David Bahn – Reflections

Matthew 3:13-14 (NLT)

Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. ¹⁴ But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?”

When Jesus came to John to be baptized, John didn’t get it – and rightly so! Jesus is the Son of God. John is his front man. Jesus validates John. Jesus gives John a reason for being in business. Jesus is the one John will point to as the one who must grow more famous while John fades into the background. Of course John doesn’t understand why Jesus should need to be baptized; what possible benefit to Jesus would there be in John’s baptism?

That, of course, it both the question and the answer. There is no benefit to Jesus in being baptized other than Jesus’ willing identity with sinners. In this act of being baptized Jesus is signaling His connection and identity with all of fallen humankind. He is signing up for the justice and judgment of God. God will one day look at His beloved Son and consider Him the embodiment of the sins of the world. And God will crush His Son in a brutal and unimaginable way: on a cruel Roman cross. Forsaken by friends, family, and followers. Abandoned by the Heavenly Father. Crucified, dead, and buried.

We know the story doesn’t end there. But we pause here to consider the absolute unreasonableness, irrational, no pay-off character of Jesus’ baptism: to John’s way of thinking and ours. But because the story does not end here – or even in the moments following Jesus’ baptism (more about that later this week) – we often miss the mystery and challenge of this event in Jesus’ life.

Jesus was beginning His public ministry, identifying with sinful men, women, and children, and heading for the cross – all for the joy set before him (cf. Hebrews 12:2). If we know this we will too quickly run to this answer and miss a greater opportunity to dwell with God in the mystery of His grace and love.

We want answers. We don’t tend to enjoy loose ends. We want our packages wrapped neatly and tied carefully – so the contents are kept safe. But if we never spend any time with the loose ends of deeper questions about Jesus and our faith we will be ill-equipped to handle the messiness of real life. And life is messy.

Today would be a good day to dwell with God in the mystery of Jesus’ baptism: why did He do that? What, really was happening here? What are the analogies, or figures of speech that capture the unexpected nature of this event? Do so without the answers in mind. As you do, God will meet you there, and you will surely gain deeper insight into the Christian faith, and be better able to handle the messiness and challenging questions of daily life.