The Baptism of Jesus, Part 1

Driving home: In fact, I am prepared to state that in a very real sense, they constitute at the beginning of our Lord's ministry a significance as profound and far-reaching as do the resurrection, and the ascension on the other end of…

Martin's fellow elder suggested John the Baptist was like a 'meteor-like man' who comes onto the scene in a blaze of glory and then 'is almost struck from the heavens and falls out of sight' after Jesus' baptism, illustrating the shift in focus from John to Jesus.

is to be identified with the ministry of John the Baptist, then the ministry of John the Baptist comes to both its culmination, and in a sense, its cessation, with this trilogy of events recorded in Mark 1, verses 9 through 11. From this point onward, the ministry of John the Baptist fades very quickly. As one of my fellow elders suggested as we were discussing this prior to the service, it's as though this meteor-like man, John the Baptist, who comes onto the scene in a blaze of glory at this point, is almost struck from the heavens and falls out of sight. And so this is an epical event, both...

6:06 - 7:33 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin describes the second fact: Jesus' anointing with the Holy Spirit, noting the heavens being 'rent asunder' and the Spirit descending in a visible, bodily form like a dove…

The heavens being 'rent asunder' at Jesus' baptism is compared to what the scripture says will happen at the return of the Lord Jesus when the heavens will be 'rolled back as a scroll', illustrating the dramatic nature of this divine intervention.

is probably akin to what the scripture says will happen at the return of the lord jesus when the heavens will be rolled back as a scroll now what this means precisely we have no basis to assert or to affirm from scripture but we are told that the heavens were rent and at least the lord jesus and probably john and whether or not any others we cannot say for scripture is silent but the text says that he saw the heavens rent asunder in other words with the bible imagery of this heaven and this earth constituting man's dwelling place and environment the bible also speaks of the heaven and the eart...

17:28 - 18:48 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin describes the second fact: Jesus' anointing with the Holy Spirit, noting the heavens being 'rent asunder' and the Spirit descending in a visible, bodily form like a dove…

The heavens being 'rent' is described as God piercing the heavens connected with earth to open up the 'third heavens', the peculiar dwelling place of God, illustrating the direct and powerful manifestation of God's presence.

is probably akin to what the scripture says will happen at the return of the lord jesus when the heavens will be rolled back as a scroll now what this means precisely we have no basis to assert or to affirm from scripture but we are told that the heavens were rent and at least the lord jesus and probably john and whether or not any others we cannot say for scripture is silent but the text says that he saw the heavens rent asunder in other words with the bible imagery of this heaven and this earth constituting man's dwelling place and environment the bible also speaks of the heaven and the eart...

17:28 - 18:48 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin describes the second fact: Jesus' anointing with the Holy Spirit, noting the heavens being 'rent asunder' and the Spirit descending in a visible, bodily form like a dove…

Examples of God manifesting Himself in a burning bush, as the angel of Jehovah, and in the pillar of fire and cloud are given to illustrate God's ability to take any visible form He chooses, explaining the Spirit's manifestation as a dove.

And so there actually was a visible form of a dove that came fluttering out of the rent heavens and gently made its way down to the place where Jesus was standing. And according to John chapter 1, it alighted upon Him, and stayed upon Him for a time. And this was none other than the Holy Spirit taking to Himself this visible form of a dove. God is able to take any visible form He chooses.

19:21 - 19:58 Read in full sermon

Driving home: It is the announcement that the peculiar nature of the thing God has done is that he has worked in the doing and the dying of another, that our acceptance with God, our restoration to the favor of God does not rest upon …

A commentator's graphic statement that God 'buried his own son alive in Nazareth' is quoted to emphasize the obscurity and silence surrounding Jesus' eighteen years in Nazareth before His public ministry.

He had other brothers and sisters in the meantime. Are not his brothers and sisters with us? But apart from those few incidents we know nothing. God, as it were, one commentator has graphically said buried his own son alive in Nazareth.

27:42 - 27:59 Read in full sermon

In this part of the sermon: Martin argues that Jesus' baptism formally and publicly proclaims His identification with His people, explaining how this act signifies His assumption of His redemptive office as…

The Jordan River is metaphorically called the 'place of his resurrection' to highlight that it was here Jesus first appeared in His fully matured manhood after years of obscurity in Nazareth.

And the place of his resurrection was the Jordan River. It is here at the River Jordan that he is first seen in his fully matured manhood. He had been growing in wisdom and stature in favor with God and man. And now after all of these years are passed the Lord has come to him.

28:03 - 28:23 Read in full sermon

Driving home: but Jesus answering said unto him permit it now for thus it becomes us not me thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness then he permitted him.

A commentator's statement that 'John as it were excommunicated the entire nation' is quoted to illustrate the radical nature of John's baptism, which marked out a new community of penitent believers looking to the coming Messiah.

John I understand your objection in the consciousness of who you are and at least in the dawning recognition of who I am this seems utterly incongruous that I the sinless one I the Messiah should receive baptism at your hands but John it is necessary for us for you and for me to fulfill all the righteous requirements of God. Well what were the righteous requirements of God for John and for Jesus? Well for John it was that his ministry should find its climactic expression in the identification of the Messiah. John 1 in verse 31 clearly indicates that the fundamental rationale for John's baptism...

31:25 - 32:53 Read in full sermon

Driving home: I am manifested to be the savior of sinners and I can only save them by identifying myself with them by becoming one with them in covenant oneness evident and manifest to all that I take upon myself their liabilities the…

Jesus' baptism in the Jordan is presented as a preview of the 'awful baptism of Golgotha' and the 'awful baptism of the father's wrath', connecting His submission to a sinner's ordinance with His future suffering for sin.

for which I have come forth from the father that I might be the savior of my people and if I am to save as their substitute and surety it must be evident in my first public manifestation that this is the divine method of salvation John plunge me beneath the waters for when I am laden with the sins of my people I shall be baptized with that awful baptism of Golgotha and the awful baptism of the father of the son of God and the son of God and the son of God and the son of God and the son of God and it's interesting isn't it that Jesus looked forward to his cross with that very language he said I...

34:23 - 35:50 Read in full sermon

Driving home: I am manifested to be the savior of sinners and I can only save them by identifying myself with them by becoming one with them in covenant oneness evident and manifest to all that I take upon myself their liabilities the…

A quotation from Lutheran commentator Lenski is used to explain that Jesus' baptism was 'proper for us to fulfill all righteousness' in the context of their respective offices, signifying Jesus' voluntary assumption of His redemptive office.

for which I have come forth from the father that I might be the savior of my people and if I am to save as their substitute and surety it must be evident in my first public manifestation that this is the divine method of salvation John plunge me beneath the waters for when I am laden with the sins of my people I shall be baptized with that awful baptism of Golgotha and the awful baptism of the father of the son of God and the son of God and the son of God and the son of God and the son of God and it's interesting isn't it that Jesus looked forward to his cross with that very language he said I...

34:23 - 35:50 Read in full sermon