This week I’m teaching the adult Bible class at the Wellandport Church in Wainfleet, Ontario, Canada.
Our theme is “The Name of Jesus.” It highlights His greatness by considering 5 names of Jesus that identify Him in a unique and special way. Messiah. Nazarene. Lord. Almighty. And Savior.
It’s a study that provides deeper insight into who Jesus is. His character. Personality Mission. Ministry. And message. We also see a paradox in Jesus as both man and God.
The 4th century theologian Gregory of Nazianzus offers this stirring, but paradoxical tribute to Jesus.
He began His ministry by being hungry, yet He is the Bread of Life.
Jesus ended His earthly ministry by being thirsty, yet He is the Living Water.
Jesus was weary, yet He is our rest.
Jesus paid tribute, yet He is the King.
Jesus was accused of having a demon, yet He cast out demons.
Jesus wept, yet He wipes away our tears.
Jesus was sold for thirty pieces of silver, yet He redeemed the world.
Jesus was brought as a lamb to the slaughter, yet He is the Good Shepherd.
Jesus died, yet by His death He destroyed the power of death.
Another paradox is found in today’s passage, one that is often pondered, discussed, and debated. Why was Jesus baptized? If baptism is “for the remission of sins” (Ax. 2:38), and Jesus was sinless (1 Pet. 2:21-22), then why was He baptized (Matt. 3:13-17)?
Bible commentator, Warren Wiersbe suggest six plausible reasons.
1. Obligation. The text says “to fulfill all righteousness.” Jesus’ life was about pleasing the Father (Jn 8:29). This was one way in which He demonstrated it.
2. Consecration. Since the Old Testament priests were ceremonially cleaned before being anointed, Jesus’ submission to water baptism was a symbol. Then the Holy Spirit came to signify it.
3. Commendation. While the religious leaders rejected John’s baptism, Jesus demonstrated his acceptance and approval of John’s ministry.
4. Proclamation. This was a way for Jesus’ to be officially introduced to the Jewish nation as the coming Messiah (Jn. 1:31).
5. Anticipation. This water baptism at the beginning of Jesus’ ministry was a precursor to another baptism at the conclusion of his ministry–the baptism of suffering for us on the cross (Lk. 12:50).
6. Identification. Jesus identified with the sinful people He came to save. We’re reminded in this act how his humanity relates to our fears, needs, and hopes.
While these answers may not solve all of our questions, they provide some food for thought. R. C. Sproul offers this observation. “In His baptism, Jesus identified Himself with sinners and showed that He had come to take their place under God’s judgment.”
Of course, while Jesus died for us, he can’t be baptized for us. Nor can He take our place in obeying God’s Word. We are called upon to hear Him. Follow Him. Obey Him. Serve Him. And strive to be more like Him.
Our commitment and consecration to His cause begins by accepting and obeying His command. “He who believes and is baptized shall be saved” (Mk. 16:16).
An unidentified author in Leadership magazine offered this insight. “In baptism we are initiated, crowned, chosen, embraced, washed, adopted, gifted, reborn, killed, and thereby sent forth and redeemed. We are identified as one of God’s own, then assigned our place and our job within the kingdom of God.”
Finally N. T. Wright shared this compelling thought. “In baptism, you are brought into the story of Jesus, you become part of the new creation, God’s new world, and it is not just a symbol—it is a sacrament.”
–Ken Weliever, The Preacherman
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The Pauline epistle writer instructs the ambassadors of Christ to see Christ as the Bride and Bridegroom…as Him, who did not know sin—to be sin on our behalf so that in Him we might become the righteousness of God (2 Corinthians 5:21).
As an ambassador, one must promote friendly relations. One doesn’t go about making friends by promoting oneself as better than everyone else. And yet, if one is promoting your King and Queen as Him who made the Law and gave the Law to the Teacher of Israel with Thunder and Lightning on the THIRD DAY…how can one promote faith in this King and Queen?
If the King and Queen come to earth as subjects, as human servants without their divine power, they would be virtually slaves of the Law and the lawyers who interpret and teach the law.
In an attempt to establish righteousness, should they break the sabbath or a law that binds them to someone who is not their soul mate that would prevent them from clinging to one another as husband and wife on earth—they are going to have to sin on behalf of all sinners, even those who are ignorant of the written and or the oral law who break the law out of ignorance or deliberately.
In the meantime, the Royal Bride and Groom might even try to deny and doubt their divine heritage. Except as the Pauline writer acknowledges, it is impossible for God to lie (Hebrews 6:18).
The first commandment with a promise is to honour your father and your mother (Ephesians 6:2-3). And yet, this seems to be the one that they and the ambassadors are overlooking—and thereby fostering the lie—that God is male or a non gendered entity.
Many people see the word Him and they only see the Son of God descending with the Law as the Teacher and fail over and over again to see the mother of God and father of God as the Divine Couple who gave the Law to the Teacher to help all people live long in the land (Deuteronomy 20:12) and who the Teacher saw long long ago in the Garden of Eden under the Fig Tree (Genesis 3: 1-8; John 1: 48).
Thus the Teacher of Israel, Cephas and Paul become servants of the people and become ambassadors of the Triune God by Grace (through divine forgiveness at Bethany (the house of Anna) to show the way to restore integrity to Creation and to bring peace and salvation to the people of the earth.(1 Corinthians 1:13;3:3-6) For as the Pauline writer says: “For if the dead do not rise (come back from the grave) then Christ is not risen!” (1 Corinthians 15:16).
Now some may argue, but John was the forerunner. He was not Apollos born in Alexander’s city..and John said “You yourselves can testify that I said, ‘I am not the Christ, but am sent ahead of Him.” This of course is correct. For when John ascends to witness the Bride and Bridegroom wed once again…he becomes Jesus the Forerunner and One with Christ forever as the High Priest (Hebrews 6:19-20).
Thus if it is impossible for Christ to lie…even if the Bridegroom and the Bride falls into denial…and weeps thinking they are sinners and therefore unworthy of their divine role…the disciples who were there on the day of the Ascension and on the day of Pentecost…know for sure. It is impossible for God the Father, the Son [and his Grace] and the Holy Spirit to lie. For the truth is, human beings make mistakes and learn and grow from them. Idols and idol worshippers don’t.
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