Why was Jesus baptized?

Response

At first glance, it may seem that Jesus’ baptism serves no purpose. John’s baptism symbolized repentance «I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire: », (Matthew 3:11), but Jesus, being sinless, had no need for repentance. Even John was surprised by Jesus’ approach. John acknowledged his own sinfulness and realized that as a sinner in need of repentance, he was unworthy to baptize the sinless Lamb of God: “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” «But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? », (Matthew 3:14). Jesus explained that it was necessary to fulfill all righteousness: “Allow it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” «And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. », (Matthew 3:15).

There are several reasons why it was appropriate for John to baptize Jesus at the start of Jesus’ public ministry. Jesus was about to begin His significant work, and it was fitting for Him to be publicly acknowledged by His predecessor. John was the “voice crying in the wilderness” foretold by Isaiah, urging people to repent in anticipation of their Messiah «The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the LORD, make straight in the

Desert a highway for our God.” (Isaiah 40:3). By baptizing Him, John was declaring to all that here was the One they had been waiting for, the Son of God, the One he had predicted would baptize “with the Holy Spirit and fire” “I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:”, (Matthew 3:11).

Jesus’ baptism by John takes on an added dimension when we consider that John was of the tribe of Levi and a direct descendant of Aaron. Luke specifies that both of John’s parents were of the Aaronic priestly line “There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judæa, a certain priest named Zacharias, of the course of Abia: and his wife was of the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elisabeth.”, (Luke 1:5). One of the duties of the priests in the Old Testament was to present the sacrifices before the Lord. John the Baptist’s baptism of Jesus could be seen as a priestly presentation of the Ultimate Sacrifice. John’s words the day after the baptism have a decidedly priestly air: “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world!” “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.”, (John 1:29).

Jesus’ baptism also showed that He identified with sinners. His baptism symbolized the sinners’ baptism into the righteousness of Christ, dying with Him and rising free from sin and able to walk in the newness of life. His perfect righteousness would fulfill all the requirements of the Law for sinners who could never hope to do so on their own. When JohnHe hesitated to baptize the sinless Son of God, Jesus replied that it was proper to “fulfill all righteousness” «And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. », (Matthew 3:15). By this, He alluded to the righteousness that He provides to all who come to Him to exchange their sin for His righteousness «For he hath made him to be sin for us, who knew no sin; that we might be made the righteousness of God in him.», (2 Corinthians 5:21).

In addition, Jesus’ coming to John showed His approval of John’s baptism, bearing witness to it, that it was from heaven and approved by God. This would be important in the future when others would begin to doubt John’s authority, particularly after his arrest by Herod (Matthew 14:3-11).

Perhaps most importantly, the occasion of the public baptism recorded for all future generations the perfect embodiment of the triune God revealed in glory from heaven. The testimony directly from heaven of the Father’s pleasure with the Son and the descending of the Holy Spirit upon Jesus (Matthew 3:16-17) is a beautiful picture of the trinitarian nature of God. It also depicts the work of the Father, Son, and Spirit in the salvation of those Jesus came to save. The Father loves the elect from before the foundation of the world «according as he hath chosen us in him before the foundation of the world, that we should be holy and without blame before him in love: », (Ephesians 1:4); He sends His Son to seek and save the lost «For the Son of man is come to seek and to save…», (Luke 19:10).that which was lost.” (Luke 19:10); and the Spirit convicts of sin, “And when he is come, he will reprove the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment.” (John 16:8) and draws the believer to the Father through the Son. All the glorious truth of the mercy of God through Jesus Christ is on display at His baptism.