Luk 3:21-22 | KingComments | STEP | Of all the reports we have of the Lord’s baptism, only Luke mentions that He prays after His baptism. Prayer is the true expression of dependence. It marks the perfection of the Lord Jesus as Man. As already said, Luke shows Him eight times in prayer, seven times on earth and one time lifted up from the earth on the cross ( ). By being baptized, the Lord takes His place among “the saints who are in the earth” ( ), meaning the remnant that is expecting Him. From the first step these humbled believers take on the path of grace and life, they find the Lord Jesus with them there. And when He is there, it also means the favor and pleasure of the Father and the presence of the Holy Spirit. We see that when heaven is opened. All the attention of heaven goes out to this praying Man on earth. He has no object in heaven, like Stephen, He Himself is the object of heaven ( ). Every time heaven opens, He is the object of the admiration of heaven ( ; ). For a moment, the Spirit becomes visible, the voice of the Father is heard, and the Son is tangible present. This is a wonderful revelation of the triune God. In the Son all the fullness of Deity dwells bodily on earth ( ). This fullness of Deity still dwells bodily in Him while He is in the glory of heaven ( ). The Father speaks from heaven His personal pleasure in Him to Him: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” He also does so in Mark ( ), while in Matthew He expresses His pleasure in His Son as a testimony to others: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased” ( ). God gives this testimony when there is a danger that He will be put on an equal footing with sinful people. We see this also on the mountain of transfiguration ( ). Christ takes His place as Man, but God ensures that we will keep seeing Him as the unique Man.

‏ Luke 3:21-22

The Baptism of the Lord Jesus

Of all the reports we have of the Lord’s baptism, only Luke mentions that He prays after His baptism. Prayer is the true expression of dependence. It marks the perfection of the Lord Jesus as Man. As already said, Luke shows Him eight times in prayer, seven times on earth and one time lifted up from the earth on the cross (Lk 3:21 ; Lk 5:16 ; Lk 6:12 ; Lk 9:18 ; Lk 9:29 ; Lk 11:1 ; Lk 22:41 ; Lk 23:34).

By being baptized, the Lord takes His place among “the saints who are in the earth” (Psa 16:3), meaning the remnant that is expecting Him. From the first step these humbled believers take on the path of grace and life, they find the Lord Jesus with them there. And when He is there, it also means the favor and pleasure of the Father and the presence of the Holy Spirit. We see that when heaven is opened. All the attention of heaven goes out to this praying Man on earth. He has no object in heaven, like Stephen, He Himself is the object of heaven (Acts 7:55-56). Every time heaven opens, He is the object of the admiration of heaven (Jn 1:51; Rev 19:11).

For a moment, the Spirit becomes visible, the voice of the Father is heard, and the Son is tangible present. This is a wonderful revelation of the triune God. In the Son all the fullness of Deity dwells bodily on earth (Col 1:19). This fullness of Deity still dwells bodily in Him while He is in the glory of heaven (Col 2:9).

The Father speaks from heaven His personal pleasure in Him to Him: “You are My beloved Son, in You I am well-pleased.” He also does so in Mark (Mk 1:11), while in Matthew He expresses His pleasure in His Son as a testimony to others: “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well-pleased” (Mt 3:17). God gives this testimony when there is a danger that He will be put on an equal footing with sinful people. We see this also on the mountain of transfiguration (Lk 9:35). Christ takes His place as Man, but God ensures that we will keep seeing Him as the unique Man.