Christ's Baptism is the Gospel
- Coleman Ford
- Jul 20, 2010
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Fulfillment is the achievement of something desired, promised or predicted. It is also defined as the meeting of a requirement or condition. Matthew’s gospel is all about fulfillment. Fulfillment of prophecy is a main focus in this gospel and the baptism of Christ is yet another episode of fulfillment. With Christ’s baptism, it’s interesting that Matthew does not mention this instance specifically as fulfillment of OT prophecy as he does with other events. Perhaps because the event was so significant in and of itself or maybe there is an understanding here for Matthew’s readers that need not be explained, but regardless I believe there is a OT fulfillment taking place here. Isaiah 42.1 says - “Behold 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.” Later Matthew goes on in chapter 12 to relate the actions of Jesus to this verse and following passage in Isaiah 42 but it is clearly fulfilled as well in Jesus’ baptism here. Why is this important? Again, Matthew’s gospel is the gospel of fulfillment. It relies heavily on OT prophecy and understanding and shows how Christ is the one who fulfills it. The more one reads Scripture the more one will realize just how connected and intricately woven it is. Sure there are some parts of Scripture which are mentioned only once never to be referenced again, but the whole of Scripture is an elaborate tapestry sewn together by the Holy Spirit for our edification and knowledge of God’s acts throughout history and his plans and desires for the lives of those who trust and believe in him. The miracle of God’s Word is that it is so meticulously interwoven despite spanning centuries of time and multiple authors. You cannot have the old without the new and vice versa. This passage of Matthew’s gospel is a fulfillment as well as confirmation. It confirms that Jesus is who he says he is and that he has be sent for a special purpose. John the disciple records this event in his gospel from the mouth of John the Baptist, “And John bore witness: “I saw the Spirit descend from heaven like a dove, and it remained on him. I myself did not know him, but he who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘He on whom you see the Spirit descend and remain, this is he who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and have borne witness that this is the Son of God.” (John 1:32–34 ESV) This was the point of John’s ministry, to bear witness to the coming of Messiah. John himself was a fulfillment of scripture as was Jesus and his life, death and resurrection.
John’s baptism was for repentance and not for conversion or ceremonial washing. So why did John baptize? Scripture says it was to prepare the Jewish people for Messiah, as was his message. Isaiah 40.3-5 speaks of John’s ministry: “A voice cries: “In the wilderness prepare the way of the LORD; make straight in the desert a highway for our God. Every valley shall be lifted up, and every mountain and hill be made low; the uneven ground shall become level, and the rough places a plain. And the glory of the LORD shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the LORD has spoken.” John’s baptism was to prepare God’s people to receive Jesus Christ. His baptism was a preparation, the baptism of the Holy Spirit in Christ is the realization. Baptism as we know today is an outward sign of salvation found in Christ alone and a new birth by the Holy Spirit. So why would Christ choose to present himself for baptism. We know he did not need it, but this was in order to fulfill what was spoken of him centuries before. In order for Christ to validate his Messiah-ship, he needed to show that he was under the will of the Father, therefore showing that he was submissive and fulfilling prophecy found in Isaiah 42 and 53. I like the way Craig Blaising, theologian and author, puts it. He says, "Jesus fulfilled the Scripture by replicating in His own life the patterns of God's historical relations with Israel and by accomplishing in His own history the predicted events of prophecy.” (Progressive Dispensationalism, 182). Jesus, like Moses of old, was to be the shepherd of his people, chosen by God, and fulfilled the Father’s will by showing his own submission. The fulfillment of prophecy, and the showing of submission to the Father, qualifies Jesus as the Son of God. This is how we are to understand Jesus’ statement in verse 15. In order to show Israel that he was the rightful claimant of the Messianic title, Jesus must show that he is willing to submit to God. The term righteousness as Jesus uses it here is not the Pauline use of righteousness found in Romans and elsewhere, rather it is the ethical use of righteousness used for a person who follows after God. This kind of righteousness is seen all throughout the OT and is the kind of righteousness that Jesus’ contemporaries would have been familiar with. The term righteous or righteousness is used 127 times in the Psalms alone. Psalm 146.8 says, “The LORD lifts up those who are bowed down; the LORD loves the righteous.” In order to show that he was of the character needed to shepherd and lead God’s people, Jesus fulfilled the qualifications of a righteous person and submitted to the Father’s will and authority.
Apart from fulfillment of OT prophecy, I believe that the reason Christ put himself forward as one to be baptized is for the purpose of humility and identification with mankind. Clearly John didn’t believe it was necessary for Jesus to be baptized. Christ fulfilled the righteousness required in the eyes of an old covenant Jewish believer, but I believe he is doing even more still. As Christians we believe that there was not one ounce of righteousness lacking in the life of Christ; he was perfect unto the law according to Scripture. We see in the gospels that Christ’s ministry was one of submission and humility. This act of baptism indicates Christ’s character. Character is the mental and moral qualities distinctive to an individual. Only he could possibly fulfill the requirements of righteousness in the law. Therefore, the righteousness that was lacking in us was fulfilled in the life, death and resurrection of Christ. Dr. Stanley Toussaint says, "The King because his baptism, is now bound up with his subjects." He takes our place and fulfills what is required of us and so shows his character to the those who wish to follow after him. We do not cower before a tyrant, we are guided by a gentle shepherd who knows his sheep in an intimate way. Our savior so identified with us that he submitted to a baptism he did not need. He submitted to a life which ended in a painful death, one he did not deserve. Paul tells us that “For our sake he made him to be sin who knew no sin, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.” (2 Corinthians 5:21 ESV). So we have Christ making himself sin so that we would have the righteousness of God. The righteousness that was lacking was our own, and as one who’s mission it was to complete the work of salvation, it was necessary that he do all that was required in order to be righteous. This act of baptism points to Christ’s character. His humility in taking upon flesh as Paul says in Phil. 2.6-7; his love which is described in 2 Cor. 5.14 and his identification with sinners as described in Matthew 9.11-13. Christ’s submission to the act of baptism reveals his character in the most profound way. Obviously he did not need it, yet he willfully consented to will the Father in order to redeem man and make it possible for us to know God and become a part of God’s family. Christ’s baptism, apart from his passion, I believe is the most profound picture of his mission and character. In order that we may be made righteous, Christ came and fulfilled all righteousness so that through faith in him, we would be made alive and have the righteousness of God. This is the heart of the gospel. The outcome of his baptism is the beginning of his earthly ministry, validated and empowered by the Holy Spirit to accomplish the things of his Father’s will. It is this occurrence, this clear picture of the trinity, which validates Jesus as the Son of God, and his claim to Davidic Messiahship, who was to represent the people and become the Suffering Servant of God. Jesus did not become the Son of God at his baptism as early Christian heresies maintained, rather this was the point of inauguration. Christ was obedient to the Father in a way that we could never be. This is the gospel; Christ has performed on our behalf that which we could not do of ourselves. And he has also given us an example to follow.
Christ’s baptism was to show his submission to God the Father and identify himself with his people. It has also set for us an example to follow. An example is a person or thing regarded in terms of their fitness to be imitated or the likelihood of their being imitated. As we profess faith in Christ and repent of sin, our next step is to identify ourselves with him through baptism. With the work of salvation already accomplished, those who come to faith in Christ are to mark themselves with the sacrament of baptism. There is but one baptism, that of the Spirit through the act of regeneration, and the outward washing is a demonstration of that reality. Paul says, “There is one body and one Spirit—just as you were called to the one hope that belongs to your call— one Lord, one faith, one baptism, one God and Father of all, who is over all and through all and in all.” (Ephesians 4:4–6 ESV). This is our faith. The church from the very beginning has recognized baptism as the signifier of faith in Christ. Peter in Acts calls for those who believe to repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins and to receive the Holy Spirit (Acts 2.38). Our commission from Christ says to baptize in the name of the Father, Son and Holy Spirit (Matthew 28.19-20). Christ’s baptism sets for us an example to follow by submitting to God and saying, “Not my will, but yours.”
Why does this all matter? What does this mean for us? Jesus has fulfilled the will of God, meaning that he has willingly done all that the Father has required of him in order to make open the door to salvation. He is the only one qualified to because he is the only who could fully submit to God’s law and bear the wrath of the Father. All that needed to be done has been done. The Son has taken our place and made atonement for our sin. This is the gospel message. All we have left to do is respond. We respond by believing in the gospel and turning from our sin and realizing that there is nothing we can do to earn God’s favor, rather, all that was required has been completed. We believe in Christ as the Savior and he tells us that by that faith we will stand with him in the age to come. Jesus says, “Truly, truly, I say to you, whoever hears my word and believes him who sent me has eternal life. He does not come into judgment, but has passed from death to life.” (John 5:24 ESV). This is what we believe. We believe that once you have turned from a life of sin and trusted in the work of Christ that one should be baptized in order to publicly signify this work of the Holy Spirit in your life. If you have trusted in Christ but have not responded through the act of baptism, then I invite you to pray and talk with a leader at The Ridge and get connected with someone who can share with you the life and freedom found in Christ alone. He fulfilled was God required and made a way for us who could never get there on our own.
