And Jesus answering said unto him,
Permit it to be so now: for thus it is fitting for us to
fulfill all righteousness.
Then he permitted him.
All Commentaries on Matthew 3:15 Go To Matthew 3
John Chrysostom
AD 407
And he said not, And are You baptized of me? nay, for this he feared to say: but what? And You come to me? What then does Christ? What He did afterwards with respect to Peter, this did He then also. For so he too would have forbidden Him to wash his feet, but when he had heard, What I do you know not now, but you shall know hereafter, and you have no part with me, John 13:7-8 he speedily withdrew from his determination, and went over to the contrary. And this man again in like manner, when he had heard, Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becomes us to fulfill all righteousness, straightway obeyed. For they were not unduly contentious, but they manifested both love and obedience, and made it their study to be ruled by their Lord in all things.
And mark how He urges him on that very ground which chiefly caused him to look doubtfully on what was taking place; in that He did not say, thus it is just, but thus it becomes. For, inasmuch as the point unworthy of Him was in his mind chiefly this, His being baptized by His servant, He stated this rather than anything else, which is directly opposed to that impression: as though He had said, Is it not as unbecoming that you avoid and forbiddest this? Nay, for this self-same cause I bid you suffer it, that it is becoming, and that in the highest degree.
And He did not merely say, suffer, but He added, now. For it will not be so forever, says He, but you shall see me such as you desire, for the present, however, endure this. Next He shows also how this becomes Him. How then does it so? In that we fulfill the whole law; and to express this He said, all righteousness. For righteousness is the fulfilling of the commandments. Since then we have performed all the rest of the commandments, says He, and this alone remains, it also must be added: because I have come to do away the curse that is appointed for the transgression of the law. I must therefore first fulfill it all, and having delivered you from its condemnation, in this way bring it to an end. It becomes me therefore to fulfill the whole law, by the same rule that it becomes me to do away the curse that is written against you in the law: this being the very purpose of my assuming flesh, and coming hither.
