Read: Matthew 3:1-17
Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” (v. 15 NIV)
I have Christian friends and acquaintances who find it easier to believe in Christ’s deity than in his humanity. Jesus’s baptism by John the Baptist is hard for them to grasp. John came preaching baptism that symbolized repentance (Matt. 3:2, 6, 11). But how could a sinless Jesus (Heb. 4:15) submit to such a ritual (Matt. 3:13)? John himself recognized this irony and “tried to deter” Jesus (v. 14).
We have to decipher Jesus’s cryptic words in verse 15 about doing this “to fulfill all righteousness.” Here it probably refers to doing everything that God says is right. Jesus was endorsing John’s ministry. John was not the Messiah and he didn’t claim to be; he was pointing to one who was greater, and baptizing people as a way of preparing for that one. Additionally, first-century culture was more group- than individual-oriented. Jesus may have been identifying with his fellow Israelites and confessing the sins of the nation on their behalf.
We often focus on the last part of this passage (the Holy Spirit descending as a dove) and the affirmation of Jesus’s divine nature, but Jesus never allowed his deity to overwhelm his humanity nor gave us commands he wasn’t prepared to follow himself. I don’t often confess the sins of my nation, community, church, racial and ethnic group, family, or workplace as if they were my own. It’s humbling, but it’s another way that we can follow Jesus’s own example.
As you pray, ask God to guide you in repentance.
Craig L. Blomberg is the Distinguished Professor Emeritus of New Testament at Denver Seminary. He has written or edited more than 30 books, including a recently revised and expanded commentary on Matthew. He teaches regularly in churches, including his home church of Centennial Covenant in Littleton, CO. He and his wife Fran have two daughters and three grandchildren.
