What is the connection between Jesus and John the Baptist? And why was Jesus baptized by John?
Question: What is the connection between Jesus and John the Baptist? And why was Jesus baptized by John?
Bill Warren responds: According to Luke 1:36, Jesus and John the Baptist are relatives since Elizabeth (John the Baptist’s mother) and Mary were relatives.
We don’t know if Jesus and John had much contact with each other during their childhood, but John’s recognition of Jesus when he comes to be baptized may indicate some familiarity, although the text itself does not mention this.
What we do know is that at least two of John the Baptist’s disciples follow Jesus (John 1:35-40), namely Andrew and most likely John the Apostle. Also, in Matthew the message that Jesus is proclaiming is the same as what John the Baptist was proclaiming, with the exact same words being used for both in the Greek text: “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is drawing near” (Matthew 3:2 and 4:17). In sum, John the Baptist and Jesus are members of the same extended family, share some of the same disciples, and have the same basic emphasis on repentance and the coming of the Kingdom of God.
The biggest difference between Jesus and John is that John is looking for the coming Messiah rather than claiming to be the Messiah. Jesus says that John is the most important of all the prophets and marks the end of the age of the prophets (Matthew 11:13) since John is the Elijah coming prior to the Messiah’s appearance. Another difference is that John’s ministry is centered in the well-traveled areas along the Jordan River, not in the small towns like Capernaum or in the city of Jerusalem. Also, John’s diet of locusts and wild honey and lifestyle as one who neither drinks nor eats extravagantly (Mt. 11:18) are quite different from those of Jesus.
Some of John’s ideas resonate with the content of the Dead Sea Scrolls, so perhaps there was at least some interaction between John and those behind the scrolls. On the other hand, we have no evidence that he was continually connected to that group, based on what is reported in the New Testament.
Regarding his baptism, Jesus says it was necessary “to fulfill all righteousness” (Matthew 3:15).
In Matthew, “righteousness” is used in the sense of “the doing of the will of God,” so this phrase can be understood as “being fully in sync with what God is doing.” Jesus’ baptism is a way of showing that Jesus is recognizing that God is moving in the ministry and person of John. By his participation, Jesus is affirming that what John is doing is indeed from God. God responds by affirming by way of the dove (Holy Spirit) and the voice from heaven that He is pleased that His Son should be so obedient.
Perhaps a modern example can help in understanding this facet of the baptism. I remember once when Franklin Graham was preaching, his father Billy Graham came and attended.
Billy Graham did not preach, but he showed his approval of his son’s ministry by his participation in the event, thereby affirming to others that Franklin Graham was in sync with his father in a godly ministry. When God is moving, we need to recognize it and show our approval as much as possible.