An Intense Moment at the Jordan (Matthew 3:1-17)

This passage of Scripture came alive to me back in the fall when a Messianic Jew explained the importance of the baptism of Christ. I hope I can convey what I got out of it!

John the Baptist, sometimes referred by the Jews as John the Immerser, said in Luke 3:16 - "As for me, I baptize you with water; but One is coming who is mightier than I...He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire."

Beginning in Luke 7:24 Jesus defends John the Baptist's position and what he was doing. He goes on to say in verse 28, "...yet he who is least in the kingdom of God is greater than he." Yet Jesus insists that John must baptize him. Why? Look at Matthew 3:15, '"But Jesus answering said to him, "permit it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."' Then John baptizes Jesus in the Jordan river.

Let's fill in with a little background information here. The Jordan River has always been a place of change. When Israel crossed the Jordan, they went into the Promised Land. At Mt. Nebo they looked down to the Jericho Valley, across the Jordan to what was lush.

Jesus had to go to John the Baptist rather than Caiaphas. Josephus, a Jewish historian at the time of Jesus, in his book Wars of Antiquity, gives an explanation of why Caiaphas was the High Priest at the time of Jesus' crucifixion. The office of the high priest was corrupted by this time. It had become a political position, so Caiaphas was appointed by the Governor of Rome. Caiaphas was High Priest but not legally according to Jewish law.

Let's look at the lineage of John the Baptist. Luke 1:5 - "In the days of Herod, king of Judea, there was a priest named Zacharias, of the division of Abijah; and he had a wife from the daughters of Aaron, and her name was Elizabeth." John the Baptist's father was a priest of the lineage of Aaron and Elizabeth, his wife was also a descendant of Aaron.

Again, why did Jesus have to be baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan River? Well, remember the Jordan signifies a place of change. John was a descendant of Aaron's and since his father, Zacharias, was the priest, John by the Jewish legal law was next in line. This explains the verse in Hebrews 7:12 which states, "For when the priesthood is changed, of necessity there takes place a change of law also." The priesthood had to move from Aaron to Melchizedek. John the Baptist forbade Jesus but Jesus said in Matthew 3:15, "...for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness."

John the Baptist and Jesus were cousins. John the Baptist was reared in a priestly family and knew Jesus was the Lamb of God. (John 1:29 and Luke 1:44)

Jesus, the King of the Jews, came to the Jordan to John the Baptist, who was the legal heir to be the High Priest by genealogy, though not received by the Jews. As Jesus rises up from the waters of the Jordan, the King of the Jews becomes the King of Righteousness (the meaning of Melchizedek is King of Righteousness), and the Priesthood is now changed! The mantle is passed by water immersion.

I really liked how Gire dwealt with John the Baptist calling for the people to "Repent!" I quote, "And with the word "repent," you realize the obstacles in the way to their returning to God are not intellectual but moral. They are the gullies of eroded character and the gaping potholes left by the washout of sin....And out of the gravel of their broken hearts, John begins to pave a highway in the desert...a highway for the coming King." His descriptive words are very visual to me. To correlate the breaking of our stone hearts into the pavement of the road for Christ is deep.

With His baptism I see Him confessing sin on the part of the nation, just as Nehemiah, Ezra, Moses and Daniel had done. He also showed support for what John was doing. He inaugerated His public ministry. And, finally He identified with the people who had penitent hearts. Understanding how Christ rose as the King of Righteousness out of the water changes my view on this whole scene.

The part in the prayer where he asked to "see his dream for individuals come true..." struck me. One thing I have prayed often is for me to see people through God's eyes, not my own. I do think we sadly miss the mark in that our driving ambition is not to please Him. We desire it but it is so easy to turn our backs on that. In a flash it's like we have never even thought about pleasing Him, much less having that as our ambition. Thankfully, He is faithful to forgive when we confess.