The Exposition of Matthew (Matthew 3:13-17)

June 2, 2020

(The baptism & Beginning ministry of Jesus)

Questions to be answered in this study

1. Was the Holy Spirit a Dove when God spoke at the baptism of Jesus?
2. Why did the parents of Jesus keep His true identity secret?
3. Did John the Baptist know Jesus was the Messiah before the baptism of Jesus?
4. Why does the Bible say so little about the early years of the life of Jesus?
5. Why did John not want to baptize Jesus?
6. What does the Bible mean when it says Jesus was made a little lower than the angels?
7. What was the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus?
8. How do we know that only John saw the Dove light on the shoulder of Jesus and hear the voice of God?
9. What are the two kingdoms of Jesus?
10. What is the difference between the baptism of Jesus and ours?
11. What are the five things that define Christian baptism?

Introduction

So far in Matthew chapter 3, we have been studying the life and purpose of John the Baptist. In today’s study, the spotlight turns upon Jesus. Here are some things we need to consider:

• The Importance of the baptism of Jesus
• The distinction between His baptism and ours
• Important things about the beginning of the public ministry of Jesus

Matthew 3:13-17, “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from Heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

This passage raises the question, was the Holy Spirit a dove on this occasion? No, the Holy Spirit was not a dove on this occasion. First of all, God is Spirit, not visible. Notice the Scripture says “Like a Dove,” not a dove. Remember on the day of Pentecost; the Holy Spirit appeared like tongues of fire? This appearance of the Holy Spirit was not a baptism with fire. It was a visual image of the shekinah glory of God. In like manner, God appeared to Moses in a burning bush, and later on, God appeared to the children of Israel in the wilderness as a pillar of fire by night and pillar of cloud by day to lead them on their journey to the promised land. It was common for God’s glory to appear as light.

At this time, Jesus was still living at His home in Galilee, but that was about to change. He would move to Capernaum, set up His headquarters there, and commence his Galilean ministry, which was primarily along the shores of the Sea of Galilee, but first He sought out John the Baptist to be baptized. Jesus travels from His home in Galilee to find John in the wilderness. John recognizes his cousin Jesus, but he does not know that Jesus is the Messiah. Nevertheless, he acknowledges that Jesus is more significant than he is, so John refuses at first to baptize him, saying to Jesus that he (John) needed to be baptized by Jesus, not the other way around.

Remember, until this time, the parents of Jesus kept the identity of Jesus a secret. The reason for this it was not the time for the revealing of His identity and purpose. If John had known Jesus was the Promised Messiah, he would have known he needed to baptize Him to recognize Him as the Messiah and pass the Baton on to Him.

To get a better understanding of this, we need to consult John’s gospel, where we see John the Baptist recalling his first encounter with Jesus as the Messiah: “The next day John seeth Jesus coming unto him, and saith, Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world. 30This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man which is preferred before me: for he was before me. 31And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water. 32And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from Heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost. 34And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God,”John 1:29-34 (KJV).

The first thing to notice, in the verses above, is that the passage begins with “the next day.” The next day would have been the following day after the baptism of Jesus. Now John knows Jesus is the Messiah and the reason he knew is that the Holy Spirit, in the form of a dove, landed on the shoulder of Jesus and God spoke: “And lo a voice from heaven, saying, this is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased,” Matthew 3:17. Then in verse 31, John reveals that he did not know Jesus was the Messiah until then. So, this only took place after John baptized Jesus, and again he repeats this in verse 33. The dove was the sign that God gave John earlier to enable him to recognize the Messiah. I’m sure that John was surprised to learn it was his cousin.

John is the cousin of Jesus, and not knowing that Jesus was the Messiah shows how successful Joseph and Mary were in keeping that fact a secret. The purpose of keeping it a secret was to give Jesus time to prove to others that he was entirely a man who lived His life as a man just as others, facing the same things they did. But what they didn’t know, until this occasion, was that he was also entirely God. Jesus was sinless, lived an innocent life, and did so without drawing attention to himself. 

Jesus living under the radar explains why the Gospels mention so little about His early years. He lived an ordinary, mundane life like everyone else, but that was about to change because from here forward, everything was extraordinary. What John did know about Jesus was, He was a person who certainly did not need to repent for a godless sinful life, and that is why he first refused to baptize Jesus. He felt unworthy because of Jesus’ sinless life.

John said that I am more sinful than you, so you should baptize me and not the reverse. John didn’t fully know that he was infinitely more sinful than Jesus because Jesus was the perfect, sinless, God incarnate. However, the question remains as to why Jesus needed baptism? Jesus wasn’t coming to receive a baptism of repentance. There was no need for Him to repent, so obviously, it was for a different purpose. Jesus gave that purpose: “And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness.”

Here is an amplified explanation of what Jesus said: “Thus it becometh us – It is suitable and proper. And though you may feel unworthy, yet it is proper it should be done to fulfill all righteousness – There was no particular precept in the Old Testament requiring this. Still, he chose to give the sanction of his example to the baptism of John as to a divine ordinance. The phrase “all righteousness,” here is the same as a righteous institution or appointment. Jesus had no sin. But he was about to enter on his great work. It was proper that he be set apart by his forerunner, show his connection with him, and give his approbation to what John had done. He submitted to the ordinance of baptism, also, so he might take the occasion, at the commencement of his work, for God publicly to declare his approbation of him and his solemn appointment to the office of the Messiah.” – Barnes’ Notes on the Bible.

Precisely, Jesus says, “this moment was fitting to fulfill all righteousness.” The Word translated “fitting” is from a Greek word meaning “to be clearly seen.” In essence, Jesus is saying, “in doing this, we will be obeying the Father and displaying His righteousness.” Therefore, Jesus didn’t need baptism for repentance; He needed to receive John’s baptism to be obedient to the Father and thus fulfill all righteousness required of the Father. 

In the Old Testament, the law shows God’s requirements for righteousness. Theoretically, had people been able to keep all the law, they would have been righteous before God. However, not a soul ever did. Therefore, one man needed to keep the law and then die in the stead of all humanity to impute His perfect righteousness to all who believed. Baptism is a visual picture of what Jesus came to the world to complete, God’s righteousness. Today when we go before God in prayer, we are not acceptable on the merit of our good works but on the righteousness of His Son credited to our account.

Also, John’s baptism of Jesus accomplished several other things: Firstly, it was the capstone in the ministry of John announcing the coming Messiah to the world. That was John’s primary purpose as the forerunner of Christ. Secondly, it was the sign that John’s ministry was coming to an end and Jesus the Messiah was commencing. Thirdly, the unveiling of Jesus as the Messiah empowered Him to begin His public ministry.

Matthew verse 16 says, “when Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens opened, and John saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and coming upon Jesus.” At this moment, at the resting of the Spirit of God upon Jesus, Jesus obtained the supernatural power to commence His public ministry. For Jesus to accomplish the miracles, the Holy Spirit empowered Him. His miracles authenticated Him to the crowds as the Messiah.

In Philippians 2:5-7 (KJV), The Apostle Paul said, “Let this mind be in you, which was also in Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to be equal with God: But made himself of no reputation, and took upon him the form of a servant, and was made in the likeness of men:”

The Apostle John put it this way: John 1:1-5,14-15 (KJV), “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. The same was in the beginning with God. All things were made by him; and without him was not anything made that was made. In him was life; and the life was the light of men. And the light shineth in darkness; and the darkness comprehended it not. And the Word was made flesh, and dwelt among us, (and we beheld his glory, the glory as of the only begotten of the Father,) full of grace and truth. John [the Baptist] bare witness of him, and cried, saying, This was he of whom I spake, He that cometh after me is preferred before me: for he was before me.”

The point is, Jesus is God who took on human flesh and limited Himself to work within the limitations of humanity. He did not lay aside His divinity but voluntarily refrained from using it to live as a human being during His earthly ministry. Jesus was in complete submission to the Father’s will. (John 5:19). It was part of the kenosis to sometimes operate within the limitations of humanity.

The author of Hebrews quotes psalms to explain the role Jesus took on as a human being: Hebrews 2:6-7 (KJV),“But one in a certain place testified, saying, What is man, that thou art mindful of him? or the Son of man that thou visitest him? Thou madest him a little lower than the angels; thou crownedst him with glory and honour, and didst set him over the works of thy hands:”

Jesus was made a little lower than angels for His earthly stay. In other words, he became a man who was made a little lower than the angels. By doing this, Jesus became part of His creation. Being a man, he needed the assistance of the Holy Spirit to perform the miracles he performed. The Third Person of the godhead came to the aid of the second person of the godhead to enable Him for His earthly ministry.

There are several examples in Scripture confirming the work of the Holy Spirit in the life of Jesus:

• In the Gospels, the Spirit’s role in directing and empowering Jesus’ ministry is mentioned frequently.
• In Matthew 4:1, Jesus is led into the wilderness by the Spirit.
•  In Matthew 12, Jesus credited the Spirit for His power to cast out demons.
• Also, in chapter 12, Jesus says that when the Pharisees were guilty of blaspheming the Holy Spirit when they tried to discredit His miracles.
• Luke reported that the Holy Spirit made possible Jesus’ communion with the Father while He was on earth. 
• In Acts, we read that the Holy Spirit revealed God’s His will to Jesus and the apostles.

God confirmed to John with an audible voice from Heaven the identity of the Messiah. God’s voice from Heaven is the first of three times that the Heavenly Father spoke in a loud voice, supporting Jesus His Son. The power of the Holy Spirit came on Jesus on this occasion, empowering Him for His public ministry. The fact that Jesus didn’t have this supernatural power until this time, confirmed by the fact that there is no record of him ever performing a miracle before His Baptism.

Another consideration is that this vision of a dove descending on Jesus was witnessed only by John and not the crowd gathered for baptism. Neither did they hear the voice of God. It was similar to Paul’s vision on the road to Damascus. Notice in v.16, the text says “he,” which is singular, not the plural “they” saw the heavens open and the dove descending.

This revelation confirmed in the mind of John that his cousin, Jesus, was indeed the promised Messiah. As a result, the next day, John was proclaiming that Jesus is the Lamb of God. However, later on, John did have doubts concerning the ministry of Jesus. So, he sent two of his disciples to inquire of Jesus: Luke 7:19 – “And John calling unto him two of his disciples sent them to Jesus, saying, Art thou he that should come? or look we for another?” It was not that John doubted that Jesus was the Messiah; it was because he had heard the rabbis teach that there would be two messiahs, one to set up a spiritual kingdom and die for the world’s sins and another to set up a world kingdom. The mistake John was making was, he did not understand that Jesus was to come to earth on two separate occasions. The first coming was to set up a spiritual kingdom and die for man’s sins and then later to set up His millennium kingdom at His second coming.

The baptism of Jesus was not an example for believers. Still, it could be an incentive for believers’ baptism to identify with the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus and obey God’s command to fulfill righteousness. His baptism identified Him as the Messiah; ours identifies us with Jesus’ death and resurrection: Romans 6:3 (KJV), “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death?” Did Jesus need to be baptized as we do, and what is the difference between His baptism and ours? Yes, He did need baptism as we do, but for a different reason. 

First, let me explain our baptism and what it means: This may be the first time you’ve understood baptism in how the Bible describes it. I believe that the majority of Christians do not understand the significance of baptism. As the Scripture says, baptism is an act to fulfill righteousness, meaning, in short, Jesus “fulfills the requirement of God for righteousness, as symbolized by baptism. “He made Him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf so that we might become the righteousness of God in Him,” 2 Corinthians 5:21 (KJV). “For Christ is the end of the law for righteousness to everyone who believes,” Romans 10:4 (KJV).

The Old Testament pattern, the offering of animal sacrifices, and predictions of the Messiah all pointed to His death for the remission of sins. The meaning of the Word fulfill also means to complete. When Jesus said on the cross, “It is finished’ it meant that God’s plan of salvation and His requirements for righteousness was now complete.

By submitting to baptism, Jesus provides a visual picture of Himself, fulfilling righteousness by His death, burial, and resurrection. When we are baptized, we are identifying with Jesus. It is a testimony that we are trusting in the gospel of the death of Jesus to cleanse us of sin and to impute the righteousness of Jesus to our account so that we believers are justified before God.

Water baptism, in itself, does not cleanse sin, neither does it make us righteous any more than Jesus’ baptism made Him righteous. To depend on baptism for salvation misses the Biblical plan for salvation completely. “For by grace are ye saved through faith; and that not of yourselves: it is the gift of God: Not of works, lest any man should boast,”Ephesians 2:8-9 (KJV). What is so evident about this verse is that baptism is not mentioned in conjunction with salvation, and the statement disallows works that it was not of yourselves, your works. It is a gift. You don’t work for a gift.

Secondly, water baptism recognizes that the old person is dead, and now a new person has taken their place. It also associates us with Jesus. “Therefore, we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.” Romans 6:4 (KJV). 

Thirdly, it declares us to be followers of the Messiah, just as Jesus’ water baptism announced Him to the world as the Messiah. “Then said Jesus unto his disciples, If any man will come after me, let him deny himself, and take up his cross, and follow me,” Matthew 16:24 (KJV). After baptism, the next step is to deny the interest that might take us away from serving Jesus and take up our new responsibility of following Him.

Jesus commanded His Church, in what is known as “the great commission,” in Matthew 28:19-20, to follow Him in His footsteps of spreading the gospel to the whole world, then teaching them the things He taught.

Fourthly, our water baptism inaugurates, begins, or introduces our public service in the body of Christ, just as it began Jesus’ public ministry. It is the beginning of our opportunity to serve the Lord. Listen to what the Bible says about our service to the Lord: “Only fear the LORD, and serve him in truth with all your heart: for considering how great [things] he hath done for you,” 1 Samuel 12:24 (KJV). “And whatsoever ye do, do heartily, as to the Lord, and not unto men,” Colossians 3:23-24 (KJV). “Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye steadfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labor is not in vain in the Lord,” 1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJV). ” I beseech you therefore, brethren, by the mercies of God, that ye present your bodies a living sacrifice, holy, acceptable unto God, [which is] your reasonable service,” Romans 12:1 (KJV).

Fifthly and finally, Jesus’ baptism was a transition between John’s ministry and Jesus’ ministry; our baptism designates a change from a self-centered life to a Christ-centered life. “If ye then be risen with Christ, seek those things which are above, where Christ sitteth on the right hand of God.” Colossians 3:1 (KJV).

We, every believer, should follow in the Lord’s footsteps. That’s why we’re called Christians. The Word means “little Christs” It initially mocked Jesus’ followers, but the Church soon embraced it because it’s a perfect description of what we want to be.

In our next exposition of Matthew, we will take up the temptation of Jesus’ in the wilderness.