The Bible Book

(Chris Devlin) #1

194


THIS IS MY SON,


WHOM I LOVE;


WITH HIM I AM


WELL PLEASED


MATTHEW 3:17, THE BAPTISM OF JESUS


N


ear the beginning of
the Gospel according
to Matthew, at the start
of the New Testament, Jesus
undergoes a baptism (ritual
washing by immersion in water) at
the hands of a man named John the
Baptist. Such is the significance of
this event—because it marks the
beginning of Jesus’s ministry—that
it is mentioned in all four Gospels
of the New Testament. In addition
to Matthew 3, referenced here,
Mark 1 and Luke 3 both give full
details of the baptism, while in
John 1, it is discussed in passing.

IN BRIEF


PA S SAGE
Matthew 3:13–17

THEME
The beginning of
Christ’s ministry

SETTING
c. 26–27 ce Judean countryside,
alongside the River Jordan.

KEY FIGURES
Jesus The Messiah and Son
of God, who travels from
Galilee to the River Jordan
to be baptized by John and
commence His ministry.

John the Baptist A
dedicated holy man and
preacher who baptizes Jesus,
then steps aside to make
way for His ministry.

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According to Luke (3:23), Jesus
is about 30 years old at the time
of the baptism. He travels to the
River Jordan from Galilee to meet
with John. The latter has gained a
reputation for the act—exhorting
local people to confess and repent
of their sins, and then washing
them clean in the water of the river.
When the two men first meet,
John is surprised by Jesus’s
request to be baptized, because he

knows that Jesus is the Messiah.
John exclaims: “I need to be
baptized by You, and do You come
to me?” (Matthew 3:14). Reassured
by Jesus that there is no mistake,
John then lowers Jesus into the
waters and baptizes Him.

Purpose of the act
Biblical scholars have long debated
the precise significance of this
event, since the stated purpose

THE GOSPELS


This detail from The Baptism of
Christ, by A.H. Philippe Sauvan-
Magnet, c.1500, shows John pouring
water over Jesus’s head. Matthew’s
account suggests He was submerged.

Baptisms in the New Testament


Baptism by John (Matthew 3:6)

Baptism of Jesus (Mathew 3:13–17)

Baptism by the Holy Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:12–13; Galatians 3:27)

(Luke 3:16)

Baptizing believers (Acts 2:41; 8:36)

Baptism of the Israelites (1 Corinthians 10:1–2)

Baptism for the dead (1 Corinthians 15:29)

John the Baptist Like Jesus, John the Baptist is
born in miraculous circumstances.
In Luke (1:5–23), an angel of the
Lord visits Zechariah, an aged
priest, and his barren wife
Elizabeth. He announces that they
will have a son and that he will
become a great man of God. Such
is Zechariah’s disbelief at this
revelation—owing to their age—
that God strikes him dumb.
Zechariah recovers his speech
when Elizabeth gives birth to
their son, John. Luke confirms
that the birth occurs just months
prior to that of Jesus (1:36). John
becomes a preacher, living an

austere and hermitic life in the
desert. He preaches a message
advocating both confession and
repentance, and offers baptism
in the River Jordan to all who
heed him. John speaks, above
all, of a “greater one” who will
come after him—the Messiah
prophesied in the scriptures.
John’s preaching ultimately
leads to his downfall, when
he warns King Herod against
marrying his brother’s wife. The
king marries her anyway, but
she never forgives John, and
John is eventually beheaded on
the whim of her daughter, Salome.

of John’s baptism is a “baptism of
repentance for the forgiveness
of sins” (Mark 1:4). However, as the
New Testament confirms, Jesus
was completely without sin—Paul
writes in 2 Corinthians 5:21 that
“God made Him who had no sin to
be sin for us.” Jesus therefore has
nothing to repent for, yet still asks
for baptism. The general consensus
is that, in this case, the act of
cleansing is merely symbolic. ❯❯

See also: The Temptations of Christ 198–99 ■ The Transfiguration 234–35 ■ The Crucifixion 258–65 ■
The Empty Tomb 268–71 ■ The Great Commission 274–77

Baptism with fire

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