Q: Did Jesus get baptized to become a Priest?
The people of the First Century did not know at the time of Jesus’ baptism that He was a priest after the order of Melchizedek or the promised Messiah. Priests offered sacrifice to God on behalf of the people. Jesus was baptized to be consecrated as a priest and had to fulfill the legal requirements for entering into the priesthood as laid out in Scripture (Ex 29:1,4,7, 29:1-7; Lev 8:6,12; Num 4:1-3, 6:22-27, 8:7; Psalm 110:4; Matt 3:13-17; 1 John 2:20, 27, Heb 5:8-10, 6:20; 1 Peter 2:24, 2 Cor 5:21).
To be consecrated as a priest, He had to be:
1. Washed with water (Ex 29:1, 4; Lev 8::6; Num 8:7; Matt 3:16)
2. Anointed with oil which represents the anointing of the Holy Spirit) (Ex 29:7; Lev 8:12; Matt 3:16; 1 John 2:20, 27)
3. He needed to be 30 years old (Num 4:1-3)
4. A verbal blessing had to be given (Ex 39:43; Num 6:22-27; Matt 3:17)
Even though Jesus already was, is, and always will be, the eternal Creator of the universe, He showed the world that He qualified as a high priest and proved He fulfilled the legal requirements for entering into the Melchizedek priesthood and became our high priest and the final sacrifice for our sins (1 Peter 2:24, 2 Cor 5:21).
“For by works of the law no human being will be justified in his sight, since through the law comes knowledge of sin. But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction: for all have sinned and fall short of the glory of God” (Rom 3:20-23 ESV)
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast.” (Eph 2:8-9 ESV)
It is important to note that the word ‘your’ is not used anywhere in the verse to refer to ‘your’ faith that secures salvation.
Q: Did Jesus need to be baptized to prove He repented of His sin and as a sign of salvation?
Jesus didn't need to repent because He fully is God and without sin (John 1:1-4). He did not need to be baptized to show His repentance and as a sign of salvation (Psalm 110:4, Heb 5:8-10, 6:20). The baptism revealed His humanity, provided an example for others, and displayed the Triune God among the earliest followers. He was baptized to fulfill all righteousness (Matt 3:13-15; see also Ex 29:1-7; 1 John 2:20, 27).
People are commanded to be baptized to show that they have repented of the sins and have received Jesus as their personal Savior and Lord. Baptism says to the world they have entered into a new relationship with God by repenting of their sin and placing their trusting-faith in Him. God works in and through them sovereignly as He chooses.
Q: Did Jesus need to be baptized to receive the empowerment of the Holy Spirit?
There is no doubt that the Holy Spirit was at work in Jesus, as the evidence of Scripture shows. Jesus came to earth 100% human and 100% God. The Bible says that the miracles of Jesus prove He was the Christ and not just that He was a man who relied on the Holy Spirit to empower Him (see John 20:31).
Jesus used His divine power and authority to perform miracles in cooperation with the Holy Spirit because He is God and did His miracles as God, the Son. He is co-equal with God, the Father, and God, the Holy Spirit.
Jesus never surrendered His divine attributes or gave up being fully God at His birth.
“Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross” (Phil 2:5-8 ESV)
The words “emptied Himself” come from the Greek word ‘ekenose,’ and its root word ‘kenoo,’ which can mean "to empty." The Greek word “ekenose” has also been translated as “He made himself of no reputation," ‘made void,” “none effect,” “to be in vain” (see also Rom 4:14; 1 Cor 1:17, 9:15; 2 Cor 9:3). These references refer to abstract principles, such as faith, preaching, or boasting, and none of them refer to a person or even to an object. The use of the word “ekenose” is unique.
Jesus agreed in eternity past with the Father, and the Holy Spirit, to be sent to earth on a mission to fulfill what would require His humiliation. To experience life as a human, Jesus limited the unrestricted use of His divine powers or prerogatives and chose not to reveal His divine glory while on earth (Matt 17:1-5). He decided to primarily depend on the Holy Spirit to empower Him to fulfill and function in His ministry.
Q: Did Jesus need to be baptized to receive ‘faith’?
Faith is always object-oriented, so faith in God is not a faith of God. In Greek, the grammatical form used does not mean faith. He did not need faith to be an example for us even though He is the object of our faith because He is 100% God and 100% human.
Jesus did not have "faith" in God because He is God in the flesh and knows all things. It is by the faith of Jesus we are justified. He had miraculous results because He is God and the Creator of everything and has absolute divine authority.
The object of our faith is God. Jesus commanded us to “have faith in God” (Mark 11:22 ESV). In Greek, this verse speaks of faith with God as its object. God does not need to have faith. Faith in God is not the faith of God. Jesus didn't need faith in Himself. He is the author of our faith.
“But now the righteousness of God has been manifested apart from the law, although the Law and the Prophets bear witness to it— the righteousness of God through faith in Jesus Christ for all who believe. For there is no distinction” (Rom 3:21-22 ESV)
“But the Scripture imprisoned everything under sin, so that the promise by faith in Jesus Christ might be given to those who believe.” (Gal 3:22 ESV)
“...not justified by the works of the law, but by the faith of Jesus Christ, even we have believed in Jesus Christ, that we might be justified by the faith of Christ, and not by the works of the law: for by the works of the law shall no flesh be justified.” (Gal 2:16 KJV)
The word “faith” used here is the Greek word ‘pistis,’ a verb and not a noun. In context, it means faithfulness. The Born-Again Christian is redeemed/justified by the faithfulness of Jesus (Gk: pistis Iesou Christou) on their behalf and not their belief. The words “in“ or “of” used here are not in any Greek text. The ‘faith’ that the Born-Again Christian stands upon is not their own, but the faithfulness of Jesus, who is 100% fully God and 100% fully man.
The grammar used is a possessive genitive phrase which means that these phrases can be interpreted as either subjective or objective. It is like the phrase, the love of God. That is either one’s love for God or the love that God has. In one case, it is objective (love for God); in another, it is subjective (i.e., God is the subject), and it describes the faithfulness and love that belongs to God alone.
Christians are saved through the gift of faith given by God. They have the faith of Jesus. True faith is active trust in the sovereignty of God.
“For by grace you have been saved through faith. And this is not your own doing; it is the gift of God, not a result of works, so that no one may boast. For we are his workmanship, created in Christ Jesus for good works, which God prepared beforehand, that we should walk in them.” (Eph 2:8-10 ESV)
