LOC – 013 Jesus Comes to Be Baptized

Lesson Objectives:

It does not matter where you are from, but what you do.

Obeying God is of utmost importance.

Jesus identifies with us (sinners) in preparation for His crucifixion for our sins.

God officially declares Jesus as His Son, and He’s a proud Father.

Lesson Commentary

Read Matthew 3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11; Luke 3:21-23a

We are still laying the foundation for the good stuff. We are learning about Jesus’ early years and the events that happened prior to the actual start of His ministry. Are you receiving a blessing? I think the best is yet to come! There are many exciting experiences ahead as we continue “Walking With Jesus.” Let’s see what this lesson has in store for us!

Matthew has given us the King’s Ancestry (Matthew 1:1-17), Arrival (Matthew 1:18-25), Adoration (Matthew 2:1-12), Attestation (Matthew 2:13-23), and Announcement (Matthew 3:1-12). Now we see His Anointing, or His coronation. God is going to recognize Jesus as His Son. This lesson will deal with Jesus “coronation” as the King. Although this process will not be completed until His death and resurrection, it is a fitting statement to who he is. Prior to this, Jesus’ home was in Nazareth. Everything up to this point has been preparatory. Now Jesus claims no place His home, but focuses on His mission, the road to Calvary. Up to now, Jesus has lived in relative obscurity. Now it is time to come forth and be known.

Baptism of the Son

Mt. 3:13; Mk. 1:9 – In Mark 1:7, John the Baptist gives us an abrupt introduction to Jesus, and then gets down to business. Jesus comes alone from Nazareth, 50-60 miles, to the place on the Jordan River where John is baptizing. Nazareth is an obscure village that is never mentioned in the Old Testament, Talmud or even by the early Jewish historian Josephus. It is a town located in Galilee which is the northern most part of the three divisions of Palestine. Judea and Samaria comprise the other two. Galilee is about thirty miles east to west and sixty miles north to south. From there, Jesus arrives to be baptized by His cousin, John. This is a public event, unlike the private anointing of David in the Old Testament.

Matthew seeks to establish that Jesus is the Messiah that the Jews have been seeking. Mark spares a lot of the details. He only hits the action part and goes on. Luke seeks to identify Jesus with other humans who were coming to John for baptism as a sign of their repentance. This is Jesus’ first appearance after years of quiet obscurity since the incident in Jerusalem when He was twelve years old, some eighteen years earlier.

Mt. 3:14 – John knows Jesus as his cousin. Joseph and Mary are devout and most likely travel often to Jerusalem for the feasts as does John’s family. Jesus and John can get somewhat acquainted at these times. John also knows of Jesus’ background even though they seldom see each other, except at the Feasts in Jerusalem. John knows enough of Jesus’ origin (divinity) to know that he needs to be baptized by Jesus, the “Stronger One.” John also knows that Jesus does not need his baptism because it is a baptism for repentance. John is aware, by instruction of his parents and/or by the Holy Spirit that Jesus is “greater” than him in regards to their relationship with God.

Mt. 3:15; Lk. 3:21 – Jesus is a proper and devout Jew and seeks to fulfill all that His Father desires of Him. Can you show God that you are a “proper and devout” Christian? His coming to be baptized by John suggests several things:

1. Jesus recognizes John as a prophet, and John’s message needs to be heeded by everyone, even Jesus. It sets an example for us to follow also.

2. Jesus needs to identify with sinful humanity in order to set the stage to die for their sins. By being baptized by John for repentance, Jesus is telling us that He is like us in all things, yet without sin. This is important in order to establish that Jesus is human. It also brings up the point that man has a choice to sin or refrain from sin. (That means that we cannot blame our sin on the Devil, Adam, or anyone else. We have to assume responsibility for our own actions and attitudes.) Otherwise, Jesus could not be human. If Jesus were not human, then His death on the cross was not valid since He was not one of us.

John feels that he isn’t worthy to baptize Jesus, but instead needs to be baptized by Jesus. Jesus advises him that “worthiness” isn’t an issue. Obedience to God is what counts! For Jesus to be baptized by John the Baptist will be a point of identifying with the rest of the humanity that He has come to save.

3. Jesus is obedient to His Father, even though He is the Heir to our Father’s Kingdom! He takes upon Himself the identity of being a sinner, in order that He may identify with you and me. Though He is perfectly pure and unspotted, He is washed as if He had been polluted. Thus for our sakes He sanctifies himself, that we also might be sanctified, and be baptized with Him.

4. Jesus’ baptism has a spiritual significance in inaugurating His Kingdom in an act of self-dedication and submission to the mission at hand. This declares His acceptance and the beginning of that mission.

Matthew makes this comment, omitted by Mark and Luke, to establish even further that Jesus is the Messiah that they have so long sought. The baptism marks the point at which Jesus publicly commits Himself to the role for which He has been destined since birth. The voice from heaven forms the climax of Part One. This baptism as a symbol of repentance is God’s will for all Israelites. It was not for them to question its value or place, but to repent and obey.

Lk. 3:21 – In Luke's account, Jesus appears to wait until after all of the other people had left. Though the crowds may still be lingering, this is a “private” moment with His cousin. Luke does not mention John by name. He is probably seeking to focus the attention away from John and onto Jesus who is a man who is also GOD. Luke is also the only author to mention that Jesus prayed. Luke especially makes note of Jesus praying prior to many important occasions.

Anointing of the Spirit

Mt. 3:16; Mk. 1:10 – “At once” (RSV uses “Immediately”) is used forty two times in the Gospel of Mark. This fast paced Gospel stresses the manner in which God steps forth to endorse His Son and inaugurate the mission to which Jesus has been assigned. Mark emphatically states that the “heavens were torn open,” expressing God’s forceful entry into the world to deliver humanity from sin through His Son. We will see the parallel of the Temple veil being torn open when Jesus is crucified, symbolizing God opening the door for man to have direct access to Him, no longer through a priest or other agent. Mark writes to the Romans who understand POWER words like “torn.”

Unlike Matthew and Luke, Mark recounts the theophany at Jesus’ baptism as an apocalyptic vision seen only by Jesus. The importance here is the validation from Heaven as to who Jesus is. That Jesus is immersed (the literal meaning of the word “baptize”) is evident in that Jesus “came up out of the water.” (The word “baptize” comes from the Greek word “baptizo” which means to dip, submerge or plunge under.) We mention this now because we will run into this word again from time to time through the life and teachings of Jesus.

The appearance of a “form like a dove” and God’s voice is God’s sign to John the Baptist that Jesus is the Son of God (See John 1:32-34.) Doves were used in the Old Testament as symbols of love and of Israel in extra-Biblical writings. Doves are also a symbol of purity, which is an appropriate sign for Jesus who had never sinned even though confined to a human body. This is a visualization of the prophecy in Isaiah 11:2 that the Spirit of God would rest on the Messiah.

Here is an aerial photograph of the Jordan River valley near where Aenon would be and where John the Baptist probably did most of his preaching and baptizing. Photo courtesy of ROHR Productions, LTD. 1999.

All personalities of the Godhead are used here. The Son is baptized, the Holy Spirit manifests its presence in the likeness of a dove, and the Father speaks. Some explain the dove as a symbol of the Spirit. This symbolism is not explicitly present in the Bible but is found only in late rabbinic literature. Symbols communicate the hidden qualities of an impelling reality. That reality, in the baptism of Jesus, is the burning conviction that God impressed upon Jesus’ mind: that world salvation is under way and the final age imminent. In using the phrase, “dove in bodily form,” Luke manifests that a spiritual being’s presence is sometimes best explained by a physical identity.

Confirmation of the Father

Mt. 3:17; Mk. 1:11 – God’s speaks to Jesus (with John overhearing) “You are MY SON whom I love, and with You I am well pleased! I am very proud of You.” This text is based on Isaiah 42:1. God personally identifies Jesus as a descendant of Himself. He honors Jesus immediately upon His obedience in identifying with a sinful human race in order that He might one day atone for all of those sins. As a title, “beloved” (whom I love) signifies God’s intense love for His Son. As an adjective, “beloved” signifies the Old Testament sense of Jesus as God’s ONLY Son. The phrase “with You I am well pleased” is rendered in English in the present tense. The original Greek phrase is in the past tense. God’s delight never has a beginning or an end. Have you made a forceful declaration as to who Jesus is in your life?
Jesus’ baptism does not change His status. He did not “become” God’s Son, He always was, is and will be. His baptism shows the far-reaching significance of His acceptance of His messianic vocation as the suffering Servant of the Lord, as well as the Davidic Messiah. He is the Messiah because He is the Son of God, the One approved by the Father and empowered by the Spirit, not vice versa. This vision does not state Jesus as the royal conquering Messiah, but rather the one who serves and suffers. Are you willing to serve and suffer for Jesus as He did for you?

Lk. 3:23 – This verse gives the approximate Jesus’ age when He begins His ministry. This helps us to place all of these events forward and backward. This is the same age at which Joseph stood before Pharaoh and David became King, and priests would enter into their full election of office. It is also the same age that John the Baptist would have begun his service as a priest, but instead, began preaching the message of “repent, the Messiah is coming” near the Jordan River. Some scholars think that Jesus was just twenty-nine years old, entering upon His thirtieth year, in the month Tisri (late September, earlier October); that He lived three and a half more years, and died when He was thirty-two and-a-half years old.

And so the fullness of the Trinity participated in the coronation ceremony of Jesus as the Christ, the Son of God. We will see that Jesus is no earthly King and His Kingdom is not of this earth. In this account, we see that no men crown Him, only God, who does this while men watch. This is strong evidence that His Kingdom is not of this earth. Is Jesus YOUR KING? Are you a part of His Kingdom?

Jesus is the fullest expression of God, above everyone and everything else that has ever been or ever will be. Now it is time for Him to start to build the foundation for His Kingdom. He has His work cut out for Him. In fact, in the next lesson, Jesus meets Satan face to face and is tempted by the devil. Even God’s Son in

“Walking With Jesus”

Lesson Commentary

LOC – 013 JESUS IS OBEDIENT TO HIS FATHER
How to Gain the Father’s Approval

When a man (or woman) goes into the military, the first order of boot camp is to teach them to obey orders without thinking, talking back or arguing. They must be able to send that soldier into a battle situation knowing that he will obey! In the corporate world, if subordinates do not obey their superiors, they are promptly given permission and freedom to seek employment somewhere else (actually, they are usually instructed, i.e. fired). Do your job or someone else will do it and you will be unemployed.

As I look back at my years as a parent, I recall that I had to discipline my children for disobedience more than for anything else. One of the most important things for us to learn is to obey those who are in authority over us. Jesus had the same obligation. He had to obey His Father. In return, He received His Father’s Approval. You can also gain your Father’s approval by learning to obey Him as Jesus did. Our lesson from Matthew3:13-17; Mark 1:9-11 and Luke 3:21-23 show us how you do it.

Seek God’s Will – Matthew 3:13; Mark 1:9

In the previous lesson, John gave us a brief introduction to Jesus. Whether Jesus was present at this time or not is unknown. However, immediately or soon thereafter, Jesus arrives from some thirty plus miles from Nazareth to the Jordan River to where John is immersing other Jews who are proclaiming repentance from their sins. Nazareth is never mentioned in the Old Testament, the Talmud or even by Josephus. The town is located east of the south end of the Sea of Galilee.

John has known Jesus from childhood through his mother and father. He knows of Jesus’ origin and who He is supposed to be. Therefore, he balks at immersing Jesus and declares that Jesus should immerse him.

Both John and Jesus knew the importance of obeying their earthly fathers. They also understood the importance of obeying their heavenly Father. Likewise, you and I must obey God if we want to receive His approval (forgiveness of sin and eternal life with Him and Jesus in Heaven.

Don’t be Detoured From Obedience – Matthew 3:14-15

Jesus replies to John’s resistance to baptizing Him that it is "…proper…to fulfill all righteousness." Jesus knew that God desired for Him to be immersed as a sign of identifying with sinful man. He’s one of us (yet without sin)!This will help us identify with Him when He goes to the cross. Second, being baptized is also a way of Jesus recognizing John as a prophet. Third, Jesus' baptism inaugurates His Kingdom in an act of self-dedication and submission to the mission at hand. Fourth, most of all is the fact that, Jesus' immersion was an act of obedience to His Father. Because He loved His father, He wanted to do what the Father willed. This allowed God to be able to train Jesus for the task at hand and know that Jesus would carry it out. It also assured that when the Father sent Jesus to the cross ("suicide mission"), He knew that His obedient Son would obey.

Because Jesus was totally obedient to His Father, even in such an apparent small thing as being immersed, He was able to pay the price for our sins so that we can have eternal life with God by simply believing and being obedient to Jesus. In similar manner, our being immersed in Jesus’ name shows that we claim God as our Father, Jesus as our Lord and Savior. It is the only ordinance for covenant entry and is recognized by every church. We should not let anyone or anything keep us from simple trusting obedience.

Receive God’s Approval! – Matthew 3:16-17; Mark 1:10-11; Luke 3:21-23

God responded to Jesus’ obedience by appearing in the form of a dove and declaring His pleasure with His SON. Immediately, God responds to the obedience of His Son! Mark says the heavens were “torn” open (a display of power!).Dove is often used in the Old Testament as symbol of purity. The Trinity is illustrated as the Father glorifies the Son via a symbol of the Holy Spirit! When God speaks, everybody listens! “You are My Son whom I love very much and I am very proud of you!” Luke gives us a reference line for Jesus’ life and ministry – 30 years old.

In my years as a Christian and in ministry, I have participated in more arguments over the subject of immersion than I want to admit. I have observed how baptism has been a divisive issue among some denominations from their beginning. It is sad when we withhold fellowship from our brothers merely because they look at immersion for the remission of sins differently than we do. Every denomination will agree that immersion is what baptism really means and will accept anyone who has been immersed in obedience to God’s command.

The only point that really matters is this: If Jesus says it, we are to obey it, not argue over man-made technicalities. Obedience in being immersed parallels obedience in repenting and refraining from sin. Obedience is extremely important in saying no to future temptation. Obeying Jesus is an extension of how much we love Him and truly want to follow Him.

We will simply leave it at this – how much do you love Jesus? If you love Him, you will want to obey Him in all things. Being immersed is only a minor act on the outside, but major detail in the symbolism of declaring that you love and obey God’s SON. Which side of the baptistery you are saved on is immaterial when you focus on obedience to Jesus as the key issue!

CONCLUSION

Jesus is the key issue. We quickly recognize how much it meant or means to us to have our earthly father’s approval. Your attitudes, success, self-confidence as an adult are largely centered on whether you had your father’s love and approval. Likewise, our peace as Christians in our struggles against temptation, are strongly influenced by what we need to do to get our Heavenly Father’s approval.

NEXT WEEK: Jesus is going to have a faceoff with Satan himself. I wonder how that is going to turn out!