So, I am continuing my journey through Matthew's gospel, and I come to a passage of Scripture that scholars love to debate. It's the passage that talks about Jesus being baptized by John the Baptist. John has been baptizing people in the Jordan River, not for the sake of salvation, but as a means of preparing the way for the coming of Jesus. So John is under no delusions that he is somehow called to save people. He is only called to get things ready for the one who will come to save others. Suddenly, this coming savior is standing before John...and instantly he feels a bit uncomfortable. John knows that he is the one who needs the baptism of the Spirit that Jesus will bring rather than Jesus needing to be baptized by him. So John instantly shrinks back in humility. However, Jesus insists that John needs to baptize Him, so John accepts Jesus' word and performs the baptism.
It's at this point that scholars begin to debate what Jesus' baptism mean. Why did Jesus get baptized? If Jesus is without sin, and has no need to repent, then what good is a baptism of repentance? If Jesus is not without sin, what good is he as a savior...even if He is baptized? Did he get baptized to give believers a pattern to follow? Did he get baptized to fully identify with humanity? In the end, I suppose we will never know the answers to these questions. But it seems to me that there are certain things that Jesus' baptism does reveal...and these truths alone are pretty cool.
First, notice that Jesus' baptism was a moment of empowerment. It is as Jesus comes up out of the water that the Spirit of God descends upon Him. Now, I have no idea if this was the first time the Spirit filled Jesus, or if it was purely symbolic. However, what does seem fairly clear is that Matthew wants us to realize that spiritual empowerment preceded public ministry. Before Jesus will face the devil, heal the hurting, proclaim the gospel, or raise the dead, He will be filled with the presence and power of God's Spirit.
Second, Jesus' baptism seems to be a moment of encouragement. As the Spirit comes upon Him, the voice of Jesus' father comes to Him. God ensures that Jesus has no doubt about who He is, and how God feels about Him. God announces that Jesus is His Son, and that He is well-pleased with His boy. Now, I can't be sure of this, but I'm guessing that those words brought Jesus a sense of encouragement and strength many times during his public ministry. When the religious leaders oppose Him. When the people turn and walk away from Him. When the demons resist Him and His friends abandon Him. From the moments of isolated testing in the Judean desert to the painful carrying of His own cross, I'm sure the constant reminder that He is a Son within whom God is pleased gave Him the courage and strength to press on.
Third, Jesus' baptism was a time of enlargement. As a result of His baptism, Jesus would be launched into the epic ministry of saving the world. He would travel from village to village proclaiming the word and saving souls. He would call disciples and train them to carry His message from one end of the globe to the other. He will defeat the powers of darkness and establish the church on earth. So, while there is much we don't know about Jesus baptism, what we do know is that it was a time of empowerment, encouragement and enlargement.
In some ways, our own baptisms are similar. When a believer is baptized, they are reminded that they have died with Christ and, through the power of the indwelling Spirit, they have risen as new creatures with a new mission. The Spirit will then empower us to follow Jesus and do His will. As we face one challenge after another, we are to look back at our baptism as a reminder that we are, in fact, children of God with whom God is well-pleased. We realize that while we are not yet what we ought to be, we are certainly more than we used to be. In addition, as we follow Jesus out of the waters of baptism and into the mission field, our world enlarges and expands. We find ourselves with new opportunities to represent Him and new ways to live for, through and with Him. So, even for us, baptism is a time of empowerment, encouragement and enlargement.
As you live your life today, live large through the power of the Spirit. Follow hard after Him, and take advantage of every opportunity given to you. And be encouraged...for even if you faulter or fail, Jesus is ready both to forgive and to restore. So press on...and bear His name with honor...for you are a child of the King and an ambassador of heaven.
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