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Matthew 3:16-17
When John the Baptist had baptized Jesus in making His public declaration to His dedication and obedience to God, it must have been a most wonderful and beautiful sight to see. The Bible tells us in Matthew 3:16-17 (NKJV), “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”
This is the baptism of Jesus as He publicly displayed His obedience to God.
This is the point in which the deity of Jesus meets His physical being in public display for all to see that He truly is the Son of God.
Baptism was not invented by John the Baptist but was an act of ceremonial cleansing that had been utilized for many years in preparing one for service to the LORD. But the significance of the baptism performed by John the Baptist was in the act of repentance – to confess one’s sins with a sincere desire to turn away from them and begin living a new life that was signified by one’s striving to please God. This is the announcement that John the Baptist came to declare: that the time has come to prepare oneself, not merely by an act done because the Law says so, but an act done with a sincerity of heart to stop willfully committing the same sins over and over and begin striving to live a life that is pleasing to God. This preparation was for the arrival of the Savior of the world – Jesus, as He would make the way unto righteousness that would never fade; a righteousness that through His Holy Spirit would change the life – the mindset of one who sincerely makes a declaration to put God first in their life and believe that Jesus is the sacrifice to end all sacrifices of the Law in the fulfillment of it. Jesus declared in John 14:6 (KJV), “I am the way, the truth, and the life: no man cometh unto the Father, but by me.”
We make the choice to be baptized to show our obedience and faith to Jesus; no one can make that choice for us as is the case for our salvation. But in our salvation, baptism is a public declaration of our faith in Jesus as our Savior – and more than that – as the Bible teaches us in John 3:17, the Savior of the world!
Dear LORD,
Thank You for the act of baptism and the example that Jesus set for us in publicly proclaiming our faith in You as Almighty God our Creator and our Savior Jesus who saves the world from sin! In Jesus name I pray, amen.