Jesus and His baptism

 Just believe that the same power that raised Jesus from the dead, in His name, will do the same for you! 

“Then the master of the house became angry and said to his servant, 'Go out quickly to the streets and lanes of the city, and bring in the poor and crippled and blind and lame. ' And the servant said, 'Sir, what you commanded has been done, and still there is room. ' And the master said to the servant, 'Go out to the highways and hedges and compel people to come in, that my house may be filled'" (Luke 14:21b-23).

The same people the Pharisees hadn't included on their guest lists (Luke 14:12-13) were the ones the master sought out. Theologians agree the master in this parable represents God, and His anger over the rejection of His banquet invitation represents God's righteous anger toward those who reject salvation through Christ. After all, the cost of our salvation was the life of God's only Son (John 3:16). When it comes to rejecting Jesus' invitation, we are all without excuse (Romans 1:19-21).

Still, God patiently encourages us to choose Him and is intent on redeeming souls from all walks of life (2 Peter 3:9). There is beauty and mercy in these words from Luke 14:22: "Still there is room" in God's Kingdom for anyone who turns to Christ in faith today. First 5

We’ve lost the empowerment that comes from knowing that what is at our core (compassion, generosity, kind-heartedness, our capacity for connection and our fortitude to rebuild) is greater than whatever change confronts or challenges us.

In other words, we forget our best selves.

We have forgotten that we are made for this, one soul helping another.

Sabbath Moments 

Jesus and His baptism in the Holy Spirit.

Matthew 3:13-17

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” 15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. 16 When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Mark 1:9 It came to pass in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 And immediately, coming up from the water, He saw the heavens parting and the Spirit descending upon Him like a dove. 11 Then a voice came from heaven, “You are My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Luke 3:21-23

21 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. 22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”

John 1:29-34

29 The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ 31 I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” 32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ 34 And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.” Andrew and Peter Follow Christ

The New King James Version

Jesus comes from Galilee to be baptized by John. At first John refuses, but Jesus convinces him that it is necessary. After Jesus comes up out of the water, a voice from heaven and a manifestation of the Spirit signal that He is ready to begin His public ministry. 

The Greek word arti used here means “at once” or “immediately.” John did not want to baptize Jesus, but Jesus wanted him to do so without delay. John’s baptism for repentance was a means of identification with the kingdom of God. Although Jesus—the sinless Son of God—had nothing for which to repent, He publicly identified with God’s kingdom through His baptism. 

John, in his role as a prophet, has been accepting or rejecting people seeking baptism. Here the roles are reversed for the first time. John only dares to baptize Jesus because Jesus commands him to do so.

The appearance of the Spirit (pneuma) and the subsequent voice of God places Jesus in the divine presence for the commissioning of His ministry. This conforms to how true prophetic figures were commissioned by God in the old testament.

Jews of this time expected that the Messiah would demonstrate signs from heaven. Here, an actual voice from heaven is the sign. It is unclear whether all or only some of those present heard this voice. Regardless, it announces and affirms Jesus’ identity. A voice speaks the same words at Jesus’ transfiguration. 

This connects Jesus to Isaiah 42:1, where God states that He will put His Spirit on His Servant. It portrays Jesus as the anointed Servant in Isaiah who is commissioned by God to establish justice on the earth. Mark only mentions Jesus seeing the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending. Psalm 2 speaks about the role of the anointed one of Yahweh (the Messiah) and how the kings of the earth should fear Yahweh and His Son, for all nations will ultimately be His heritage

This is one of two heavenly endorsements of Jesus’ ministry. The other is found in 9:35. You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased: This statement combines two ideas. The idea of God’s Son comes from Psalm 2:7, a psalm about God’s chosen King. The idea of God’s pleasure comes from the image of the Servant in Isaiah. This image depicts Jesus’ election by God, and the special favor He enjoyed. The fact that Jesus is both King and Servant is fundamental to Jesus’ identity.

An allusion to the symbolism of the Passover lamb (Exodus 12:3). Jesus is the Lamb of God—the lamb provided by God to atone for the sins of the world in a way no animal ever could. This reference foreshadows Jesus’ death as the ultimate fulfillment of the annual Passover sacrifice. Similarly, the Apostle Paul equates Jesus with the ultimate Passover sacrifice in 1 Corinthians 5:7. 

In Exodus 12, each family is commanded to sacrifice a lamb without blemish on the 14th day of the first month. The blood of the lamb was spread with a hyssop branch on the doorposts and lintel of the entry to each house. The lamb’s blood protected Israel’s households from the judgment of the 10th plague, the death of the firstborn. The lamb was to be killed and cooked whole: none of the bones were to be broken. John’s symbolism clearly places Jesus in the role of Passover lamb, including the day of His death and the treatment of His body. 

The purpose of John’s ministry was preparing the way for the coming of the Messiah. The Gospel of John tends to use “Israel” as a positive label for God’s chosen people, identified ultimately by their beliefs, not ancestry. John the Baptist is functioning as a formal legal witness to Jesus’ identity.

Faithlife Study Bible

Jesus’ baptism probably served several purposes: (1) Jesus joined with the believing remnant of Israel who had been baptized by John; (2) He confirmed the ministry of John; and (3) He fulfilled the Father’s will. 

The Spirit of God descending was God’s official recognition of Jesus as the Messiah. This is My beloved Son, a reference to Psalm 2:7, implies that others heard the voice of the Father. In whom I am well pleased recalls the prophecy of Isaiah 42:1. Matthew demonstrates the simultaneous existence of all three Persons of the Godhead. This passage also points to the Son’s voluntary humiliation, the Father’s delight in Him, and the Spirit’s desire to glorify Christ.

Because He had no sins to repent, Jesus’ baptism was unique. It showed His identity with John’s work and with the sinner for whom He would die. It also foreshadowed His own death, burial, and resurrection for sinners.

Three times during Christ’s earthly ministry a voice came from heaven. It was the Father’s testimony to Christ’s unique and divine Sonship. The other two confirming incidents were at the Transfiguration and on the day of Christ’s triumphal entry into Jerusalem.

In the Old Testament the Israelites sacrificed lambs at the Passover feast and as offerings. Jesus Christ is the Lamb that God would give as a sacrifice for the sins not only of Israel, but of the whole world. 

John and Jesus were cousins, so they probably knew each other. All John knew was that he was to baptize with water and that the Messiah would be made known to Israel through him. God had given John a sign by which he would know the Messiah, namely, the descending of the Holy Spirit as a dove. 

He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit seven times the New Testament mentions this ministry of Jesus.

The NKJV Study Bible

Matthew 3:13–17 Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”…

Luke 3:21–23 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.”…

Isaiah 42:1 

“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,

My Elect One in whom My soul delights!

I have put My Spirit upon Him;

He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.

Psalm 2:7 

“I will declare the decree:

The LORD has said to Me,

‘You are My Son,

Today I have begotten You.