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.
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Ambrose of Milan
AD 397
Ambrosiaster. Serm. x. 5: Scripture tells of many wonders wrought at various times in this river; as that, among others, in the Psalms, “Jordan was driven backwards;” before the water was driven back, now sins are turned back in its current; as Elijah divided the waters of old, so Christ the Lord wrought in the same Jordan the separation of sin.
Ambrosiaster, Serm. 12. 1: Also like a wise master inculcating His doctrines as much by His own practice, as by word of mouth, He did that which He commanded all His disciples to do.
In Joann. Tract. v. 2: He deigned to be baptized of John that the servants might see with what readiness they ought to run to the baptism of the Lord, when He did not refuse to be baptized of His servant.
Also that by being Himself baptized, He might sanction the baptism of John.
Beautifully said is that “now,” to show that as Christ was baptized with waterby John, so John must be baptized by Christ with the Spirit. Or, suffer now that I who have taken the form of a servant should fulfil all that low estate; otherwise know that in the day of judgment thou must be baptized with my baptism. Or, the Lord says, ‘Suffer this now; I have also another baptism wherewithal I must be baptized; thou baptizest Me with water, that I may baptize thee for Me with thy own blood.’.
“Righteousness;” but he adds neither ‘of the Law;’ nor ‘of nature,’ that we may understand it of both.
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 chiefl...
Hom. 10, 1: Because after his baptism Christ was to put an end to the Law, He therefore came to be baptized at this age, that having so kept the Law, it might not be said that He cancelled it, because He could not observe it.
“Then,” that is when John preached, that He might confirm his preaching, and Himself receive his witness. But as when the morning-star has risen, the sundoes not wait for that star to set, but rising as it goes forward, gradually obscures its brightness; so Christ waited not for John to finish his course, but appeared while he yet taught.
He comes to baptism, that He who has taken upon Him human nature, may be found to have fulfilled the whole mystery of that nature; not that He is Himself asinner, but He has taken on Him a nature that is sinful. And therefore though He needed not baptism Himself, yet the carnal nature in others needed it.
Hom. 12: But since John’s baptism was to repentance, and therefore showed the presence of sin, that none might suppose Christ’...
That is, when He was thirty years old, shewing that none should be ordained priest, or even to preach till He be of full age. Joseph at thirty years was made governor of Egypt; David began to reign, and Ezekiel his prophesying at the same age.
In this verse is contained person, place, time, and office. Time, in the word, "Then.”.
The Persons are described in the words, “came Jesus to John;” that is, God to man, the Lord to His servant, the King to His soldier, the Light to the lamp. The Place, “from Galilee to Jordan.” Galilee means ‘transmigration.’ Whoso then will be baptized, must pass from vice to virtue, and humble himself in coming to baptism, for Jordan means, ‘descent.’.
The office to be performed; “that He might be baptized of him;” not baptism to the remission of sins, but to leave the water sanctified for those after to bebaptized.From the time that Himself was dipped in the water, from that time has He washed away all our sins in water. And let none wonder that water, itself corporeal substance, is said to be effectual to the purification of the soul; it is so effectual, reaching to and searching out the hidden recesses of the conscience. Subtle and penetrating in its own nature, made yet more so by Christ’s bl...
Permit it now, He says. For there will be a time for us to have the glory that is befitting, even if we do not appear in such glory now.
"Righteousness" means the law. Human nature was accursed, Jesus says, because it was not able to fulfill the law. Therefore I have fulfilled all the other requirements of the law. One thing remains for Me to do, that I be baptized. When I have fulfilled this, I shall have delivered human nature from the curse. And this is befitting for Me to do.
