THE baptism of Jesus, which these verses in Matthew’s Gospel tell us about, marks the opening of the public ministry of Jesus. The Baptism of Jesus was a very important event in the life of Jesus, and has much to tell us of the purpose why he came, and how he achieved that purpose.

Jesus specifically came to the Jordan to undergo baptism by John. We are told that John was reluctant to perform the baptism. No doubt he felt that such a baptism was inappropriate, and that he was hardly, as a sinner like all humanity, an appropriate person to baptise Jesus who was without sin and holy. This showed the humility and understanding of John, that he was a sinner needing to be saved by Jesus, but if he did not carry out the baptism who else could because all men are sinners needing salvation.

The reply which Jesus gave when he insisted that John baptise him is deeply significant. Jesus said, “Let is be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfil all righteousness.” On hearing this John carried out the baptism.

What is the significance of these words? Why was it proper for Jesus to be baptised by John. On the face of it Jesus was the only person who did not need the baptism of John. John baptised with water for repentance, but Jesus was sinless and had no sin to confess, and had no sin to be washed away. Why then did Jesus insist on baptism, and for this baptism for repentance to be carried out?

The meaning is found in the words ‘fulfil all righteousness’. The only way sin can be forgiven, and washed away, and for God to accept the sinner, is for the holy law of God to be fulfilled completely on behalf of the sinner. It is impossible for God to pass over sin. He can only forgive if his law is satisfied. To forget the demands of his holy and just law would make God a sinner. He would have done evil if any sin was forgiven without his law being satisfied. The only way his law can be satisfied is for its righteousness to be upheld. Either there must be no sin, and every precept of the law, both negatively and positively, be kept perfectly, or the just penalty of the law must be exacted to the full. Complete righteousness is the only grounds on which God can accept anyone. We must be righteous in the sight of God on the terms of his holy law, or God must reject and judge us.

Jesus came to be our Saviour. Jesus came to be the second Adam and represent his people before God and bring about their salvation. Adam’s sin brought judgement on us all. It is only by the righteousness of the second Adam, worked and achieved on behalf of his people, that can save us from the consequences of our sin. It was necessary that Jesus, as our substitute and representative, should fulfil all the righteousness the law demands on behalf of his people for God to accept them and give them life and heaven. This is why Jesus said he had to fulfil all righteousness.

By going through baptism Jesus was showing that he was accepting this role as the Father of his people, as Adam was father of the human race. This is why in Isaiah one of the names he is called is everlasting Father. He came to represent and stand in the place of his people, his children.

By accepting baptism Jesus expressed this role, and the accepting of the will of God that he be made sin for us, who knew no sin, that we may be the righteousness of God in him. By accepting the baptism of repentance, Jesus was saying that he was accepting responsibility for the sin of his people, and so beginning his work of fulfilling all righteousness on their behalf. Just as he vicariously, that is in our place, died and bore the punishment for our sins in our place, so here in this act of baptism he accepted responsibility for our sins to do just that. So we are given at the beginning of the ministry of Jesus this insight into his work to save us.

Having been baptised, and come out of the water, God did an amazing and wonderful thing. God opened heaven. An opening was made in the fabric of the universe by God between this tangible earth, and the realm of heaven and of God. By this God was showing that this is what Jesus was achieving and which he commenced to achieve by his baptism - that is the opening of heaven to all believers. Heaven was shut off form sinners when Adam sinned, and the angel with a flaming sword stood over paradise to prevent sinful humanity entering the realm of God. Now God showed that heaven was going to be opened again through his Son and his work for sinners.

Then God showed his approval of his Son in this role of Saviour he had begun by his baptism. The Spirit of God descended in the form of a dove, and God commended Jesus and his action of taking on the work of a Saviour, by saying in an audible and intelligent voice “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

By this God was saying he delighted in Jesus because he was obedient to the Father concerning the great work to save sinners, and by this, God showed, in this work Jesus was doing, that he was with the Jesus one hundred percent. I think also the emblem of a dove for the Holy Spirit also has this significance, that by this doing of the will of God, Jesus would achieve peace with God for his people, that peace he already enjoyed with his Father.