Baptized and Anointed

 

DEVOTION

THE GOSPEL ACCORDING TO MATTHEW

BAPTIZED AND ANOINTED

Matt 3:13-17

13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14 But John tried to deter him, saying, "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" 15 Jesus replied, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." Then John consented. 16 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 lighting on him. 17 And a voice from heaven said, "This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased."

NIV

It is interesting that Jesus felt that he must submit to this ordinance of baptism. There is a question as to whether this was an ordinance in the same sense as that of circumcision following the law of Moses. However, what is referred to as the law of Moses, is really the Law instituted by God, the highest authority. John the Baptist stands in the Jordon calling for the baptism of repentance with the authority of God. There is also something else that makes this an important event. Because within the Jewish law, when a new high priest is installed into office, he is washed, that is ceremonially washed and anointed. Jesus serves as the high priest forever, and thus he should be washed, baptized, and anointed. We see His anointing coming directly from the Father. It makes perfect sense that Jesus was circumcised on the eighth day and that he Bar-mitzvah at age twelve, this is when Joseph and Mary had to go back into the city to find him. They were all there in the first place for the bar-mitzvah of Jesus. As we were in Jerusalem, we witnessed these celebrations with music and dancing in the streets. Jesus did all that was required as a Jew, and now this was the beginning of his ministry and needed to follow the protocol as a high priest. What an event that must have been. Surely those who were there, saw the Holy Spirit descend like above. This does not mean the Spirit was in the actual form of a dove, although He was in some appearance that was notable. If He was simply a dove, nothing would have been extraordinary about that. He had to have some special glow, some supernatural appearance for those to recognize, for Matthew to record this was the Spirit of God, one of the holy trinities of God. The fact that the Spirit hovered upon Jesus like a dove would have shown everyone that He was there. Then the voice from Heaven, this was the Father speaking clearly, not as the Israelites hear at Mt Horeb in the desert. Here, God the Father speaks in words the people can hear clearly. The Father anoints Jesus, making sure people know that Jesus is the Son of God, that He is loved by God, and He is pleasing to God. Would this not be the most excellent testimony that we could have? We have been anointed by Jesus, as He sent the Holy Spirit to rest on and in us. We have the plain words of God to hear each day. When we accept Jesus as our Lord and Savior God declares us holy and blameless in his sight. He tells us that he loves us and is pleased with us because we are in Christ. When Jesus said that we would do that which he does, and even greater things, that would include being baptized, having the Spirit descend upon us, and being anointed by God as His children, loved and pleased with us.