‘THE FULFILLMENT OF ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS’

Posted by Pastor Greg Allen on August 20, 2023 under 2023 |

Bethany Bible Church; A ‘Baptism Sunday’ message, August 20, 2023 from Matthew 3:13-17

Theme: Jesus’ baptism long ago is what gives baptism meaning and significance today.

(All Scripture is taken from The New King James Version, unless otherwise indicated).

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Today, we celebrate together as a dear sister in our church family declares her faith in Jesus through baptism.

The Lord Jesus commanded that His followers declare their faith in Him publicly in this way. That’s part of the Great Commission that He gave to us as His church—that we’re to make disciples; “baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit”. It’s important then that we understand what baptism means. And a great place to go for that is to the story of our Lord’s baptism.

Matthew 3:13-17 tells us;

Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” But Jesus answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:13-17).

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Now; let’s consider the context of this story. The Bible tells us at the beginning of Matthew 3 that—at just the right time in history—

John the Baptist came preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” (vv. 1-2).

John was a man whose ministry had been promised long ago in the Scriptures. He was the one described in the Old Testament Book of Isaiah as

“The voice of one crying in the wilderness:

‘Prepare the way of the Lord;
Make His paths straight’” (v. 3).

His task was to call people to confess their sins and prepare themselves for the coming of the promised Messiah. And people were coming from all around to be baptized by John as a way of publicly declaring, “I believe John’s message that the promised Savior is coming soon; and I am preparing myself for Him by confessing my sins by being baptized.” John baptized people as a way of looking forward to the Savior’s coming.

But when Jesus came to be baptized, it wasn’t for the same reason as everyone else. He didn’t come to prepare for the coming of the promised Savior; because He Himself is that promised Savior. And He didn’t come to confess sin; because He Himself had no sins to confess. The purpose for which Jesus came is found in what He Himself said—that it was “fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness”. His baptism concerned that which was necessary for a man or woman to be declared 100% righteous in the sight of God. It didn’t have to do with merely ‘advancing’ righteousness … but rather with ‘fulfilling’ it and making it complete. And it didn’t have to do with merely ‘some’ righteousness … but rather will ‘all’ righteousness.

And knowing this, helps us to understand why we are baptized today. We aren’t made righteous in the sight of God today by being baptized in water in a church. Baptism itself doesn’t save anyone. Rather, what saves us is the thing that Jesus symbolized when He Himself was baptized. He stepped into the water with us to unite Himself to us in our need, and to then ‘fulfill all righteousness’ for us on our behalf. And we take hold of His work for us by faith. And so; when we are baptized today, we’re looking backward, and declaring to everyone that we have placed our whole trust and confidence in what it was that Jesus did for us.

In other words, Jesus’ baptism long ago is what gives baptism meaning and significance today. It declares our faith in Him who has united Himself to us and ‘fulfilled all righteousness’ for us.

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Now; just imagine what it must have been like for John the Baptist on that day. He was fulfilling his God-appointed ministry—preaching a message of repentance from sin, and calling people to make themselves ready for the coming Savior by being baptized.

But then, along came the Savior Himself. John was our Lord’s relative—biologically speaking. He knew who Jesus was. And when John saw Jesus coming from a long distance away to—of all things—step into the waters of baptism with all the people who were repenting of their sins and be baptized with them, John was alarmed.

But John’s reaction to Jesus helps us to appreciate …

1. WHO IT WAS WHO CAME TO BE BAPTIZED.

In verse 13, Matthew tells us; “Then Jesus came from Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him.” And to prove that John knew who this was who was coming, all we have to do is read what John had said about Him in his preaching in verses 11-12;

“I indeed baptize you with water unto 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. His winnowing fan is in His hand, and He will thoroughly clean out His threshing floor, and gather His wheat into the barn; but He will burn up the chaff with unquenchable fire” (vv. 11-12).

John knew that this one who was coming was his Superior. He knew that Jesus was the promised Savior that he had been sent by God to proclaim—whose anticipated coming was the very reason that John was baptizing people and calling them to repent.

And what’s more, John knew Jesus’ character. It didn’t seem right to him that the Sinless One should be baptized along with those who needed to be saved from their sins. In verse 14, Matthew tells us, “And John tried to prevent Him, saying, ‘I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?’” The way that Matthew tells us this in the original language is that John was trying repeatedly to prevent Jesus. It seemed utterly inappropriate for Jesus to be standing among sinners in order to be baptized by John. John felt strongly that the roles ought to be reversed; because he knew that he himself was a sinner who needed God’s grace … but that Jesus had no sins to repent of. As Jesus once said of Himself, He always did what pleased His heavenly Father (John 8:29).

And so; if we want to really understand the significance of the baptism we’re witnessing today, we need to remember who it was who came to be baptized back then. It was Jesus—the promised Savior—who came a long distance and willingly entered into the waters of the baptism unto repentance along with sinners; but without ever having committed sin Himself. As it says of Him in 2 Corinthians 5:21;

For He [that is God the Father] made Him [Jesus] who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him (2 Corinthians 5:21).

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So; that’s who it was who came to be baptized long ago. And that’s why John—with his limited understanding at the time—sought to prevent Him from doing so. But we go on to notice in verse 15 that Jesus then told John, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” And this helps us to understand …

2. WHY HE INSISTED ON DOING THIS FOR US.

He insisted upon it because it was necessary. It had to be done. It was “fitting” or “proper” for the cause of fulfilling all righteousness. Baptism was a symbolic act of ‘identification’. In being baptized, sinners were publicly ‘identifying’ themselves with the promised Savior from sin. And when Jesus stepped into the waters of that ‘baptism unto repentance’, He was thus publicly and permanently ‘identifying’ Himself with them—uniting Himself to them in their need—so that He could take all the guilt of their sin upon Himself and pay their debt for them on the cross, and so that they could then be declared righteous in God’s sight along with Him.

What a wonderful thing our Lord’s baptism was! It was prophesied long ago in Isaiah 53:12; when we’re told that “He was numbered with the transgressors” (Isaiah 53:12). It was explained to us in Hebrews 2:14-18; where it says,

Inasmuch then as the children have partaken of flesh and blood, He Himself likewise shared in the same, that through death He might destroy him who had the power of death, that is, the devil, and release those who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For indeed He does not give aid to angels, but He does give aid to the seed of Abraham. Therefore, in all things He had to be made like His brethren, that He might be a merciful and faithful High Priest in things pertaining to God, to make propitiation for the sins of the people. For in that He Himself has suffered, being tempted, He is able to aid those who are tempted (Hebrews 2:14-18).

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So; that’s why Jesus—this promised Savior—was willing to step into the waters of baptism and become identified with us sinners in our need. We’re told that John finally consented to Jesus and baptized Him.

And then, we’re told in verses 16-17, “When He had been baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, ‘This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.’”

Jesus’ baptism deserves to be considered among the most important and remarkable events in all of history. At this amazing moment, all three members of the Triune Godhead—the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit—were present to the perception of the people who were there; and all Three were united in declaring that what Jesus went on to do would—indeed—fulfill all righteousness for us. This teaches a very important thing about Jesus’ identification with us in His own baptism. It shows us …

3. HOW WE CAN HAVE CONFIDENCE IN IT.

I believe that what we see in the story of Jesus’ baptism is the very thing that was prophesied long ago in Isaiah 42:1-4; where God the Father spoke of His Son and said,

“Behold! My Servant whom I uphold,
My Elect One in whom My soul delights!
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the Gentiles.
He will not cry out, nor raise His voice,
Nor cause His voice to be heard in the street.
A bruised reed He will not break,
And smoking flax He will not quench;
He will bring forth justice for truth.
He will not fail nor be discouraged,
Till He has established justice in the earth;
And the coastlands shall wait for His law” (Isaiah 42:1-4).

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So then; Jesus’ baptism is what gives significance and meaning to the baptism that we are witnessing this morning. He came to be baptized among sinners like us in order to be identified with us in our need and save us from our sins; saying, “for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness”. He lived a sinless life for us so that we could be sinless in union with Him. He died on the cross for us so that the debt of our sins is paid in union with His death. He was raised for us from the dead so that we could live a new life in union with His resurrection. And He ascended to the Father in glory so that we could be destined for eternal glory with Him.

I love it that, at His own baptism, Jesus told John that thus it is fitting for “us” to fulfill all righteousness. I love that word “us” very much. He united Himself to us completely, in order to be the Savior of John, and all the people who were present that day, and you and me today. And it now falls on us to fulfill our part of the “us” by placing our complete trust in what Jesus has done for us.

Have you done that, by the way? Have you prayed a prayer like this?

Lord Jesus—Son of God—thank You for coming into this world for me. Thank you that You came into this world to live a righteous life of obedience to the Father for me. Thank You that You died on the cross in my place to pay the debt for my sins. Thank You that You rose from the dead so that I might have new life in You. And thank You that You now sit at the right hand of the heavenly Father in glory for me, so that I will share in Your glory with You forever.

Thank You that You came to fulfill all righteousness for “us”. And I now fulfill my part of the “us” by placing my whole and complete trust in what You did for me.

I hope you have done so. And if you haven’t, I hope you will today. Our dear sister has done so … and she is declaring it to us today by being baptized in Jesus’ name.

AE