Biblical commentary on the New Testament - The Christian ...

Matthew III. 12. 271
tween John and Christ. The words of Jesus : ovru -nQerrov hrlv i^uv
7zX7]p(ooac ndaav diKatoavvrjv, thus it becometh us, etc. (Matth. iii. 15),
give the key to the understanding of it. The term SiKaioavvri, right-
eousness (the meanings of which will be treated connectedly in note
on Rom. iii, 21), denotes here dUaiov, ivhat the law demands. The
words contain, therefore, the general principle on Avhich the Saviour
proceeded, and which John, too, had to follow on this occasion—viz.,
to observe all legal ordinances as divine institutions. This was not,
indeed, the consequence of any internal necessity (for which reason
Tcpe-ov tori is used, and not del or xp^i'^'^ ^X^), hut a propriety, and a
the opposite would have
propriety in the highest and noblest sense ;
been a disturbing of the harmony of life. As, therefore, Jesus was
in all things yevoiievo^ v-o voiiov, subjected to laio (Gal. iv. 4), he must
submit to John's baptism, thus establishing it as divine ; by God's
will that was to be also the moment of his being anointed with the
Spuit—his solemn inauguration as the Messiah King.* The bap-
tism of Jesus stands, therefore, on a level with his undergoing circumcision
and the purification. (See note on Luke ii, 21, 22.) The
Mediator himself took part in the sacrifices and the other atoning
rites ordained by God in the temple service, until, by his one sacri-
fice on the cross, he had made the repetition of all other sacrifices
superfluous. According to God's promise (John i. 33), the baptism
luith the Spirit coincided with John's baptism with water, to which
Jesus submitted ; the former, of course, could not come through the
medium of John, it was rather a sign (orjiidov, d'in) for John himself,
by which he might infallibly recognize the promised Messiah. By
this anointing of the Sj^irit, the gradual development of the human
consciousness in Jesus attained its height, and that fulness of power
was imparted to him which was requisite for the fulfilment of his
office as a teacher. Even the pure offspring of the Spirit needed
the anointing of the Spirit ; it was not till his human nature (the
^vxri) was strengthened to bear the plenitude of the Spirit, that it
was abidingly filled with power from above. The baptism, accord-
ingly, was the sublime season, when the character of the XpioToq,
n-'sja, which was dormant (as it were, potentid) in the gradually de-
veloping child and youth, now {actu) came forth and expanded it-
self ; the baptism is the inauguration of the Messiah, primarily for
himself and John.f
* The law required not that ho should submit himself to John's baptism ; but it did
require that an expiation should he offered, and his willingness to offer this was expressed
by Christ in the symbolical rite of baptism. The anointing of the Spirit, attached itself to
this expression, but formed no part of it.— [E.
f Compare t\\Q remarkable words in Justin, dial, cum Tryph. Jud., p. 226. Xpiardc
6i el Kal yeyavTjrai kgI tan tzov, uyvuoTvg iart kqI ov6l avTog nu iavTov iTrlaraTat, ovii
Ix^i 6vvaniv Tiva, fiexpi^C ^^ D.ddv 'H/'./of XP^'^V aiirov Kal (pavepov nuai TzoLrja^.- Though
the Messiah has been born and lives, he is unknown, and does not even know himself, nor has