Yesterday, I taught our kid’s about Jesus’ baptism. I grew up hearing this story, but was never taught how strange it was for Jesus to request a baptism of repentance. I explained to our kids that we need to learn why Jesus, who was without sin, requested to be baptized.
Many things Jesus did during his earthly ministry surprised eyewitnesses, but his request for baptism was so unexpected that John the Baptist, the one who had a better understanding of who Jesus was than any other, even protested. John understood that the baptism he was calling for was one of repentance (Mark 1:4), which is why it made no sense for him to baptize Jesus. What John failed to understand, however, was Jesus’ role as Messiah.
The apostle Paul explains Jesus’ objective by stating, “But when the fullness of time had come, God sent forth his Son, born of woman, born under the law, to redeem those who were under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons” (Galatians 4:4). According to this verse, Christ was baptized for two reasons. The first reason was because he was born under the law. This meant that he was to identify with sinners. R.C. Sproul asserts, “Although Christ was without sin (2 Cor. 5:21), he was born under the law…as one identified with sinners who are under the curse of the law” (1698).
The second reason Christ was baptized was to redeem those under the law. Jesus not only had to submit to, but also meet all of God’s requirements for his people. According to Sproul, “Jesus had to submit to all God’s requirements for Israel, and to identify with those whose sins he had come to bear. His baptism proclaimed that he had come to take the sinner’s place under God’s judgment” (1415). I often explain to our kid’s that because Jesus identified himself with us, perfectly met the requirements we failed to meet and took the punishment for our sins, even though he was innocent, redemption has been made available for all who trust in him for salvation.
Sproul, R.C. The Reformation Study Bible. Orlando: Ligonier Ministries. 2005. 1415; 1698.
