In obedience to God's will Jesus Christ was baptised in the River Jordan by John. The event was sealed by the descent of the Holy Spirit and the Father's voice of approval.
John tries to prevent Jesus Christ from being baptised
Matthew 3:13–14 John was baptising repentant sinners but he knew that Jesus Christ was sinless.
At that time Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. But John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and do You come to me?”
The necessity of Jesus Christ's baptism
Matthew 3:15 See also Mark 10:38; Luke 12:50
“Let it be so now,” Jesus replied. “It is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness in this way.” Then John permitted Him.
The events surrounding Jesus Christ's baptism
The baptism itself
Mark 1:9 parallels Matthew 3:13, Luke 3:21
In those days Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
Jesus Christ prays while being baptised
When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as He was praying, heaven was opened,
The Holy Spirit descends on Jesus Christ
Mark 1:10 parallels Matthew 3:16, Luke 3:22 The Holy Spirit came upon Jesus Christ to equip him for his ministry which was about to begin and to give him strength at a time of temptation. See also John 1:32–34
As soon as Jesus came up out of the water, He saw the heavens breaking open and the Spirit descending on Him like a dove.
The voice of the Father is heard
Matthew 3:17 parallels Mark 1:11, Luke 3:22 These words, which are an allusion to Psalm 2:7 and Isaiah 42:1, were repeated at the transfiguration. See also Matthew 17:5 parallels Mark 9:7, Luke 9:35
And a voice from heaven said, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased!”
Related themes
Dictionary of Bible Themes © 1999 Martin Manser, licensed CC BY-SA 4.0, via Bible Aquifer. Formatted for this site, with Scripture from the Berean Standard Bible.