Matthew 3 – John the Baptist, Jesus’ Baptism

Matthew 3 – John the Baptist, Jesus’ Baptism

In fulfillment of the Bible John the Baptist preached, “repent for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” Those whom John baptized [immersed] confessed their sins. He preached to the Pharisees and Sadducees to bear fruit in keeping with repentance, don’t hope in your ancestry. One will come who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. Jesus was baptized to fulfill righteousness, as He came up from the water, the heavens opened, the Spirit of God descended like a dove, and a voice from heaven said, “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased.”

John’s baptism signified a person’s repentance, confession of sin, and believing in Jesus, and as Jesus is baptized the Holy Spirit rests upon Christ and the Father expresses His pleasure in the Son. Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s promise to crush the serpent through Eve’s posterity. Jesus is the one who will lead His people back to paradise with God.