Then Came Jesus Matthew 3:13

Matthew shared how John the Baptist was baptizing people in the Jordan river and telling them about the one who was coming. In chapter three and verse thirteen of his book, Matthew wrote,“Then came Jesus from Galilee” where we read:

Then came Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.

The verse reads, “Then came Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, ...” Matthew began with the word, “then” which means “at that time” “came Jesus” or “Jesus whose name means Jehovah is Salvation and is the Son of God, the Savior of mankind and God incarnate” “from Galilee” which means “out of Galilee which means circuit and was the name of a region of northern Palestine, bounded on the north by Syria, on the west by Sidon, Tyre, Ptolemais and their territories and the promontory of Carmel, on the south by Samaria and on the east by the Jordan” “to Jordan” or “toward the river of Palestine which has its course of little more than 200 miles (300 km), from the roots of Anti-Lebanon to the head of the Dead Sea and means the descender” “unto John” or “toward John the Baptist”. Matthew shared how Jesus left the “Galilee” area to come to the River Jordan where John the Baptist was located.

The verse continues, “... to be baptized of him.” Matthew added the words, “to be baptized” which means “to be dipped repeatedly, to immersed or submerged ” “of him” or “by John the Baptist”. Matthew shared how Jesus came to John the Baptist so John could “baptize” Him.

When we think through Matthew's words in this verse, we see his first mention of Jesus in His adult life. Jesus was intentional in coming to where John the Baptist was “baptizing” people, and His desire was for John to “baptize” Him. Needless to say, if Jesus came to be “baptized”, how much more should every person desire this sacrament of the church? God's plan included Jesus being “baptized” by His “fore-runner” John the Baptist, and no doubt this was important to His desire to offer “salvation” through repentance to mankind. God wants a relationship with every person through His Son Jesus, and He demonstrated it by allowing His Son Jesus to visit John the Baptist to carry out His perfect will.

Next time Matthew shares how, “John forbade him” so read ahead, and we shall join together then.

Until tomorrow…there is more…

Look for the daily devotional book “Equipped for Battle – From Generation to Generation”, the marriage book “So, You Want to Be Married”, “One Year in the Sermon on the Mount” and the new poetry book "Random Mushrooms Volumes I and II" and the new novel "Elizabeth County" in all major bookstore sites, http://www.amazon.com ; http://www.barnesandnobles.com ; download to e-books, and find it locally at www.mrzlc.com/bookstore.