Matthew 3:15

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 ANSWERING SAID UNTO HIM, SUFFER IT TO BE SO NOW, [ Afes (G863) arti (G737)] - 'Let it pass for the present' (Webster and Wilkinson); q.d., 'Thou recoilest, and no wonder, for the seeming incongruity is startling; but in the present case do as thou art bidden.' FOR THUS IT BECOMETH US - "us," not in the sense of 'me and thee,' or 'men in general,' but as in John 3:1. TO FULFILL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS, [ pasan (G3956) dika...

13-17 Christ's gracious condescensions are so surprising, that even the strongest believers at first can hardly believe them; so deep and mysterious, that even those who know his mind well, are apt to start objections against the will of Christ. And those who have much of the Spirit of God while here, see that they need to apply to Christ for more. Christ does not deny that John had need to be baptized of him, yet declares he will now be baptized of John. Christ is now in a state of humiliation. Our Lord Jesus looked upon it as well becoming him to fulfil all righteousness, to own every Divine institution, and to show his readiness to comply with all God's righteous precepts. In and through Christ, the heavens are opened to the children of men. This descent of the Spirit upon Christ, showed that he was endued with his sacred influences without measure. The fruit of the Spirit is love, j...

Verse Matthew 3:15. _TO FULFIL ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS._] That is, _Every_ _righteous ordinance_: so I think the words πασανδικαιοσυνην should be translated; and so our common version renders a similar word, Luke 1:6. The following passage, quoted from _Justin Martyr_, will doubtless appear a strong vindication of this translation. "Christ was circumcised, and observed all the other ordinances of the law of Moses, not with a view to his own justification; but to fulfil the dispensation committed to him by the Lord, the God and Creator of all things."- _Wakefield_. How remarkable are the following words of _Creeshna_ (an _Incarnation_ of the Supreme God, according to the _Hindoo_ theology) related in the _Bhagvat Geeta_, p. 47. Addressing his disciple Arjoo

THUS IT BECOMETH US - It is suitable and proper. And though you may feel yourself unworthy, yet it is proper it should be done. ALL RIGHTEOUSNESS - There was no particular precept in the Old Testament requiring this, but he chose to give the sanction of his example to the baptism of John, as to a divine ordinance. The phrase “all righteousness,” here, is the same as a righteous institution or appointment. Jesus had no sin. But he was about to enter on his great work. It was proper that he should be set apart by his forerunner, and show his connection with him, and give his approbation to what John had done. He submitted to the ordinance of baptism, also, in order that occasion might be taken, at the commencement of his work, for God publicly to declare his approbation of him, and his solemn appointment to the office of the Messiah....

EXPOSITION MATTHEW 3:1 THE HERALD. His public appearance and proclamation (Matthew 3:1, Matthew 3:2), as foretold by Scripture (Matthew 3:3). His Elijah-like dress (Matthew 3:4). He is listened to by multitudes (Matthew 3:5, Matthew 3:6). His faithful warning to typical Jews, and his pointing not to himself, but to the Coming One ...

AND JESUS ANSWERING, SAID UNTO HIM,.... This is an Hebrew way of speaking, often used in the Old Testament, and answers to ויאמר יען; see Job 3:1. He replied to John, who had made use of very forbidding words, after this manner, SUFFER IT TO BE SO NOW; let me have my request; do not go on to object, but comply with my desire; let it be done now, immediately, directly, at this present time; do not put me off with any excuse; it is a proper season for it, even "now", since the time is not yet come that I am to baptize with the Holy Ghost; and besides, thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. It became John to administer the ordinance of baptism to Christ, as he was his forerunner, and the only administrator of it, and that he might fulfil the ministry which he had received; and as it became Christ to fulfil all righteousness, moral and ceremonial, and baptism being

Matthew 3:1. _In those days came John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judaea, and saying, Repent ye: for the kingdom of heaven is at hand._ His was a preparatory ministry; his work was to prepare men's minds for Christ; and never is the heart of man so ready to receive Christ as when it is in a state of repentance. When it is weary of sin, then is it that Christ comes in, and is welcomed by the soul conscious of its guilt, tired of it, and longing to be rid of it. Matthew 3:3. _For this is he that was spoken of by the prophet Esaias, saying, The voice of one crying in the wilderness, Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make his path straight. And the same John had his raiment of camel's hair, and a leathern girdle about his loins; and his meat was locusts and wild honey._

SUFFER IT TO BE SO Why one who needed no repentance should insist upon receiving a rite which signified confession (Matthew 3:6) and repentance (Matthew 3:11) is nowhere directly explained. It may be suggested: (1) That Jesus was now to receive His anointing with the Holy Spirit (Matthew 3:16) unto His threefold office of Prophet, Priest, and King. In the Levitical order (Exodus 29:4) the high priest was first washed, then anointed. While Christ's priestly work did not begin till He "offered Himself without spot to God" (Hebrews 9:14) an

MATTHEW 3:15 auvto,n (2) Between verses Matthew 3:15 and Matthew 3:16 two Latin manuscripts (ita vgms) describe the baptism of Jesus as follows: _Et cum baptizaretur Iesus_ (om. _Iesus_ ita), _lumen magnum fulgebat_ (_lumen ingens circumfulsit_ ita) _de aqua, ita ut timerant omnes qui congregati erant_ (_advenerant_ ita) (“And when Jesus was being baptized a great light flashed (a tremendous light flashed around) from the water, so that all who had gathered there were afraid”). According to Isho‘dad of Merv (ninth century) and...

3. THE HERALD OF THE KING; THE ENTRANCE UPON HIS PUBLIC MINISTRY. __ 1. The Herald of the King. (Matthew 3:1 .) 2. His Message and His Baptism. (Matthew 3:7 .) 3. The King in Jordan's Waters. (Matthew 3:13 .) CHAPTER 3 The third chapter relates the ministry of the herald of the King, who announces that the kingdom of the heavens has drawn nigh, and the presence of the King Himself, who is to come after him; the baptism of the King, who comes from Galilee to the Jordan to John, and the events connected with it, are given in the second half of the chapter. “Now in those days comes John the Baptist, preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent, for the kingdom of the heaven