Matthew 3:13-17; Isaiah 42:1-9; Psalm 29; Acts 10:34-42
Reveal parties seem to be all the rage these days, whether it be a public announcement regarding the gender of a soon to be born baby or a party to celebrate the disclosure of “who committed the murder” in a television series show. But the greatest of all reveals or epiphanies occurred two thousand years ago.
If you’re like me, you are relishing that at least statistically, the days are now getting longer. Light dispels darkness. An epiphany is a light-shedding moment—a moment of seeing something that was not seen before, a reaching of greater clarity or understanding. We all have various epiphanies. Unrivaled as the greatest epiphany is what we celebrate annually: the epiphany concerning Jesus, the light of the world. This epiphany is the revelation and subsequent learning about the person and work of the Messiah.
In Matthew 3, we see the public unveiling of Jesus as the long-awaited Messiah along the banks of the Jordan River as He submits Himself to the baptism of John the Baptist. Sure, there were intermittent signs along the way to a select few. Certainly, Mary and Joseph had some insight to the uniqueness of their son as did the wise men and shepherds at His birth. Simeon and Anna had a revelation of His mission at His dedication at the temple in Jerusalem. But these were a select few and the insights were still somewhat clouded in mystery. But at the Jordan that day, with the public baptism of Jesus, the proverbial genie was out of the bottle…it was very public and witnessed by many. Between the testimony of John the Baptist declaring who this Man was, the visible descension of the Holy Spirit upon Him, and the booming voice from Heaven quoting Isaiah 42:1, there was no mistake…this Jesus of Nazareth, was the Messiah, the Son of God, Savior of the World. This reveal, or epiphany was the start of Jesus’ ministry. His baptism identified Him with the people He would save and point ultimately to the cross and resurrection.
But like many of the events in the life of Christ, these things should not have surprised students of the Old Testament. In Isaiah 42, the prophet writes the first of 4 “Servant Songs” regarding the life and ministry of Jesus. In the first nine verses, Isaiah is quoting what God the Father says about his Son.
God’s Promise concerning His Servant
42 “Behold, My Servant, whom I uphold;
My chosen one in whom My soul delights.
I have put My Spirit upon Him;
He will bring forth justice to the nations.
Isaiah is prophesying the event of Jesus’ baptism where God the Father anoints His Son with the Holy Spirit without measure. Isaiah goes on to further describe features of His second coming when He rules the Earth with a rod of iron.
Luther gives some insight into the baptism of Jesus and why He overruled John the Baptist’s reluctance to baptize Jesus. Luther said:
“Christ accepted the baptism from John for the reason that He was entering into our stead, indeed our person, that is becoming a sinner for us, taking upon Himself the sins which He had not committed, and wiping them out and drowning them in His holy baptism”
Mark Packer
Church Elder