Did Jesus Need, to be baptized?

January 8th, 2006 - The Baptism of our Lord
Is 42:1-7, Acts 10:34-38, Mark 1:4-11

† In His Name †

May you realize, daily, the grace and peace of God our Father, and our Lord Jesus Christ.
Delight – well pleased

The reading of the Gospel of Mark for today, describes and incredible an incredible scene, as the sky is split open, and a voice like thunder echoes thru the hills surrounding the Jordan River.

As the Holy Spirit descends, and settles on this man Jesus, who still wet from John’s baptism, hears words that must have brought a smile, and tears of joys to His eyes.

Words powerfully spoken, heard from the throne of God, to this river valley.
YOU ARE MY BELOVED SON, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.

(pause)

The quiet of the river valley now is astounding. No one is moving, no one speaking, even the birds and crickets are silent, the light breeze seems to have been sucked into the earth, as all wait, to see what happens next.

(pause)

Then, this young man named Jesus, the one whom John identifies as the Lamb of God, who will take away the sins, not only of his people, but of the world, leaves the river, and heads out into the wilderness for forty days. He would be alone, having a chance to pray, and meditate, and be tempted by Satan. Yet even as he heads out into the wilderness, the words of the Father echo through his head; YOU ARE MY BELOVED SON, IN WHOM I AM WELL PLEASED.

With what we know about baptism, why would it please God the Father, to witness the baptism of Jesus? Like Jesus’ circumcision last week, why does He who defines holiness, who is the picture of perfection, find himself, wet and perhaps a little chilled, having been baptized in the cold water of the Jordan?

In order to answer the why questions, why was the Father pleased, and why did Jesus get baptized, I think we need a quick reminder in what Baptism is, the details that we all too quickly forget.
Baptism is for – the forgiveness of sins
Psalm 103:11-12 - Isaiah 4:2-4
Did Jesus need this?

Throughout the Old Testament, there is promise, repeated over and over again, to the people of God. A promise that the sins of the people of God will be cleansed, that the guilt of that sin, and the sin itself, will be removed, separated from the people of God. That God would provide, in love, a solution for their sin. Listen to the words of Psalm 103,

Psalms 103:8-12 (ESV) 8 The Lord is merciful and gracious, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love. 9 He will not always chide, nor will he keep his anger forever. 10 He does not deal with us according to our sins, nor repay us according to our iniquities. 11 For as high as the heavens are above the earth, so great is his steadfast love toward those who fear him; 12 as far as the east is from the west, so far does he remove our transgressions from us.

Over and over, the message of hope is given to Israel; your God will heal you of your sins, He will cleanse you. Hear the words found in the Book of Isaiah,

3 And he who is left in Zion and remains in Jerusalem will be called holy, everyone who has been recorded for life in Jerusalem, 4 when the Lord shall have washed away the filth of the daughters of Zion and cleansed the bloodstains of Jerusalem from its midst by a spirit of judgment and by a spirit of burning.

In Malachai, the cleasning again is pictured, as the Holy One, the messenger of God, is compared to one using “fuller”’s soap, and one who purifies silver by refining it under great heat.
The New Testament identifies this, in John 3, Acts 2 & 8, in Romans 6 and Colossians 2, Titus 3, 1 Peter 2, as happening in our baptism. That incredible time, where we are delivered from our sins, washed and brought to life, where the promise of the forgiveness of our sins is applied, to us.

Yet, this sermon is not about our baptism, a baptism we need, for we are sinners, in need of being cleansed from our sin, and from the condemnation it deserves. It is about Jesus, and why He had to be baptized, and why the Father in Heaven was pleased, that He did get baptized. He was not a sinner in need of a cleansing – in fact, it is in our baptism that we are linked with his death, and given the promise of rising from the dead, even as He did. With no sin to be forgiven, why did Jesus get baptized?
Baptism involves Repentance and Confession
But this is what He came to do (Isaiah’s lesson)
Refiner’s fire

In our gospel reading today, two things are associated with that baptism. The first, found there in verse 4 is the idea of repentance, the second, in the next verse, is the confession of sins.

Repentance again, needs to be defined. It is not simply being sorry for our sins, or apologetic. It is literally the idea of a different mind – we no longer find that sin appealing, or satisfying. We see it for what it really is, a horrid problem that we need to find a way to deal with, to rid ourselves of it. Repentance, according to the Acts 5:31 and 11:18 is a gift that God granted to all, both Jews and Gentiles. Having come to repentance, then we are shocked to the depth of our sin, and we realize out need for something that will cleanse us, that will return us to “normal”. We know something needs to be done, and we know, we cannot do it.

The world will tell us we can, that it can be found in things, the right support group, the correct application of counseling, the correct prescription, or the right relationship. The world tries to give our lives, riddled by sin, meaning and esteem, while overlooking the damage. The world is wrong. We need a savior, a deliverer.

Scripture tells us a different story, that we are cleansed, healed by the blood of Christ. That in our baptism, we have died to sin, and come alive in Christ Jesus. That the horror of facing that sin is removed, and replaced with the knowledge that God has given us faith, and has removed our sins.

We then hasten to confess them, realizing that we don’t need to live under the burden that sinning places on us. That we can have the comfort of the Holy Spirit, dwelling within us, having healed us from all of our sin and iniquity.

But again, this shows our need for the package, for baptism, with repentance and confession, and trusting in the work of Christ that baptism unites us with. But this sermon is about Jesus being baptized!
He did not need to confess any sin, nor be repentant. The reasons for our baptism, simply do not apply to Him. SO why did Jesus have to be baptized, and why, once out of the water, did the Father find so much pleasure in the Son?

So WHY?
Immersed in our lives, in our sins
Last one in the bath
To fulfill our righteousness

In order to answer these questions, we must remember that Jesus is both fully God, and fully man. Born of Mary, yet eternal, there is no need to be baptized for his own righteousness. IN the parallel account in Matthew’s gospel, we see this baptism doesn’t make sense to John either. He asks Jesus to baptize him, rather than John baptize Jesus.
Jesus’ reply is interesting, and provides part of the answer. "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." Matthew 3:15 (ESV)
There is something in Jesus, joining us in the waters of baptism, that fulfills all righteousness. That fulfills our righteousness. Christ’s submission in the act of Baptism unifies Him with all those who have been, and will be baptized. That as we are baptized into His righteousness, he takes on our sin and guilt, and bears it from there, to the cross, where it is condemned, where we are freed.

Paul says it this way in the book of Galatians,

25 But now you have arrived at your destination: 26 By faith in Christ you are in direct relationship with God. 27 Your baptism in Christ was not just washing you up for a fresh start. It also involved dressing you in an adult faith—dressing you in Christ's life, the fulfillment of God's original promise. Galatians 3:25-27 (MSG)
He who knew no sin, was made to be sin, for us. He was fully man, and therefore able to bear the condemnation for our sin.

There in the water and the word, we find righteousness, we find that the heavens, previously closed to us, is now opened to us. The voice of God, so long lost to His people, is now present and heard among us again. The Holy Spirit, descends from heaven, to be a gift to those, who trusting in the promises of God, in repentance are born again.

This because on a day, the one who would be crucified for us, humbled himself, and ask one of his prophets to baptize Him.

So that we could be His, so that we could approach the throne of God, in the same confidence we approach the altar. Knowing that we will not be turned away, but because of Jesus’ active obedience, we are welcomed, as the children of God.

No wonder the Father was pleased.