The Journey of Jesus
Text: Matt. 3:13-17
Introduction
1. Illustration: The cross of Jesus Christ and his baptism express the same thing. Our Lord was not a martyr; he was not merely a good man; he was God Incarnate. He came down to the lowest reach of creation to bring back the whole human race to God, and in order to do this he must take upon him, as representative man, the whole massed sin of the race. (Oswald Chambers)
2. Jesus’ journey to the cross begins with his baptism by John at the Jordan river.
3. You might ask, why did Jesus need to be baptized? That’s a very good question. He was God incarnate, and even though he was 100% human, he was sinless. So, why did he need to be baptized? The answer is that he did it for us!
4. Read Matt. 3:13-17
Transition: The first reason Jesus was baptized is for…
I. Identification (13-15).
A. Why Are You Coming to Me
1. Jesus’ journey to the cross begins with his baptism. In v. 13 Matthew tells us, “Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John.”
a. The significance of this event can be seen in Jesus’ determination.
b. First, for Jesus to get from Nazareth in Galilee to the Jordan where John was baptizing, was a trip on foot of about 70 miles.
c. Second, we can see in the wording of the verse Jesus’ intent, “to be baptized by John.”
d. Jesus’ trip to the Jordan to be baptized by John had purpose.
2. Next, Matthew tells us in v. 14, “But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?”
a. Now we see something very unusual. John tries to talk Jesus out of being baptized!
b. What preacher in his right mind would try and talk someone out of being baptized?
c. John tells Jesus, “Why are you coming to be for baptism? I’m the one that needs to come to you!”
d. Along with John, we need to ask the question, “Why on earth would Jesus need to be baptized?”
e. The main purpose of water baptism, at least John’s baptism, was to wash away sin. Well, Jesus hadn’t sinned...he was sinless.
f. So, if Jesus hadn’t sinned why was he wanting to be baptized?
g. Secondly, in John 1:33-34, John recognizes Jesus as greater than himself, and the one who would baptize in the Holy Spirit and fire.
h. John is essentially telling Jesus, “I need the baptism you have to offer more than you need mine!” So why is Jesus going to John?
3. So, what is Jesus’ response? “But Jesus said, “It should be done, for we must carry out all that God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him.”
a. This is one of those occasions where I like some other translations to the NLT.
b. In both the NIV and ESV it says, “it is fitting to fulfill all righteousness.”
c. Matthew usually uses this word “fulfill” in connection with the completion of some Scriptural concept or idea (Morris, 120).
d. This statement suggests that it was necessary for Jesus to carry out his mission, and that mission was to take our place on the cross.
e. However, in order for Jesus to do this he had to identify with us. He had to become one of us.
f. In Hebrews 2:17-18 (NLT) it says, “Therefore, it was necessary for him to be made in every respect like us, his brothers and sisters, so that he could be our merciful and faithful High Priest before God. Then he could offer a sacrifice that would take away the sins of the people. 18 Since he himself has gone through suffering and testing; he is able to help us when we are being tested.”
g. So, to answer the question of why Jesus went to be baptized, he did it to identify with us. You see, identity matters!
B. Laid On Him the Sins of Us All
1. “Jesus became a human being because God the Compassionate One could not suffer and lacked a back to be beaten. God needed a back like our backs on which to receive blows and thereby perform compassion as well as preach it.”
2. Jesus was baptized by John to identify with us so he could take our place on the cross.
a. “Yet it was our weaknesses he carried; it was our sorrows that weighed him down. And we thought his troubles were a punishment from God, a punishment for his own sins! 5 But he was pierced for our rebellion, crushed for our sins. He was beaten so we could be whole. He was whipped so we could be healed. 6 All of us, like sheep, have strayed away. We have left God’s paths to follow our own. Yet the LORD laid on him the sins of us all.” (Is. 53:4-6).
b. Jesus’ baptism was not something he did for himself, but rather something he did for us.
c. To pay the price for our sins Jesus had to identify with us.
d. So, he went to the Jordan to be baptized for us.
e. He stood in the water like a sinner even though he wasn’t one.
f. He stood in the water to have sins forgiven, but they were our sins, not his.
g. They were our transgressions, not his.
h. He went to be baptized to have our sins laid on himself.
Transition: Another thing that Jesus did through his baptism was he set an…
II. Example (16-17).
A. Spirit of God
1. Now, look at what happens after Jesus’ baptism, “After his baptism, as Jesus came up out of the water, the heavens were opened and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and settling on him.”
a. As Jesus came up out of the water three things happen. First, the heavens were opened.
b. It was as if the heavens rolled back to reveal the invisible throne of God (Isaiah 63:19–64:2).
c. We can see this in several other places in both the OT and NT.
d. In the OT we see it in Ezek 1:1 where Ezekiel is standing beside the river and heavens opened up and he receives a vision and hears God’s voice commissioning him as a prophet.
e. It also happens in several places in the NT, for example, in Acts 10:11 where heaven opened up and Peter sees the vision of the sheet being let down with all the animals on it.
f. This opening of heaven is the door being opened for the revelation that is about to happen.
2. The second thing that happens is that the Spirit of God descending in the form of a dove and settles on him.
a. Now, from our study of the Book of Acts, we know that this isn’t the only time that the Spirit descends on someone in some visible way because at Pentecost he appears on people in form of tongues of fire.
b. But I found it rather curious that this is the only time in Scripture that the Spirit comes on someone in the form of a dove.
c. This action of the Spirit coming down on Jesus is very important. Most importantly for us is that it indicates that the works that Jesus did in his earthly ministry he did in the power of the Holy Spirit.
d. Since that same Spirit lives in us and is available to us in the baptism of the Holy Spirit, it tells us that we can do the things that Jesus did.
e. If you recall, Jesus said we would do the things that he did only greater! It was the inauguration of his ministry and his royal anointing.
3. Then Matthew tells us, “And a voice from heaven said, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”
a. The third thing that happened was that God the Father spoke from heaven.
b. The first thing that we should notice from this is a point of theology. In the same moment we see the Father, Son and Holy Spirit all appearing at the same time.
c. This is of course what we mean when we use the word “Trinity,” referring to three distinct persons in one God.
d. As an old friend of mine used to say, “Either there is a Trinity or God’s a really good ventriloquist!”
e. However, the most important thing for us is what the Father says, “This is my dearly loved Son, who brings me great joy.”
f. After Jesus’ acceptance of John’s baptism as a part of God’s will for him, the Father states that he is pleased with him, in fact, he brings the Father great joy.”
g. Now we need to understand that the Father loved Jesus long before he came to earth and became obedient to his will regarding baptism.
h. They were one since before time began, from everlasting to everlasting. Jesus didn’t have to earn his Father’s love and acceptance.
i. The Father loved Jesus because he is his child. But the Father also expresses his love for Jesus’ obedience to his will, and he wanted Jesus and those around him to know it.
B. Receive Power
1. Bill Crowder gives us a great Illustration of the need for the Power of the Holy Spirit:
a. "The first winter that my wife Marlene and I were married was marked by severe blizzards. I can vividly remember one Sunday when we awoke to find that the electricity had been knocked out by an ice storm. Huddled around a battery-powered radio for news on that frigid Sunday, we heard a most unusual announcement. The announcer, before giving the list of church services canceled due to the ice storm, said, “The following churches will be closed due to lack of power.”
b. What an interesting comment! I knew what he meant, but I was struck by what he said. The idea of churches closing due to lack of power conjures up some spiritual parallels that directly tie into Jesus’ promise of the Spirit. Just prior to His ascension, Jesus told His disciples in Acts 1:8, “You shall receive power when the Holy Spirit has come upon you; and you shall be witnesses to Me in Jerusalem, and in all Judea and Samaria, and to the end of the earth.” He directly attached the coming of the Spirit to the empowering of believers.
2. The same Spirit that empowered Jesus is available to us.
a. “But you will receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon you. And you will be my witnesses, telling people about me everywhere—in Jerusalem, throughout Judea, in Samaria, and to the ends of the earth.” (Acts 1:8).
b. During Jesus’ earthly ministry, he did many great miracles. He healed the sick, caused the lame to walk, and the blind to see.
c. He did this through the power of the Holy Spirit.
d. Later in his ministry, he told his disciples that they would do greater works than they saw him perform.
e. How is this possible? Through the power of the Holy Spirit.
f. He promised we would receive power when the Holy Spirit comes upon us.
g. This is a promise from the Father that goes back to the Old Testament.
h. “Then, after doing all those things, I will pour out my Spirit upon all people. Your sons and daughters will prophesy. Your old men will dream dreams, and your young men will see visions.” (Joel 2:28).
i. This promise is available to anyone who believes. All we have to do is ask.
Conclusion
1. The baptism of Jesus’ shows us two important things.
a. He identified with us.
b. He gave us an example of what we can do through the power of the Holy Spirit.
2. What’s the point preacher? Jesus identified with us, and now he wants us to identify with him through the power of the Holy Spirit.
