Christ Chose the Father's Will
Christ Chose the Father's Will: an original Matthew 3:13-17 KJV devotional with biblical context and practical application.
“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.”
Matthew 3:13-17 KJV
John recognized that Jesus did not stand before him as another sinner needing repentance. Christ nevertheless accepted this baptism as part of fulfilling the Father's will. The scene marks the beginning of His public ministry and directs our attention to His unique identity.
Read the passage carefully
The passage presents Father, Son, and Holy Ghost distinctly. It belongs with the wider biblical teaching that there is one God in three persons. We should let the account speak with its own clarity rather than reduce Jesus to a moral teacher receiving encouragement for a promising career. He is the beloved Son, fully worthy of the Father's delight, entering the ministry that would lead to the cross and resurrection.
His obedience also corrects our habit of treating duty as valuable only when it brings immediate recognition we understand. Christ followed the Father's purpose without needing to improve His own standing through public performance. Those saved by Him are called to obedience from gratitude, including baptism after personal faith as a testimony of identification with Him. The act does not wash away sin or replace the saving work He alone accomplished.
Carry this truth into the day
Receive this scene first as a revelation of the Saviour before making it an example for yourself. Our hope rests in His righteousness, not in our ability to reproduce His perfection. Then let His willing submission encourage your own response to the clear commands of Scripture. Honor the Lord in the responsibility before you, even when the step seems ordinary. Faithful obedience grows stronger when it is rooted in love for the One who first fulfilled the Father's will perfectly and now receives His people through the grace secured by His finished work.
Why the setting matters
Jesus comes to John for baptism, explaining that it is fitting to fulfill all righteousness. The Spirit descends, and the Father's voice identifies His beloved Son.
Continue in the Word
Read further: Matthew 3 in the King James Bible.