Matthew 3:13-17

 

The Baptist’s Role – Baptising Christ

Matthew 3:13-17     The Baptism of Jesus

(Mk 1:9-11; Lk 3:21-22)
 
13 At that time, Jesus came to the Jordan from Galilee,
to meet John and to be baptised by him. 

Matthew gave no hint of what might have moved Jesus to approach John. Perhaps the factors that moved John to undertake his mission were stirring, too, in the heart of Jesus; or he may simply have shared the interest of the many others who came for baptism. Whatever the motivation, the decision was Jesus’ own, and his choice had momentous effects on the future shape of his life.

14 John tried to prevent him, and said,
"I am the one who needs to be baptised by you,
and yet do you come to me?"
 
15 In answer, Jesus said to him, "Let it be this way for now.  
It is fitting for us to carry out everything according to the ways of God."
So John let him go ahead.

This brief dialogue was not found in the Gospel of Mark, nor was it included in the common source shared by Matthew and Luke. It was Matthew’s own addition. Just as Matthew had felt it necessary to exclude the issue of forgiveness of sins from John’s baptism, similarly he found it important to explain why Jesus should submit himself to receive John’s baptism. Presumably, unlike other pilgrims, Jesus did not acknowledge his sins [19:17], nor did he, or anyone, come seeking forgiveness through John’s baptism. 

Why then be baptised? Matthew put an answer on the lips of Jesus, which may have made sense to John, but, today, presents problems for readers to understand. Perhaps it simply meant: “God wants it, and so we do it.” It was not a question of the relative power of John and Jesus, but of obedience to the power of God. God’s will would be the guiding beacon of Jesus’ whole life. That answer, however, gives rise to another question: Why would God want it? Matthew gave no answer. Obviously, the issue troubled him.


According to the Ways of God

The ways of God [righteousness or justice] belong originally and essentially to God. Within the Scriptural literature, the concept refers to God’s fidelity to what God really is, God’s necessary faithfulness to God’s own truth: God’s integrity, God’s authenticity. Since God is essentially love, God’s righteousness/justice leads God to act always in line with that love.

Human persons can share in the righteousness of God as they bring their lives into harmony with God. That harmonising of their hearts, minds, wills and actions with God’s is called “obedience” in the Scriptures. In its perfect form, “obedience” means listening intimately to the heart of another, and resonating with it.

Human righteousness, similarly, would involve people’s being true to who they really are. It would mean recognising their own dignity as children of God, made in the image of God, who grow into what they are called to be by maturing in love.

Furthermore, it would mean relating to other people in the light of who they truly are, deeply respecting their human dignity and their call to mature.

In addition to all those responses, righteousness would include living in harmony with nature, with which people exist in a rich interdependence.

Later in the narrative, Matthew, in his familiar confrontational style, would show Jesus speaking of “the righteousness of the scribes and Pharisees”. He was referring to pseudo-righteousness or self-righteousness, which was more a case of publicly recognised “honour” and “looking good”, which had little, if anything, to do with genuine integrity.


16 Jesus was baptised and immediately came up from the water.  
Just then, the heavens opened up above him,
and he saw the Spirit of God coming down just like a dove does,
and it came on him.
17 And a voice from the heavens said,
"This is my son, my beloved. In him I am well pleased."

Perhaps, in the plan of God, the experience that followed Jesus’ baptism was essentially connected to it. Matthew did not question the vision or the voice, taking them directly from Mark’s Gospel. 

The Spirit of God... alighting on Jesus recalled numerous incidents in the Hebrew Scriptures of persons anointed by the Spirit. Particularly appropriate, in the light of what has been said of Jesus already in the Infancy Narrative, are some passages from the Book of Isaiah.

First Isaiah, speaking of the new king of Judah [Ezechiah], had written:

A shoot shall come out from the stump of Jesse,
and a branch shall grow out of his roots.
The spirit of the LORD shall rest on him,
the spirit of wisdom and understanding,
the spirit of counsel and might,
the spirit of knowledge and the fear of the LORD.[Isaiah 11:1-3]

Matthew wished to connect the “anointed” Jesus with the “Suffering Servant of God”, a figure in the prophecies of Second Isaiah. 

Here is my servant, whom I uphold,
my chosen, in whom my soul delights;
I have put my spirit upon him;
he will bring forth justice to the nations.
He will not cry or lift up his voice,
or make it heard in the street;
a bruised reed he will not break,
and a dimly burning wick he will not quench;
he will faithfully bring forth justice. [Isaiah 42:1-3]

Later in the Gospel, Matthew would again clearly show Jesus as the Suffering Servant [Matthew 12:18-21]. He was insistent that Jesus’ relationship to his Father be held always in tension with his vulnerability and suffering. The Infancy Narrative had already made the connection.

Then Third Isaiah, writing after the return to Judah of the Babylonian exiles, had written:

The spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me,
because the LORD has anointed me;
he has sent me to bring good news to the oppressed,
to bind up the brokenhearted,
to proclaim liberty to the captives,
and release to the prisoners;
to proclaim the year of the LORD’s favor,
and the day of vengeance of our God;
to comfort all who mourn... [Isaiah 61:1-2]

Jesus would fulfill all three prophecies.

For some reason, Matthew presented the voice from the heavens as speaking, not simply to Jesus, but of Jesus, to whoever might have been in a position to hear. Matthew had already made clear in his Infancy Narrative that Jesus was the son of God [2:15]. There, Matthew seemed to see Jesus as symbol of the people Israel.  Elsewhere in Scripture, the title son of God was applied to Jewish kings. The second Psalm is a case in point:

I will tell of the decree of the LORD:
He said to me, “You are my son;
today I have begotten you.
Ask of me, and I will make the nations your heritage,
and the ends of the earth your possession. [Psalm 2:7-8]

Next >> Matthew 4:1-11