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Often when looking at Christs baptism we don't quite know what to make of it. So we say things like well you see Christ was setting us an example, so just as he was baptised so should we be baptised. Then theres the difficult question,what does it mean that Christ was baptised to fulfill all righteousness? We again need to see what is happening here is aganst the backdrop of the expected Christ or king of Israel who will rule on Davids throne just as we found out in chapter 2. So if we look at all the elements in the baptism it gives us a clue. To be made a king of Israel the prophet must anoint the person as King. here we find Gods prophet John the Baptist. he recognises Jesus as Gods chosen one or anointed one. John recognises Jesus as Gods chosen King of Israel.
So when John baptises Jesus he is following in the steps of the prophet Samuel. When they are anointed by the prophet the king of Israel is empowered by the Holy Spirit as was the case with Saul and David. So here at Jesus baptism we have have Gods prophet anointing Gods King and as He does it, God empowers His King with the Holy Spirit. In Jesus case we hear the audible voice of God saying this is my Son in whom I am well pleased. By the way the Kings of Judah are called "Son of God". Son of God is the title of Gods King. This comes from 2 Samuel 7 where it is is said of the descendant of David who will build Gods house,I will be his father and he will be my son. So then Jesus baptism is the anointing of Gods chosen King over the people of Israel.This King is titled The Son of God. it is followed immediatly by His genealogy which proves he is a descendant of David and of Admam, who like Jesus wasn't conceived of a Human father and is also called a son of God. Now listen carefully when we say that the title son of God is used to mean the King of Israel,we do not negate the fact that He is the 2nd person of the trinity. We are very much speaking here in terms of Christs humanity and not deity.
All we are saying in this context the Son of God refers to Jesus been the Christ who is the delivering King of Israel. Just to reinforce that Jesus baptism was his anointing as the King of Israel, we see that we have Gods prophet who recognises Jesus as the King. The prophet then anoints Jesus as King through baptism. We then see that God vindicates Jesus as His apointed King by pouring out the Holy Spirit upon Him. After He had received the Holy Spirit we find He was empowered to deliver Israel from her enemies. We find that immediatly after His baptism and empowerment of the Holy Spirit, Jesus was led by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tested by the devil. Again this is the exact pattern set by David and is actually what the story of David and Goliath is about. After David was anointed as King by the prophet and empowered by the Holy Spirit he immediatly took on Israels enemies and overcame them thus showing that God was with Him as king. Here Jesus after been anointed as King and empowered by the Holy Spirit takes on Israels true enemy "The Satan". Here we see a change and reinterpretation of the story of how God would save Israel and the gentiles. it is said earlier in the book to Mary that he will reign on Davids throne and "deliver israel from her enemies".That is what Gods Christs did they like David delivered Israel from their enemies, who were also the enemies of God. In the gospels we find the battle is against the devil and sin and death who are actually the true enemies of Israel! They are the enemiy that Israel needs more than anything,to be delivered from. Satan death and sin are Israels true enemy not the Romans and the other pagans. So Jesus been enpowered by the Holy Spirit is taken into the wilderness to face the first of Israels enemies,ie the Satan Next we see that again we find a parallel with Jesus and Israel in His temptation. The greek word peirasmos means both temptation and testing as in a trial. We see that Jesus after fasting 40 days was hungry.The devil seeing He was hungry says to him if you are the Son of God then change these stones in to bread. Jesus is tested just as Israel was tested in the wilderness. However Israel failed their testing and murmered and sinned against God. Here Jesus shows himself to be a true Israelite obedient and faithdful to His God. God tested Israel by causing them to be hungry to see what was in their hearts and to see if they would live by the very words of God. Jesus answers the evil one with those exact words from Deuteronomy and says He will not live by bread alone but by every word which proceeds from the mouth of God. So Jesus shows himelf to be a true Israelite obedient and faithful to Yhwh. Jesus overcomes where Israel failed in the wilderness. This is the demonstration of Jesus being stronger than the strong man the devil and shows how he overcomes the devil and the world. The next test is that of power, to see if he will be unfaithful and depart from Yhwh. Gods word says the devil took him and in a moment showed Him all the Kingdoms of the world. The devil promises to give them all to Him if he will worship the devil. Here Jesus again shows himself to be a true Israelite by not been unfaithful to Yhwh. Israel had from the start worshipped idols and other gods of the nations about them, as what happened when Moses went to fetch the ten commandments. Besides the devil promising what he cannot deliver and what is not his to give. Jesus remains faithful to serving the one and only true God,YHWH. and quotes the first commandment that you will worship God and God alone. So again Jesus as the true Israelite has passed the first 2 tests and only one remains. We are told the devil took Jesus to the top of the temple in Jerusalem and basically asked Jesus to commit suicide by jumping to his death. Again the devil tests Jesus with the taunt,if you are the Son of God the King of Israel throw yourself down from the temple for it is written he will command His angels concerning you and in their hands, they will bear you lest your foot strike the stone. Here the devil is misquoting scripture but the test is the same as for Israel at Massah where they put the Lord their God to the test. Jesus answers the devil from the scriptures once again saying you shall not put the Lord your God to the test!!!! So on all counts Jesus shows himself to be a true Israelite faithful and obedient to Yhwh. For the Kings of Israel were required to know yhwhs law and to rule by it. So he shows Him himself to be not only a true Israelite who lives by and keeps Yhwhs commandments and law. he also shows himself to be The true King of Israel the Son of God who walks in the ways of God. So in the face of extreme human weakness and hunger and facing Israels true enemy the Devil, Jesus overcomes in the power of the Holy Spirit. he did not overcome the trials and the evil one for himself but for the people of God. Jesus can only deliver Israel from Satan when he has overcome their enemy. Just as Israel could only overcome the Philistines after Goliath the taunter of Israel and her God was overcome by the deliverer God sent them. Only when the king of Israel has disarmed Gods enemy can the people overcome in what their King has done!!!!!!! We are told that Satan departed from Jesus untill another opportunity. This was not indeed the final victory of God but a vital victory. The final victory of God over sin death and the devil was in the death and resurrection of Christ. What we can know, is that we cannot overcome Satan on our own, but we are to walk and appropriate the victory of Christ by trusting in Jesus to deliver us as his people if we are to overcome the Satan. We can only overcome in the victory of Christ. |
