The Baptism of Jesus

GOLDEN TEXT: “And the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily shape upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.” —Luke 3:22

LUKE 3:2-8, 15-22

MALACHI 3:1 informs us that the Lord would send his “messenger,” one who would prepare the way for Christ, the Messiah, the “Messenger of the covenant.” John evidently understood this prophecy, for when the people to whom he ministered “mused in their hearts” as to whether or not he was the Messiah, he answered, “One mightier than I cometh, the latchet of whose shoes I am not worthy to unloose: he shall baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.”—Luke 3:16

Isaiah prophesied concerning “the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord.” (Luke 3:4) John the Baptist prepared the way before Jesus by preaching repentance. To the extent that the people recognized their sins and repented of them, returning to harmony with the Law that God gave to their fathers, they were that much more likely to recognize and accept Jesus as the promised Messiah.

Had the whole nation repented, there would have been a national acceptance of Jesus. While great numbers went out into the wilderness to hear John’s message, a few were prepared to accept Christ. So far as any general work of conversion was concerned, John’s mission was largely a failure.

John’s baptism was for the remission of sins. That is why he was surprised when Jesus came to him and asked to be immersed. He knew that Jesus was not a sinner, and said to him, “I have need to be baptized of thee.” (Matt. 3:14) Jesus answered, “Suffer [permit] it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.”—Matt. 3:15

In I Corinthians 10:2 Paul tells us that the nation of Israel were all “baptized unto Moses in the cloud and in the sea.” Prior to this, however, the Hebrew people had given themselves into the hands of Moses to follow him out of Egypt and into the Promised Land. This was a surrender, as it were, to his headship, and, from the human standpoint, it was a great risk. Their later “baptism in the cloud and in the sea” was, in reality, but a symbol of what had previously occurred—a reminder of what was involved in following Moses.

Moses was the head over a house of servants, while Jesus is the Head over a house of sons. (Heb. 3:5,6) The acceptance of Moses was on a national basis, while with Jesus, the acceptance of his headship is an individual matter, requiring the entire age for all the house of sons to be selected and developed. Since Paul understood that the Red Sea experience of the Israelites was a symbolic immersion into Moses, perhaps Jesus also had it in mind as an indication of the Father’s will for him. His immersion in water was the outward symbol of his surrender to his Father’s will—the Head of Christ, is God, as the Head of the Church is Christ.—I Cor. 11:3; Eph. 1:22,23

Luke reports that Jesus, “being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended … upon him.” (Luke 3:21,22) Luke does not indicate what Jesus said in this prayer. However, it may well have been the prayer of dedication which was prophetically recorded in Psalm 40:6-8—“Sacrifice and offering thou didst not desire; mine ears hast thou opened: burnt offering and sin offering thou hast not required. Then said I, Lo, I come: in the volume of the book it is written of me, I delight to do thy will, O my God: yea, thy law is within my heart.”

With this the “heavens opened” and the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesus. (Matt. 3:16) The opening of the heavens suggests spiritual vision being imparted to Jesus, and this is further emphasized by the fact that the Holy Spirit came upon him; for the Holy Spirit is an enlightening influence. Also important to Jesus at this moment was the fact that he heard his Father saying, “Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.”—Luke 3:22

As noted, Jesus’ immersion by John in the river Jordan was merely a symbol of his dedication to do his Father’s will. Through the enlightenment of the Holy Spirit, he saw clearly that it was his Father’s will for him to die. This was his real baptism—a death baptism which was not completed until on the cross he cried, “It is finished.”

When James and John went to Jesus and asked to sit, one on his right hand and the other on his left hand in his glory, Jesus asked them if they were able to drink of his cup, and be baptized with his baptism. (Mark 10:35-40) This was the baptism he spoke of when he said, “I have a baptism to be baptized with; and how am I straitened till it be accomplished!” (Luke 12:50) It was “accomplished” on the cross, and now we have the privilege of being baptized into his death.—Rom. 6:3,4

QUESTIONS

What prophecies of the Old Testament foretold the preparatory work of John the Baptist; and what was that work, and was it a success?

Why did John hesitate to immerse Jesus when requested?

What symbolic baptism in water occurred in Old Testament times? Was there any similarity in this to Jesus’ immersion in Jordan?

What prophetic prayer may Jesus have offered when he was immersed?

What is indicated by the heavens opening, and the Holy Spirit descending upon Jesus?

When was Jesus’ real baptism “accomplished”?

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