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THE SIGNIFICANCE OF JESUS’ BAPTISM

Introduction

Have you ever been faced with something from God’s Word that you just didn’t understand why it happened that way? That is the way it used to be for me as I contemplated the subject of this message–the Baptism of Jesus.

We read that Jesus traveled down from Nazareth to the Jordan River to be baptized by John the Baptist. If you were with us last week, you would know that John the Baptist was calling for folks to come and repent and confess their sins and to show works that showed they had repented.

The Baptism of John was adopted from a purification ritual that was used for Gentiles who wanted to convert to the Jewish faith. It was to outwardly show their purification from all the grime and dirt from their previous Gentile lives.

We said that John however, was telling the Jews that they needed to repent too! He in effect was saying – you are just as evil as those pagan Gentiles – you have wandered away from God so you need to turn back to God and be purified.

The action of their submitting to being baptized was to show their acknowledgment of their need to repent (confession) and to show that they were repenting – i.e. turning around and coming back to God.

So with this understanding of what John’s baptism was all about, we are faced with something that may be difficult for us to understand. If this baptism was all about a person acknowledging their sin and seeking purification and forgiveness from God by repenting of their sins, then why did the perfect, sinless Son of God, the Lord Jesus Christ want to be baptized?

We know that He didn’t need purifying – He was already clean spiritually in God’s sight.

We know that He didn’t need to repent or come back to God.

We know that He didn’t need forgiving – He was sinless.

So why did Jesus want to be baptized?

I’d like to share with 3 reasons I believe Jesus was baptized.

I.         JESUS WAS BAPTIZED TO IDENTIFY WITH MANKIND.

            One of the meanings of the word “baptize” is “to identify with.”

We know that when we are saved we show our identification with Christ’s death, burial, and resurrection by submitting to the ordinance of baptism.

            It is a matter of identification.

            And I believe the first reason Jesus was baptized was to identify with mankind.

            Turn to Matthew’s account of Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:13-17.

John recognized that Jesus didn’t need to repent or be forgiven, but Jesus said that it was necessary for Him to be baptized.

            Why? Because He needed to identify with the people He came to save.

Isn’t it an amazing thing that the God who created the world, chose to come and identify with His creation in their position of need? In the wisdom of God, His plan to redeem man involved Jesus coming down to identify with us in all our weaknesses.

            Hebrews 2:14-18

Hebrews 4:15–“For we have not an high priest which cannot be touched with the feeling of our infirmities; but was in all points tempted like as we are, yet without sin.”

We know that Jesus had emotions, he felt pain, he got hungry and thirsty like we do, he was tempted just like any other person (yet without sin) and so in coming and standing in the Jordan He was standing in solidarity with the rest of mankind.

Why? Because he wanted to identify with sinners even though He was without sin.

Through God the Son becoming flesh, He came into this sin cursed world to take and suffer for our sin and to become our representative before God.

Did you notice what event occurs directly after Christ’s baptism? His temptation in the wilderness.

Isn’t it significant that when Christ steps into the ring as our representative, then He is faced with the full ugliness of our fallen condition in temptation.

Not only did Jesus want to identify with our sin and weakness, but He also wanted to identify Himself with those who came to John in repentance and confession.

            He identifies Himself with those who would seek to live a life of obedience to God.

He identifies Himself with God’s those who turn to God in repentance.

And in so doing, He reinforces the importance of the actions of repentance and confession which He later advocates strongly Himself.

In His Baptism therefore, Jesus identifies with true believers as one of God’s faithful!

So, JESUS WAS BAPTIZED TO IDENTIFY WITH MANKIND. . .

II.      JESUS WAS BAPTIZED TO FULFILL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS.

Jesus words recorded in Matthew 3:15–“Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness” are really quite interesting.

            What does the phrase “fulfill all righteousness” mean?

            “Righteousness” in Matthew’s Gospel is a synonym for the Christian life.

It symbolizes a life that has a relationship with God and which lives itself out in obedience.

John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance which led to confession.

            Included with repentance and confession was future obedience.

            You can’t repent and begin walking with God again without obeying Him.

            Amos 3:3–“Can two walk together, except they be agreed?”

What Jesus was saying here was that for Him to fulfill all that was required of Him by His Heavenly Father, He needed to be baptized–RIGHT THEN!

            Why? I don’t know. But I do know this–We need to obey Him NOW!

Jesus’ baptism was an example of obedient living. It wasn’t a case of waiting to see if God really meant what He said or waiting to see if an easier option came up.

He exemplified a life which was submitted to the will of God and which acted immediately in obedience.

This was just one of the first steps for Jesus in a journey of obedience that would lead Him to the Cross.

This little act of Baptism actually symbolized the rest of His life’s journey in obedience. His immersion typified His baptism in God’s judgment at Calvary and His burial.

                        His emergence from the water foreshadowed His resurrection.

By His death, burial, and resurrection, He would satisfy the demands of God’s justice and provide a righteous basis by which every sinner could be justified.

            It is through Jesus’ obedience to the Father that we were able to be forgiven.

In living a life of obedience, Christ is a wonderful example for each of us. It was proper for Jesus to be baptized to fulfill all righteousness before His Heavenly Father.

We need to ask ourselves the question–What is proper for us to do today to fulfill all righteousness before God our Heavenly Father?

Obedience to God is not something we are supposed to pick up and put down as we choose. Obedience is not an optional extra for Christians. To be a Christian is to follow Christ’s example. His example to us was that He was obedient to His Heavenly Father.

I know that there are many believers who struggle with obedience including possibly some who are here tonight. We all need to step out in faith and obedience, because God can only bless us when we choose to obey Him.

            Matthew 3:16 says that as soon as Jesus was baptized, He went up out of the water.

            At that moment heaven was opened.

Luke 3:21-22 says that as He was being baptized He was also praying.

The heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on Him in bodily shape like a dove.

Jesus’ obedience led to the outpouring of God’s Spirit on His life. He was anointed (and we’ll talk more about that in just a moment.)

When we obey, God blesses us.

When we obey, we can expect to be filled and empowered by the Holy Spirit. When we obey, we see God in a new light as heaven is opened up.

But we need to realize that none of this will happen unless we first step out in faith and obedience embracing what God has already shown us is His will for us.

It is exciting to think that God wants to fill our lives with His Spirit and work in ways we could never imagine.

But before God’s Spirit can move in powerful ways in our lives, I believe that we need to live lives that follow Jesus’ example. We need to be walking in humble obedience to Him, doing all that is proper to fulfill all righteousness before God our Father.

Now we know that obedience is a life long task, but it is one that will also lead to blessing. So I ask you, what is there in your life that needs to be done for you to fulfill all righteousness before God your Father at this point in your life?

            Maybe it is for you to get saved. Maybe it is for you to get baptized.

            Maybe it is dealing with some sin that constantly plagues your life.

If God is laying something on your heart – just do it, so that you too can experience His blessings. Follow Jesus’ example of obedient living

So,      JESUS WAS BAPTIZED TO IDENTIFY WITH MANKIND.

            JESUS WAS BAPTIZED TO FULFILL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS.

III.      JESUS WAS BAPTIZED TO SHOW HIS ANOINTING FOR MINISTRY.

This was the inauguration for His earthly ministry of redemption. After this event, He ceased to be a carpenter and took on His role as Messiah.

It was in His Baptism that any doubts about His calling were dealt with.

            It was here that we see the Heavenly Father and Holy Spirit put their approval on Jesus.

But all this didn’t come about in the Baptism itself, but in what followed immediately after His Baptism – the anointing by the Holy Spirit and the voice from heaven.

            The word “Anoint” is a word which literally meant to rub oil on a person or thing.

Anointing usually was done to symbolize that a person or thing was set apart as holy or consecrated.

So temple furnishings and priests were anointed. The other time people were anointed was to confer authority on them– such as Kings being anointed.

The “anointed one” was a title used of people who were chosen, appointed, consecrated and equipped for office. The title “Christ” and “Messiah” both mean “Anointed One.”

In these Baptism events, Christ was anointed. He was set apart as holy and consecrated for the service of God and He was given authority for the work ahead.

            But Jesus wasn’t anointed with oil as was tradition, He was anointed with God’s Spirit.

In Luke 4:18, as Jesus began His ministry He stood up in the synagogue and read from Isaiah the prophet a portion of Scripture that spoke of Him.

Jesus was anointed for ministry when the Holy Spirit descended on Him. Whether it was an actual dove, or just a physical manifestation of the Holy Spirit which looked similar to the flapping of a dove is not clear. Whatever form the Holy Spirit’s descent took, it was physical and obvious to at least Jesus and John and I believe also to all those present.

            John 1:29-34

The anointing of Jesus with the Holy Spirit was to mark the beginning of His ministry – a ministry marked with power from Heaven. It was to mark the beginning of the end of the old covenant and the coming of the Kingdom of God.

With the coming of the Holy Spirit, was a declaration from Heaven. That was a vote of confidence from God. It was a Revelation of who Jesus’ true Father was and also a show that the Father’s authority and power were with Him.

As an aside, In this passage we have one of the strongest statements in the Bible supporting the idea of the Trinity. Here we have God the Father and God the Holy Spirit attesting to the fact that Jesus is God’s Son.

            Today, when we receive Jesus Christ as our Lord and Saviour, we are similarly anointed.

                        We are anointed to a new ministry of service to God just like Jesus was.

We are set apart and given authority by virtue of the fact that we become sons and daughters of the most High God just as Jesus was.

                        We are indwelt with the Holy Spirit just as Jesus was.

When we receive the Holy Spirit, we receive His power and His gifts and we begin to manifest His fruit.

When we are anointed, we leave behind our old lives and begin our new lives lived in and through Christ’s death on the cross.

Conclusion

Unfortunately, although we have the Spirit indwelling us, we can choose to hinder the Spirit’s work in our lives.

We can be so distracted by concern and worry that we can’t recognize the power that we have at our disposal.

We can hinder the Spirit working in our lives, but if we do, we risk missing all that God wants to do in our lives, in our Church, and in this world.

We are anointed for a purpose. Are we willing to step out in faith and do what we’ve been anointed to do?

Be open to His power and don’t be scared if He wants to do new and amazing things through you – things you didn’t expect.

Jesus’ testimony was - “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me, because he hath anointed me to preach the gospel to the poor. He hath sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the catives, and recovering of sight to the blind, to set at liberty them that are bruised, to preach the acceptable year of the Lord.”

What has God anointed you to do? Whatever it is, don’t be scared to do it, because you have been anointed with the Holy Spirit for that purpose.

So Jesus’ baptism was an incredibly important point in His life.

            It was important for Him to identify with those He was going to save.

            It was important for him to fulfil all righteousness–to obey the His Heavenly Father.

            It was important to show He was anointed for the ministry that God had set before Him.

As we close, I encourage you again, to seek God’s face and examine whether you are following Jesus’ example. Are you obeying God’s revealed will for your life?

Be assured that God cannot bless you or work through you in power until you surrender to Him. You have already been anointed for service if you know Jesus as your Lord and Savior, so don’t be scared, just serve Him.

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NOTICE:   THESE SERMONS ARE FREE TO BE USED BUT ARE NOT TO BE SOLD!