FRIDAY October 11th
Luke 3:21-22
‘Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”’
The first thing that Jesus needed to do was to be baptized in the Jordan river, but I say ‘needed’ carefully, for the baptism that was taking place by the man known as John the Baptist was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sin. And Jesus being sinless, had no need of repentance. But what he needed to do, was to identify himself with the people. In Matthews account Jesus says to John that it was fitting for him to fulfil all righteousness. He in being presented to the people wanted to show to them that he was willing, although it wasn’t necessary for himself to fulfil that which was required by them.
But the part of the verses that I want to draw our attention to is what followed immediately after Jesus had been baptized by John.
From Luke as above, ‘. . . the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”’
Matthew’s record 3:16-17 says this ‘the heavens were opened to him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming to rest on him; and behold, a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”
Mark 1:10–11 reads as ‘. . . immediately he saw the heavens being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”’
If ever there are verses that help us to see the doctrine of the trinity which we considered back a week or so as we commenced these devotions it is these. The people who witnessed the baptism, would have heard the voice of God the Father, they would have seen the Holy Spirit has he descended and rested on Jesus like a dove, and they would have heard the declaration that was made, that Jesus was the ‘beloved Son’ in whom God the Father was pleased.
Now, God was pleased with Jesus in every way, but specifically here, can I suggest that he was pleased that his Son had willingly identified himself with those around him by submitting to the baptism.
Baptism is one of the two ordinances that the Protestant arm of the Church believes and practise as being important to the Church, the other being the ordinance of the Lord’s Supper, communion.
We follow through with both ordinances in obedience to the instruction of Jesus.
Regarding water baptism, in the commission that he gave to his disciples, he told them to ‘Go, therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit’, see here is the unity of the three persons of the Godhead again, the trinitarian baptism formula.
Regarding communion, the instruction that Jesus gave was as noted by the apostle Paul in 1 Corinthians 11, ‘to do this’ (that is break bread together and to drink of the cup together) ‘in remembrance of me’ and in doing it we are proclaiming the Lord’s death until he comes.
Have you in coming to faith been obedient to the ordinance of water baptism? And let’s be faithful as believers (for it is only those who have come to faith in Christ who should participate in Communion) in coming on a regular basis to celebrate the Lord’s Supper together.