Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him. John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness." Then he consented. And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."
The first time we see Jesus as an adult in all four Gospel accounts of his life, is at his baptism in the river Jordan. Two of the four Gospels – Luke and Matthew from which we are reading – begin with stories of Jesus’ birth. Mark begins with the baptism – characteristically moving us directly and quickly into the beginnings of Jesus’ public ministry. The writer of John’s Gospel also characteristically goes that writer’s own way, and begins with the great poem, we commonly call the Prologue to John’s Gospel.
In the four Gospels there is precisely one brief story – in Luke – about Jesus between his birth and the beginning of his ministry, and that is the story of Mary and Joseph bringing him to Jerusalem when he was twelve and on the way home they could not find him, and they went back and found him in the Temple talking with the learned teachers.
In all four Gospels, the first time we see Jesus as an adult is in this story of his coming to be baptized.
Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan, to be baptized by him.
Jesus intended to be baptized – he came in order to be baptized by John.
John would have prevented him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"
There is great humility given in the picture of John the Baptist.
But Jesus answered him, "Let it be so now; for it is proper for us in this way to fulfill all righteousness."
“to fulfill all righteousness”: W.F. Albright and C.S. Mann write, in their commentary on Matthew:
“Righteousness” must be seen as the whole purpose of God for his people, and not (as is so often the case in homiletics) as a moral quality only. Ps cxix frequently describes the commandments and ordinances of God as “righteous,” and the same sense underlies Jesus’ reply. “To fulfill all righteousness” must therefore be seen as a meaning the fulfillment not only of the demands of God upon his people, but also the fulfillment of those Scriptures in which those demands are set out – law. Prophets, writings. In any event, the baptism administered by John was a direct response to the will of God, and the Messiah must submit to it.
W.F. Albright and C.S. Mann, Matthew (The Anchor Bible) Garden City, NY: Doubleday, 1971, pages 31-32)
Then (John) consented.
Jesus wanted to be baptized and saw baptism as part of what he was to do.
By the way, there is no explanation of what exactly happened at the baptism. Looking back on the history of the Christian rite of baptism, we are actually not told whether Jesus was immersed in the river Jordan or water was poured on his head. Both have rich imagery. Immersion obviously has the imagery of death and resurrection, and pouring water has the imagery of anointing – as the prophets, priests and kings of Israel were anointed. “Messiah” means “anointed one” in Hebrew.
The Book of Common Prayer allows both immersion and pouring (or sprinkling).
We cannot see God. God sent Jesus so we might see in that human life what God is like. Jesus was truly Son of God, and was also truly human.
We cannot see Jesus. Risen from the dead and glorified he is with the Father in heaven, at the heart of God the Trinity. Where is heaven? Where God is. Where is that? Both beyond us (and so the imagery of up, of ascent and descent) and also with us.
Jesus gives us his story to read, always at the center of discipleship and worship. Jesus also gives us some simple actions, out of everyday life, to be signs of God’s saving love for us and presence with us in him. Jesus gives us the water of baptism, and the Supper of bread and wine.
And when Jesus had been baptized, just as he came up from the water, suddenly the heavens were opened to him and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, the Beloved, with whom I am well pleased."
(Raymond Webster)
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