Matthew chapter 3 describes John the Baptist's ministry. He called for repentance, and his baptism was an outward demonstration of that repentance. In a sense, it was a symbolic burial, since it signified the death of the old, sinful life and turning toward a new life of righteous living. As believers, we take part in water baptism to signify this death and burial, but also to identify with Christ in His death, burial, and resurrection. In speaking to the apostles James and John, Jesus said, "The cup that I drink you will drink, and with the baptism with which I am baptized, you will be baptized" (Mark 10:39). This passage shows how baptism is a way of identifying with Christ. We may not suffer bodily as Christ and His apostles did, but we will readily and publicly declare that Christ has taken our sin and nailed it to the cross; we have put on His righteousness, having no righteousness of our own; and we have surrendered our lives to His will and to walking obediently in His truth.

This water baptism is not salvation or a necessary part of salvation. It is an outward demonstration of what has taken place in the believer's life. After all, as John the Baptist tells us, the Messiah's baptism is not baptism with water but "with the Holy Spirit and with fire" (Matt. 3:11). Christ came to bring reconciliation with God so that God Himself in the person of the Holy Spirit could dwell in believers. But Christ also came with fire to judge. Verse 12 talks about the winnowing fork and how Christ will separate the wheat from the chaff. This makes it clear that the fire is a fire of judgment for those who have rejected Christ. But I also think He judges the works and life of a believer with fire. Zechariah 13:9 and 1 Peter 1:7 both speak of the process of refining and purifying gold with fire. In the same way, our works are tested by fire and judged. Our actions and our motives should be pure in the sight of God.

If John's baptism was one of repentance, then why was Jesus baptized by him? Wasn't He perfect, without sin? John asked the same question in Matthew 3:14: "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" Why would the Lamb of God, the Savior of the world, come to John to be baptized? He had no sin to repent of and His life was the standard for righteous living. Jesus answered John: "Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness" (Matt. 3:15). Jesus certainly set an example for us as believers and bestowed honor on this public act of baptism, but is that what "fulfill all righteousness" means? According to David Guzik, the "purpose was for Jesus to completely identify Himself with sinful man... [H]ere is Jesus... standing in the place of sinful man." He had no need to repent, yet He identified Himself with sinful man by taking part in this public display of repentance. At the cross, He was guilty of no sin, yet He took the place of sinful man and suffered and died in his place - in my place.

But God made certain that the world would know that Jesus was not sinful man. At the moment that Jesus came up from the water, the heavens were opened, the Spirit descended on Him, and a voice spoke from heaven. This was not another baptism of repentance, this was announcing and anointing the Son of God. Father God spoke from heaven, saying, "This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased" (Matt. 3:17). WOW! Can you imagine being there and seeing the Spirit come down and hearing the voice of God? Can you imagine how anyone present could turn away and not follow Him as Messiah? Flashing neon signs would not have been more obvious! But I think maybe we do the same thing when God shows up in our lives. We stand in amazement, we might shake our heads in wonder or tell a few people about it, but in a week's time, our life is unchanged by it. I hope and pray that when we hear His voice, we respond, and when we see the Son of God for who He is, we run to Him.


I think my favorite part of this chapter is that we see so clearly all three persons of the Trinity. Jesus Christ, the Son of God, beginning His ministry, is identifying with sinful man and identified to sinful man. The Holy Spirit is anointing and empowering Jesus for His ministry. And God the Father, full of love for His Son, is approving Jesus' ministry.