As Jesus Walked: Christ Revealed in the Synoptic Gospels, #4 - John the Baptist and Jesus' Baptism

 

(This post is part of a series. For previous posts in the series please see #1, #2, #3)

As we turn the page from Jesus' boyhood, we have a gap of several years where we do not have a Biblical record of what He was doing. Based on what we know about Jewish culture, Joseph and Mary, Nazareth, and carpenters of the day (which actually functioned more as builders or stonemasons than the woodworkers we think of today), we can reasonably assume that He grew up in a poor, but devout family, learning the Scriptures and Joseph's trade. We know from Scripture He had siblings, so imagining Him working or playing alongside other children is also reasonable. Essentially, He grew up as so many Jewish boys did - and yet as the Biblical record continues into His adulthood, we are faced immediately with the reality that He was not "just" another poor, devout Jewish man.

The Ministry of John

(1) Now in those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, saying, (2) "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." (3) For this is the one referred to by Isaiah the prophet when he said, "THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT!'" (4) Now John himself had a garment of camel's hair and a leather belt around his waist; and his food was locusts and wild honey. (5) Then Jerusalem was going out to him, and all Judea and all the district around the Jordan; (6) and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, as they confessed their sins. (7) But when he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (8) "Therefore bear fruit in keeping with repentance; (9) and do not suppose that you can say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father'; for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. (10) "The axe is already laid at the root of the trees; therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire. (11) "As for me, I baptize you with water for repentance, but He who is coming after me is mightier than I, and I am not fit to remove His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (12) "His winnowing fork is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clear His threshing floor; and He will gather His wheat into the barn, but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire."  (Matthew 3:1-12 NASB95)

(1) The beginning of the gospel of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. (2) As it is written in Isaiah the prophet: "BEHOLD, I SEND MY MESSENGER AHEAD OF YOU, WHO WILL PREPARE YOUR WAY; (3) THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT.'" (4) John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins. (5) And all the country of Judea was going out to him, and all the people of Jerusalem; and they were being baptized by him in the Jordan River, confessing their sins. (6) John was clothed with camel's hair and [wore] a leather belt around his waist, and his diet was locusts and wild honey. (7) And he was preaching, and saying, "After me One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to stoop down and untie the thong of His sandals. (8) "I baptized you with water; but He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit." (Mark 1:1-8 NASB95)

(1) Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, when Pontius Pilate was governor of Judea, and Herod was tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip was tetrarch of the region of Ituraea and Trachonitis, and Lysanias was tetrarch of Abilene, (2) in the high priesthood of Annas and Caiaphas, the word of God came to John, the son of Zacharias, in the wilderness. (3) And he came into all the district around the Jordan, preaching a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins; (4) as it is written in the book of the words of Isaiah the prophet, "THE VOICE OF ONE CRYING IN THE WILDERNESS, 'MAKE READY THE WAY OF THE LORD, MAKE HIS PATHS STRAIGHT. (5) 'EVERY RAVINE WILL BE FILLED, AND EVERY MOUNTAIN AND HILL WILL BE BROUGHT LOW; THE CROOKED WILL BECOME STRAIGHT, AND THE ROUGH ROADS SMOOTH; (6) AND ALL FLESH WILL SEE THE SALVATION OF GOD.'" (7) So he [began] saying to the crowds who were going out to be baptized by him, "You brood of vipers, who warned you to flee from the wrath to come? (8) "Therefore bear fruits in keeping with repentance, and do not begin to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham for our father,' for I say to you that from these stones God is able to raise up children to Abraham. (9) "Indeed the axe is already laid at the root of the trees; so every tree that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire." (10) And the crowds were questioning him, saying, "Then what shall we do?" (11) And he would answer and say to them, "The man who has two tunics is to share with him who has none; and he who has food is to do likewise." (12) And [some] tax collectors also came to be baptized, and they said to him, "Teacher, what shall we do?" (13) And he said to them, "Collect no more than what you have been ordered to." (14) [Some] soldiers were questioning him, saying, "And [what about] us, what shall we do?" And he said to them, "Do not take money from anyone by force, or accuse [anyone] falsely, and be content with your wages." (15) Now while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John, as to whether he was the Christ, (16) John answered and said to them all, "As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not fit to untie the thong of His sandals; He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. (17) "His winnowing fork is in His hand to thoroughly clear His threshing floor, and to gather the wheat into His barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire." (18) So with many other exhortations he preached the gospel to the people. (19) But when Herod the tetrarch was reprimanded by him because of Herodias, his brother's wife, and because of all the wicked things which Herod had done, (20) Herod also added this to them all: he locked John up in prison." (Luke 3:1-20 NASB95)

John bursts onto the scene and causes quite a stir - not only did he dress funny, but people had to go out of their way to see him. What was the attraction - and more to the point of this study, why did God choose to include this in the Gospels about Jesus? 

First, we must remember that very few people had heard Zechariah's prophecy over John and Jesus. As far as public prophets go, there hadn't been one since Malachi- 400 years earlier. As the prophet Amos had promised, Israel had experienced "a famine of hearing the word of the Lord" (Amos 8:11-13). Though much had happened during this time - spiritually, historically and politically, this was not a wasted season for the people of God - one thing that did not happen was the public proclamation of words from God by prophets. John's witness would have been as rare to them as seeing the aurora borealis in New Orleans! 

Second, John's ministry was one of preparation. As promised by the prophets, he came to "prepare the way of the Lord" by preaching the need for repentance and the promise of forgiveness. Yet John's message was incomplete, as even he realized. He was not the light, but came to point people to the light. Unlike other prophets, who gave specific messages pointing far into the future, John's prophetic ministry was different. He was telling people that the long-awaited Messiah wasn't far away - He had arrived! John's ministry thus bridges the Old Testament prophets and the ministry of Jesus - through whom the Lord would now speak (Hebrews 1:1-3).

The Baptism of Jesus

(13) Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan [coming] to John, to be baptized by him. (14) But John tried to prevent Him, saying, "I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?" (15) But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit [it] at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Then he permitted Him. (16) After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove [and] lighting on Him, (17) and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, "This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased." (Matthew 3:13-17 NASB95)

(9) In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. (10) Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; (11) and a voice came out of the heavens: "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased."  (Mark 1:9-11 NASB95)

 (21) Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened, (22) and the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in bodily form like a dove, and a voice came out of heaven, "You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased." (Luke 3:21-22 NASB95)

After centuries without a prophet, John came preaching the need for repentance. Many went out to him in the desert, fighting rough terrain to see a rough-looking prophet. Suddenly, the scene zeroes in on one particular candidate for baptism - Jesus Himself, the One about whom John is prophesying, the One for whom John leapt for joy in his mother's womb. 

The perfect lamb of God, asking for a baptism of repentance. 

Of course John balked! He recognized Jesus' righteousness and authority. And yet, at the command of the Lord Himself, John baptized Jesus. The facts are clear in Scripture. But the question remains - why was Jesus asking to be baptized? 

He tells us the answer Himself in Matthew's account: "Permit [it] at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."  At this time, the right time for Jesus to begin His public ministry, baptism was the appropriate way to "fulfill all righteousness." Knox Chamblin fleshes out this phrase beautifully: 

The supreme work that the Father requires of the Son (that which above all else is right for the Son to do and which will entail utter submission to the Father’s will) is that He, the Lord’s righteous Servant, save His people from their sins (Matt. 1:21) by Himself bearing their iniquities (Isa. 53:11). Jesus’ death for sinners is foreshadowed Here at the Jordan River, as John the Baptist recognizes (John 1:29). Unlike the others who came for baptism (Matt. 3:6), Jesus had no personal sins to confess. Yet He willingly received “a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins” (Mark 1:4), a sign that He identifies with the sins of those He came to save (2 Cor. 5:21). (https://www.ligonier.org/learn/articles/fulfill-all-righteousness, accessed 2-2-2022)

Jesus, then, was baptized by John to demonstrate identification with sinners and utter submission to the Father's will, even unto death. That this humble beginning was accepted by God is evident in the next few verses, recorded in every Gospel in some form. The Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, came from heaven, descended on Jesus, and spoke - apparently once to Jesus ("You are My beloved Son") and once to eyewitnesses ("This is My beloved Son"). we know that at least John saw the dove and heard the message, because he declared it himself after pointing Jesus out and calling Him the Lamb of God: 

32 John testified saying, "I have seen the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not recognize Him, but He who sent me to baptize in water said to me, 'He upon whom you see the Spirit descending and remaining upon Him, this is the One who baptizes in the Holy Spirit.' 34 I myself have seen, and have testified that this is the Son of God." [John 1:32-34 NASB95]

Whether or not others besides Jesus and John heard the voice is not the point. John is giving his own testimony of what he saw, and pointing others to Jesus. From this point, John's ministry would decrease as Jesus' would increase - and John found this completely appropriate. 

What's the point of God saying He is pleased with Jesus? First, let us not forget that, according to Mark and Luke, Jesus heard the voice as a personal word - "in You I am well-pleased". Jesus' ministry would be defined by always doing His Father's will. He was assured that He was doing what pleased God (John 8:29) and that God always heard His prayers (John 11:42). To start His ministry with a personal word from God, the Father who had loved Him before the world was ever created (John 17:24) must have given Jesus, in His humanity, much comfort during the challenging, lonely times.

Secondly, God testifying publicly (at least to John) that "in Him I am well-pleased" is the first of three publicly-heard "voices from heaven" in which God says something significant about Jesus. (The others are found in Matthew 17:5-6 and John 12:27-30). Here, the emphasis is on identity - this One (not someone else) is My Beloved Son - and I am pleased with Him". 

Notably, this same phrase is used later in Matthew  12:18 to show how Jesus fulfilled one of Isaiah's prophecies (Isa. 42:1):

"Behold, my servant whom I have chosen, my beloved with whom my soul is well pleased. I will put my Spirit upon him, and he will proclaim justice to the Gentiles." (Matthew 12:18 ESV)

Matthew's use of the same phrase from the Old Testament prophecy makes a direct connection to Jesus as the Messiah, long-promised to the Israelites to whom he writes. It is a reminder to Jews who knew the scriptures that Messiah was chosen, loved, delighted in, and empowered by God's Spirit to bring justice and righteousness not only to Israel but to the nations.

Lessons Learned

As noted in the previous posts,  I am seeking to frame my lessons learned, the "what does it mean for me" around four questions to help my theology meet my reality: 

• What does this story teach me about Jesus and the life He gives? (1 John 1:1-2)
• How does this story about Jesus reveal God to me? (Hebrews 1:1-3)
• What does this story teach me about walking as Jesus walked, being conformed to His image? (2 Cor 3:18; 1 John 2:6)
• How does this story increase my fellowship with God and others? (1 John 1:3-4) 

What does this story teach me about Jesus and the life He gives? 

John spoke of Jesus baptizing "with the Holy Spirit and with fire". This speaks of a promise of the Spirit that the New Testament will ultimately reveal to be an indwelling that empowers us for a life of holiness and service in doing the will of God. Jesus' life will show us what that looks like, but the story of John the Baptist and Jesus' baptism teaches me that just as Jesus did not walk with God in His own strength, neither am I expected to do so. With the call to salvation and mission comes the empowerment through the Holy Spirit. 

How does this story about Jesus reveal God to me? 

God calls people to repentance and offers forgiveness. His heart truly is for all to be in relationship with Him, and He makes the way for that relationship very clear. He also expects fruit consistent with repentance - anything less is hypocrisy. John's message then - and the Gospel message now - isn't about easy believism or behavior modification, it's about life transformation. But the beautiful thing is, just as John's message prepared people to encounter the incarnate Jesus as the Word made flesh, so today God still prepares people to encounter Jesus.

What does this story teach me about walking as Jesus walked, being conformed to His image? 

Jesus walked humbly, and stayed focused on pleasing the Father. If I am to walk as He walked, I cannot focus on what others would think ("They are all going to stare at me if I go down to the water") or on people-pleasing. While my life should be above reproach and I should live in an exemplary manner because of the new heart God has given me, my motive should be to please Him in all I do. In case we are tempted to think that "pleasing God" has a ring of legalism to it, let us remember Paul's admonition to the Ephesians: 

8 for you were at one time darkness, but now you are light in the Lord. Walk as children of the light - 9 for the fruit of the light consists in all goodness, righteousness, and truth - 10 trying to learn what is pleasing to the Lord. [Ephesians  5:8-10 NET, emphasis mine]

This tells me that I don't seek to please God to earn His favor. Instead, because I am ALREADY a child of the light, I have the ability to "try to learn what is pleasing to the Lord." My old, incurable, sin-sick heart didn't have this ability - and I found so many ways to run away from even trying, often out of fear that it would be an impossible quest. My story has a lot of darkness in it - and yet Paul reminds me that I am "light in the Lord". I can now learn what pleases Him - not because of me, but because I am in Christ and He now looks at me and sees His Son, the light of the world.

How does this story increase my fellowship with God and others? 

Repentance restores us to right relationship with God, and only then is it possible to be in right relationship with others. Understanding John's call to repentance and the promise of the indwelling Holy Spirit is transforming in my relationship with God and others.