Matthew 3:13-17 continuing…

One of the things that we must realize is that the reason for Jesus’s coming was to glorify His Father, and another was to fulfill all righteousness. When He came to present Himself for baptism He was not only glorifying His Father, and fulfilling righteousness; He was also doing a third thing. This was God’s endorsement, approval of John Baptist’s ministry.

Fulfilling righteousness, meant that He must meet every real requirement of the Law of God. By being baptised He was identifying Himself with man as the God-Man. He was also illustrating, and committing Himself to the righteous requirements of His Father and the law. Had He not done so He would not have fulfilled all righteousness.

Jesus did not make a dramatic approach onto this scene. He did approach with intention and purpose, and that was to be baptised by John. By His coming to John it does show that John is His herald and prophet. It would be good at this point to realize what John said when he saw Jesus coming, and it is not recorded in Matthew’s gospel, but it is in the Gospel of John (written by the apostle John, not John Baptist); “…Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world.” John 1:29. John is the one who declares Jesus as the Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world. Now, that is the ministry of the herald of the King of kings.

One other thing we will see in these few verses is that this King of kings is audibly confirmed by His heavenly Father. No kingship is genuine lest it be given and approved by God, the king maker.

Vv. 13-14 –

The major announcement which was made by the herald of the King is found in John 1:29, and is quoted above. “The Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world”. That is a wonderful, powerful, majestic announcement of John concerning the appearance of Jesus as he is baptizing in the Jordan River. Surely everyone who was there recognized the meaning of this declaration. They knew what the Old Testament laws were, what they said, and what they meant. They had heard all the prophecies of the Scriptures.

John, at first did not want to baptize Jesus. In this very action he was recognizing and declaring the deity of Jesus. He recognized him as being sinless, when he declared, “I have need to be baptized of Thee, and comest Thou to me?”

John had rejected baptizing hypocrites because they were unworthy, but rejects baptizing Jesus because He is without sin. John has an excellent gift of discernment. Of course his heart is right, and desires to fulfill righteousness, and he sees that what Jesus speaks is the truth, therefore, he goes ahead and baptizes Jesus.

The heart’s desire for every Christian is to see that the righteousness of God is lived out in their lives. Let’s begin to see that righteousness of Christ fulfilled in us by the power of God’s Spirit. Learn of the King, and learn from the King.