Morsels 3

 

Morsels 3 Humility and Flexibility

ScriptureMatthew 3:13-17 New International Version 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”15 Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented..16 As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

Mark 1:9-13 NIV9 At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. 10 Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. 11 And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”2 At once the Spirit sent him out into the wilderness, 13 and he was in the wilderness forty days, being tempted by Satan. He was with the wild animals, and angels attended him

Comments

Baptism . Immersion or sprinkling ? That’s not the main point but the water tanks found in Jewish 1^st centuary homes would suggest immersion. It was for purification; an act yielding the adherent into ritually clean state. For the Christian it is a once and for all sacrament representing a spiritual grace and experience.

Why was Jesus baptised ? There is no repentance here. Baptism was used to to render the candidate ritually clean.after legitimate natural events, (menstruation ,semen emission, child birth). The phrase used is “ proper for us” There are situations when we do things that are not essential but by doing them we avoid needless offence or difficulties for others. Did Jesus need to pay taxes? He paid nonetheless He provided wine for a wedding.

We may infer from the conversation between Jesus and John that the act of baptising implied some type of seniourity. The interaction of the two is a model as to we should help each other.

The context of the baptism is interesting, It precedes Divine recognition and Satanic testing. The approval of a parent is an important point in a child’s development. It was Jesus’ experience.