Jesus’ baptism (v13-17) marked the beginning of His public ministry. John was very reticent to baptise Jesus (v14). This is because John saw baptism as a sign of washing away sin, and he knew Jesus didn’t need to be washed of sin but rather that he John needed to be washed.

Baptism is an outward sin of the inward cleansing we all need. This cleansing does not come from water baptism but rather through being born again by the Spirit of God.

Jesus told John that Him being baptised needed to be done to fulfil all righteousness (v15). This does not mean that Jesus needed to become righteous, but that He was walking the path of perfect obedience on behalf of sinners who couldn’t walk it themselves. Jesus later would speak of a baptism He would have to undergo (Luke 12 v50), by which Jesus meant the cross. The cross was a baptism in that Jesus who had no sin, became sin, so that by experiencing God’s wrath for that sin, He would achieve cleansing and righteousness, on behalf of His people (2 Corinthians 5 v21).

At this moment of baptism Jesus receives the Holy Spirit (v16). Why did Jesus who was God the Son, need the power of the Holy Spirit of His ministry? Jesus would perform His ministry in human weakness, and His weak human nature needed the power of the Spirit. We too need to pray for the Spirit.