JESUS OF NAZARETH: HIS BAPTISM

Intro.
1. Luke 2:49-52 - 18 yrs. passed by in Jesus' life in almost total silence.
2. But now, the last carpenter's contract is completed, his tools are put away, and at the age of 30 (Lk. 3:23) He sets His face toward the work of human redemption His heavenly Father had given Him.
  a. Lk. 2:49 - "I must be about my Father's business."
  b. Matt. 3:13 - Voluntarily begins that business.
3. Matt. 3:13-17 - From His baptism, we not only learn the events surrounding it, but also its purposes and some practical lessons for each of us.

I. THE EVENTS OF JESUS' BAPTISM - Matt. 3:1-17.
  A. News Of John's Preaching Must Have Reached Jesus' Ears.
  1. v. 1-2 - Message: Repent because the kingdom (rule) of heaven was at hand (Kingdom of Jehovah and His Messiah - Psa. 2).
  2. v. 3-4 - Appointed by God.
  3. v. 5-12 - Purpose of his baptism: Baptism of repentance unto remission of sins - Lk. 3:3 (Acts 19:4; Mk. 1:4).
  4. v. 13 - Jesus goes to John to be baptized.
  B. John's Reply - v. 14.
  -Hesitates at the contradictory scene.
  C. Jesus' Request Honored By John - v. 15.
  D. Events At Jesus' Baptism - v. 16-17.
  1. Heaven opened - Holy Spirit as a dove came upon Him.
  2. Voice of approval from heaven.
 
II. WHY WAS JESUS BAPTIZED BY JOHN?
  A. Consider Some Things For Which He Was Not Baptized:
  1. Not for remission of sins - Heb. 4:15; 1 Pet. 2:22.
  2. Not to “ordain” Him into His priestly office - Heb. 5:5-6.

  3. To become deity (cf. the Gnostic, Cerinthus), Jno. 1:1, 14.
  4. Why was He baptized?
  B. To Fulfill All Righteousness - Matt. 3:15.
  1. Lk. 3:2-3 - Inasmuch as God had authorized John to preach and baptize (Jno. 1:33) -- Submission to John's baptism was an essential item in doing the Father’s will.
  a. Matt. 21:25 - Very reason for His compliance!
  b. Psa. 40:7-8 - Reason He came was to do the Father’s will.
  2. Consequences if He had not submitted to John's baptism:
  a. Omitted obeying a positive command of God (Jas. 4:17).
  b. Have thus sinned and forfeited His role as Messiah!
  c. Lk. 7:30 - Would have been aligned w/ religious hypocrites of His day!
  C. It Occasioned His Anointing With The Holy Spirit - Matt. 3:16-17; Acts 10:38.
  1. cf. Messiah - Isa. 42:1; 61:1-2 (Lk. 4:18ff).
  2. With baptism, Jesus enters His work w/ heavenly endorsements (Holy Spirit; Voice of the Father)!
  D. To Manifest Himself To Israel - Jno. 1:31-34.
  1. v. 32-33 - Enabled John to identify Him.
  2. v. 34 - To then bear witness of Him to Israel.

III. LESSONS FROM CHRIST'S BAPTISM.
  A. Obedience Before Convenience - Matt. 3:13.
  1. Nazareth to Judea (3:1) - Approx. 60 miles.
  2. cf. Argument against immersion: “It is inconvenient!”
  3. Acts 24:25 - Faith acts out of conviction, not convenience.
  B. What Baptism Is: Immersion - Mk. 1:10.
  1. Necessarily implies He went down into water.
  2. Consider these points against sprinkling/pouring:
  a. Went to the water, instead of having water brought to Him.
  b. He went to "much" water (Jno. 3:23).
  C. The Necessity Of Baptism - cf. Matt. 3:15.
  1. Jesus viewed it as a necessary part of righteousness!
  2. Two aspects of baptism to notice here:
  a. Remission of sins - Mk. 1:4; Acts 2:38.
  b. Act of obedience to a positive command of God - Mk. 16:16; Acts 10:48.
  3. We must see its necessity and see that failure to do so results in remaining in sin!
  D. Baptism Provides a New Beginning.
  1. Jesus - His baptism signaled a new part of His life - Mission as Messiah.
  2. Believers - New life in Christ - Jno. 3:3, 5; Gal. 3:27; 2 Cor. 5:17.
  3. Must live like new creatures! - Rom. 12:1-2
  E. The Importance Of Obedience.
  1. Jesus based His baptism upon this principle - Matt. 3:15.
  2. Matt. 7:21; Heb. 5:9 - Without obedience, we only give lipservice to God!

Conclusion
1. Jno. 3:26-30- With His baptism, the "increase" of Jesus' visibility and activity began.
2. From it, we must learn the importance of dutiful obedience and the emphasis of right conduct in our lives.