A Ringing Endorsement

The murky water is about knee deep, and the Baptizer has been at it all day--a little tired, but he knows that the time is coming, and all this is going to change. He has an express purpose--to tell the people that their Redeemer is coming on the scene, and they need to get themselves ready, so that they will be able to hear his message.  He baptizes those who repent.  Again, John bends at the waist, his left arm cradling the strapping young man, and lowers him fully into the waters of the Jordan River, and then brings him back up . . . John's beard is wet, and his hair too--his tunic completely soaked by now, but he smiles as he brings another tender heart out of the water.  The young man raises his arms in the air and gives a triumphant yell.  

Mind you, except for the Essenes’ purification rites, baptism was completely foreign to the Jews.  Never before had Jews been baptized-they were God’s chosen people after all!  But when John the Baptist came on the scene, his message of repentance, included baptism for cleansing of sin, and thousands of Jews were baptized, which was a signal to Jesus that his time had come.  His response to the call was clear.

At the river, another steps to the edge of the water and readies himself for baptism; even though John feels that something is quite backward about this interaction, he baptizes again.  Indeed, John lowers Jesus into the river water and as his upper body is raised from the water, the heavens open, and the Holy Spirit descends on Jesus like a dove.  He hears God’s voice, saying, "You are my beloved Son, and I am fully pleased with you."

Matthew writes, “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan [a full day’s journey] to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?”

But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him.

When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Wow!  What a scene--the Trinity--fully represented in one event, just like at the dawn of Creation.  The Father speaks to the Son, the Spirit anoints the Son, and the Son is anointed and initiated for ministry.¹ ‘This is my Son’ was a recognizable expression from Psalm 2, which every Jew accepted as a description of the Messiah.² And ‘in whom I am well pleased’ a fulfillment of Isaiah 42.1, “Look at my servant, whom I strengthen.

    He is my chosen one, who pleases me.

I have put my Spirit upon him.

    He will bring justice to the nations.”³

When Jesus heard God the Father’s words, he knew that God was pleased in several ways—it was the inauguration of his earthly ministry, which was according to God’s will.  His words served as a culminating stamp of approval of Jesus’ hidden life in Nazareth, of all that had come before his arrival at the shore of the Jordan River.  ‘This is my beloved son’ were also the loving words from a father’s heart to the heart of his son—words that would long ring in Jesus’ ears. 

In “Why Should I Repent?” (http://pastorwoman.com/ReadArchive.aspx?id=1477),    I mentioned that one day, at the close of our days, we will all stand before God.  The words Jesus heard I long to hear from God, ‘This is my beloved daughter, in whom I am well pleased.  Welcome Home.’  How about you?  What are you hoping God will say to you?  And in his assessment of what I have done with the gifts/talents God has given me, I pray I will hear, “Well done, good and faithful servant!”⁴  ‘And you?  How will God speak to you about how you have used the gifts and talents and treasure he has given you?  Hmmm . . .

Christine

PastorWoman.com

1 – R.C. Sproul, Commentary on Matthew

2 - Psalm 2.7, note by William Barclay

3 – New Living Translation

4 – Matthew 25.21,23