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FULFILLING ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS
FRIDAY, APRIL 18
Matthew 3:13-17

Romans 5:12-21

 

“thus it becometh us

to fulfil all righteousness…”

 

FULFILLING ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS
 
We find the Lord Jesus Christ doing a most remarkable thing here: He went to John for baptism. We know that John’s baptism was a baptism “unto repentance.” Jesus was sinless. There was nothing for Him to repent of. John himself was puzzled as to why the Lord would seek baptism from him.
 
John was simply a baptiser and not the Messiah. Jesus was infinitely greater and mightier. John said that he was not worthy even to unloose the latchet of His sandals. John baptised only with water, but Jesus would baptise them with the Holy Spirit and with fire. This fire is a chastitive fire that purifies all believers (“whose fan is in his hand, and he will throughly purge his floor, and will gather the wheat into his garner”), as well as a punitive fire that destroys all unbelievers on the day of His wrath (“but the chaff he will burn with fire unquenchable”) as taught in Luke 3:17.
 
The Lord Jesus told John the reason He had to be baptised. Jesus said that He needed to be baptised in order “to fulfil all righteousness.” What does this mean? Calvin insightfully commented, “The word righteousness frequently signifies, in Scripture, the observation of the law: and in that sense we may explain this passage to mean that, since Christ had voluntarily subjected Himself to the law, it was necessary that He should keep it in every part.” Calvin also said that Jesus had to offer His Father full obedience, while the particular reason was to consecrate baptism in His own body, that it might be common between Him and us.
 
God the Father required God the Son to do His bidding as man’s perfect Representative. The Son obeyed the Father and humbly submitted Himself to do His will. That is why after Jesus went through the waters of baptism, we hear the Father’s commendation: “Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.” Herein is another instance of the obedience of Christ. Christ obeyed this ceremonial law of water baptism in order to earn the righteousness we need for salvation. Jesus achieved this through the power of the Spirit which was given to Him without measure.
 
THOUGHT: “Behold, to obey is better than sacrifice…” (1 Sam 15:22)

PRAYER: Father, help me to obey Thy Word.

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