“And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.”
My Notes
What Does Matthew 3:15 Mean?
Jesus arrives at the Jordan to be baptized by John. John resists — he knows who Jesus is and he knows who he is, and the arrangement feels backwards. The greater should baptize the lesser, not the other way around. And Jesus answers with a sentence that unlocks the entire event.
"Suffer it to be so now" — permit it. Allow it. For now. The word "now" (arti) signals that this arrangement is temporary and purposeful. Jesus isn't establishing a permanent hierarchy where John is above Him. He's submitting to a specific moment that serves a specific purpose. The humility is intentional and time-bound.
"For thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness" — "becometh" (prepō) means it's fitting, it's proper, it's the right thing to do. Not because Jesus needs baptism for the remission of sins — He has no sin. But because fulfilling all righteousness requires Him to identify completely with the people He came to save. He enters the water sinful people enter. He submits to the rite sinners submit to. He takes His place in the line of the broken.
"All righteousness" — not partial. All. Every requirement. Every standard. Every obligation that God's righteousness demands of humanity, Jesus will fulfill. The baptism is the first public act of that fulfillment. Before He preaches a single sermon, He stands where sinners stand. Before He performs a single miracle, He undergoes a sinner's ritual. The righteousness is comprehensive, and it begins with identification.
"Then he suffered him" — John yields. He allows it. The resistance gives way to submission — not because Jesus argued convincingly, but because Jesus said it was right. When God tells you to do something that seems backwards, the proper response is: I'll suffer it. I'll allow it. Even when it doesn't make sense to me.
The heavens open immediately after. The Spirit descends. The Father speaks. The identification with sinners is met with the affirmation of heaven.
Reflection Questions
- 1.What has God asked you to do that felt 'backwards' — beneath you, improper, or against conventional wisdom?
- 2.How does Jesus submitting to a sinner's baptism reshape the way you think about what fulfilling righteousness looks like?
- 3.Where is God asking you to 'suffer it' — to accept something that doesn't make sense to you because He says it's fitting?
- 4.What does Jesus' identification with sinners at the Jordan tell you about how close He's willing to come to your mess?
Devotional
Jesus didn't need to be baptized. He was sinless. John's baptism was for repentance, and Jesus had nothing to repent of. Yet He waded into the Jordan anyway — not because He needed cleansing, but because you did. And He was willing to stand where you stand to accomplish what you couldn't.
That's the gospel in a river. The righteous one enters the sinner's water. The holy one undergoes the rite designed for the unholy. The one who should be doing the baptizing submits to being baptized. Everything is upside down — and that's exactly how righteousness is fulfilled. Not by Jesus staying above you in His purity, but by Jesus coming down to where you are in His love.
"Suffer it to be so now" — Jesus asks John to accept something that doesn't make sense. The greater submitting to the lesser. The pure entering the water of the impure. It's backwards. It's improper by every conventional standard. And Jesus says: it's right. It's fitting. Trust Me.
God frequently asks you to do things that seem backwards. Serve when you deserve to be served. Give when you'd rather receive. Go low when everything in you wants to go high. Submit when you have every right to lead. Jesus' answer at the Jordan is the template: this is how righteousness is fulfilled. Not by insisting on your proper position, but by willingly taking the lower one. The heavens opened after Jesus went down into the water. They tend to open for you the same way — when you're willing to go where you think you shouldn't have to.
Commentary
Trusted original commentary from respected historical Bible scholars and theologians.
And Jesus answering, said unto him,.... This is an Hebrew way of speaking, often used in the Old Testament, and answers…
Thus it becometh us - It is suitable and proper. And though you may feel yourself unworthy, yet it is proper it should…
Our Lord Jesus, from his childhood till now, when he was almost thirty years of age, had lain hid in Galilee, as it…
Cross References
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