Flashback Episode — Baptism’s Hidden Meaning: Matthew 3:13-17

As we continue moving into our first chronological year moving through the gospels, we come to a powerful event that marked the official start to Jesus’ ministry on earth. While I’m sure Jesus had helped people during His time with Mary and Joseph while growing up, following Jesus’ baptism, we discover in the gospels how His ministry drew peoples’ attention like nothing He had done before.

Our passage for this episode focuses specifically on Jesus’ baptism. Baptism, as done by John the baptizer in this passage, is an interesting event. If one takes all the spiritual significance out of the picture, it would have little use. The physical act of baptism is simply submerging, or being submerged in water. Without any soap or time to get yourself clean, it is more similar to taking a swim, but only getting in the water once, and for only enough time to get your head wet.

If we bring spiritual significance back into the picture, baptism has a lot of significance. Baptism is a life metaphor, symbolizing laying to rest our past, sinful self, and lifting up a new life with Jesus moving forward. We could also use the church-speak and say that we “die to sins”, and “resurrect into the life Jesus wants for us”.

I have experienced baptism twice in my life, and at each point, there was significance attached.

The first time I was baptized, it was on my 13th birthday, and this event symbolized my wanting to dedicate my life to God from that point forward.

The second time I was baptized was in November of 2011. This time, the significance was both rededicating my life as an adult, and dedicating my life’s work and ministry to God as well. Oh, and I should add for those of you who are curious, I was 29 this second time.

But here’s where things get interesting, especially when we look at Jesus’ life and parallel it to the baptism symbolism: Jesus didn’t need to “die to a sinful nature”. Instead, in Jesus’ case, His baptism would foreshadow when He would “die for humanity’s sinful nature.”

Let’s read Matthew’s version of this event, since it has the most detail of the three gospels that include this event. We’ll be reading Matthew 3:13-17 out of the New American Standard Bible translation:

¹³ Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. ¹⁴ But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I have need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?” ¹⁵ But Jesus answering said to him, “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he permitted Him. ¹⁶ After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him, ¹⁷ and behold, a voice out of the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased.”

It would seem that John the baptizer also caught the seemingly backwards nature of Jesus’ request.

John baptize Jesus? No, this really should be the other way around. Jesus had no sin that needed to be repented and turned away from. John knew that he himself did have sins and that would have made more sense to have Jesus baptize him.

However, in this act we read an interesting phrase in Jesus’ response: “Permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”

In this response, Jesus is sharing a side mission to His life. Jesus’ primary mission was to show humanity what God the Father is like. This mission culminated in Jesus’ death on a cross – for humanity, when almost all of humanity had rejected Him. This was His primary mission.

In addition to Jesus’ baptism foreshadowing His death and resurrection, it also shows us His side mission. Jesus wants to show us how to live a life that is pleasing to God. Baptism is a symbol or metaphor for us putting our selfish “self-focused” desires behind us, and placing our trust in God as our number one goal: Death to self and raised with Jesus.

But in this baptism event, another significant metaphor is at work. It is a subtle metaphor; something that rests below the surface in most people’s minds. This metaphor is humility.

In order to be baptized, one must submit their lives into the hands of someone else. While I don’t know of any pastor doing so, and I’m sure there would be plenty of consequences if this was done, one could be held under the water in baptism so long that they would literally drown. While this has never happened to my knowledge, and it is unthinkable, the very nature of this option being a slight possibility, or perhaps even a fear some people might have, emphasizes this metaphor that in order to be baptized, we must submit ourselves and our lives into the hands of someone else.

However, in the case of Jesus’ baptism, we find this metaphor amplified to a much greater degree.

As I shared before, Jesus’ primary mission was to show humanity what the Father is like. In His baptism, Jesus takes the road of humbling Himself, submitting to John, who was a sinner like all of us, and He placed His life in John’s hands. Jesus humbled Himself and He placed His life in the hands of sinners, and this is a powerful truth to keep in mind!

I suspect that this is one more way that Jesus demonstrated the Father’s character. Through Jesus in this event, we see the truth that God the Father is not a dictator-god, but a selflessly loving God. God placed us ahead of Himself.

If we doubt this truth is present here at Jesus’ baptism, we can easily see this at Jesus’ crucifixion. When Jesus died for us, it was at the hands of sinners. Here at the start of Jesus’ ministry, we discover a powerful foreshadowing of this humility and God the Father’s character, through the very act of being baptized.

Jesus loves each and every one of us because the Father loves each and every one of us. Jesus’ baptism, which probably seemed very awkward to John at the time, becomes one of the most significant demonstrations of God the Father’s character at the start of Jesus’ ministry, and it frames Jesus’ entire ministry as one that places humanity ahead of Himself.

As we come to the end of another podcast episode, here are the challenges I will leave you with:

As I always open by challenging you, intentionally seek God first in your life. Remember to thank God and Jesus for putting you and I ahead of Himself. If you haven’t already done so today, decide today that you will recommit your heart and your life to Him.

Also, as I regularly challenge you to do, continue growing your relationship with God intentionally studying the Bible for yourself, and by keeping your eyes open to how He demonstrates His love for us both in your life each day and through the pages of His Word.

And as I end every set of challenges by saying in one way or another, never stop short of, back away from, chicken out of, or walk away from where God wants to lead you to in your life with Him!