Sound The Trumpet : Matthew 3: 13-17

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“Matthew 3: 13-17”
by Art Sadlier
July 18th, 2010

The Confirmation of the Messiah

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. Matthew 3: 13-17

The Baptism of John is not the same as the baptism in the name of Jesus after Pentecost. John’s baptism was solely a sign of repentance. Although the Jews had never practiced baptism to this point, it was easily related to the ceremonial washings of Judaism. It was easily seen as repentance and the ceremonial washing of sin.

Christian baptism was inaugurated on the day of Pentecost. It is not at all similar to John’s baptism. It is an outward sign of the fact that salvation has taken place in the life of a new Christian. It is an outward testimony, it has no saving merit if it’s self. It is a command of Christ and therefore not optional. The baptism of John was neither of the above.

The baptism of Jesus was not a baptism to repentance because Christ had no sin to repent of. And it was not Christian baptism because Christ had not yet been crucified, buried and raised to new life. I believe that the baptism of Jesus was a sign of the purpose for which He came into the world. It was an introduction to the meaning of Christian baptism. It was a picture of His coming death, burial and resurrection.

1 - The Confirmation of the Baptism.

A - It was purposed by Christ. Verse 13, “Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.” In the midst of John’s ministry, Jesus comes to John for the purpose of being baptized by John. After 30 years of preparation in obscurity, Jesus appears at the Jordan River, somewhere between Jericho and the Dead Sea. Jesus deliberately decided that this event would precede and launch His ministry.

B - It was opposed by John. Verse 14, “But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?” John said in effect, “Lord I think I have misunderstood you.” “Lord I know who you are! You are the Messiah! You are the sinless Lamb of God. I can’t baptize you for repentance, you have no sin!” John adds, “I have need to be baptized of thee.” John implies, “Lord I am a sinner, I should be baptized by you! But you can’t be baptized by me.”

C – The waving of a principle to teach a truth. Verse 15, “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.” Jesus was saying in effect, “Your right John,” “I have no sin to be repented of,” “I know it doesn’t make sense to you John,” But Jesus said to John, “Suffer it to be so.” “Allow it to happen even though it is incongruous with you are teaching by your baptism.”

John I have a something else to teach by my baptism. Jesus was in effect saying to John, I have a higher lesson to teach than you are teaching. So John allows it to happen! “For thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.” This is not a phrase that is easily understood. “Becometh” = It is fitting = It distinguishes us. I believe Jesus was saying, John this act of my baptism has a special purpose. It is going to distinguish me. It is going to be a picture at the very start of my ministry of what my ministry really is about.

“To fulfill all righteousness.” My purpose is to bring righteousness upon all people. To make righteousness available to all people. This baptism is a picture of how I am going to do that.

D – The truths taught by Jesus baptism.

A – It pictures Christ identifying with sinners. In being baptized by John along with thousands of sinners, Jesus was identifying with sinners. We have an example of this in Leviticus 16:21, “And Aaron shall lay both his hands upon the head of the live goat, and confess over him all the iniquities of the children of Israel, and all their transgressions in all their sins, putting them upon the head of the goat, and shall send him away by the hand of a fit man into the wilderness:” The ministry of Christ was to be a scapegoat. Verse 22, “And the goat shall bear upon him all their iniquities.” Jesus baptism prefigured the major purpose of His coming, to bear away the sins of others, the whole world.

B – It pictures Christ’s death. Christ going down into the water pictured His coming death. Telling before His ministry began what His true purpose would be. Those follows of John doubtless did not grasp the full significance of this event. The unfolding gospel and the Epistles to the churches would reveal the full significance of the baptism that would follow Pentecost.

Romans 6:3,4a, “Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into his death? “Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death....” Jesus in His coming baptism pictured His coming death. 1 Peter 3:18, “For Christ also hath once suffered for sins, the just for the unjust, that he might bring us to God, being put to death in the flesh, but quickened by the Spirit:”

C – It pictures Christ’s resurrection from the dead. Romans 6:4a,5, ....“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. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his resurrection:” Also Romans 6:8,9, “Now if we be dead with Christ, we believe that we shall also live with him: Knowing that Christ being raised from the dead dieth no more; death hath no more dominion over him.”

We are partakers of both His death and His resurrection, the one bears away our sins and the other gives victory over sin in our daily lives.

2 – The confirmation of the Holy Spirit. Verse 16, “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:”

A – The dove is not a symbol of the Holy Spirit ... “and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove.” In no other place in scripture is the Holy Spirit related to a dove. In no place in Jewish tradition is the Holy Spirit related to a dove. The Spirits descending at Pentecost is not related to a dove.

B – The significance of the dove to the Jews of John’s day. Every single Jew of that day knew the significance of the dove. Leviticus 5:6,7, “And he shall bring his trespass offering unto the LORD for his sin which he hath sinned, a female from the flock, a lamb or a kid of the goats, for a sin offering; and the priest shall make an atonement for him concerning his sin. And if he be not able to bring a lamb, then he shall bring for his trespass, which he hath committed, two turtledoves, or two young pigeons, unto the LORD; one for a sin offering, and the other for a burnt offering.” Those could not bring a Lamb could bring two doves. Most of those in John’s congregation would be in that category.

There was a long list of things that would cause men and women to be defiled or unclean. For example; a running sore, birth of a baby, failure to perform an oath, touching the dead or touching anything unclean, beside all of the moral sins. The sacrifice for cleansing was two doves. The dove was by far the most common sacrifice for sin in Israel. Every Israelite had offered a sacrifice for sin, no doubt many had offered hundreds of doves.

The dove that descended on Jesus after His baptism is not a symbol of the Holy Spirit. It is not a symbol of peace. It is a symbol of sacrifice for sin! The dove that rested on Jesus in the form of a dove was clearly saying, Christ is the sacrifice for sin. John called Him the sacrificial Lamb. The Holy Spirit called Him the sacrificial dove. John Said, "Behold the Lamb of God that taketh away the sin of the world." The Holy Spirit is saying, "Behold the dove of God that taketh the sin of the world."

3 – The confirmation by the Father Verse 17, "And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."

A – A voice from heaven "And lo a voice from heaven", the only previous voice from heaven was the voice that came from Mt. Sinai that preceded the giving of the law. Now the second voice from heaven precedes the age of grace, again the ministry of Jesus is pictured.

B – The Fathers approval "This is My beloved Son in whom I am well pleased." Under the law the Lamb had to be perfect, without spot or blemish. It had to be carefully examined by the priest and pronounced worthy. Here we see the Fathers pronouncement of the worthiness of the Lamb. The chorus will later be picked up in heaven, "Worthy is the Lamb." No Old Testament sacrifice had ever been pleasing to God, they were only a type. Hebrews 10:4, "For it is not possible that the blood of bulls and of goats should take away sins."

The sacrifice of Christ for sin was pleasing to God. "He shall see of the travail of his soul, and shall be satisfied: by his knowledge shall my righteous servant justify many; for he shall bear their iniquities."

Christ and only Christ can take away sin and only for those who come to Him in repentance and faith. Have done that, that is your only hope of escape from hell and entrance into heaven.

Looking for His glorious appearing! Titus 2:13