Our merciful God was baptized at the Jordan for you and me, his first public act as our Savior from sin.     

It was one baptism that almost did not happen.

Historically, the Christian church has not been in the habit of denying Holy Baptism to those who desire it. Jesus commanded his apostles and people to proclaim the gospel in all the world, to baptize all nations in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. He made it clear that Baptism is a divine gift intended for all.

Still, there was one baptism of a willing applicant that very nearly did not come to fruition. It was Jesus' own baptism.

The necessity of Jesus' baptism

The evangelist Matthew tells us that when John was baptizing in the desert region near the Jordan River, Jesus made the long trip from Galilee to receive Baptism from the famous Baptizer. To the best of our knowledge, John was the only man at that time authorized by divine prophecy and call to preach "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins" (Mark 1:4). In other words, if you wanted to be baptized in the name of the only true God and be certain of the divine promise of forgiveness made in this novel rite of water and Word, you needed to make an appointment with prophet John.

Jesus did, but John reacted in an unaccommodating way. He was determined to withhold Baptism from his own relative, Jesus. John tried to deter him because of who Jesus was. This was not just another man like the rest coming for Baptism. This was God himself, the Savior of the world, and in his heart of hearts John knew it. Yes, he had known it even from his mother's womb (Luke 1:41,44). Sensing the dramatic irony of the scene—the eternal, righteous God seeking a baptism for the forgiveness of sins—the great Baptizer undertook a hasty and humble inquiry: "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?" (Matthew 3:14).

John was right, of course. Jesus had no personal need for Holy Baptism because of who he is and what he is, the sinless Son of God. This is the One about whom the angels once sang, "Glory to God in the highest!" This is the One, according to the elderly believer Simeon, who would serve as a light to enlighten the darkened Gentile nations and be the glory of all Israel. This is the One about whom the Almighty God had spoken when he prophesied from eternity through his servant David: "You are my Son; today I have become your Father" (Psalm 2:7). This is the One about whom the church still confesses to this day: "God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God." If we had been in John's sandals with John's divinely inspired knowledge of Jesus, we would have rightly reacted the same way: "I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?"