John was hesitant to baptize Jesus, admitting that he was the one who needed to be baptized by Jesus, and Jesus said to him:
"Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." - Matthew 3:15
Jesus had never sinned and therefore had no need to repent, yet he saw in John's baptism an opportunity to fulfill all righteousness. It is interesting why Jesus would be so concerned about righteousness, and the reason is because of what the ancient Hebrew prophets declared about the coming Messiah. They proclaimed that He would be righteous and just. Righteousness can be found in the words of Isaiah the prophet about the coming Messiah:
"But with righteousness shall he judge the poor" - Isaiah 11:4
"And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins" - Isaiah 11:5
David said that the heavens declare the Messiah's righteousness (Ps 97:6).
"The heavens declare his righteousness, and all the people see his glory." - Psalms 97:6
"Drop down, ye heavens, from above, and let the skies pour down righteousness: let the earth open, and let them bring forth salvation, and let righteousness spring up together; I the LORD have created it." - Isaiah 45:8
The Baptism of Jesus, Jesus Appears at the Jordan River, Jesus and Righteousness, Jesus is Baptized, The Heavens were Opened, A Dove Descends out of Heaven, The Dove is Lit and Rests Upon Jesus, The Voice of God out of Heaven
The Baptism of Jesus
And there came a voice from heaven, saying, Thou art my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." - Mark 1:11
The New Testament - A Brief Overview
| Brief History of
the Baptism of Jesus Scriptures and Topics Covered: Jesus Appears at the Jordan River (Mat 3:13; Mk 1:9; Lk 3:21). Jesus and Righteousness (Mat 3:15; Is 11:5). The Baptism of Jesus (Mat 3:16; Mk 1:9; Lk 3:21;Jn 1:32-33). The Heavens were Opened (Mat 3:16; Mk 1:10; Lk 3:21; Jn 1:32-33). A Dove Descends Out of Heaven (Mat 3:16; Mk 1:10; Lk 3:22; Jn 1:32-33). The Dove is Lit and Rests Upon Jesus (Mat 3:16; Mk 1:10; Lk 3:22; Jn 1:32-33). The Voice of God Out of Heaven (Mat 3:17; Mk 1:11; Lk 3:22) |
"Now in the fifteenth year of the reign of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate being
governor of Judaea, and Herod being tetrarch of Galilee, and his brother Philip
tetrarch of Ituraea and of the region of Trachonitis, and Lysanias the tetrarch
of Abilene, Annas and Caiaphas being the high priests, the word of God came unto
John the son of Zacharias in the wilderness."
Luke 3:1-2
Jesus Appears at the Jordan River
According to the Bible Jesus now makes his first public appearance where John was baptizing at the Jordan River. Jesus is thirty years of age, and He comes to John and requests to be baptized. You can almost hear the calmness in John's powerful voice, "I have need to be baptized by you, and you come to me?"
All of History Waiting for This Moment
Every great event that ever happened in the history of the world pales in comparison to this powerful moment when the God of the universe, the creator of all things, the Word of God in a human body is being anointed for His mission and about to speak to the world.
"Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Matthew 3:15
Jesus had never sinned and therefore had no need to repent, yet he saw in John's baptism the righteousness of God. It is interesting why Jesus would be so concerned with righteousness, the reason can be found in the words of Isaiah about the Messiah:
"And righteousness shall be the girdle of his loins ." - Isaiah 11:5