We left John the Baptist yesterday baptizing at the Jordan River. He had already confessed repeatedly that he is not the Messiah the people are looking for but that he is the forerunner of the Messiah. He is the man the prophets Malachi and Isaiah predicted would prepare the way for the Lord. Today the Lord Himself comes down to the Jordan River to be baptized by John.
We will begin with Matthew's account of Jesus' baptism because he provides some additional details. "Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter Him, saying, 'I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?'" (Matthew 3:13-14) We noticed yesterday how humble John is. He told the people that One was coming who would be so great that he wasn't worthy to stoop down and untie His sandals for him. This was the job of a servant or slave, not the job of a rabbi's followers, and yet John would be willing to lower himself to perform this task....except that he counted himself unworthy to even touch the feet of the Master. Today we find the Master coming to John to be baptized and John is astonished by such a request. He must have been thinking something like this, "You are the Son of God! I need to be baptized by You, not the other way around! My baptism is symbolic of the repentance that has taken place in people's hearts, yet You are holy and sinless and have nothing to repent of. Let's change places. You baptize me. You, the only One able to absolve man of sins, don't need to lower Yourself to be baptized by an imperfect man such as I am."
"Jesus replied, 'Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.' Then John consented." (Matthew 3:15) Why did Jesus want to be baptized? Scholars have debated the reason for Jesus' baptism for over two thousand years, but Jesus clearly states the reason, "It is proper for us to do this." Sometimes we perform duties in life not because we necessarily need to do them, but because it is proper to do them. The Apostle Paul speaks of Christ being humble because "He was found in appearance as a man". (Philippians 2:8) Because Christ took on flesh and dwelt among mankind, it was proper for Him to do everything a righteous man would do. It was also proper because Christ, in the incarnation, identified Himself with mankind in every way. He had no sins of His own but, because someday He would literally become sin on the cross (2 Corinthians 5:21), He submitted to the "baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins" (Mark 1:4). He did this not for His own sake, but for ours, just as He would go to the cross not for His own sake, but for ours.
Another reason it was proper for Jesus to be baptized is because His identity as the Messiah would be confirmed publicly at the Jordan River by two witnesses. The Mosaic law required at least two witnesses to prove anything in court. The two giving testimony are John the Baptist and God the Father. The Apostle John tells us that the sole purpose of John's ministry was to draw the crowds who would be present when Jesus' identity is made clear. John the Baptist says, "I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel." (John 1:31) John of course knew Jesus; they were cousins. He also knew Jesus' fine character and manner of living. But until a specific sign occurred, John did not know for certain that Jesus was the Messiah. "Then John gave this testimony: 'I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on Him. And I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, 'The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the One who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.' I have seen and I testify that this is God's chosen One." (John 1:32-34) So here we have John's testimony as to the true identity of the man known as Jesus of Nazareth. Next we will hear God's testimony.
"At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: 'You are my Son, whom I love; with You I am well pleased.'" (Mark 1:9-11) The people assembled at the Jordan River have now heard the testimony of two witnesses, and these are two witnesses whose testimonies count for more than anyone else's. John the Baptist, the first prophet to appear in Israel for four hundred years, declares Jesus of Nazareth to be the Messiah. God the Father, whose voice thunders from the heavens, declares Jesus of Nazareth not only to be the promised Messiah, but also to be His very own Son made flesh.
If a person needed two witnesses to come forward to vouch for his character, he couldn't find two witnesses greater than John the Baptist and Almighty God! Who could refute such testimonies? What accusations could anyone bring? This should have been the end to all arguments regarding the identity of Jesus of Nazareth. For some, it was all the proof they needed. For others, miracles had to also be witnessed. For yet others, the testimonies plus the miracles plus the predictions made by prophets of old had to all be put together before they were convinced. For still others, nothing would ever be enough to persuade them that Jesus was the Son of God. As Jesus would later point out in the Parable Of The Rich Man And Lazarus, "If they do not listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be convinced even if someone rises from the dead." (Luke 16:31)
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