MY PERSPECTIVE, Gary Damron
When Jesus came to be baptized, it was a necessary act of obedience to God's plan. The scene on the banks of the Jordan River contained the vision of the dove descending - an indication of the divine Spirit - and the voice of God, giving assurance that here was the Messiah, the chosen Son of God. In that instant was a clear expression of the Trinity: the Son was baptized according to the Father’s plan; the Holy Spirit descended; and the Father’s voice from heaven declared approval. "'This is my beloved Son.'”
The event marked the start of Jesus' ministry, and "fulfilled all righteousness" by 1) publicly identifying Himself with sinners. It also 2) set up an example of submission; 3) validated the ministry of John the Baptist; and 4) foreshadowed the death and resurrection of Jesus. Jesus' baptism by John is recorded in all four gospels (Matthew chapter 3; Mark chapter 1; Luke chapter 3; and John chapter 1).
Up to this point, all we'd learned of Jesus was His preparation for entrance into the life to which the Father sent Him. He was presented by Mary and Joseph in the temple; He was circumcised; and He attended the Passover celebration and visited the temple at the age of twelve (Luke 2:21-51. Now, He came to be baptized in conformity to the Law, in order that every religious duty of the Old Testament would be satisfied. The apostle Paul recognized Jesus as sent from God, "born of a woman, born under the law" (Galatians 4:4).
In Matthew 3:14, when Jesus came to the river, John the Baptist protested, saying, "'I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?'” A requirement for John's baptism was that each candidate would repent of their sins, and John recognized that Jesus had none. The question, then, is why would Jesus be baptized?
1) While Jesus was sinless, His baptism demonstrated He is one with us. The incarnation was more than God coming into a physical body; it meant He is united with humans. God had entered history in times past, but in Jesus, He actually moved into humanity, becoming one with those He came to save, and embracing our need for cleansing.
2) Jesus insisted that John perform the baptism. "'Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill [plērōsai or complete] all righteousness [dikaiosunēn justice].' Then he permitted Him" (Matthew 3:15). In submitting to baptism, Jesus satisfied every religious duty in order that the sinless One could bear all our sins and provide a pure sacrifice for our salvation. He consciously submitted to the Father's will, counted Himself among sinners, and received the sign of cleansing, which was water baptism.
3) John the Baptist had been born with the mission of serving as forerunner for the Messiah, and he was privileged to be a part of the baptism of Jesus, validating what he'd preached, before that day at the Jordan River. In John 1:32-24, the Baptist explained what he saw, and how he knew Jesus as the Son of God. "After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he [John the Baptist] saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, 'This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased'” (Matthew 3:16-17).
4) Jesus' baptism foreshadowed His death and resurrection. Obedience to the Father, and the Father’s approval, would strengthen Him as He drew near to the cross. The apostle Peter later wrote, "For Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that He might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made alive in the spirit; ... Corresponding to that, baptism now saves you - not the removal of dirt from the flesh, but an appeal to God for a good conscience - through the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Peter 3:18, 21).
By undergoing a water baptism, Jesus introduced a new righteousness that would transcend legalistic rule-following. It establishes a right standing with God, through faith in His finished work, rather than by human effort. Righteousness then is based on grace, inward transformation, and a believer's new identity as a child of God. The focus is on the heart and inner spirit, not on complying with outward manmade regulations.
In the Sermon on the Mount (Matthew chapters 5 through 7), Jesus called for righteousness that surpassed that of the scribes and Pharisees. It goes beyond avoiding sin, as believers embrace godly motivations, love, and humility. It is a gift received through belief, not achieved by human striving or obeying the Mosaic law. The transformation of motive and attitude comes by the Spirit, and turns the focus away from earning God's favor, to accepting it as a free blessing.
The baptism practiced by John the Baptist was a promise of what was to come. The complete and continuous submission by Jesus to the Father's will "fulfilled all righteousness" and introduced an essential baptism, that of the Holy Spirit (Luke 3:16-17). The event marked the transition from the Old Covenant to a new, spiritual kingdom where Jesus reigns internally and eternally.
