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So, we're at stage two. Um, and I'm writing this up here. And as I'm writing, I'm writing, uh, you'll see that I don't actually get to what I wrote. Um,
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and I'll try to explain. Um, so stage two is the the baptism, the ministry of Jesus. We're going to focus on baptism this morning. Um, and I was
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uh I don't know about Thursday night or Friday morning um just put some general things together based on uh mainly reading um the scriptures
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that uh and I'll write these down uh scriptures that teach about or give the narrative of the of the baptism. And uh it's interesting that um all four
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gospels have um things about uh the baptism. Not every gospel has every event that we read um about in the life
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of Christ. Um but I so I'm going to do some general things related to the spirit's work in the baptism of Christ.
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But again, uh just like the last couple of weeks,
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and that's not really the right way. As I go through, I can't help but
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want to present to you the exalted Christ. how Christ entered into these events. It's not as if he, as we try, I tried to say last week, it wasn't that
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he was just passively receiving these things. Um, you know, Josiah picked up on the the phrase um and went, I think a little deeper into the Greek than I
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actually did, but this the idea of his advancing in these things, this stretching out, this working out of these things, um, as one of the
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commentators call it, this this um, uh, activity of of Christ. And as I read these things, I can't help but present
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Christ and the the glory uh the the glorious work that that he's doing. So the second half today will be
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um me trying to answer why was Jesus baptized at all? Why did he have to be baptized? Um, so, um, let me give you
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the scriptures here that I'm working from. Do we have a darker?
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And then we come to so Matthew, Mark, Luke. Um, pretty straightforward um if I could say it that way. And then you come to John
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and you realize that that John is using flashback and interweaving different things that he wants to bring out. Um but one of the
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one of the things about John is um is um the language of witness.
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Um, and we'll see that you see that through John. Um, but Jesus is on trial. That's, if I
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could, you know, if I were to say that's John, it Jesus is on trial. And John the Baptist from the very
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beginning is acting. I mean, we see him as the forerunner, but the the first of a line of witnesses
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to Jesus Christ and then reminds us later in John uh 15 uh 15 about the spirit as part of that
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witness. So, we see that together in the baptism, but but John is the first one who who announces it. Um,
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so it's kind of important as you look at John's account of this, you you read it and you think, well, he doesn't seem to have the same order as the others. And
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there's a reason for how John is giving us that witness in in different snippets as he goes. Um, so just something to to
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keep in in mind. Um, I didn't type this one out, but um,
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from John 15. Kind of summarizing up to that point. Um Jesus talking about when the when the helper comes uh 15:26
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whom I will send to you from the father that is the spirit of truth who proceeds from the father he will bear witness of me and you will bear witness also
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because you have been with me from the beginning. So there's this continuing idea that not only does John the Baptist witness, the spirit witnesses, but in
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the end Jesus is saying, "And you shall be my witness." That um and John says in in chapter 20, um these things were written that that you would know that
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Jesus is the son of God. So there is that um little difference in John that's so powerful uh to help us see um and I
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guess apppropo for our study is the spirit continuing to do what he's done in the Old Testament continuing um
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probably a better word but than functions but functions but the the work the ministry um of the spirit. Um
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um from Mark chapter 1. In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Immediately coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens opening and the
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spirit like a dove descending upon him and a voice came out of the heavens. You are my beloved son. In you I am well pleased. um
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the idea of the spirit descending, the spirit coming from above, from heaven. Um or it says out of the heavens. um he's seen as coming upon we we've we've
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talked about this in the Old Testament, the coming upon um Jesus um as he we we've seen that language coming upon
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men. Um and and again we we see the the the witness the witness just by that appearance, the the witness
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of not only the the revelation, the incarnation, the Emmanuel is here,
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the presence of God among them. But also this the relationship is is shown um in the the fact that the the father speaks
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and the voice is heard and he's witnessing to the relationship between the son and the father. Um and so again, uh making him known, um as John says, um
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the spirit continuing to to do these things. Um and it's a visual pledge.
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there were people there where John was was baptizing. They they would witness these things. Um they would witness the Jesus coming up out of the water, the
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voice out of heaven, the spirit descending, the um declaration of declaration of the beloved son.
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And what we see is is that the the people are witnessing, but also we we see that um
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ministry. It's a it's a beginning and we'll get more into this as we look at the reason or the the baptism itself, but he's calling of God to exercise the
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office that he's been given, the office, his ministry. Um
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and it's a testimony also to again as I say those those others but John in his prologue um or after the prologue in in John one here this
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witness John John says I have seen the spirit descending as a dove out of heaven and he remained upon him. I did not recognize him. But he who sent me to
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baptize in water said to me, "He upon whom you see the spirit descending and remaining upon him, this is the one who baptizes in the Holy Spirit."
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And then he goes on to say, I myself have seen and have testified that this is the son of God. So this this idea
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and John in John chapter 6 and I I think it's related we we think of the the Holy Spirit where where Paul speaks of him as a seal um when when uh Jesus is
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talking to u men and he's they're seeking a sign. He says in John 6, Jesus answered them and said, "Truly, truly, I say to you, you seek me not because you
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saw signs, but because you ate the loaves and were filled. Do not work for the food which perishes, but for food which endures to eternal life, which the Son of Man will give to you. For on him
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the Father, God has set his seal." There's there's a at his baptism, a a seal, a confirmation. um
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that we can I don't know uh how to say it um and I don't want to be trit some would um they don't use that anymore the good housekeeping seal of approval but
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it's more than that obviously it's God the father testifying witnessing by the voice This this is my beloved son
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Um, John Owen used the word collation and all I could think of was when you collate print, you know, when you run the
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copier, but at the time the the word is more um it it's it it's placing together,
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verifying that the spirit had gifted him and that these gifts were given to Jesus
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that he was now in the in the words of Luke chapter 4, Jesus full of the Holy Spirit returned from the Jordan and then of course he was he was led in the
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wilderness for 40 days being tempted by the devil. But there is this
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thing that we can almost not um fully identify and appreciate. Um,
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that took place at the baptism. this coalation of these extraordinary gifts that were given for his discharge
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of his prophetic ministry that was to come. Uh there is a beginning.
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John Owen wrote, "He was actually possessed of and furnished with all that fullness of spiritual gifts which were any way needful for him or useful unto
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him or which human nature is capable of receiving." Um that's how he defines that fullness being full of the Holy
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Spirit. Um, John tells us that that he was equipped, that he was able,
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uh, he was equipped to speak the words of God. Um uh a phrase that I've been looking at over the last three or four
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weeks in John chapter 3 says, "For he gives the spirit without measure." Um without bound, without limitation. Uh it
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was given to Christ and um it was immediately at at the baptism. Um again it was a continuing act that
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the the Holy Spirit rested upon him abided with him. Um and this idea of um you know who who
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sent whom uh there there's the authority of the father in sending Christ but there is a there is also the the sending of the gifts. there's a a way in which
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the spirit prepared him for this office of ministry, this public ministry that he was to have. Um, and it's all wrapped up in this in this baptism.
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And I want to delve into this further, but not today. Um, because I kind of came up short when I was doing some further study. Um, really asking myself
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that question. Why did Jesus insist on John baptizing? John gets it
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immediately, right? Let me let me read this uh to you. Um
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the Matthew account starting at verse uh Matthew 3:1 um and this is John the Baptist speaking as for me I baptize you speaking to the
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people I baptize you with water for repentance but he who is coming after me is mightier than I and I am not fit to remove his sandals. He will baptize you
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with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hands, and he will thoroughly clear his threshing floor. He will gather his wheat into the barn. He will burn up the chaff with
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unquenchable fire. Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan, coming to John to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent him, saying,
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"I have need to be baptized," by you do you come to me? But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit it at this time, for in
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this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness." all righteousness." Then he permitted him. After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from
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the water, and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on him. And behold, a voice out of heaven said, "This is my beloved son in whom I
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Reject that one and find another one. That's the nature of John's. The baptism of John, of John, the baptism of John is calling sinners
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to repentance to repentance for them to change their heart, to change their mind, to turn again
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and to display the fruit of that repentance, to have that change of mind for the remission. the forgiveness of sins. That's John's
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again in John, this is from John 1. These things took place in Bethany beyond the Jordan where John was baptizing. The next day he saw Jesus coming to him and said, "Behold the lamb of God who takes away the sin of the
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world. This is he on behalf of whom I said, "After me comes a man who has a higher rank than I, for he existed before me. I did not recognize him, but so that he
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might be manifested to Israel, I came baptizing in water." Again, John is coming as the witness. But John is looking at here's one mightier than I.
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Here the king is coming. Okay? in in the language of um of of Luke, he's he's coming as the the the woodcutter. He's
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coming as the one who would fell those who were not fruitful and he would come as the executioner of of righteousness. So John is recognized, he said, "I
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didn't recognize him at first, but but now I see I I I now I see who this is. He came to prepare the way for Jesus to
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minister. He came as he as he says here in in John that Christ might be manifest. He came baptizing with water knowing
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that Jesus was coming to baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire. He came to prepare hearts, minds
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for those. and and we read that in the scriptures when um and I'm not going to find it here because I didn't underline it in red but there are those who
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became as John was preaching there were some that the scripture says their expectations were expectations were uh brought to the front they began to
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who is this one how will we recognize him there's that kind of idea and that's John's uh preparation. Um in Luke
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yes here it is uh Luke 3:1 15. Now, while the people were in a state of expectation and all were wondering in their hearts about John as to whether he was the Christ, John answered them, "As
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for me, I baptize in water, but here's one who's coming who will baptize in the Holy Spirit.
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There's a difference. The baptism of John, the repentance, the repentance, calling for sinners to repent, baptism or repentance for the forgiveness of
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have. James Dale writing in 1874 said, "It is one thing to be baptized by John and quite another to receive the
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baptism of John." Jesus was not a sinner. Jesus had no need for repentance.
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no need for forgiveness of sin. One who was of sinless nature, he had no sins to account for account for and he he could not and indeed did not
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need to repent. to repent. Now there are those I given to understand who believe that Jesus came as a
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representative that because he was baptized, then that tells us we need to be baptized. We need to follow in his steps.
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But Jesus didn't come to repent for sinners. Jesus didn't come to exercise faith for
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sinners. That's not why he came. Yes, he was made sin for us. He became the sinbearer.
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the sinbearer. 2 Corinthians 5, he made him who knew no sin to be sin on our behalf, so that we might become the righteousness of God in him.
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1 Peter 3, Christ also died for sins once for all, the just for the unjust, so that he might bring us to God, having been put to death in the flesh, but made
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alive in the spirit. and they echo Isaiah 53. Yet he himself bore the sin of many and interceded for the
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transgressors. Yes, he bore our sins in his body on the tree, but he wasn't baptized because he was a sinner or that he needed to repent or to
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represent those who needed to repent. In the words of one of the commentators, Christ's baptism was a baptism no one could share.
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could share. Listen to the words again of Matthew 3. Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John to be baptized by
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him. But John tried to prevent him saying, "I have need to be baptized by you and do you come to me?" But Jesus answering said to him, "Permit it at
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this time. this time. For in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all
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righteousness." Then John permitted him. It was a baptism.
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The baptism of one to fulfill all righteousness to bear the penalty of a broken law in order to redeem the guilty. Again, James Dale,
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one confessing himself a sinner and fleeing from the wrath to come could hardly claim for himself the doing of work of righteousness.
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That's us. That's us. But that's not the baptism by John on Jesus.
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He goes on to speak of kind of the the he uses the word over two or three times here. James Dale does about the
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absurdity of those who say he was And I just
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I just his idea is that the originator of baptism, receiving baptism, he says, is is is like the foundation of a house being built upon the house that's
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supposed to be built on the foundation. Um he he says the source of all spiritual blessing. And that's again what some people think is that well
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baptism is just a symbol of spiritual blessing. But he says that that's like being given the symbols of healing the deaf and the blind and the sick
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without really ever healing the deaf, the blind or the sick. He says, "The divine sinbearer receiving a believer's baptism
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is like Jesus going through a fictitious confession and repentance even though he didn't need it. And even though he would know that it was
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false and John would know it's false, it just it just it doesn't hold water."
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Jesus says the baptism, his baptism by John was fitting because he is now coming as one mightier than
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John. It's fitting he says for us. It's interesting that little it's fitting for us. He's including John as the forerunner, as the witness,
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as the one who said, "Prepare ye the way of the Lord should be the one to baptize him as he entered the work of ministry of recon
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reconciliation of man to God." It's as if um Jesus um is making his first public
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announcement. Yes, he spoke to the the leaders, the teachers in the temple. But here's his first announcement, his first public announcement of his work, saying,
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"I am ready to fulfill all righteousness. I am the one who has come to do this." It it's as if this is the beginning of
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his obedience his obedience unto death on the cross which would be fulfilled in the consummation of his resurrection and ascension.
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A contemporary of Jamesdale, Rudolph Steer, I think is how you pronounce it, wrote, "This baptism is his anointing to that sacrifice of himself for sinners,
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which now first properly begins." In the baptism by John, there is an announcement.
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The king has come. the the one to fulfill our righteousness is here. Yeah. Obedience shows
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acknowledgement they need to be obedient to their God and stop. He had no sin to turn from. And yet he in his humanity
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he told John right that I be obedient to our heavenly father and put me in mind when he's in the garden of Gethsemane
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because he comes up out of the water the spirit descends on him and God the father acknowledges this one is my son
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again inity he wrestles with the father and the cup that he has to If it's possible, let this pass. And
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immediately in the same breath, not my will, yours be an angel from heaven appeared to him strengthening him. He is
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this not the first public obedience of Jesus Christ to the father? I think so. Uh that's that's how I see it. And it's
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at again It's it's not this, but it's this and the the us in there that that that here is the one that that God prophesied
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from long ago. He will come and prepare the way for you that the two of them together do this thing. And and again, I
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I don't think I've fully understand it all. Um, even the idea of the the fitting, but there is that announcement that
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something's beginning here that wasn't here before. One of the one of the answers to this
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what's the of part is is John's sign was um had multiple purposes. It was a baptism of repentance, but In the verse
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prior to where you started in Mark, it says that I I baptize you with water. Yeah. For repentance, but one coming after me will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.
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John says that that one would be identified by the spirit descending on that one. So in other words, that that the one who would baptize with the Holy Spirit would
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receive the Holy Spirit. That was part of the express purpose of the sign. But they, as you say, they needed to meet. Yeah. meet. Yeah. Otherwise, how could this handoff
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Yeah. The other part of this that has struck me in years past is that Jesus said that all the law and the prophets spoke until John.
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So, and and he also said in another place that all the all the law and the prophets testify of me. That's the law and the prophets testifying of Jesus happening in real
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time for for them to touch like that and share a sign that on the one hand means something under the law that it now its meaning shifts.
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Yeah. On Jesus. On Jesus. Yeah. There there is in baptism there there is a clear sign of judgment that the the the washing the
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coming upon that um you know this is this is what I've found in in Luke 12 um that Jesus uses these
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these words um he says I have come to cast fire upon the earth and how I wish it were already kindled, but I have a baptism to be baptized with. And how
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distressed I am until it is accomplished. There th this is a a baptism beginning, but there's a baptism to come. And and this is heralding
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that the it will fulfill all righteousness because I'm gonna I'm gonna go through both. to keep in mind.
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Okay. Thank you. Yeah. I hadn't uh had thought of that. Just Jesus is all all of righteousness is accomplished by Jesus. And this is the the beginning of that
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that he is saying, "I'm undertaking the fulfilling of all righteousness." And yet he's referring as well, I think,
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the work of securing redemption for the forgiveness of sins in the river Jordan. But it will be complete at his baptism on the hill we call Goltha.
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And I'll end with just this from John After this, Jesus, knowing that all things had already been accomplished to
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fulfill the scripture, said, "I am thirsty." A jar full of sour wine was standing there. So they put a sponge full of the sour wine upon a branch of hip and
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brought it up to his mouth. Therefore, when Jesus had received the sour wine, he said, "It is finished and he bowed his head and gave up his spirit." Let us
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Our heavenly father, we do marvel at the work that has been accomplished through
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Christ, fulfilling all righteousness by giving himself giving himself to minister to minister to take the wrath
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for sin, for sin, to bear it upon the cross for us. for us. We thank you for this marvelous
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work that he has done. But we thank you also that we have the full assurance, not just the words that we read, but the
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full assurance of the Holy Spirit descending as a dove identifying the son of God. But we also have your words.
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Your words. This is my beloved son in whom I'm well pleased. Father, we rejoice that you have given him, that you have
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allowed him to come to earth, the God man, and that he has gone to be our man in glory. that you have accomplished this
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by your wonderful work. And in these things, we we cannot help but rejoice and be glad. We thank you in Christ's
