The Beginning of Christ's Public Ministry: Who Is Jesus?

Introduction The age of John the Baptist is drawing to a close, and the public ministry of Jesus is about to begin. At this threshold, Luke places two short verses — and within them, the heavens open, the Spirit descends, and a voice is heard. But there is something we must not miss. Luke positions this scene as the very first event of the public ministry. Jesus has not yet done anything. He has not healed the sick. He has not preached a sermon. He has not called a single disciple. So why does Luke place this here, before everything else? That question is the key that unlocks this passage. Ministry does not create identity. Jesus is already the promised Messiah before His ministry begins. Identity comes first. Ministry flows from that identity. And this speaks to us as well. Our identity does not come from what we do or how devoted we are. Who Jesus is determines who we are. In these two brief verses, God Himself makes the declaration. I. God Declares That He Is the Messiah Who Descended to the Place of Sinners Observation "Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized" (v. 21). Luke has already established precise historical coordinates in verses 1–2 — the fifteenth year of Tiberius Caesar, Pontius Pilate, Herod the tetrarch, the high priests Annas and Caiaphas. Within that specific time and place, Jesus stands among real people and is actually baptized. John's baptism was a baptism of repentance — for those confessing their sins and turning back to God. And yet Jesus took His place in that line. Meaning The sinless One stood in the line of sinners. The One who had no sin to repent of submitted to a baptism of repentance. God did not save us from a distance. He came down to the very place where sinners stand and identified Himself with us. This is what Immanuel means. This is the first thing God declares: this is the Messiah who descended to the place of sinners. Man could not ascend to God — sin had barred the way. So He came down. All the way down. To the very place where we stood. Who, Then, Are We? We are those who have received this grace. We are those who know that God came to us first. This knowledge changes how we live. The one who knows that God has come down to our place no longer strains through religious effort to draw near to God. He has already come. What is required of us is not to climb up, but to receive the One who has come down. The world tells us to keep climbing higher. We rest in the One who has already come down. This is our first identity. II. God Declares That He Is the Messiah Anointed with the Holy Spirit Observation "And Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened, and the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him" (vv. 21–22). Only Luke inserts the words "and praying." Neither Matthew nor Mark includes this detail. It is a deliberate theological emphasis on Luke's part. The Greek tenses make this even clearer. "Being baptized" refers to a completed, once-for-all event. But "praying" is a present participle — an ongoing action. The baptism was over. The prayer continued. And it was precisely in that place of continuing prayer that the heaven opened and the Spirit descended. Luke adds "in a bodily shape" — this was not a vision. It was an objective, visible event that anyone present could have witnessed. Meaning This is the second thing God declares: the opening of heaven and the descent of the Spirit is God's public testimony that Jesus is the Messiah anointed with the Holy Spirit. "The Spirit of the Lord GOD is upon me; because the LORD hath anointed me to preach good tidings unto the meek." (Isaiah 61:1) Jesus begins His public ministry in communion with the Father, under the leading of the Spirit. The opening of heaven in the place of prayer is the Father's public commissioning and authentication of the Son's mission. Who, Then, Are We? We are those who have been invited into this communion. In Christ, the way to the Father has been opened for us as well. "Therefore being justified by faith, we have peace with God through our Lord Jesus Christ: by whom also we have access by faith into this grace wherein we stand." (Romans 5:1–2) "In whom ye also trusted, after that ye heard the word of truth, the gospel of your salvation: in whom also after that ye believed, ye were sealed with that holy Spirit of promise." (Ephesians 1:13) The same Spirit who descended upon Jesus has been given to us. We are those who commune with the Father in prayer and walk under the leading of the Holy Spirit in this life. This is our second identity. Prayer is no longer a matter of knocking on a closed door. In Christ, the door has already been opened — prayer is simply stepping into that open place. We do not pray in order to become like Jesus. We pray because we have already been accepted by the Father in Jesus. III. God Declares That He Is the Suffering Servant and the Glorious King Observation "And a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased." (v. 22). This voice draws together two Old Testament texts simultaneously. "The LORD hath said unto me, Thou art my Son; this day have I begotten thee." (Psalm 2:7) "Behold my servant, whom I uphold; mine elect, in whom my soul delighteth; I have put my spirit upon him." (Isaiah 42:1) "Thou art my Son" is the royal enthronement declaration of Psalm 2 — the anointed King, the Son of David who will rule the nations. "In thee I am well pleased" is the opening of Isaiah 42, the first of the Servant Songs — the one who suffers on behalf of others. Meaning At the very moment His ministry begins, God declares both at once. He is the royal Messiah — and He is the suffering Servant. Not one or the other. Both together. This is not a contradiction. This is the Messianic way. He is King, but He must first walk the path of the Servant. Before glory, there is the cross. The shadow of the cross already falls over this first scene of the public ministry. This is the direction the entire Gospel of Luke is moving. Who, Then, Are We? We are those who follow the Lord who is King. But this King first walked the road of the cross. And so we too walk the path of obedience and endurance before we walk in glory. The world wants glory now. We know that the path of the Servant comes first. The road the suffering Servant walked is our road as well. This is the third identity that sets us apart from the world. And we know where this road ends. The suffering Servant will come again as the glorious King. We endure because we know the end. Conclusion: Identity Comes First We began this morning with a question. Why did Luke place this scene first — before a single act of ministry had taken place? Now we can answer. Luke wanted to drive a nail before anything else. Before recording what Jesus did, he needed to declare who Jesus is. Ministry does not make identity. Identity makes ministry. Before Jesus had done anything, He was already the beloved Son. Before He stood in the line of sinners, He was already the Messiah. Before He prayed, He was already the Son of the Father. Before He bore the cross, He was already the glorious King. And the same is true for those who are in Christ. We do not become children of God through what we do. We live as children of God because that is who we already are. Identity comes first. Ministry flows from that identity. Do not let the world define you. Stand firm on the identity that God has declared over you in Jesus Christ. It is that Jesus Christ — and none other — who is our salvation, our life, and our glory.