Comment on Matthew 3.13-17 - Nate Paschall's Writings

[[Comment on Matthew 3.1-12|« 3.1-12]] | **3:13-17** | [[Comment on Matthew 4.1-11|4.1-11 »]] [[Matthew 3.1-12|Sermon on Matthew 3.1-12]] # Preface The passage is structured to emphasize that Jesus is the one who fulfills all righteousness (13-16a). The anointing and annunciation after Jesus' baptism is the vindication that he indeed is the one who will fulfill all righteousness. # Original Text *Matthew 3 (NA28)* **13** Τότε παραγίνεται^[Pres, Act, Dep, 3rd, Sg; Historical Present (Burton §15) ] ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰορδάνην πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην τοῦ βαπτισθῆναι^[Aor, Pass, Inf] ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ. **14** ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης διεκώλυεν^[Impf, Act, Ind, 3rd, Sg] αὐτὸν λέγων· ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ σοῦ βαπτισθῆναι, καὶ σὺ ἔρχῃ^[ερχομαι, Pres, Act, Ind, 2nd, Sg] πρός με; **15** ἀποκριθεὶς^[Aor, Act, Ptc, Masc, Nom, Sg] δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν πρὸς αὐτόν· ἄφες^[Aor, Act, Impv] ἄρτι, οὕτως γὰρ πρέπον^[Pres, Act, Ptc, Neut, Nom, Sg; Complementary] ἐστὶν ἡμῖν πληρῶσαι πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην. τότε ἀφίησιν αὐτόν. **16** βαπτισθεὶς^[Aor, Pass, Ptc, Masc, Nom, Sg; Temporal] δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εὐθὺς ἀνέβη^[Aor, Act, Ind, 3rd, Sg] ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος· καὶ ἰδοὺ ἠνεῴχθησαν^[Aor, Pass, Ind, 3rd, Pl] \[αὐτῷ] οἱ οὐρανοί, καὶ εἶδεν \[τὸ] πνεῦμα \[τοῦ] θεοῦ καταβαῖνον ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν \[καὶ] ἐρχόμενον^[Pres, Act, Ptc, Neut, Acc, Sg] ἐπʼ αὐτόν· **17** καὶ ἰδοὺ φωνὴ ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν λέγουσα^[Pres, Act, Ptc, Fem, Nom, Sg ]· οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, ἐν ᾧ εὐδόκησα^[Aor, Act, Ind, 1st, Sg]. # Textual Notes # Translation Verse Number formatter block: ``` 00 ``` 13 Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John to be baptized by him 14 but John tried to prevent him *by* saying, “I am the one who has need to be baptized by you, yet you come to me?” 15 But Jesus answered and said to him, “permit *it* now, for thus is it fitting *for* us to fulfill all righteousness.” And he permitted him. 16 And after Jesus was baptized, immediately after ascending from the water, and behold the heavens were opened \[to him], and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove \[and] coming upon him 17 and behold, a voice from the heavens spoke, "This one is my son, the beloved, in whom I am well-pleased" # Structure > [!info]+ 13-16b >``` >A Then Jesus did appear from Galilee at the Jordan to John (3:13a), > B in order to be baptized by him (3:13b). > C But John tried to prevent him (3:14a), > D saying, “I myself have need to be baptized by you, and you > yourself are coming to me?” (3:14b–c). > D′ And Jesus answered and said to him, “Allow [it] at this time, > for in this way it is fitting for us to fulfill all > righteousness” (3:15a–c). > C′ Then [John] did allow him (3:15d). > B′ And after he had been baptized (3:16a), >A′ Jesus at once went up from the water (3:16b). >``` >^[Gibbs, J. A. (2006). [_Matthew 1:1–11:1_](https://ref.ly/logosres/concom61mt1?ref=Bible.Mt3.13-17&off=6644&ctx=he+unit%E2%80%99s+theology.%0a~A+Then+Jesus+did+app) (p. 177). Concordia Publishing House. NOTE: I have slightly modified A' to "3:16b"] > [!info]+ **16c-17c** > >A &emsp;&emsp;καὶ ἰδοὺ ἠνεῴχθησαν [αὐτῷ] οἱ οὐρανοί, &emsp;B &emsp;&emsp; καὶ εἶδεν [τὸ] πνεῦμα [τοῦ] θεοῦ καταβαῖνον ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν &emsp;&emsp;C &emsp;&emsp; [καὶ] ἐρχόμενον ἐπʼ αὐτόν· A'&emsp;&emsp; καὶ ἰδοὺ φωνὴ ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν λέγουσα· &emsp;B' &emsp;&emsp; οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, &emsp;&emsp;C' &emsp;&emsp; ἐν ᾧ εὐδόκησα. There are two parts to this passage. The first is Jesus' coming for and being baptized, the second is the Divine approbation of Jesus. Matthew transitions between these two actions with Jesus immediately coming out of the water. 16b is both the end of the first chiasm and is also the punctuating moment that drives the next section. ##### 13-16b ##### 16c-17c This broken out into two parallel periods made up of 3 colons. The structure demonstrate a number of important items: *First*, The καὶ ἰδοὺ links **A** & **A'** so that the particle λέγουσα is a *contemporaneous action* with the heavens being opened (ἠνεῴχθησαν), not with εἶδεν (he saw) since this would imply that Jesus "saw" the voice of his Father. *Second*, that the two phrases marked by καὶ ἰδοὺ reference the heavens (οἱ οὐρανοί) reinforce the first point of both these events—the descent of the Spirit and the speaking of the Father—are contemporaneous actions coming from the heavens. *Third*, in the second phrases (**B**, **B'**) the Spirit and the Father are the stated actors with the Son being the recipient of the actions (\[τὸ] πνεῦμα \[τοῦ] θεοῦ; ὁ υἱός μου) *Fourth*, the Spirit "as" a dove *coming upon him* and the delight of the Father *in his Son* are both actions in which something is either upon or coming upon the son (**C**, **C'**; ἐπʼ αὐτόν and ἐν ᾧ). The conclusion of these points show that because the actions are both contemporaneous with one another, are overlapping in their actions (persons identified structurally together) and the result of these actions overlap, we must see this as one simultaneous event with *yet distinct acts*. We must *not* see this event in a linear fashion as if the the heavens were opened *then* the Spirit descended like a dove *then* it came upon Jesus, and only after the Spirit comes upon Jesus *then* the Father speaks his word of approbation. This structuring informs our Trinitarian theology in that the persons of the the Trinity are not acting one apart from another but are coincident with one another. (consider adding below @ [[#3.17]]) There is a second aspect to this, that the Father's approbation of the Son comes *after* the descent of the Spirit upon his Son # Commentary ## General Comments Review Sections in Kline *By Oath Consigned* and in Vos, *Biblical Theology* The narrative of 3:1-17 is of a whole piece. While this section is a distinct scene in the Jordan-Baptism event, it ought to be held together with all that has preceded it in chapter 3. ## 3.13 Τότε παραγίνεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰορδάνην The two-fold coming is emphasized in the usage of the word παραγίνεται for both the arrival of John and the arrival of Jesus. The "appearance" of each of these figures signifies that a new movement in the narrative is taking place. Each time there is an appearance, a dramatic shift is about to take place: cf. The use of παραγίνεται is a *Historical Present*. Jesus comes from Galilee down to John. We know Jesus and John as related through Mary & Elizabeth so certainly they knew each other. But they were separated for much of their life by a great distance. John in Jerusalem (Zechariah was a priest in the temple) and Jesus living in Nazareth. It’s likely that when Joseph and Mary go to Jerusalem (Luke 2) that they stayed with Zechariah and Elizabeth. The knowledge of John’s actions have reached far and wide. Not only has Jerusalem, Judea, and the regions of the Jordan (3:8) heard about John, the significance of this event has reached all the way up to Galilee. Jesus on become aware (at what point we do not know) understands the significance of John’s baptism. This precipitates what follows and John’s surprisal at Jesus’ presence (more below). Matthew carefully sets up the narrative here of 3 people coming to John: the people of Israel (3:5), the Pharisees & Sadducees (3:7), and now Jesus (3:13). Jesus’ coming ought to be contrasted specifically with the coming of the Pharisees & Sadducees. Additionally, John had just declared "the one who is coming after me" and after his proclamation to the Pharisees & Sadducees Matthew tells us, "then " πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην τοῦ βαπτισθῆναι ὑπʼ αὐτοῦ This phrase is one large instance of Apollonius Canon. The purpose is to clearly identify that Jesus is coming to John in order to be baptized by John. ## 3.14 Emphatic use of εγω. Not John’s reservation and deference. John does not tell Jesus he cannot baptize him. He notes instead that this is inverse of what John would expect. John affirms his own need of Jesus’ baptism. This shows that as of yet, the Holy Spirit has not been poured out. The coming of that day was expected but it was not yet to be. This and v. 11 are a foreshadowing of what will happen in v. 16 when Jesus is “baptized” by the Holy Spirit. Remember that John said he's not even worthy to untie Jesus' sandal. And Jesus shows the upside down nature of the kingdom. The one who is to be served by all comes to be served. ## 3.15 In response to John’s attempt to prevent what he thought would be an improper action—baptizing the very one by whom he needed to be baptized, Jesus presses forward. Jesus, as John does, responds with deference, yet force, since he speaks in an imperative to John. Jesus provides the reasoning for John to baptize him. This action must take place in order to fulfill “all righteousness.” Jesus’ response ought to be contrasted with the people of Israel who upon coming for baptism confessed their sins. Jesus on the other hand makes no confession but declares that his coming is not to confess his sins, but instead quite the opposite, to fulfill righteousness. While we get no insight into John’s thinking in this circumstance, it is not difficult to postulate that John defers to Jesus’s demand though he may not fully understand its import. John later will express his uncertainty about Jesus’s mission ([Matthew 11:3](https://www.bible.com/bible/59/MAT.11.3)) John has a role to play in this, although it is not his own righteousness that contributes to the fulfillment. The question is, what is the righteousness that needs to be fulfilled? There are two themes that are building toward this episode. The first is the theme set out so far in Matthew, that Jesus is the one to bring about the true exodus and to bring to an end to the true exile. John’s baptism is the symbolic end of that exile. And now Jesus is showing that he, representing Israel in himself, must take all of Israel upon himself in his actions. Without the baptism by John, Jesus cannot function as Israel’s representative. On one level the people of Israel prepare the way of the Lord by their Repentance-Baptism. On another level, Jesus prepares the way for the people by his Repentance-Baptism. Jesus as representative of Israel is not repenting for his own sin(s). He as representative of Israel is passing through the judgment to receive the evaluative declaration of the Father. He can pass through because he is truly righteous. And thus gives evidence to all who come under John’s baptism that they too will receive the evaluation of Jesus (more below). ## 3.16 βαπτισθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εὐθὺς ἀνέβη ἀπὸ τοῦ ὕδατος· Matthew highlights the immediacy of Jesus' departure from the water, noting there is no lingering. The immediate departure from the water must be stressed as we see this as a water-ordeal.^[see Kline] Jesus' exit from the water is coincidental with the the heavenly seal and approbation of the vindicated Son. It cannot be under-emphasized the significance of his coming up from the water and the opening of the heavens. One event brings about the other. καὶ ἰδοὺ ἠνεῴχθησαν \[αὐτῷ] οἱ οὐρανοί Since ἠνεῴχθησαν is passive, an important question is *who opened the heavens*? **First**, The presence of αὐτῷ would lead us to think that it is the Father and the Spirit who opened them. This seems to be the question that many copyists wrestled with, thus the inclusion of αὐτῷ. But given the divine water-ordeal nature of this event it is proper to see that all persons of the Godhead are involved in opening the heavens. The Son, by his victory in the divine combat water-ordeal has obtained the right to now enter the promised land, synonymous with Joshua leading the people of Israel through the Jordan and into Canaan. Yet what Jesus immediately "enters into" is not Canaan—though in one respect he is as he comes out of the water—but into heaven itself. Jesus' coming up out of the water is not onto the land of Canaan but up into heaven itself. By undergoing the baptismal ordeal and successfully overcoming it, he is permitted to enter into the promised land. Thus we see that while the copyists wrestled with the meaning of ἠνεῴχθησαν, and the addition of αὐτῷ was natural as seeing the actions of the Godhead in the subsequent colons (16d-17c), the language Matthew employs does not allow for such an interpretation. By indicating that Jesus *saw* (εἶδεν—active indicative) he removes the direct action of opening heaven *away from* the Spirit. Additionally in 17a, as noted above in the [[#Structure|structure]], Matthew's use of the the participle λέγουσα is not linked with Jesus' *seeing* but as a contemporaneous action of the heavens being opened.^[One could posit on the grounds of λέγουσα linked with ἠνεῴχθησαν that λέγουσα is a particle of means, though I find such a construction awkward.] Matthew is as a whole ambiguous as to who it is that opens the heavens. He does not even refer directly to the Father, though he is the understood speaker of the voice. Thus, Matthew is laboring to show that the opening of the heavens is not specifically to be ascribed to the Father or the Spirit. Instead, the opening of the heavens is ultimately a Trinitarian act in response to the Son's symbolic victory over sin, Satan, and death. **Secondly**, because the voice from heaven speaking is contemporaneous with the heavens being opened, we ought to see Matthew's usage of ἠνεῴχθησαν^[Luke uses the infinitive, Matthew uses the participle. Infinitives] likened to a mouth opening. This is further reinforced by the fact that Luke indicates that there "*came (to be)*" (γενέσθαι) a voice from heaven, whereas Matthew notes that the voice "*spoke*" (λέγουσα). Not only is Jesus baptized by John, he is also baptized by the Holy Spirit. The usage of the verbiage of αναβαινω and καταβαινω should not be lightly taken. Jesus’ coming up from water and the Spirit coming down from heaven is a signal to a new creation taking place. The coming up out of the water, the heavens opening, the Spirit descending and coming upon him, the voice of Heaven (v.17) all are reminiscent of the original creation. Yet in this new creation it is not a creation that comes in a place where no life exists neutrally, but one where life comes to be out of death, that is life comes out of a *negative* state. God's original creation of man was not out of a place of hostility but of neutrality. The earth was not opposed to God and in fact it was *good*—in a positive relationship towards its creator. On the other hand, the new creation is brought to be out of a place of death, of hostility against its creator (cf. [Ephesians 2:16](https://www.bible.com/bible/59/EPH.2.16)). The Spirit descending as a dove upon Christ harkens to the Noahic scene of the subsequent coming exit from the ark. Here, in a likened combat-water-ordeal, the dove is shown as the one who departs the ark (in contrast to the raven) and is the seal of the "new creation" that has emerged from the judgment waters. Is Matthew signaling that now the dove that was released by Noah and yet did not return to him has now found its resting place upon Jesus himself? The immediacy with which this happens is illustrative of this new-creation reality. They are all to be considered part of the one act of the Son of God—Jesus Christ—bearing the new creation in himself and it being brought about. Yet this creation occurs through the baptism-waters of judgment. Whereas the previous creation occurs in absence—*ex nihilo*—this creation occurs in negation of opposition, of which Noah was a type. At the original creation, there was no opposition of God into the void, it was simply empty. In this creative act, there is positive opposition. There is actual hindrance for God to bring this about—namely judgment. It would actually be wrong—an injustice of God—to bring about a new creation apart from some way of satisfying his justice. Thus we see in the Baptism of Christ in the Jordan the prefigurement of the judgment waters that will be necessary in order to bring about the new creation. This act is necessary in Christ’s pathway into being the savior of Israel, the people of God. He is now formally authorized to begin his ministry of salvation. καὶ εἶδεν \[τὸ] πνεῦμα \[τοῦ] θεοῦ καταβαῖνον ὡσεὶ περιστερὰν \[καὶ] ἐρχόμενον ἐπʼ αὐτόν· An important question is whether it was only Jesus who saw the Spirit of God. ## 3.17 καὶ ἰδοὺ φωνὴ ἐκ τῶν οὐρανῶν λέγουσα The voice which "spoke" is subordinated not to when Jesus saw (v. 16) but to the opening (ἠνεῴχθησαν) of the heavens. The spirit coming upon him and the voice speaking to him are one and the same act. The structuring of the passage implies this. The heavens open and the voice comes. In each of these two acts each of the other persons of the Trinity take the stage: the Spirit in coming upon Jesus and the Father speaking over Jesus. The Spirit coming upon Jesus is interpreted by the Father for those who are present that they might know the significance of the coming of the Spirit. οὗτός ἐστιν ὁ υἱός μου ὁ ἀγαπητός, While the direct recipient of the voice is for John the Baptist to know indeed that Jesus is the Beloved Son of God who is not repenting of his own sin, the voice is is actually for the sake of all who hear, as noted by Matthew's use of οὗτός whereas Mark uses σὐ ([Mark 1:11](https://www.bible.com/bible/59/MRK.1.11)).^[See Carson, D. A. (1984). [Matthew](https://ref.ly/logosres/ebc08?ref=Bible.Mt3.16&off=377&ctx=+focus+of+interest.+~The+presence+of+John). In F. E. Gaebelein (Ed.), _The Expositor’s Bible Commentary: Matthew, Mark, Luke_ (Vol. 8, p. 108). Zondervan Publishing House., "The presence of John (and possibly others) is probably implied by the third-person address “This is my Son” (Mt 3:17), displacing Mark’s “You are my Son” (Mk 1:11)"] This declaration is an evaluation of Jesus as passing the ordeal. It is so that as they hear Jesus passes through this test, they might know that they too will pass through this test. Where Jesus received the true and greater proclamation of being God’s son, anointed with the Spirit, we by extension of being found in Jesus receive this evaluation, though our sonship is derivative and not original. We are not God like Jesus. Yet we receive the evaluation that is accorded to the Son of God. We now as God’s people stand positionally related to God in the same way as Jesus. It is the great adoption of God’s people that occurs here and is of enormous comfort to us. By our union with Jesus we are all called beloved sons in whom God is well-pleased. It is the great—*the great*—blessing of being called sons of God. # Application How will I know I will be victorious over sin, Satan, and death? Jesus coming up from the judgment waters is what opens the pathway into the heavenly promised land. The Spirit descending as a dove is recalling Moses emerging from the flood and sending the dove out upon the earth. Where # Footnotes