Sunday
Sunday
The Baptism
At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
Mark 1:9
John the Baptist’s ministry had created a sensation. He found himself at the center of a great spiritual revival. Large crowds converged on the lower reaches of the River Jordan, both to listen to his call to repentance and to be baptized. For judgment was imminent, he said, and he urged them to flee from the coming wrath.
Perhaps it was the news of this revival movement that convinced Jesus to leave his home, work, and relatives and to join it. It is not surprising, however, that when Jesus presented himself to John for baptism, John demurred. He had already spoken of Jesus as one mightier than he, the thongs of whose sandals he was not worthy to undo. So it would seem more appropriate for Jesus to baptize John than for John to baptize Jesus. But Jesus insisted.
It is also strange to us that Jesus should have asked for baptism. For John’s was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, whereas Jesus was without sin. Perhaps, therefore, he wished to identify with his people, knowing that one day he would bear their sins. At all events, John’s baptism was an initiation into the purified remnant of Israel.
As Jesus emerged from the baptismal water, the heavens opened, the Spirit descended on him like a dove, and a voice cried, “This is my Son … with him I am well pleased” (Matt. 3:17). These words united two Old Testament Scriptures. Firstly, “this is my Son” echoes Psalm 2:7, where God declared the Davidic king to be his son. Secondly, “with him I am well pleased” echoes Isaiah 42:1, where God declared his pleasure in his servant. Thus Jesus was declared both Son and servant of God.
The baptism of Jesus was a beautiful trinitarian moment as the Father acknowledged the Son and the Spirit descended on him. It was the commissioning of Jesus, somewhat parallel to the call of the prophets, authorizing and equipping him for his mission.
For further reading: Matthew 3:13–17