Why did Jesus get baptized? Matthew 3:13-17 ; Isaiah 53

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As we continue, I want to begin with a Psalm, explaining why this is important and why I feel led to do this. The Psalms were central to the early church. Whenever they gathered, references to the Psalms appear in accounts of their worship.

Starla can correct me if I'm wrong, but the Psalms are practically always mentioned when the Bible describes the early church activities of their gatherings. I cannot recall a time when the Psalms are absent. Furthermore, this book was the one Jesus quoted most frequently—a fact I recently learned. It's clear that the book of Psalms, for some reason, profoundly shaped the early church's message to the world, more so than any other single book.

Therefore, following our hymns, I want us to join with every generation of the church, and indeed every generation since the time these Psalms of God's people, Israel, were written, in reading a Psalm before we delve into proclaiming God's message of salvation.

Please turn to Psalm 44, verses 1 through 11.

“O God, we have heard with our ears; our fathers have told us what deeds you performed in their days, in the days of old; you with your own hand drove out the nations, but them you planted; you afflicted the peoples, but1 you set them free; for not by their own sword did they win the land, nor did their own arm save them, but your right hand and your arm, and the light of your face, for you delighted in them.2 You are my king, O God; ordain salvation for Jacob. Through you we push down our foes; through your name we tread down those who rise up against us.3 For I do not trust in my bow, nor can my sword save me. But you have saved us from our foes and have put to shame those who hate us. In God we have boasted continually, and we will give thanks to your name forever.4 But you have rejected us and disgraced us and have not gone out with our armies. You have made us turn back from the foe, and those who hate us have taken spoil. You have made us like sheep for slaughter and scattered us among the nations.”

I want to pause here because many Psalms conclude at this point. This seems to be a natural break. Unlike some Psalms that end with hope—such as the familiar “I will walk through the valley of the shadow of death”—many Psalms lack that hopeful resolution. This is because they point to the reality of Jesus' life, a reality these writers had not yet experienced. They acknowledged that Israel had grievously broken the covenant with God and consistently failed to meet His glorious standard. They yearned for the day when the true Israelite, acting on behalf of all Israel, would come and lead them into the beautiful covenant God offered. This covenant remained available, but someone was needed to fulfill its demands.

To resolve this tension, let's turn to Matthew chapter three, beginning in verse 13. We now enter the life of Jesus. Last week, we heard John the Baptist's proclamation that the Kingdom of God is at hand. This doesn't simply mean the Kingdom was arriving at some future point; it wasn't merely about to appear. No, it was here—present and tangible.

Yet, even John didn't fully grasp how the Kingdom was present until the man he baptized stepped onto the scene. Then it clicked for John. Though he had moments of doubt, as we see in this baptism, John exclaimed, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” But Jesus, for reasons we will explore, insisted, “No, this has to be done.”

So, if you would, turn to Matthew chapter three, starting in verse 13:

“Then Jesus arrived from Galilee at the Jordan coming to John, to be baptized by him. But John tried to prevent him, saying, 'I have need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?'”5 Jesus replied to him, “Allow it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove6 and settling on Him, and behold, a voice from the heavens said, “This is My beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

Before embarking on His mission to save us, Jesus identified Himself as one of us, and not just by becoming human. John's baptism was a baptism of repentance. Why would the perfect, sinless Son of God participate in a baptism for which He had no personal need? Jesus, being sinless, had no need to repent!

So why does Jesus insist that this baptism is necessary to “fulfill all righteousness”? We'll return to that phrase shortly. But the reason is this: I don't know if you've ever repented and then repeated the same sin, but I have. Jesus is the only one who can live a life of true repentance, perfectly, on behalf of all Israel.

Jesus declares, “I am going to step into your place,” not only the place of Israel, but, as we know, He extends this to all humanity, “and live the life that you will never be able to live through your own repentance.” This marks the beginning of Jesus' declaration that He is the true Israelite who will lead not only Israel but the entire world into the beautiful life and covenant promised long ago. Jesus alone can live the true repentance necessary for humanity to experience God's life.

We often focus on the cross, saying, “Jesus took my place. He stood in the gap, so I wouldn't have to die.” But in undergoing baptism and living His entire life, Jesus was standing in the gap for you, living the life you could never live, and then dying the death we all deserve. Jesus bore the burden both in life and in death, offering us undeserved grace and a full life. This is the profound meaning of the baptism of repentance.

Now, let's examine the word “righteousness.” Why is it significant that Jesus had to be baptized to “fulfill all righteousness,” as He states in verse 15 of this passage? “But Jesus answering said to him, 'Allow it at this time; for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.'” While many of us understand righteousness to mean simply being “good” or, as Bible teachers explain, being in right standing with God, righteousness isbeing in right standing with God.

However, I have a concern with how some translations handle this word. They often replace “righteousness” with “justify,” which is the verb form of righteousness. So, instead of “to make righteous,” many translations use “justified.” As we turn to Isaiah, chapter 53, I want us to recognize the connection: to be made righteous is to be justified. The words are interchangeable. To be made righteous means to be cleared of all penalty, all wrongdoing. When we stand before God, all our sins, pain, and transgressions are forgiven; we are made righteous; we are justified. I want us to understand that these two words are fundamentally linked.

Let's turn to Isaiah 53 and read the entire chapter. I see a powerful connection between Matthew 3:15, where Jesus speaks of fulfilling all righteousness, and what we find in Isaiah 53. As many of you know, Isaiah 53 is the chapter of the Suffering Servant. It describes God's chosen servant, who possesses no extraordinary appearance or qualities that would suggest He is God's chosen king. Yet, this servant will lead us into righteousness. “My righteous one,” the text declares. This servant will justify, will make righteous, will bear our wrongdoing.

So, let us read.

Isaiah 53:1-12

Who has believed our report? And to whom has the arm of the Lord been revealed? For He grew up before Him like a tender shoot, and like a root out of dry ground; He has no stately form or majesty that we would look at Him, nor an appearance that we would take pleasure in Him. He was despised and abandoned by men, a man of great pain and familiar with sickness; and like one from whom people hide their faces, He was despised, and we had no regard for Him. However, it was our sicknesses that He Himself bore, and our pain that He carried; yet we ourselves assumed that He had been afflicted, struck down by God, and humiliated. But He was pierced for our offenses, He was crushed for our wrongdoings; the punishment for our well-being was laid upon Him, and by His wounds we are healed. All of us, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to his own way; but the Lord has caused the wrongdoing of us all to fall on Him. He was oppressed and afflicted, yet He did not open His mouth; like a lamb that is led to slaughter, and like a sheep that is silent before its shearers, so He did not open His mouth. By oppression and judgment He was taken away; and as for His generation, who considered that He was cut off from the land of the living for the wrongdoing of my people, to whom the blow was due? And His grave was assigned with wicked men, yet He was with a rich man in His death, because He had done no violence, nor was there any deceit in His mouth. But the Lord desired to crush Him, causing Him grief. If He renders Himself as a guilt offering, He will see His offspring, He will prolong His days, and the good pleasure of the Lord will prosper in His hand. As a result of the anguish of His soul, He will see it and be satisfied; by His knowledge the righteous One, My Servant, will justify the many, for He will bear their wrongdoings. Therefore, I will allot Him a portion with the great, and He will divide the plunder with the strong, because He poured out His life unto death, and was counted with the wrongdoers; yet He Himself bore the sin of many, and interceded for the wrongdoers."  

Jesus, in Matthew 3:15, reveals that He had to be baptized to fulfill all righteousness because He was stepping into your place and mine. His life would be marked by sorrow, poverty, and the early loss of a parent. He would face betrayal and endure a torturous death. But He also walked on water, calmed storms, raised the dead, and fed multitudes—all in our place. He lived the life we could not live, so He could offer us this beautiful life, empowering us to serve the world with love, power, and strength.

Jesus’ life now dwells in us through the Holy Spirit, enabling us to achieve what was previously impossible, to live an extraordinary life. While I cannot promise you will walk on water, Jesus did. Jesus lived His life so that we could accomplish extraordinary things through His life. This is why He later says that even the least in the kingdom of God will be greater than John the Baptist. How can this be, considering the greatness of John, who baptized Jesus? Jesus reveals that we have access to something greater; we can live a greater life simply by being part of God's new kingdom.

If you remember nothing else, remember this: Jesus not only bore the punishment of death in our place, but every moment of His life was lived in our place. He lived the perfect, sinless life we could never live, overcoming all the forces that seek to overwhelm us—fear, financial struggle, anxiety, and self-doubt. Jesus conquered all these forces, so we can experience that same confidence and strength every day in Him.

Therefore, no matter how insignificant or unworthy we may feel, God has entrusted us with a mission: to live an extraordinary life, inviting the entire world to Him. Regardless of how small you think your role might be in this body, in this church, Jesus likens it to a mustard seed. Though seemingly small and insignificant, it grows into a great tree, offering shade and rest to others. Nothing is too small or insignificant in God's kingdom. Simply do what you can to advance this mission. Proclaim this kingdom in whatever way you can, because your efforts will not be in vain. You will reap a hundredfold, a millionfold return.

Place your faith and hope in the truth that Jesus lived the life you couldn't live so that you could live a life far greater than you can imagine. My challenge to you is to find something this week that you can do to advance that Kingdom message. This doesn't necessarily mean finding someone who is lost. I'm not suggesting you walk the streets until someone rejects you. Instead, find someone you can offer hope to, someone experiencing hardship. Be generous, whether here or elsewhere. In fact, I urge you to be generous in a restaurant. Perform a random act of kindness and share that you did it in the name of Jesus.

Whatever way you see fit, find something in your daily life this week that you can do, something that comes to mind immediately. Often, we hesitate because we think our actions aren't good enough, great enough, fancy or flashy enough. But God is simply asking you to do what you can do. And that is extraordinary, whether you realize it or not.