3:15Matthew 3:15

At about thirty years of age Jesus came to John at the Jordan to be baptized as the anointing and beginning of His public ministry, and though John drew back feeling his own need to be baptized by Him, Jesus with firm and gentle authority bade him allow it now.ST Jul 7, 1887+4 He had never sinned and needed no cleansing or repentance for personal guilt, but He submitted to number Himself with transgressors and take their sins upon Himself in their place, taking in human nature the steps the sinner must take as humanity's Head, representative, substitute and surety.2SP 58.2–59.1+4 To fulfil all righteousness means to fill up the full measure of the law's requirements by perfect conformity to God's will, giving an example of entire obedience, not bringing the law to an end but magnifying it and making it honorable as still binding.10MR 292.1–4+2 Upon this obedience the heavens were opened in streaming glory, the Spirit descended like a dove upon Him, and the Father's voice declared Him His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased, pledging that all who believe and obey are accepted in the Beloved just as He was.Ms 147, 1906, par. 21–22+4 His submission set the pattern all must follow, placing repentance, conversion, faith and baptism among the requisite steps in conversion, by which believers enter covenant with God, die to the world, and rise to new life pledged to keep the law.10MR 292.1–4+4

Jesus came to John at the Jordan to be baptized at about thirty years of age, and that baptism was His anointing and inauguration and the beginning of His public ministry.ST Jul 7, 1887+4 John was preparing the way for that ministry by baptizing Him, and John's calling to perform this work was greatness in God's sight even if it did not look great by human standards.DA 108.2+2 His dedication was not brought about by human agency, for the baptism was followed by His prayer, the Spirit's descent, and the Father's public recognition of Him, marking His divine commission and the beginning of His work as God's representative.Ms 141, 1909, par. 1–2+1 John had been directing people's faith toward Jesus as the One to come, the promised Lamb who takes away the sin of the world.ST Jul 7, 1887+1

John had not personally known Jesus during His secluded years at Nazareth and was still awaiting the distinct sign by which God would identify Him as the Messiah.ST Jul 7, 1887+2 He had been told that the Messiah would seek baptism at his hands and that a sign of divine character would then be given, enabling him to present Him to the people.DA 109.1–3+1 Yet when Jesus came asking for baptism in fulfillment of what God had already told him, John recognized holy life in Him, saw heavenly light upon His face like that Simeon had beheld, and felt his own need to be baptized by Jesus.ST Jul 7, 1887+1

John therefore drew back and refused at first, feeling the rite implied pollution needing washing away, which sinless Jesus with no guilt to confess did not need.Ms 95, 1908, par. 1–3+4 But Jesus with firm and gentle authority insisted that John allow it now, saying it was fitting for them to fulfil all righteousness and to complete what God requires.Ms 95, 1908, par. 1–3+4 John then consented and baptized Him.Ms 95, 1908, par. 1–3+2 The command to allow it for the present is the same language later used to Peter about washing his feet, meaning Peter did not understand the act then but would understand it afterward.Ms 19, 1897, par. 58 To fulfil means to keep, perform and carry out, not to abolish or alter, and Jesus fulfilled every requirement of God's law because the law remains unchanged as it reflects God's character.COS 75.1–4+1

Jesus had never sinned and was wholly sinless, so His baptism was not confession or washing away of any sins of His own, not repentance for personal guilt, and He needed no cleansing or repentance Himself.2SP 58.2–59.1+4 He submitted in order to identify Himself with sinners and with the people He came to save, numbering Himself with transgressors as their substitute and representative, having their guilt imputed to Him and taking their sins upon Himself in their place.2SP 58.2–59.1+4 Bearing the sins of the whole world, His baptism embraced the whole sinful world that would by repentance and faith be pardoned.2SP 58.2–59.1+1 His baptism showed faith in the atonement and identified Him with His followers at the opening of His public mission.ST Oct 25, 1877+1

As humanity's Head, representative, substitute and surety, He in human nature took the steps the sinner must take and did the work the sinner must do.2SP 58.2–59.1+4 That meant meeting every requirement of God's broken law through perfect obedience and doing God's will, fulfilling all the requirements for the redemption of the sinful race.2SP 58.2–59.1+4 Fulfilling all righteousness in this way meant taking the necessary steps of repentance, conversion, faith and baptism as the pattern for every son and daughter of Adam who will believe in Him as a personal Saviour.Ms 144, 1901, par. 16–18+4 By submitting He honored the ordinance of baptism.2SP 58.2–59.1+2 By humbling Himself to stand at the head of humanity to demonstrate to the universe that man with eyes fixed on God can be an overcomer, He fulfilled the promise that the seed of the woman should bruise the serpent's head.Ms 31, 1901, par. 9–13

To fulfil all righteousness was to fill up the full measure of the law's requirements by perfect conformity to God's will, giving an example of entire obedience.21MR 196.2–3+2 In being baptized He met all the requirements of God in repentance, faith, and baptism, the steps in grace in genuine conversion, taking in His humanity as the head of humanity, its substitute and surety, the steps the sinner must take and doing the work the sinner must do.21MR 196.2–3+2 His mission was to meet every requirement of God's broken law through perfect obedience and doing God's will, fulfilling Scripture and the law in perfect and entire obedience.21MR 196.2–3+2 To fulfil means to keep, perform and carry out, not to abolish or alter.Ms 9, 1893, par. 22–24

Such fulfilling did not bring righteousness or the law to an end.10MR 292.1–4+2 The law remains unchanged because it reflects God's character, and He magnified it and made it honorable, revealing its spiritual nature, far-reaching principles and lasting obligation without lessening anyone's duty to obey.21MR 196.2–3+2 His fulfillment honored its enduring authority, showing that obeying it fully is what fulfil means.Ms 145, 1897, par. 17–19

His life revealed to heavenly beings, to unfallen worlds, and to a disobedient, unthankful, unholy world that He fulfilled the far-reaching principles of the law.21MR 196.2–3 It shows God's law contains no command people cannot obey, and that humanity allied by living faith to divinity and uniting weakness to His divine nature can keep all God's commandments and partake of His character.10MR 292.1–4+2 His sinless life in human nature showed that people can fulfill righteousness, and His victory over every temptation makes Him their conqueror.Ms 155, 1902, par. 33–36+2 Through the treasures of His grace no one need miss heaven, for keeping God's commandments is the path to fulfilling righteousness and honoring the law.10MR 292.1–4+1

As soon as Jesus had obeyed in baptism He came up out of the water and kneeled on the river bank in prayer.COS 45.4–5+2 Then the heavens were opened and beams of glory streamed forth upon Him.COS 45.4–5+2 His face and form glowed with divine light under the brightness of the Father's glory resting upon Him to mark Him out in the crowd.COS 45.3+1 The Spirit of God descended like a dove and lit upon Him.Ms 112, 1901, par. 14–15+2 The Father's majestic voice declared Him His beloved Son in whom He is well pleased, resounding through heaven and echoing through earth like peals of thunder with lightnings flashing from cloudless heavens.Ms 112, 1901, par. 14–15+2

That open heaven and open declaration of acceptance of the Son is heaven's pledge that all who intelligently receive His Word and believe and obey are accepted in the Beloved just as He was.Ms 147, 1906, par. 21–22+2 The glory that rested upon Him proves God will hear prayer as He heard Christ's, so that even the most needy, sinful and despised may find access to the Father, and when they come in Jesus' name the approval spoken to Jesus is spoken to them.COS 45.6+1 Christ's prayer on the banks of the Jordan was offered in behalf of humanity and cleaved the way for the prayers of fallen people.Ms 31, 1901, par. 9–13+1 The opening of heaven with the voice of God to His Son showed heaven made more directly accessible to man, restoring the connecting link between heaven and earth and defeating the hope that God's abhorrence of sin would forever separate Him from man.ST Feb 25, 1913 It proved God would unite man more fully to Himself and give power to overcome Satan's devices, fixing with certainty that Satan's power would thenceforth be limited unless Christ could be overcome.ST Feb 25, 1913

His baptism with its prayer, the Spirit's descent and the Father's public recognition marked His divine commission and dedication to His appointed work as God's representative.ST Oct 25, 1877+1 That dedication was not brought about by human agency.Ms 52, 1890, par. 3–5 At about thirty years of age His baptism marked His inauguration and opening of His public mission, when He was publicly declared by God to be the Son of God and the long-looked-for Deliverer.ST Oct 25, 1877+1

From the Jordan He was led by the Spirit into the wilderness, after a time separated from His mother described as about two months.ST Apr 8, 1886 The Spirit fitted His sinless humanity for fierce temptation in a desolate setting, including forty days without food.ST Oct 25, 1877+1 There His sinless humanity prayed to the Father for strength and support in face of the trials, suffering and death before Him, continuing the obedient work He came to do.ST Oct 25, 1877+1 His suffering and patient endurance afterward left converted sinners an example of what to endure for transgression and for facing trials that test faith.DA 110.1–111.2+2 His coming, baptism and victory over temptation make it possible through His merits for people to overcome temptation and gain moral power, including victory over appetite and enslaving habits.Ms 55, 1893, par. 5–6

Jesus bowed to baptism to give a pattern of humility and obedience that every believer must follow, placing baptism among the requisite steps in conversion and showing faith in the atonement.10MR 292.1–4+2 To fulfil all righteousness means for His followers to take the steps of repentance, conversion, faith, and baptism, and He Himself, though sinless, took those steps as the Head of humanity in place of sinners to meet every requirement for the redemption of the race.Ms 144, 1901, par. 16–18+2 His doing so did not bring righteousness or the law to an end, but filled up the full measure of the law's requirements in perfect and entire obedience as substitute and surety, demonstrating that humanity allied by living faith to divinity can keep all God's commandments and partake of His character.10MR 292.1–4+1 That pattern stands for every son and daughter of Adam who believes in Him as a personal Saviour, for His baptism embraced the whole sinful world that by repentance and faith would be pardoned.Ms 144, 1901, par. 16–18+1

In baptism believers enter into covenant relation with God, going down into the water to be buried in the likeness of Christ's death and raised in the likeness of His resurrection.Ms 31, 1901, par. 9–13+2 The burial with Christ as an emblem of His death and the rising from the water as an emblem of His resurrection mark them as newborn souls, dead to the world with life hid with Christ in God.Ms 144, 1901, par. 16–18+1 In that act they pledge to worship the true and living God, to come out from the world and be separate, to seek the things above, and to keep the law of Jehovah.Ms 144, 1901, par. 16–18+1

His prayer on the banks of the Jordan embraced every believer who takes those same steps, cleaving a way through Satan's darkness to the throne of God.Ms 144, 1901, par. 16–18+1 When they cooperate, Father, Son, and Holy Ghost are unitedly pledged to work in their behalf, those three great powers standing pledged to all who are baptized in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Ghost.Ms 144, 1901, par. 16–18+1 Christ has pledged Himself to keep all who look to Him and trust in Him with abiding faith, so each one may commit the keeping of the soul to Him as unto a faithful Creator and may expect large things.Ms 144, 1901, par. 16–18+1

This gives encouragement to every believer, because in Christ is the only hope of salvation, and all who believe in Him and obey His commandments are accepted in the Beloved just as He was when the Spirit descended and the Father declared pleasure in His beloved Son.Ms 112, 1901, par. 14–15+1 His sinless life in human nature showed that righteousness can be fulfilled, and His victory over every temptation makes Him their conqueror.ST Oct 25, 1877+1 His example at the opening of His public mission, when His sinless humanity prayed to the Father for strength and support before trial, suffering, and death, shows believers their need to seek help from God.Ms 112, 1901, par. 14–15+1