Good Morning Friends,
“At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in
Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
As Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open
and the Spirit descending on him like a dove.
And a voice came from heaven:
‘You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.’” (Mark
1:9-11)
There are four major participants in the
baptism of Jesus and each one had a significant role to play.
Jesus came from Nazareth to the Jordan to
present Himself to be baptized by John.
John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. But Jesus had nothing for which He needed to
repent. His baptism meant something
different from the baptisms of the others John was baptizing. It was an act of submission to His Father. In Matthew’s account of the baptism Jesus
said it was proper to do this to “fulfill all righteousness.” In other words, because it was what the
Father wanted Jesus to do. It was also
act of humility. The Son of God was
presenting Himself to John to be baptized.
Even John was surprised and troubled by that, but it was a way in which
Jesus demonstrated His humble spirit. It
was also an act of public presentation.
It allowed John to present Jesus to his disciples as the Lamb of God.
John did the baptizing. Can you imagine what a sacred moment that was
for John? God allowed him to participate
in such a significant event in the life of His Messiah. John was humbled by the opportunity. It must have been a huge statement to John
that he had not given his life in vain.
What he had been doing for so long, despite the sacrifices it required,
was worth it. God made that clear.
The Spirit descended on Jesus like a
dove. It was a physical way in which the
Spirit could indicate His approval of Jesus and His presence to support Jesus
in whatever the Father asked of Him in the days ahead.
The Father played a significant role,
too. All three members of the Trinity
were involved in Jesus’ baptism. The
Father pronounced His approval of Jesus and His love of Jesus in a voice that
spoke from heaven.
What a privilege for John. What an amazing act of identification with us
it was for Jesus. What an indication of
support for Jesus from the Spirit. What
an affirmation from the Father.
His, by Grace,
Steve
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