2. THE BAPTISM OF JESUS Mark 1:9-11 (Matthew 3:13-17; Luke 3:21-23) 9 And it came to pass in those days, that Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee,--[John was baptizing in Jordan; Nazareth was sixty miles or more from where John was baptizing. Jesus doubtless walked the distance, that he might be baptized of John. This was his emergence into history from the obscurity of his village life in Nazareth since his visit to Jerusalem at twelve years of age. He could go to John by way of the plain of the Jordan without passing through Jerusalem, and probably did so. During this interval of about eighteen years he seems to have been working at the carpenter's bench (Mark 6:3; Matthew 13:55) with Joseph. He came, therefore, from obscurity to publicity, from manual labor to spiritual teaching.] and was baptized of John in the Jordan.--Immersed. [Matthew and Luke give more of the incidents connected with the baptism of Jesus than Mark. Matthew (Matthew 3:13-17) says "Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to the Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him. But John would have hindered him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me? But Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffereth him. And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway from the water: and lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove, and coming upon him; and lo, a voice out of the heavens, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Luke (3:21, 22) gives this account of it: "Now it came to pass, when all the people were baptized, that, Jesus also having been baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Spirit descended in a bodily form, as a dove, upon him, and a voice came out of heaven, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased." John (John 1:31-34) says: "And I knew him not , but that he should be made manifest to Israel, for this cause came I baptizing in water. And John bare witness, saying, I have beheld the Spirit descending as a dove out of heaven; and it abode upon him. And I knew him not but he that sent me to baptize in water, he said unto me, Upon whomsoever thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and abiding upon him, the same is he that baptizeth in the Holy Spirit. And I have seen, and have borne witness that this is the Son of God."] From obscurity Jesus went to widespread fame, through duty performed. Do your duty , the rest will take care of itself. 10 And straightway coming up out of the water,--How needless, if baptism was sprinkling or pouring! he saw the heavens rent asunder,--The sky seemed to have parted to allow the emergence of the beautiful vision: the heavens were opened to show that which had been closed against us on account of our sins. The first Adam shut us out of heaven, but the second Adam opened, and will now let us into it. and the Spirit as a dove descending upon him:--The Spirit's connection with Jesus was made unmistakable. This was necessary for the reason it was the sign given by God to John, by which he was to recognize the Son of God. (John 1:33.) 11 and a voice came out of the heavens, Thou art my beloved Son,--God spake from heaven and sanctioned the acts of both John and Jesus. Expressing the relationship between the two. Son, not by adoption, but by eternal existence. in thee I am well pleased.--The Father was pleased when at twelve years of age he manifested anxiety to be about his life-work; he was pleased when he quietly submitted in hard-working obscurity to wait his time; he was pleased by his daily life; and he was pleased when he came to John to be baptized by him. [From Luke (Luke 3:23) we learn he was thirty years old. From Matthew (Matthew 3:14), that when he came to John to be baptized of him, John objected. As the wed he felt he had need to be baptized of Jesus. He was preaching that they should repent, and baptizing for the remission of sins. Jesus had no sin to repent of or to be remitted. Why should he baptize him then? Jesus said: "Suffer it now for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness." Righteousness means the provisions of God for making men righteous. It becomes us to, or we ought to, fulfill all the will of God for making men righteous. He then baptized him, and as he came up out of the water, he prayed (Luke 3:21), and the heavens were opened, and the Holy Spirit in the likeness of the dove descended, lighted upon him, and abode with him, and a voice out of the heavens said, "This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." Both Jesus and John saw the Spirit descending, and heard the voice. We are not told that others saw or heard these.]