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The baptism of Jesus
Matthew 3:16
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 himFull bible text
Matthew 3:13-17
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 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; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him. 14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me? 15 But Jesus answered him, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he consented. 16 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; 17 and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
About this painting
John the Baptist was the forerunner or herald of King Jesus. His mission was to prepare the people for His arrival. As a prophet he trumpets around that the King is coming, and that anybody who wants to be incorporated in His Kingdom needs conversion and cleansing of the heart. People who confess their sins with the intention to have their lives renewed are baptized by John in the Jordan River as a sign of their cleansing.
When Jesus is around thirty, He is coming to the Jordan to be baptized by John. Initially John refuses; he knows that Jesus does need neither conversion nor cleansing. Nevertheless, Jesus’ intention is to accomplish all commandments and statutes of God (Gal. 4:4) and so to ‘fulfil all righteousness’.
‘For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin’ 2 Cor. 5:21. So this baptism was really humiliating for Jesus.
After the baptism, the Holy Spirit descends on Jesus in the form of a dove, and the voice of God the Father speaks: ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’.
The anointing with the Holy Spirit equipped the Messiah for His public mission as the Servant of the Lord. Isa. 42.
Jesus had been circumcised eight days after His birth. (Luke 2:21) Being baptized by John Jesus now has brought his circumcision to fulfillment. The circumcision was the sign of the covenant with God. This covenant is being continued and came to its fulfilled form in the ‘Kingdom of God’. Like for instance the Old-Testament-Pesach came to its fulfilled form in the Last Supper, so the circumcision, being the covenant-sign, has come to its fulfilled form in the ‘Kingdom-baptism.’
Psalm 2:7,8 ‘I will tell of the decree:
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
Isaiah 42:1 ‘Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
Matt. 17: 5 ‘He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
Col. 1:13 ‘He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.
When Jesus is around thirty, He is coming to the Jordan to be baptized by John. Initially John refuses; he knows that Jesus does need neither conversion nor cleansing. Nevertheless, Jesus’ intention is to accomplish all commandments and statutes of God (Gal. 4:4) and so to ‘fulfil all righteousness’.
‘For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin’ 2 Cor. 5:21. So this baptism was really humiliating for Jesus.
After the baptism, the Holy Spirit descends on Jesus in the form of a dove, and the voice of God the Father speaks: ‘This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased’.
The anointing with the Holy Spirit equipped the Messiah for His public mission as the Servant of the Lord. Isa. 42.
Jesus had been circumcised eight days after His birth. (Luke 2:21) Being baptized by John Jesus now has brought his circumcision to fulfillment. The circumcision was the sign of the covenant with God. This covenant is being continued and came to its fulfilled form in the ‘Kingdom of God’. Like for instance the Old-Testament-Pesach came to its fulfilled form in the Last Supper, so the circumcision, being the covenant-sign, has come to its fulfilled form in the ‘Kingdom-baptism.’
Psalm 2:7,8 ‘I will tell of the decree:
The LORD said to me, “You are my Son;
today I have begotten you.
8 Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession.
Isaiah 42:1 ‘Behold my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my Spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
Matt. 17: 5 ‘He was still speaking when, behold, a bright cloud overshadowed them, and a voice from the cloud said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased; listen to him.”
Col. 1:13 ‘He has delivered us from the domain of darkness and transferred us to the kingdom of his beloved Son, 14 in whom we have redemption, the forgiveness of sins.