11. Jesus sanctified Baptism by being
Himself baptized. If the Son of God was baptized, what godly man
is he that despiseth Baptism? But He was baptized not that He
might receive remission of sins, for He was sinless; but being sinless,
He was baptized, that He might give to them that are baptized a divine
and excellent grace. For since the children are partakers of
flesh and blood, He also Himself likewise partook of the
same Heb. ii. 14., that having
been made partakers of
His presence in the flesh we might be made partakers also of His Divine
grace: thus Jesus was baptized, that thereby we again by our
participation might receive both salvation and honour. According
to Job, there was in the waters the dragon that draweth up Jordan
into his mouth Job xl. 23.. Since,
therefore, it was necessary to break the heads of the dragon in
pieces Ps. lxxiv. 14., He went down and bound the strong one in the
waters, that we might receive power to tread upon serpents and
scorpions Luke x. 19.. The beast was
great and terrible. No fishing-vessel was able to carry one
scale of his tail Job xl. 26, in the Sept. in place of xli.
7: Canst thou fill his skin with barbed irons, or his head with
fish spears? (A.V. and R.V.): destruction
ran before him Job xli. 13, Sept. but
in R.V. xli. 22: And terror danceth before
him., ravaging all that
met him. The Life encountered him, that the mouth of Death might
henceforth be stopped, and all we that are saved might say, O death,
where is thy sting? O grave, where is thy victory 1 Cor. xv. 55.? The sting of death is drawn by
Baptism.