Scripture Passages

Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John consented.
As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

• Matthew 2:13-17

At that time Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

• Mark 1:9-11

When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as he was praying, heaven was opened and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”

• Luke 3:21-22

The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him and said, “Look, the Lamb of God, who takes away the sin of the world! This is the one I meant when I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because he was before me.’ I myself did not know him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that he might be revealed to Israel.”
Then John gave this testimony: “I saw the Spirit come down from heaven as a dove and remain on him. And I myself did not know him, but the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’ I have seen and I testify that this is God’s Chosen One.”
The next day John was there again with two of his disciples. When he saw Jesus passing by, he said, “Look, the Lamb of God!”

• John 1:29-36

Chronological Study Bible Notes

The Baptism of Jesus

“In the Synoptic Gospels Jesus’ baptism marks His inauguration as the servant Messiah and the dawning of the new age of the Spirit. The Spirit is the agent of a new beginning. The open heaven, the descending dove, and the confirming heavenly voice highlight the ultimate revelatory significance of the baptism. Jesus was anointed by the Spirit of God as the Messiah and the Servant of the Lord described centuries earlier by the prophet Isaiah (Is. 11:2; 42:1; 61:1).
Mark’s account of Jesus’ baptism was open to several possible false interpretations. Readers of his Gospel might conclude (1) that Jesus was a repentant sinner (see Mark 1:4, 9), or (2) that He was inferior to John who baptized Him (1:9), or (3) that He became the Son of God at His baptism (1:10, 11).
The other evangelists denied such speculations early in their Gospels. The birth narratives in Matthew and Luke emphasize that Jesus was conceived of the Holy Spirit (Matt. 1:20), and even as a baby was the Christ (Luke 2:11). He was neither sinful nor inferior prior to His baptism. John’s prologue makes it clear that Jesus did not become the Son of God through baptism, but had been such from eternity (John 1:1–18).
Each evangelist further reformulates the baptism story to preclude any confusion Mark’s account might allow. Matthew introduces a dialogue between John and Jesus in which Jesus explained His true motive for receiving baptism (‘to fulfill all righteousness,’ Matt. 3:15) and John acknowledged his inferiority to Jesus (3:14). Luke reports the imprisonment of John (Luke 3:19, 20) before describing Jesus’ baptism. In his baptism narrative Luke nowhere refers to John and describes the Spirit as coming upon Jesus in response to His own prayer (3:21).
The Fourth Gospel stresses John’s inferiority to Jesus (John 1:6–8, 19–37) and never mentions Jesus’ baptism by John nor John’s preaching of repentance. John served only as a witness to Jesus: (1) that Jesus received the abiding Spirit; (2) that He is the One who baptizes with the Spirit; and (3) that He is the Son of God (John 1:32–34).”

• Timothy B. Cargal, et al., The Chronological Study Bible

Other Commentary

Jesus’ the Baptism (Mark 1:10-11)

The presence of the Trinity is emphasized: Jesus the Son in the flesh, the Holy Spirit in the form of a dove, and the Father whose voice was heard from heaven. The Father declared his pleasure with his Son before the wilderness temptation and before he taught, performed any miracles or healings, or died on the cross. The Father publicly declared Jesus’ authority to be as his own.

• Dorothy Kelley Patterson, General Editor, NIV Woman’s Study Bible (Ann W. Bowman, Gospels and Acts contributor)

“Son of God” (John 1:34)

Although, in a limited sense, believers can be called ‘sons of God’ (e.g., Matt. 5:9; Rom. 8:14), John uses this phrase with the full force as a title that points to the unique oneness and intimacy that Jesus sustains to the Father as ‘Son.’ The term carries the idea of the deity of Jesus as Messiah (v. 49; 5:16–30; cf. 2 Sam. 7:14; Ps. 2:7; Heb. 1:1–9).

• John MacArthur, John MacArthur Commentary (quoted Scripture without bold/italics)

My Thoughts

Jesus in Baptized

All four gospels have this story.  Jesus goes from Galilee to the Jordan.  Everyone places the location of Jesus being baptized on the east bank of the Jordan River, a little south of Jericho which is on the west bank, mostly east of Jerusalem.

The reason for this is that there are archeological finds that show it to be a place used by hermits about the time.  But the impression that I get of John the Baptist is as a loner.  He had his disciples, but to live in a community with other hermits on the side of the river opposite Judea seems off.

Jesus could reach the Jordan easily in Galilee, but since He goes to the wilderness, probably in southern Judea, a location near Jericho makes sense.

But the point is that Jesus sought out John.  Mark and Luke just tell the story, the bare facts.  Matthew says that John protested, in that Jesus should baptize him.  But the reason for this is Jesus telling John it must be this way to fulfill all righteousness.  This does not mean prophecy, but Jesus must make a sign of cleansing Himself and presenting Himself before His Father, ready to start His ministry.  And the Holy Spirit makes a visible descent.

John statement is a bit strange, but it may be that John was one of John the Baptist disciples.  Since the story states two disciples, possibly Andrew for the other one.  That would leave James and Simon in the Sea of Galilee catching fish.  But John the Baptist says this is the Lamb of God.

Son of God and Holy Spirit Descends.

All four gospels say something along the lines of God the Father saying Behold, this is my Son in whom I am well pleased.  In Matthew and John, a visual representation of the Holy Spirit descends upon Jesus.  In Matthew, it is like a dove, not necessarily a physical dove.

In John, the Spirit of the Lord had told John the Baptist some time before that the sign that you have baptized the Messiah was that the Spirit would come down, looking like a dove and remain on Him.

This makes John’s initial comment to Jesus in Matthew rather odd, but these two had been relatives.  There was probably talk about what the angel had told Zechariah, Mary, and in dreams to Joseph.  So, John the Baptist might have hesitated in that respect.

John the Baptist – “the Lamb of God”

Then, in the Gospel of John, John the Baptist tells his disciples that he did not recognize Him at first, but once the dove descended upon Him as God had told John would happen, then he knew.  So, he could have recognized Jesus as his childhood friend, but was not sure that He was the Chosen One until the dove descended and stayed there, the staying part is not natural.

Depending on translation and which verse, John recognizes Jesus as the Son of God, the Chosen One, and the Lamb of God.  The Son of God identifies Jesus as God Himself.  The Chosen One identifies Jesus as the Messiah.  The Lamb of God identifies Jesus as the living sacrifice, the perfect Passover Lamb that will take away our sins.  Whatever word was used in the original language is not wrong in any of these three translated expressions.  Jesus was the fulfillment of all three.

And later, John sends some disciples of his to Jesus to confirm Jesus is the Messiah.  If Jesus already had the confirmation of the dove during the baptism, why the double check?  John the Baptist was sent to prison.  He would soon lose his head.  I think that a moment of personal doubt would cross anyone’s mind at this crucial moment.  Jesus did not answer the disciples directly but gave them the proof of miracles being performed, even people raised from the dead, quoting prophecies from the Scripture.

Soli Deo Gloria.  Only to God be the Glory.