The Link Between Jesus Baptism and The Temptation.
The Link Between Jesus Baptism and The Temptation.
In this Blog we will look at the link between Jesus baptism and the temptation, in the next Blog, we will look at the 3 temptations themselves.
Jesus baptism is recorded in Matthew, Mark, and Luke, and mentioned in John. The records are all the same: Jesus goes to John to be baptized, John protests, saying Jesus should baptize him, not that he should baptize Jesus, but Jesus tells him to do it, and so he does, the Holy Spirit comes down from heaven, alights on Jesus, the voice from heaven speaks, and immediately the Holy Spirit sends Jesus out into the desert to be tempted by the devil.
Mat 3:13-17
Mar 1:9-11
Luk 3:21-22
Jhn 1:32-34
"Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John forbade 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." Mat 3:13-17
So why did Jesus get baptized by John? John's baptism was a "baptism regarding the remission of sins;" Jesus was not a sinner.
And when John asks him that very question, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? Jesus responds, in good colloquial American English: Don't worry! Just do it! It's the right thing to do!
Then, Jesus having been baptized, the Holy Spirit comes down, alights on him, as a proof that he did the right thing, and the Father calls down from heaven, saying, this is my beloved son in whom I am well pleased, giving full and total approval that he did the right thing, and that he, the Father, was totally pleased with both Jesus and what he had done.
So we know Jesus did the right thing in getting baptized by John, but here is THE question:
Why was it the right thing for the Holy Son of God to receive a sign that marked him as a sinner?
The reason is made clear in the below verses:
"For what the law could not do, in that it was weak through the flesh, God sending his own Son in the likeness of sinful flesh, and for sin, condemned sin in the flesh:" Rom 8:3
"Forasmuch then as the children are partakers of flesh and blood, he also himself likewise took part of the same; that through death he might destroy him that had the power of death, that is, the devil; And deliver them who through fear of death were all their lifetime subject to bondage. For verily he took not on him the nature of angels; but he took on him the seed of Abraham. Wherefore in all things it behooved him to be made like unto his brethren, that he might be a merciful and faithful high priest in things pertaining to God, to make reconciliation for the sins of the people." Heb 2:14-17
When Jesus was baptized, he was identifying himself as a sinner, identifying himself with his people, who are sinners; NOT the Jews, but with his elect, the children, his brethren, who though they were "elect from before the foundation of the world," were yet spiritually dead by virtue of Adam's sin, living in a fallen, spiritually dead condition, and so sinning, doing sinful acts, and in need of a Savior. He comes in the likeness of sinful flesh, as one of them, so that he could be a perfect savior; perfect, meaning fully suited to be their savior, yet he himself not being a sinner.
John the Baptist says of him, "Behold the Lamb of God, which taketh away the sin of the world." Joh 1:29
This started with his baptism, a public declaration that he was identifying with sinners, to be their savior, their head, their representative, as Isaiah says, "bearing our iniquities." Isa 53
When John says, "taketh away" that is a present active verbal participle, meaning Jesus was actively doing it at that present time; Jesus was doing it when John made that statement; it did not start at some future time, it had already started; nor was it a single action which occurred at the cross, it was an ongoing activity; it started at his baptism, when he declared himself to be the sin-bearer, and continued until he carried them to the cross. In this way, and only in this way, could the Lord Jesus be a perfectly suited high-priest: he is both the priest, and the sacrifice! He takes our sins upon himself, and carries them to the cross, where he as the priest, lays down his own life, which is the sacrifice, and dies for us, in our place, as the sin-bearer:
"Who his own self bare our sins in his own body to the tree, that we, being dead to sins, should live unto righteousness: by whose stripes ye were healed. For ye were as sheep going astray; but are now returned unto the Shepherd and Bishop of your souls." 1Pe 2:24-25
When we read Heb 2, we key in on verses 9, 10, and 18 which talk about his suffering and death, and obviously that is true, but the work of a High Priest, was NOT to die for the people, it was to "take" the sins of the people, "place" them upon the offering, and then sacrifice that offering, so that the offering died in place of the people; the offering dies, the people live.
So in his baptism, Jesus is identifying himself with his people, as their head, their representative, the last Adam. He comes to do what the first Adam failed to do: Adam sinned, and death entered the world; Jesus does not sin, but obtains righteousness and life, becoming the life giver.
"For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive." 1Co 15:22
"And so it is written, The first Adam was made a living soul; the last Adam was made a quickening spirit." 1Co 15:45
The first Adam was a created being, the Last Adam, having life in himself, comes to give life.
And note, Jesus is the LAST Adam, not the second; there is no need for another, it is done, there is righteousness and life available from him to man.
He commits no sin, but fully keeps the Law, and thereby obtains righteousness for us; and he takes our sins to himself, as the sin-bearing sacrifice; then as the priest, sacrifices that sacrifice, which is his own self, to God on the cross; and having risen, offers to us that righteousness which he obtained for us, telling us we cannot earn it, but if we humble ourselves, and ask, we can receive it by faith.
His baptism was public, witnessed by many people, but there was only one who fully understood the meaning, and that was not John, John was thoroughly confused; it was the Devil who knew exactly what it meant, and so, just like he had previously attacked Adam, and brought sin and death into the world, so too he attacked the last Adam, to put the final nail in the coffin of God's plan; he must attack and defeat Jesus, the Son of God, who as the head of his people, the elect, has come to fulfil the law for them, on their behalf, and so obtain a God acceptable righteousness for them, and to also bear their sins to the cross, and there die for them, so that the just punishment for those sins, will not land them in hell, but will fall on him, the sin-bearer, and they will be able to enter the "kingdom prepared for them from the foundation of the world."
God's plan of redemption is a grand plan, the Devil knows the general direction, I don't think he knew it in all the details, but he knew enough, that he knew he needed to de-rail Jesus; the Devil knew Jesus baptism was the public declaration of his being the Savior!
And Jesus knew that the Devil knew that, and would therefore be out to get him; think about it, the Devil had already tried to kill Jesus, when Herod ordered all the male children under 2 to be killed!
Jesus, as the pre-incarnate son of God, had watched Satan tempt Adam, and Adam sin and die. However we try to reconcile God's eternal plan, with his knowing/planning/allowing Adam to sin, we know one thing, God was not taken by surprise when Adam sinned; Jesus coming to earth was not plan "B," made necessary because God was taken by surprise when Adam sinned. Christ is called the Lamb slain from "before the foundation of the world;" that shows us that Adam's sinning did NOT take God by surprise!
So Satan knows he needs to attack Jesus, and de-rail him from his work; but how, and when?
The Devil does not set up the Temptation!! The Holy Spirit does!! Jesus does!! The Devil simply seizes the opportunity which Jesus present him with. The Holy Spirit and Jesus initiate the temptation. Jesus immediately goes out to do battle with the Devil! He does not let any time pass!
In essence he say to the Devil, "Here I am, bring it on!"
Adam was a pre-fallen man, in the fullness of health and strength, in the company of Eve; Jesus was in the likeness of sinful flesh, totally weakened by 40 day and 40 nights of fasting, all alone.
And Jesus does not just "tie one hand behind his back," he sets it up so his defeat of Satan when tempted would be a total victory.
17 March 2026