Why Was Jesus Baptized? (Matthew 3, Mark 1, Luke 3 & John 1)
Have you ever wondered why Jesus was baptized? His baptism wasn’t about repentance but about identifying with us and fulfilling God’s plan through humility.
Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:19-22; John 1:29-34
Today's Scripture Passage
A Few Thoughts to Consider
Have you ever wondered why Jesus was baptized by John?
It seems odd today, and it’s clear from his reaction that it felt a little odd to John as well. Keep in mind that Jesus was from Nazareth, a good 70 miles from where John’s ministry was taking place. Thus, this encounter isn’t by chance. It’s by divine intention. Notice these words in Matthew 3:13-17,
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. 14 But John tried to stop him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and yet you come to me?” 15 Jesus answered him, “Allow it for now, because this is the way for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John allowed him to be baptized. 16 When Jesus was baptized, he went up immediately from the water. The heavens suddenly opened for him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming down on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well-pleased.”
Right away, we see that John remembers his place. How is he to baptize the one whose sandal he isn’t worth to loose? This event calls to mind Old Testament passages like Isaiah 11:2, which prophecies of the Messiah, “The Spirit of the Lord will rest on him—a Spirit of wisdom and understanding, a Spirit of counsel and strength, a Spirit of knowledge and of the fear of the Lord.”
To clarify, it’s not as if Jesus is receiving the Spirit for the first time. Matthew 1:18 tells us he was conceived by the Spirit. But now, as R.T. France points out, “Jesus is visibly equipped and commissioned to undertake his messianic mission.”[1] That’s one part of the equation. This baptism is a testimony to who Jesus was and is. But it also had an immediate impact on those who followed John. As France writes,
By first identifying with John’s proclamation Jesus lays the foundation for his own mission to take on where John has left off. Further, as Jesus is baptized along with others at the Jordan, he is identified with all those who by accepting John’s baptism have declared their desire for a new beginning with God. He thus prepares for his own role in “bearing their weaknesses” (8:17) and eventually “giving his life as a ransom for many” (20:28) through shedding his blood for their forgiveness (26:28). If he is to be their representative, he must first be identified with them.[2]
So with his baptism, Christ fulfills the prophecies of the past, identifies with the people of his time, and forever stands as our perfect representative today. N.T. Wright put it this way: “Yes, he is coming to fulfil God’s plan, the promises which God made ages ago and has never forgotten. Yes, these are promises which will blow God’s wind, God’s spirit, through the world, which will bring the fire of God’s just judgment on evil wherever it occurs, and which will rescue God’s penitent people once and for all from every kind of exile to which they have been driven.”[3] This is all true. “But if he, Jesus, is to do all this, this is how he must do it: by humbly identifying himself with God’s people, by taking their place, sharing their penitence, living their life and ultimately dying their death.”[4]
A Meditation to PRAY
Praise | Jesus, I praise you for your humility and obedience in coming to John to be baptized. I praise you for the Holy Spirit's descent upon you like a dove, signifying the Father's approval. I praise you for the voice from heaven that declared you as the beloved Son, in whom the Father is well-pleased.
Release | I release my doubts and fears about your love and approval, knowing that you delight in your followers. I release any resistance to following your example of humility and obedience. I release my hesitation to embrace the Holy Spirit's guidance in my life.
Ask | Jesus, I ask for the grace to follow your example. I ask for the Holy Spirit to fill me and guide me daily. I ask for the assurance of your love and approval as I seek to live in obedience to you.
Yield | I yield my will to your perfect plan, trusting you know what is best for me. Following your example, I yield my life to be transformed by the Holy Spirit. I yield my heart to fully embrace your love and live as your beloved follower.
