But Why?

Text: “15 But Jesus answered him, 'Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.’” (Matthew 3:15)

We know that John the Baptizer came preaching and baptizing. We’re told that the baptism that he administered was as a sign of repentance. We’re not told how many were baptized by John— nor did he leave behind a parish register in which each of his baptisms was carefully recorded along with the names of the parents, the date of birth, and the sponsors. We do know that large crowds went out to him, though— large enough for the Pharisees to take notice. But this particular baptism stands out. It stands out for one reason. And that one reason can be summed up in one word: ‘Why’?

Let’s approach the Baptism of Jesus from a slightly different angle. We’re looking more deeply into the Gospel of Matthew. So let’s ask the question: why does Matthew include this event in his description of Jesus’ life and ministry? What is Matthew trying to communicate about Jesus by the way he describes it?

Stay with me for a moment— I promise I’ll come to a point quickly. Matthew started off with Jesus’ birth. But he actually says nothing about the actual event. Matthew doesn’t tell us about the trip to Bethlehem, about not finding any room in the inn, about the child being laid in a manger. Matthew tells us about his family line. He tells us about an angel appearing to Joseph, who was supposed to be his father. Matthew keeps talking about King David— the family line that Matthew traces for us centers on David. David, Himself, is one of the points that Matthew highlights in that family tree: “17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations” (). The angel addresses Joseph as “Joseph, son of David”— suggesting that, if the kingly line of David had been intact, it would have been Joseph who was living in the palace and sitting on the throne.

17 So all the generations from Abraham to David were fourteen generations, and from David to the deportation to Babylon fourteen generations, and from the deportation to Babylon to the Christ fourteen generations.

As he writes an account of the life of Jesus, he’s highlighting the fact that he’s writing about a king. Even the name ‘Jesus’ points to that fact— “21 [Mary] will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins” the angel told Joseph. It is not random individuals that He will save, “He will save his people.” This is not just a king, this is a king coming to do something very important for his people.

21 She will bear a son, and you shall call his name Jesus, for he will save his people from their sins.”

And to underscore the point, what other event does he mention in connection to Christ’s birth? The visit of the wise men. Foreign emissaries appear because they have seen the signs of the birth of a king. Their coming not only shines a light on who the child is, it also makes it clear that the man who is actually sitting on the throne is not the true king.

From there, Matthew turns to John the Baptizer. First, Matthew had described the birth of a king. Now, he tells us about a messenger proclaiming, “2 Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand” (). That message demanded repentance. In response to hearing that the kingdom of heaven was at hand, the crowds came and were baptized by John as a sign of repentance. They knew very well that nothing unclean, nothing sinful could enter it. And if they didn’t know it, they heard it from John: “11 I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire” ().

11 I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. 12 His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

10 Even now the axe is laid to the root of the trees. Every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire” ().

And now, as Matthew describes it, something quite strange happens: “Then Jesus came… to John, to be baptized by him” (). If his readers didn’t quite catch on at first to why this is so strange, Matthew shares that John asked Jesus, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” (). Not only is the Kingdom of Heaven at hand, the King, Himself, has now appeared. He doesn’t need to prepare Himself for the arrival of the Kingdom, He is there for the purpose of bringing the Kingdom to His people. He has no sin that He needs to repent of, yet he comes to be baptized. The reader of Matthew’s Gospel is left to ponder the question, “Why?”

Jesus’ answer is not as clear as we might hope for: “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (). What does it mean to “fulfill all righteousness”? What does Jesus being baptized have to do with ‘righteousness’? Jesus, Himself, has answered the question that we all would have asked. But the question still remains: “Why?”

That’s the question I’d like to answer this morning.

“Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.”

There are several levels to the answer. It is, for example the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. A first century Jew would have recognized in this act part of the ordination rite of a priest. Jesus is being ordained here into His priestly office, into the ministry that He is about to begin and that Matthew is about to describe for us in the rest of his Gospel.

This moment, and what is about to follow when Jesus goes down into the water, also tells us quite a bit about Jesus. As we said, John’s response highlights the fact that Jesus doesn’t need to prepare for the coming of the Kingdom— He’s there to bring about the Kingdom— and that He has no sin that He needs to repent of. Jesus’ birth tells us that He is no ordinary human being. He is the Son of God. And, in case the virgin birth and the angel from heaven were too subtle, the voice from heaven underscores that fact: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” And there can be no question as to whether or not the Spirit has been placed upon Him. It happens visibly as the Spirit descends upon Him in the form of a dove and comes to rest on Him ().

It’s no wonder why Jesus insisted upon it. And it’s no wonder that Matthew included it as he tried to catechize us, to instruct us, in who Jesus is. But I would suggest that there’s another reason why that is far more personal for you: He did it, not just so that everyone would see what happened when He was baptized, but because it would not be visible when you were.

Jesus’ birth tells us that He is no ordinary human being. He is the Son of God. And, in case the virgin birth and the angel from heaven were too subtle, the voice from heaven underscores that fact.

All that could be heard— apart, perhaps, from a baby’s cry— were the words “I baptize you in the Name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit. Amen.” What was not heard was the voice from heaven declaring of you, “This is my beloved child, with whom I am well pleased.” There can be no more question about who you are than there was about who He was after the voice spoke.

All that was visible when you were baptized was a little water and a pastor— a man just as unworthy as John was. What was not seen was the Holy Spirit descending upon you. In fact, there can be no more question that the Holy Spirit has been given to you than that it came upon Him.

All that was visible when you were baptized was a bit of water and a pastor— a man just as unworthy as John.

It was fitting for you to be baptized, just like it was for Him, “to fulfill all righteousness.” Because, in His baptism, He puts His righteousness into the water. In fact, as Luther said so well, Christ puts Himself into the water for you to find when you are brought there. He sticks Himself into the water and, when you went into the water in Baptism, you pulled Him out with you.

[He who was ] “Born of a woman, born under the law” (), He “who knew no sin” () sticks His perfect obedience to the Law in the water. ...

Just think about what Christ sticks into the water.

“It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness” (), Jesus told John.

“Born of a woman, born under the law” (), He “who knew no sin” () sticks His perfect obedience to the Law in the water.

Paul says, “We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death” (), so Christ’s Passion, the death sentence, the ridicule, the standing before Pilate, the beatings, the whippings, the bloody crown of thorns, the King of the Jews, the nails, the “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (), the “Today you will be with Me in Paradise” (), the “It is finished” (), the last breath: all of it into the water.

In Jesus’ Baptism, the Holy Spirit descends as a dove. The Holy Spirit goes into the water.

In Jesus’ Baptism, the voice of God from heaven says, “You are My beloved Son; with You I am well pleased!” (). It goes into the water.

Paul says, “We were buried therefore with Him by baptism into death” (), so Christ’s Passion, the death sentence, the ridicule, the standing before Pilate, the beatings, the whippings, the bloody crown of thorns, the King of the Jews, the nails, the “Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do” (), the “Today you will be with Me in Paradise” (), the “It is finished” (), the last breath: all of it into the water.

(Luther, quoted by the Rev. Dr Matthew Harrison in his sermon at the opening worship service of the 2013 LCMS Synod Convention, July 20, 2013)

the water. We know that our old self was crucified with Him—in the water— in order that the body of sin might be brought to nothing, so that we would no longer be enslaved to sin—in the water. For one who has died has been set free from sin—in the water. Now if we have died with Christ, we believe that we will also live with Him—in the water. We know that Christ, being raised from the dead, will never die again; death no longer has dominion over Him. For the death He died He died to sin, once for all, but the life He lives He lives to God. So you also must consider yourselves dead to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus—in the water” ().

Paul goes on in : “But when the goodness and loving kindness of God our Savior appeared, He saved us, not because of works done by us in righteousness, but according to His own mercy, by the washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit—in the water—whom He poured out on us richly through Jesus Christ our Savior— in the water—so that being justified by His grace—in the water—we might become heirs according to the hope of eternal life”—in the water! ().

...

...Christ has stuck all this into the water, and because you’ve been stuck into the water, it’s all yours now.

Christ has stuck all this into the water, and because you’ve been stuck into the water, it’s all yours now.

(Luther, quoted by the Rev. Dr Matthew Harrison in his sermon at the opening worship service of the 2013 LCMS Synod Convention, July 20, 2013)

Your baptism says as much about you as the Baptism of Christ says about Him. In His case it revealed who He truly was. In your case, it’s a little different. It’s about what He has declared you to be there. He has declared you righteous. All the reasons why He had no real need to be baptized are transformed into gifts given to you in baptism. You are gathered into His chosen race, His holy nation, a people for His own possession. And, much like it was for Him, it is your ordination into a royal priesthood, into the holy ministry of proclaiming the excellencies of him who called you out of darkness into His marvelous light. ().

All the reasons why He had no real need to be baptized are transformed into gifts given to you in baptism. You are gathered into His chosen race, His holy nation, a people for His own possession.

And, much like it was for Him, it is your ordination into a holy priesthood.

Dear brothers and sisters in Christ, it was— and is necessary— to fulfill all righteousness.

And, much like it was for Him, it is your ordination into a royal priesthood.

And, much like it was for Him, it is your ordination into a holy priesthood.

Sin can disturb your soul no longer: you are baptized into Christ! You have comfort even stronger: Jesus’ cleansing sacrifice. Should a guilty conscience seize you, Since your Baptism did release you, In a dear forgiving flood, Sprinkling you with Jesus blood?

Declare to Satan the proclamation: you are baptized into Christ. He must drop his ugly accusation, you are not so soon enticed. Now that to the font you’ve traveled, All his might has come unraveled, And against His tyranny, God, your Lord, unites with you.

Not even death can end your gladness: you are baptized into Christ! When you die, you leave all sadness to inherit paradise! Though you lie in dust and ashes, Faith’s assurance brightly flashes: Baptism has the strength divine To make life immortal yours.

There is nothing worth comparing To this life-long comfort sure! Open-eyed your grave is staring: even there you’ll sleep secure. Though your flesh awaits its raising, Still your soul continues praising. You are baptized into Christ, You’re a child of paradise.

There are several levels to the answer. It is, for example the beginning of Jesus’ ministry. A first century Jew would have recognized in this act part of the ordination rite of a priest. Jesus is being ordained here into His priestly office, into the ministry that He is about to begin and that Matthew is about to describe for us in the rest of his Gospel.

(Adapted from “God’s Own Child, I Gladly Say It.” #594, Lutheran Service Book. sts. 2-5.)

This moment, and what is about to follow when Jesus goes down into the water, also tells us quite a bit about Jesus. As we said, John’s response highlights the fact that Jesus doesn’t need to prepare for the coming of the Kingdom— He’s there to bring about the Kingdom— and that He has no sin that He needs to repent of. Jesus’ birth tells us that He is no ordinary human being. He is the Son of God. And, in case the virgin birth and the angel from heaven were too subtle, the voice from heaven underscores that fact: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.” And there can be no question as to whether or not the Spirit has been placed upon Him. It happens visibly as the Spirit descends upon Him in the form of a dove and comes to rest on Him ().