Matthew 3:13-17

 Matthew 3.13-17

Jesus comes to John for baptism but John is resistant. Jesus is going to do something greater than John’s ministry and so John feels that he should be baptized by Jesus to be a part of this greater reality. Jesus says that John should permit the baptism at this “time” for “us” to fulfill all righteousness.

Notice that Jesus has a profound sense of the Father’s timing. How often we get into a mess by not being in the Father’s timing. For some things we want we act as if now is the only time. If we are less interested, we act as if the only time is another time. Jesus was in the Father’s time. Timing has less to do with chronology than it has to do with opportunity. May the Lord help us to read the time properly.

Don’t miss that Jesus says “us” to fulfill righteousness. Jesus and John together will accomplish the will of the Father. Jesus’ condescension is not just to man but also to accepting man’s leadership to accomplish the Father’s will. Jesus put Himself in such a position so that He could not accomplish God’s will alone. Jewish proselyte baptism was self-administered but in this case Jesus needed another person. If the God-Man needed another person, how much more so do we need the community of faith, the body of Christ; the church?

Righteousness in the book of Matthew is not merely good behavior, although that would certainly be a part. Righteousness is not even a legal position in regard to right and wrong. Righteousness is the relationship with God that focuses on obedience and as a disciple the motivation of that obedience is love.

Why was Jesus baptized? He was baptized because He loved the Father and in loving the Father He wanted to please Him. Unloving conformity is never enough.

"Lord grant me the humility to graciously submit to those around me, as You direct me. AMEN"