Matthew 3:13-17 (NIV)
Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and lighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
After the months-long overture of John’s baptism ministry, the curtain finally opened as Jesus stepped onto the stage of history for act one of His role as Messiah. This was not the helpless baby of Bethlehem. Nor was it the precocious 12-year-old boy who fascinated the teachers in the temple (cf. Luke 2:41-52). This was Jesus, the Messiah, the Holy One of God, claiming His place in God’s plan by a simple act of obedience.
When Jesus was still in His mother’s womb, His mere presence had caused a reaction in the pre-born John (Luke 1:39-44). Now, as Jesus approached John as a man, the same spark of recognition flashed between them. Here was the One that John had been longing to see. Here was the validation of John’s own calling, the validation of the Scriptural prophesies of the Messiah, the salvation of Israel and the world, standing embodied in the man wading out into the Jordan River to meet him.
The idea that he should baptize Jesus dismayed John. He knew very well who was standing expectantly before him: the One that he himself had admitted to being unqualified to untie the sandals of. And this living embodiment of the Most High, the One who had come to bring both blessing and judgment, was asking to be baptized by him.
But Jesus’ explanation, that this was what the Father had commanded, so it must be done to fulfill all righteousness, was enough for John. He was God’s man, and had been since his conception. His whole life had been lived in utter obedience to the God that he served. So he baptized Jesus.
When Jesus came up out of the water, both John and Jesus saw the heavens open up, and the Spirit of God come down on Jesus in the form of a dove, and remain on Him. For Jesus, this, and God’s own voice from heaven, were the stamp of divine approval for His obedience. Though Jesus had no sins of His own to repent of or be forgiven for, His identification with God’s people was critical for the ultimate success of the mission. For John these signs were a confirmation that the task for which God had sent him had now been accomplished (cf. John 1:32-34).
From that moment on, the focus of God’s plan shifted away from John and his work of preparing the hearts of God’s people for the arrival of Jesus, and onto Jesus Himself, and His work of opening the doors to God’s kingdom wide, and drawing people inside. Although John would continue his ministry for several more months, with the appearing of Jesus, John’s light began to diminish, even as Jesus’ light grew in intensity and brilliance.
Father, it is amazing what happens when the paths of two or more people, all doing Your will completely, intersect. That point is where You make Your presence known (cf. Matthew 18:19-20). It is also amazing to see that even Jesus did not choose His own way, but fully obeyed Your commands and followed Your precise plan in every detail (John 5:19-20). Help me, Lord, to be just like Jesus in this. Help me to give myself entirely to Your agenda, to obey Your every command instantly and fully, so that Your presence can be fully manifested in my life. Amen.