrative after John’s scathing but brief sermon to the Pharisees and Sadducees - a sermon that revealed their lack of true repentance, and a sermon that gave a promise and a warning about the coming of one who is greater than John, one who would baptize in the Spirit for life, and in fire for judgment.

With those words on out mind, we read verse 13. “Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.” Matthew, I think, does this on purpose. But as soon as John finishes telling people about the one to come, the promised one walks onto the stage. Matthew is saying, “John’s prophecy about the greater one coming isn’t just random speech, it is pointing to Jesus.”

We shouldn’t lose the significance of this Journey that Jesus made. It doesn’t tell us that anyone is with him. It doesn’t tell us any great details, other than the fact that he came from Galilee. John was in the southern part of Judea, west of the Jordan River. This would have been approximately a 70 mile journey for Jesus, probably on foot. News had travelled about John’s preaching and baptism, but Jesus wasn’t coming like the Pharisees just to check out this crazed prophet - he was coming to be baptized by Him.

Different Gospel records give us different, interlocking details of this story. John tells us that when Jesus approached the river, John the Baptist gave a stunning introduction.

John 1:29–30 ESV

The next day he saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is he of whom I said, ‘After me comes a man who ranks before me, because he was before me.’

John, being a devout man and a prophet, was well-aware of the Old Testament sacrificial system. He was well-aware of sacrifices for sin, repetitive, ongoing, year-after-year sacrifices. He also was well-aware of the sin of the world! He was, after all, a preacher of righteousness and repentance - so when he saw Jesus and said, “this is the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!” He was not mincing words or just being Kind. This was John saying, “you know the one I have been telling you about? You know my message about the King being near? This is Him! This is the one who is far greater than me!”

John’s words about Jesus taking away sin shows us that he had some revealed understanding about Jesus’ own righteousness, his sinlessness. And this is echoed in John’s response to Jesus.

In verse 14, we read “John would have prevented him, saying, I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” The tense in the language hints that John kept saying this - he was actively trying to refuse this task. John had no problem with his God-given task of calling people to repentance, and to baptism as a sign of that. He had no problem with that because he knew people, including himself, were utterly sinful and needed repentance. But when he saw Jesus coming to the baptism, his mind threw him for a loop. Why does the sinless one need baptism for repentance?

In verse 15, Jesus gives a brief but firm answer. “Let it be so now.” In other words, Jesus says, “lets just get on with the program, John - it is the right thing for us to do.

How does Jesus Baptism “fulfill all righteousness?” And what does that mean? Normally, when Matthew uses the word “fulfill” he is speaking of a way in which the Old Testament scripture is coming to life before our eyes. We have already seen many of his “fulfillment quotations” even in the first few chapters. The word “righteousness” in Matthew generally refers to the conduct that God requires of his people. The kind of right living and right relationship before God and man that is required by God’s law and his own perfect character.

Of course, nobody, not even John could “fulfill all righteousness” in this sense. Everyone fell short in some way, which is why John was preaching repentance. But, Jesus could, and did, fulfill all righteousness in this way. And, in submitting to John’s baptism, it was fitting in that it was part of Jesus’ active obedience.

What is Jesus active obedience? It is the fact that Jesus was not simply born righteous, without the stain of original sin, but he remained righteous by not failing to keep God’s commandments in even one way. Jesus is the perfect, sinless one. When John came, he came as a prophet anointed and sent by God. His preaching was God’s message for his people in that day. When John commanded people to repent and be baptized, that was God’s command for them. With Jesus’ baptism, he was submitting himself to the same humble obedience that every obedient Jew in that region did who came to John’s baptism.

But what about the repentance aspect? Wasn’t John’s baptism a baptism of repentance? How could Jesus, the sinless one, rightfully take part in a baptism that was for something he had no need to do? It is important to realize here that while John’s baptism was for repentance, the act of baptism was not repentance itself. Remember, our repentance doesn’t consist in our right actions - our right actions speak outwardly of a radical inward change. Those who repented and were baptized did so to signify this miraculous change. In Jesus’ case, it wasn’t a signal of inward change, but it was a signal of perfect obedience.

But even beyond being a signal of perfect obedience, this was an identification. If you recall from our study of the first 12 verses, we said that John’s baptism was an identification as one who was repentant, waiting for the Kingdom of God. Jesus’ baptism identified him, then, with those people who needed repentance - who needed forgiveness. As one who came to save his people from their sins, as one who came as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world - Jesus identified himself with those very sinners!

Isaiah 53:11–12 ESV

Out of the anguish of his soul he shall see and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous, and he shall bear their iniquities. Therefore I will divide him a portion with the many, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong, because he poured out his soul to death and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and makes intercession for the transgressors.

Isaiah prophesied of the Suffering Servant as one who would be righteous, and would make many righteous. But this same, perfectly righteous one would be “numbered with the transgressors.” I believe that is exactly what Jesus is fulfilling in his baptism - yes it is righteousness, yes it is part of his active obedience, but it is an identification with the sinful. He identified with the sinful Israelites who had wandered from their God. He identified with the sinful gentiles who needed cleansing to enter God’s kingdom. He identified with you and with me, as he foreshadowed the time when he would be baptized by death for the sins of all who will call upon Him in faith and repentance - the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.

2. The Spirit’s Anointing - 16

But all that is simply assumption on our part without the rest of this narrative. We are told that John followed through with Jesus’ request, and Jesus was baptized. Immediately after that, when he went up out of the river, and the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and came to rest upon Him.

There are two instances that come to my mind when I read that narrative. The first is at the inauguration of the ministry of Ezekiel. When Ezekiel was called by God, we are told he had a miraculous, heavenly vision where the Glory of God, to some extent, was opened up before his eyes. You can Read Ezekiel’s remarkable vision in the first chapter of his book. After his vision, we are told that God spoke to Him audibly, and the Spirit of God came upon Ezekiel, set him on his feet, and Ezekiel was commissioned into his prophetic ministry.

The other scene I am reminded of is at the stoning of Stephen. When Stephen was falsely accused of blasphemy and stoned for his alleged crimes, while he was there on the ground receiving the blows, the heavens were opened up and he saw Jesus standing at the right hand of the throne of God.

In Ezekiel’s case, the heaven’s were opened up for the sake of inauguration and commissioning. In Stephen’s case, the heavens were opened in confirmation, comfort, and reception. Ezekiel was being sent into a life of ministry, Stephen was being welcomed home and comforted in his death that his ministry was legitimate.

In these two ways, I think this narrative points backward to Ezekiel and forward to the life of the church in saying - this is it - this is the one. Jesus was being commissioned in his earthly ministry, but he was also being confirmed in the sight of John and those witnessing.

It is worthy to note that Jesus wasn’t necessarily receiving Spiritual power, or the Spirit, like we do after our salvation. What was being fulfilled here is the Anointing. Isaiah prophesied about the anointing of God’s chosen servant many times. One instance is in Isaiah 61

Isaiah 61:1 ESV

The Spirit of the Lord God is upon me, because the Lord has anointed me to bring good news to the poor; he has sent me to bind up the brokenhearted, to proclaim liberty to the captives, and the opening of the prison to those who are bound;

Jesus was and is the fulfillment of these kinds of prophecies. He lived, walked, and ministered not according to fleshly desires or seeking fame, but only according to the Spirit of God. Jesus would confirm this about himself when he stood in the synagogue, read that passage from Isaiah, and said “today this scripture has been fulfilled.” Jesus was the anointed one, the Messiah. Like the crowning of a King, the Spirit coming upon Jesus in this way signified to all who saw that he was the one, and his work was legitimate. He was the one who came to save sinners, to bring them to repentance, to take away the sin of the world - and the spirit coming upon Him in this moment shows that his intended ministry was a God-ordained one.

3. The Father’s Confirmation - 17

It is remarkably fitting that we have the specific mention and appearance of all three persons of the Godhead. Just as they were present together at the creation of the world, just as they have dwelt in unity, love, and perfection forever and ever, here too, at the baptism of Jesus, we see the perfection and completeness of the Godhead - Father, Spirit, Son - at the start of this ministry and work of redemption.

God the Father speaks from heaven with a voice instantly recognized by Jesus - “this is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.”

Scripturally, God’s words here take us back again to the Old Testament to a couple places.

Psalm 2:7 ESV

I will tell of the decree: The Lord said to me, “You are my Son; today I have begotten you.

Isaiah 42:1 ESV

Behold my servant, whom I uphold, my chosen, in whom my soul delights; I have put my Spirit upon him; he will bring forth justice to the nations.

It is interesting to note that both of those passages, Psalm 2 and Isaiah 42, were seen as messianic prophecies long before Jesus came into the world. There were many of God’s people holding on to those passages and looking for the coming of the Messiah. And here, God speaks from heaven and says, “this is the one.”

And this wouldn’t be the only time we would hear this confirmation.

At the scene on the mount of transfiguration, where the glory of Jesus’ divinity shone through like blinding light, where Peter, James and John met with Moses and Elijah - Peter wanted to stay there. It was around the time of the feast of tabernacles, and peter said “lets build three tents right here and now and just camp out a while!” But God’s voice came from heaven and said,

Mark 9:7 ESV

And a cloud overshadowed them, and a voice came out of the cloud, “This is my beloved Son; listen to him.”

In Mark’s Gospel, we are told that not long before the transfiguration, Jesus predicted his death. In that moment, Peter wouldn’t have it! Peter rebuked him for speaking of that unimaginable fate! So God’s words on that mountain, in essence, were a confirmation saying “this is the one, and this is the plan! Listen to Him!”

The Father’s words at Jesus’ baptism were a confirmation to Jesus, they were a confirmation to John, but they were a confirmation to all of us as well. You see, there is a tendency to think that Jesus is the new-and-improved version of God. The Old Testament version is sort of mean, and vindictive, and judgmental - but Jesus is merciful and loving and kind.

Jesus’ coming is not “God, version 2.” Jesus coming is not “that didn’t work, time for plan be.” Jesus is not the new version of God! Jesus is God, the same essence and being, co-equal, co-eternal with God the Father and God the Spirit. God’s confirmation here that Jesus is his “beloved Son” is not the start of Jesus Deity, it is not Jesus becoming God, it is Jesus being revealed for who he truly was all along.

Hebrews 1:1–9 ESV

Long ago, at many times and in many ways, God spoke to our fathers by the prophets, but in these last days he has spoken to us by his Son, whom he appointed the heir of all things, through whom also he created the world. He is the radiance of the glory of God and the exact imprint of his nature, and he upholds the universe by the word of his power. After making purification for sins, he sat down at the right hand of the Majesty on high, having become as much superior to angels as the name he has inherited is more excellent than theirs. For to which of the angels did God ever say, “You are my Son, today I have begotten you”? Or again, “I will be to him a father, and he shall be to me a son”? And again, when he brings the firstborn into the world, he says, “Let all God’s angels worship him.” Of the angels he says, “He makes his angels winds, and his ministers a flame of fire.” But of the Son he says, “Your throne, O God, is forever and ever, the scepter of uprightness is the scepter of your kingdom. You have loved righteousness and hated wickedness; therefore God, your God, has anointed you with the oil of gladness beyond your companions.”

There is a lot there, and the author of Hebrews quotes a lot of scripture - but lets see the highlights. Jesus is how God has spoken to us and revealed himself in these New Testament days, but Jesus wasn’t created, he didn’t come into existence at this time - rather, jesus is the radiance of God’s glory - the same essence and nature - he created the world, and he upholds the world also. Jesus is God’s eternal son. He is not a glorious creation like the angels, rather he is the one of whom we can say “your throne is forever and ever!”

Yes, Jesus is God - the eternal son of God - and He is the King. Here at his baptism, we see the inauguration of his earthly ministry, but we don’t see the start of his existence. Before Abraham was, Jesus is. Before the world, Jesus is. Before time began, Jesus is.

John the Baptist says he is “The lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world.” Later, in the book of Revelation, we read that Jesus is the Lamb who was slain, and those who he saves have their names written in his book of life before the foundation of the world. This whole scene, the baptism, the confirmation, the voice from heaven, is the eternal plan of God coming to fruition before the eyes of mankind.

What Does This Mean for Us?

1. Jesus’ Righteousness is Real Righteousness

We spoke of the sinless perfection and active obedience of Jesus. This is Jesus, a real human, who perfectly obeyed every word and detail of the Law, and He did it for us. He fulfilled all righteousness in his living and dying. Hebrews tells us that Jesus was faced with every kind of temptation that we face, he was a real person, and the temptations were real - some of those temptations we will see in the very next chapter - yet he remained sinless. If righteousness is right living and right relationship before God and Man, then none of us can achieve it - but Jesus did.

2. Jesus’ Mission was a Real Mission

Jesus came to save sinners - to take away the sin of the world. Because he alone is perfect in righteousness, he alone qualifies for that undertaking. He identified with the sinner in his baptism - he was numbered with the transgressors in his dying - but he accomplished his task, and has made a way for us to be made righteous with an “alien” righteousness - one that is not our own, but is put upon us by Him.

3. Jesus’ Divinity and Kingship is Real

Jesus is the eternal Son of God - he was not made God’s son, he did not become God son - he was not adopted as God’s son - he is God’s eternal son. The same essence, the same substance, the same being. He is the real anointed one, the real Messiah. He is not a poser or a pretender - his life and ministry was confirmed here, would be confirmed throughout his life also, and confirmed again as he rose from the dead and ascended to reign on high.

4. His Teaching is For Us

All of this means that everything Jesus says and does, everything we have recorded of Him in the Gospels, is undeniably critical for our lives. His works, his teachings, his commands, his death - it is all critical for our life, and our eternal life. Jesus has much to say about our entrance into His Kingdom, and also our conduct as members of his Kingdom, and we must pay attention to it. The Divine confirmation of Jesus in this narrative stands as a gatekeeper to the remainder of the Gospels and says “from now on, if you don’t see Jesus the way he is presented here, you see a false Jesus.” We have the privilege of reading the rest of the story with the conclusion in mind. Yes, Jesus is remarkable - yes, He is a great teacher - but these are true because he is God, and he is King. In the Words of God the Father, this is His beloved Son - listen to Him.