Thursday, October 1

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. And when Jesus was baptized, immediately he went up from the water, and behold, the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” – Matthew 3:13-17

He preached a baptism of repentance, and those from Jerusalem, and all Judea, and all the region about the Jordan were going out to him confessing their sins and being baptized. The crowds who came to him were diverse not only in their various geographic locations, but also in their responses to John’s message. Many were truly repentant, broken by their sin and failures, and John baptized them in water as a symbol of the cleansing their hearts received. Others were impostures—Pharisees and Sadducees, teachers of a law they could never uphold themselves. And John warned them that they must bear fruit in keeping with repentance, but they were too blinded by their sin to realize their need for salvation. All who came to him had one thing in common: they were sinners desperately in need of a Savior.

As John peered into the faces of those whom he baptized and listened as they confessed their sins to God, I wonder if he thought of his own sins.

Pride?

Guilty.

Lack of faith?

Admittedly.

Complaining?

True.

Dishonesty? Envy? Gossip?

Check. Check. Check.

I do not know which of these sins plagued John the Baptist, but I do know that he needed his sins atoned for as much as those whom he baptized. And I know that he looked to Jesus as the only One who could cleanse him.

“I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire” (Mt. 3:11-12)

Enter Jesus.

I wonder what thoughts raced through John’s mind as he saw Jesus approaching him in the Jordan. Did his heart leap inside of him just like he leaped in Elizabeth’s womb at the sound of Mary’s voice? Did he begin removing his sandals and outer robe thinking Jesus had come to baptize him? Did he feel an ache of regret and a longing for redemption deep inside as he thought through the sins he himself would confess?

And then something scandalous happened.

Jesus asked John to baptism Him: Jesus—the sinless Lamb of God who would take away the sins of the world. Had too much water splashed in John’s ears, or did he hear Jesus correctly? Why would Jesus need to be baptized with water for repentance when He was perfect?

John objected, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” (v. 14).

I wonder if the crowd grew silent at the dialogue between John and Jesus, turning their gaze from one and then to the other. After all, John had just told them that he was not even worthy to carry Jesus’ sandals. How would Jesus respond to John’s protestation?

Jesus doesn’t argue with John about his theology, for John truly was in need of the spiritual baptism that only Jesus could provide. Jesus simply replied, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” In other words, it was necessary for Jesus to do everything that God required, and that included being baptized by John.

While this one act did not fulfill all righteousness, it was the first step of Christ’s obedience to death, even death on a cross (Phil. 2:8). Furthermore, in being baptized, Jesus allowed Himself to be “numbered among the transgressors” (Is. 53:12). 

He identified Himself with all sinful people in need of repentance and forgiveness, and His radical obedience would ultimately culminate at the cross. “For our sake, he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God” (2 Cor. 5:21). This is the perfect obedience of Christ that is given (imputed) to us when we repent and trust in Him!

“The Advocate” by Charitie Lee Smith – 1863

Later retitled “Before the Throne of God Above”

Before the throne of God above

I have a strong and perfect plea.

A great High Priest whose name is Love

Who ever lives and pleads for me.

My name is graven on His hands,

My name is written on His heart.

I know that while in Heaven He stands

No tongue can bid me thence depart.

When Satan tempts me to despair

And tells me of the guilt within,

Upward I look and see Him there

Who made an end of all my sin.

Because the sinless Savior died

My sinful soul is counted free.

For God the just is satisfied

To look on Him and pardon me.

Behold Him there the risen Lamb,

My perfect spotless righteousness,

The great unchangeable I AM,

The King of glory and of grace,

One in Himself I cannot die.

My soul is purchased by His blood,

My life is hid with Christ on high,

With Christ my Savior and my God!

Jenny Schulenburg