THE BAPTISM OF JESUS

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptised by John. But John tried to deter Him saying, “I need to be baptised by you, and do you come to me?” Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness.” Then John consented. Matthew 3:13-15

Jesus made a cryptic statement when John refused to baptise Him: “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness.” Why did Matthew record this exchange between John the Baptist and Jesus?

Firstly, Matthew reveals that John knew exactly who Jesus was. John’s task was to go ahead of the Messiah and prepare the way for His coming. Unlike the citizens of Nazareth and even the religious leaders, John was not fooled by Jesus’ natural birth or humble upbringing. He took his rightful place before Jesus and wanted to defer to Him at this point.

Secondly, we need to unravel the meaning of His statement – fulfil all righteousness. In what ways did His baptism fulfil all righteousness? Righteousness is acting in oneness with the nature and will of God.

Baptism was an act of immersion in water – “The water of the mikveh is designed to ritually cleanse a person from deeds of the past. The convert is considered by Jewish law to be like a newborn child. By spiritually cleansing the convert, the mikveh water prepares him or her to confront God, life, and people with a fresh spirit and new eyes–it washes away the past, leaving only the future…

There is a second layer of meaning to mikveh. It marks the beginning of the ascent to an elevated religious state. This function of mikveh goes beyond the basic purpose of purification. Anthropologists refer to this threshold of higher social status as “liminality.” The person at this moment of transition is a “liminal” or “threshold” person. The liminal state is common to virtually all persons and societies, ancient and modern, and it marks a move to an altered status or to a life transition. Entering adulthood from adolescence, for example, requires a tunnel of time, a rite of passage, a liminal state that acknowledges by symbolic acts the stark changes taking place in one’s self-identity, behavior, and attitude…” http://www.myjewishlearning.com/life/Life_Events/Conversion/Conversion_Process/Mikveh.shtml

Baptism was Jesus’ initiation into His elevated role as a rabbi with authority – s’mikeh.

Baptism symbolised His identification with the human race He came to save. He chose to be completely human and not to function in any way as God so that He could qualify to be man’s substitute as a sin offering.

Baptism was His initiation into the priesthood and a new order – the order of Melchizedek. He became our never-dying high priest, able to sympathise with us in our weaknesses because He is one of us (Hebrews 4:16).

All these factors fulfilled God’s righteousness, Jesus doing the right thing to qualify as our perfect Saviour.