The baptism of Jesus is an important event recorded in all four Gospels of the New Testament. Jesus came to John the Baptist to be baptized in the Jordan River, even though John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance and Jesus was sinless. So why did Jesus get baptized? By examining the Gospel accounts and other biblical evidence, we can gain insight into the meaning and significance of Jesus’ baptism.
John’s Baptism of Repentance
John the Baptist was a prophet sent to prepare the way for Jesus, calling people to repent of their sins and be baptized as a sign of their repentance (Mark 1:4, Luke 3:3). John’s baptism was for sinners, so in Matthew 3:14, John is initially hesitant to baptize Jesus, saying “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”. Jesus insists, saying “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). So Jesus’ baptism was linked with fulfilling righteousness.
Identification with Sinners
Although Jesus was sinless, at his baptism he chose to identify himself with sinners. By being baptized, Jesus aligned himself with human beings who were in need of redemption. It was an act of humility and solidarity with humanity. As the sinless Son of God, Jesus did not need to repent, but his baptism symbolized that he would take on the sins of the world (2 Corinthians 5:21). He submitted to baptism in order to fulfill all righteousness by humbly identifying with the very people he came to save.
Anticipation of His Death and Resurrection
In a sense, Jesus’ baptism anticipated his future death and resurrection. Going down into the water symbolized his death, and coming back up out of the water symbolized his resurrection. Baptism represents being buried with Christ and raised to new life (Romans 6:3-4). At the beginning of his ministry, Jesus’ baptism foreshadowed the purpose for which he came – to die for our sins and rise again, that we might have new life in him.
Inauguration of His Earthly Ministry
The baptism of Jesus marked the formal inauguration of his earthly ministry. After being baptized, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted, and then returned to begin preaching and performing miracles (Matthew 4:1-17, Mark 1:9-15). His baptism inaugurated his public ministry as the Messiah. It was a pivotal transition point, showing that the Messiah had come at last to redeem his people from their sins.
Affirmation by the Father
At Jesus’ baptism, there was audible and visible affirmation of his identity from God the Father and the Holy Spirit. After Jesus came up from the water, the heavens opened, the Spirit descended on him like a dove, and the Father’s voice spoke saying “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:16-17). This Trinitarian manifestation confirmed that Jesus was indeed the Son of God, commissioned for God’s redemptive work.
Prefiguring Christian Baptism
Jesus’ baptism also prefigured the baptism that he would later command his followers to receive (Matthew 28:19). Christian baptism signifies union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection. It marks people as belonging to Christ and the community of faith. Jesus’ own baptism modeled the purpose and meaning baptism would take on in the lives of believers.
Fulfilling All Righteousness
Jesus said his baptism was “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15). This could mean fulfilling God’s righteous requirement that sinners be washed from their sins. It could also refer to Jesus fulfilling all the Old Testament types and prophecies about the coming Messiah. Jesus’ baptism did not signify repentance from sin, but it did signify his commitment to perfectly fulfill God’s will and carry out his messianic mission. He fulfilled all righteousness through a lifelong obedience that culminated in the cross.
Revealing the Trinity
The baptism of Jesus prominently reveals the Trinity – Father, Son, and Holy Spirit – together in community. The Father speaks from heaven, affirming the Son. The Spirit descends upon the Son like a dove. All three Persons of the Trinity are simultaneously present and actively manifest at the baptism scene. This shows unity within diversity in the nature of God. Jesus’ baptism displays God’s triune glory and power at work to inaugurate the public ministry of the Son.
Initiating the New Covenant
Just as circumcision was a sign of inclusion in God’s covenant with Israel, baptism signifies inclusion in the new covenant inaugurated by Jesus. His own baptism marked the dawning of the new covenant era, where not only blood descendants of Abraham but all nations would be blessed and included in God’s covenant family. Those baptized into Christ belong to the covenant community he initiated (Galatians 3:27-29).
Empowerment by the Spirit
The baptism of Jesus was also the occasion when the Holy Spirit descended upon him to empower him for ministry. The Spirit had been active in Old Testament times, but now came to rest upon Jesus and equip him in a unique way. Jesus carried out his ministry in the power of the Spirit. His baptism was the commissioning for a Spirit-empowered messianic mission (Isaiah 42:1, 61:1).
Anticipating the Christian Sacrament
As an anticipation of Christian baptism, Jesus’ baptism served as the inaugural model that would be followed by the church. Christian baptism is practiced in obedience to Christ’s command, following the pattern he established. By inaugurating baptism at the start of his ministry, Jesus set the stage for the sacrament that would represent participation in his body through faith.
Affirming His Messianic Identity
The events at Jesus’ baptism – the voice from heaven, the Spirit descending, the Trinitarian manifestations – together affirmed Jesus’ identity and ministry as the prophesied Messiah. God himself audibly identified Jesus as the beloved Son, affirming the messianic prophecies and revealing Jesus as the long-awaited redeemer king. For Jesus, it was a pivotal moment of confirming his mission.
Initiating the Kingdom of God
Jesus preached about the coming kingdom of God, and his baptism marked the inauguration of that kingdom. The Messiah had come proclaiming the kingdom, manifesting its power, and demonstrating its values. His baptism set in motion the redemptive events by which God’s saving reign would enter the world. Jesus’ identity as God’s Son was revealed from heaven so his kingdom ministry could begin.
Relating to John’s Ministry
By coming to John for baptism, Jesus affirmed John’s prophetic ministry and role in preparing the way for the Messiah. Although sinless, Jesus submitted to the baptizing work of John, confirming that John’s prophetic message was from God. Jesus’ baptism endorsed John as a true prophet, directly tied to the forerunner predicted in Isaiah 40:3. Their ministries were overlapping and interrelated.
In summary, the baptism of Jesus marked the beginning of his public earthly ministry as the Messiah. Although he was the sinless Son of God, he identified with sinners and fulfilled all righteousness by humbly being baptized like any other person. His baptism affirmed his messianic identity and inaugurated the kingdom of God. The events surrounding his baptism revealed and anticipated key aspects of his purpose – to die and rise again, inaugurate the new covenant, and pour out the Holy Spirit. Jesus’ baptism set the trajectory for his redemptive work for humanity.
