Baptized
Read Matthew chapter 3 (17 verses total). Remember, John the Baptist a relative of Jesus. His mother, Elizabeth, is the cousin of Mary, the mother of Jesus. We know from Scripture that he is about six months old than Jesus (Luke 1:24-33). There is obviously a jump in time since Matthew chapter 2, which was covered the past two weeks. John and Jesus are both adults now.
John is calling for repentance, and Matthew reminds us of the prophecy from Isaiah 40:3, that there will be a voice in the wilderness preparing the way for the Savior. In verse 4, we can see from his clothing and diet that John’s life is very different from that of others. He also issues stern warnings to the two main groups of religious leaders, the Sadducees and the Pharisees.
Finally, John announces that he isn’t the one they are waiting for, but makes it clear in his words in verses 11 & 12 that there is someone much more powerful coming.
Starting in verse 13, we get to see Jesus and John interact with each other. John wants Jesus to be the one baptizing him, but Jesus insists on John doing the baptizing. Why is this important? See verse 15.
Immediately after, we are given a glimpse of the entire Trinity at work, in verses 16 and 17. How does each member of the Triune God appear in the text?
Each of the 4 Gospel writers covers a variety of different pieces from the life of Jesus. Some accounts are only found in one or two Gospels. Others appear in three of the four. A far smaller number of narratives are in every Gospel, and this account of the baptism of Jesus is found in all four. Take some time to compare the four: Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 1:9-11, Luke 3:21-22, and John 1:29-34. What details are the same in all four accounts? How does this fuller picture enrich your understanding of the baptism of Jesus?
This moment marks the beginning of the earthly ministry of Jesus. Some of the next pieces in the chronological narrative include Him being tempted in the wilderness, the calling of the first disciples, and His first miracle. But for now, what does it mean for you that Jesus was baptized?
Dig deeper:
- Choose one or two of the following places in Scripture where we learn about John the Baptist. What do you know about his life from these?
- Review the Small Catechism section on Baptism. What comfort do you take in knowing YOU are baptized?