"Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him: And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
This lesson gives us a chance to understand why Jesus came to John the Baptist to be baptized in water. When Jesus asked John to baptize Him, John, at first refused. He Knew that Jesus was the was the chosen one of God, and was humbled by His presence. Jesus then made it clear why it was necessary that He be baptized in water by saying, "Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us TO FULFIL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS."
At the time Jesus encountered John the Baptist, the Law of Moses was still in full affect and in order for Jesus to "fulfil all righteousness" in was necessary that He be baptized in water according to the law.
Jesus was a Jew from the house of David, and the law of Moses demanded that every Jew be baptized (immersed) in running water before they could enter into any religious service.
Jesus would not have been a perfect sacrifice for the sins of the world had He not submitted Himself for ritual Jewish water baptism.
After Jesus had explained why it was necessary, John then baptized Him, and when they came out of the water, the righteousness of Jesus was verified when the spirit of God descended upon Him and He became, at that moment, God in man. God then spoke with a voice from the heavens and said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased."
Jesus was not baptized in water to become the Son of God, He was the Son of God from birth. However, He received the power (spirit) of the Father by fulfilling that element of the law.
By submitting Himself for water baptism, as the law of Moses required, Jesus fulfilled that part of the law. Being a Jew, Jesus would have been circumcised as a boy. He would later fulfill the sacrificial portion of Mosaic law when He died on the cross.~
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