Conversations -- Why did Jesus get Baptized? (1)

I'm joyful that a friend has begun to seriously dig into God's Word, investigating for Himself the richness and truth of the Bible and longing after faithful teaching :) Both of us then agreed to sharpen one another as we wrestle with God's Word and one of the ways we're doing that is by discussing various questions, issues and maybe even theological thoughts. Personally, I think I'm going to learn more from him than he does from me as he has a gift of asking insightful and thought-provoking questions! (which I don't have a knack for...).

Anyhow, I'm going to name this series of discourse as "Conversations" and the first one is my response to this insightful question posed:

Why did Jesus get baptized?

The Baptism of Jesus (Matt 3:13-17--ESV)

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. 16And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; 17and behold, a voice from heaven said, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased."


Firstly, context...

Baptism is strictly a NT practice and as you study Jesus' baptism it is important to look back to see where/when the first baptism is. And that's just before this passage, at verse 11. "I (John the Baptist) baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire." So...John the Baptist's (JB) baptism was one of repentance. A repentance which to prepare oneself for the coming of Christ (which is JB's purpose in life.. to prepare the way). More importantly, JB's baptism does not confer the Holy Spirit. Only Christ's baptism does (v11)**

So, it's pretty obvious that Jesus didn't have to be baptized...especially not the baptism of John. Simply cos he was sinless and he was the ONE... the long-awaited Messiah. In fact, John pretty much asked Jesus to baptize him! (v14) Also, Jesus was already "filled with the Spirit" from His birth! (Lk 1:35).

When then? I would like to suggest a few reasons:


(1) Jesus' change from Private Life to Public Ministry.
In the OT, prophets, priests & Kings were always anointed with oil before they started their ministry. In the NT, that oil is now "replaced" with the Holy Spirit. Remember that many practices in the OT were but a shadow and a representation of Christ and what He brings. In the same way, Christ was "anointed or filled with the Holy Spirit" (though not technically) as a symbol of Him beginning His public ministry.


(2) Encouragement for Christ Jesus, fully Man.
This was the event before Jesus' "showdown" with Satan in the desert (Matt 4, Lk 4). Imagine the special joy Jesus must have felt at His baptism... it was a Trinitarian event as God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit were overtly present. It was a time of comfort and joy before Jesus faced evil face to face.


(3) Sign that Jesus is the Son of God
John 1:32-34 states that JB bore witness to the decent of the Spirit in the form of a dove. And from that sign, JB recognized, without a shadow of a doubt, that Jesus was the Son of God.


(4) Jesus' identification with Man (most important reason to me)
Lastly, it is also connected with what you recently studied... specifically Hebrews 2:14-18. In that passage, Jesus, as man, was made like his brothers in every respect. This was so that He could fully and totally help us in every aspect of our lives. So, while Jesus needn't have gone through baptism, He did so to identify with us. It's like a CO queuing up for food at the Cookhouse with the rest of the Men... for the sake of identifying with them.

As you study Matthew, you'll realise that that was what Jesus did. He NEVER used His prerogative as the Son of God for His own gain or comfort. His powers of healing, etc was ONLY used to help others... be it physically, emotionally or spiritually. Even in the temptation by Satan (Matt 4), Jesus didn't use His might to banish Satan (it wasn't time), He used OT passages, the Word of God. It was meant to be an example for us to follow. To be so in tune with God's Word that when temptations or Satan come, we'll (like Jesus) use God's Word as a means to fight things off. This is also in line with the Sword of the Spirit in Eph 6:17.

All in all, this was Jesus' first "official" work on His part in displaying His obedience to the Father, His humility as a Saviour and His love for Man. "Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but made himself nothing, taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men" (Phil 2:5-7)

Going slightly further, Jesus opened the Sermon on the Mount with these words, "Blessed are the poor in spirit..." (Matt 5:3). The most powerful, memorable sermon in the world, and this is what He opens it with. One would imagine that He would proclaim Himself as King or something... but no. Not that Jesus recognized that He was spiritually bankrupt and that He was nothing without God (that's the short literal understanding of being poor in spirit) but that even as the Savior who has taken our sins at the Cross, Jesus was fully obedient to the Father, being our example in all things.


And all of that...began with His baptism.



**Disclaimer: This does not in any way imply that the act of Baptism = salvation or the giving of the Holy Spirit. It's your belief that sees the Holy Spirit enter your life. Baptism is the outward proclamation of that belief. In the early church, belief was often accompanied by immediate Baptism (Acts 2:38, Acts 19:1-5)


[Thoughts derived from the Holy Spirit, BSF notes & DA Carson]

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

Too many a time, we only sing the chorus of this hymn, skipping the verses entirely. I wonder why...

While singing this hymn in its completeness, the tenderness & care of God just covers me and gives me that sense of security and comfort. To know that Jesus Christ is the light, the life and His faithfulness never fails me.

Turn Your Eyes Upon Jesus

O soul, are you weary and troubled?
No light in the darkness you see?
There’s a light for a look at the Savior,
And life more abundant and free!

Refrain:
Turn your eyes upon Jesus,
Look full in His wonderful face,
And the things of earth will grow strangely dim,
In the light of His glory and grace.

Through death into life everlasting
He passed, and we follow Him there;
Over us sin no more hath dominion—
For more than conquerors we are!

His Word shall not fail you—He promised;
Believe Him, and all will be well:
Then go to a world that is dying,
His perfect salvation to tell!

Alan Jackson's version (the one above) is one of the few which sing all the verses. A bit old school country, but it brings out the essence of the hymn. I wasn't particularly fond of the Newsboys & Third Day versions...I felt that the rocked it up a little too much, spoiling the tenderness of the song.

2 versions I love: Michael W. Smith & Selah. However, they only sing the chorus. Nonetheless, click on the links provided to watch the various versions, and be edified :)

The Power of the Cross & Higher Throne

2 Songs that God has been impacting my life with:

The Power of the Cross

"The Power of the Cross"
Words and Music by Keith Getty & Stuart Townend
Copyright © 2005 Thankyou Music

Oh, to see the dawn
Of the darkest day:
Christ on the road to Calvary.
Tried by sinful men,
Torn and beaten, then
Nailed to a cross of wood.

CHORUS:
This, the pow'r of the cross:
Christ became sin for us;
Took the blame, bore the wrath—
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Oh, to see the pain
Written on Your face,
Bearing the awesome weight of sin.
Ev'ry bitter thought,
Ev'ry evil deed
Crowning Your bloodstained brow.

Now the daylight flees;
Now the ground beneath
Quakes as its Maker bows His head.
Curtain torn in two,
Dead are raised to life;
"Finished!" the vict'ry cry.

Oh, to see my name
Written in the wounds,
For through Your suffering I am free.
Death is crushed to death;
Life is mine to live,
Won through Your selfless love.

FINAL CHORUS:
This, the pow'r of the cross:
Son of God—slain for us.
What a love! What a cost!
We stand forgiven at the cross.

Other good links to this song:
Stuart Townend version
Keith & Kristyn Getty (piano only)

There Is a Higher Throne

“There Is a Higher Throne”
Words and Music by Keith & Kristyn Getty
Copyright © 2003 Thankyou Music

There is a higher throne
Than all this world has known,
Where faithful ones from ev'ry tongue
Will one day come.
Before the Son we'll stand,
Made faultless through the Lamb;
Believing hearts find promised grace—
Salvation comes.

REFRAIN
Hear heaven's voices sing;
Their thund'rous anthem rings
Through em'rald courts and sapphire skies.
Their praises rise.
All glory, wisdom, pow'r,
Strength, thanks, and honor are
To God our King, who reigns on high
Forevermore.

And there we'll find our home,
Our life before the throne;
We'll honor Him in perfect song
Where we belong.
He'll wipe each tear-stained eye
As thirst and hunger die.
The Lamb becomes our Shepherd King;
We'll reign with Him.

Follow the link to the watch a video of Keith & Kristyn Getty, Stuart Townend teaching the song:
New Song Cafe teaching

Giving Honour

"8And the four living creatures, each of them with six wings, are full of eyes all around and within, and day and night they never cease to say,

"Holy, holy, holy, is the Lord God Almighty,
who was and is and is to come!"

9And whenever the living creatures give glory and honor and thanks to him who is seated on the throne, who lives forever and ever, 10the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne, saying,
11 "Worthy are you, our Lord and God,
to receive glory and honor and power,
for you created all things,
and by your will they existed and were created."

Revelation 4

"What does it mean to give glory, honour and thanks to God? How does each of these expressions differ from the others?"

The question seemed simple enough... yet, it had me stumped.

'Giving thanks to God' was quite clear. We give Him thanks for who He is, for what He has done... especially for His redeeming work on the cross.

'Giving Him the glory' was fairly straightforward too. We glorify God because He is worthy of worship. His whole essence, His magnificence, His very character deserves, in fact it demands our worship and adoration. And speaking of God's attributes in song and in testimony to others is how we can give Him the glory.

But honour.... At the surface, giving God the honour seemed like simply giving Him the respect, merit and reverence He deserves. After all, God is the well.... God. There's no other proper description. However, it seemed... tame in comparison with the previous two. I mean, we call the judge in a court of law, "your honour". We're told in the Bible to honour our Father and Mother (Matt 15:4; Matt 19:19). So what's so special??

"...the twenty-four elders fall down before him who is seated on the throne and worship him who lives forever and ever. They cast their crowns before the throne.." (italics added)

The 24 elders (represented the complete representation of the glorified Church) cast their crowns before the throne. These crowns that God had rewarded them with. These crowns that God had promised would be theirs if they remained faithful to the end (Rev 2:10; 2 Tim 4:8; James 1:12; 1 Pet 5:4). The very same crowns that were to be the symbol of the honour bestowed upon them by the Almighty. The honour that they had persevered and strived for.

Yet, they cast these crowns before the throne and worshiped. My eyes were finally opened. For all the honour that was to be conferred, they took no pride in it. For to them, the ultimate prize, the ultimate goal.... was GOD HIMSELF. Whatever reward or symbol of honour that God had given was to be accepted with the utmost gratitude, but that was eclipsed by the very ability to worship God at His throne, for all eternity.

And tying it back to a lesson that God has been teaching me lately... that is an expression of being poor in spirit. "Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven" (Matt 5:3)

So I pray that my relationship with Christ will continue to be that close, that intimate; and when my work on earth is done... all I would yearn for, is to bow down before that Higher throne and hearing that simple statement come from my Lord's lips, "Well done, good and faithful servant" (Matt 25:14-30).

We Fall Down
Chris Tomlin

We fall down, we lay our crowns
at the feet of Jesus
The greatness of mercy and love
at the feet of Jesus

Chorus:
And we cry, "Holy, Holy, Holy"
We cry, "Holy, Holy, Holy"
We cry, "Holy, Holy Holy, is the Lamb"