#DailyDevotion Jesus Becomes Our Substitute

 Luk 3:21-22  Now when all the people were baptized, and when Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, the heavens were opened,  (22)  and the Holy Spirit descended on him in bodily form, like a dove; and a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”

When the Baptist was preaching and baptizing all the people into a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins who else shows up to receive this baptism? Jesus! Now that is quite strange. Jesus, conceived of the Holy Spirit, has no sin. He never sinned in word or thought or deed. From what does he need to be baptized? Of what sin need he be repentant of?  Of course we know the answer is no and none. So why does Jesus go and get baptized?

Well we know in our baptism we are joined with Jesus’ crucifixion, death, burial and resurrection. We become one with him. When Jesus is baptized he is baptized into our sin and death. Jesus becomes one with us and does for us what we cannot do for ourselves. Jesus as our high priest repents of our sin, confesses it and takes on our death that we walk in daily. He sets himself apart to become our substitute.

Quickly after being baptized Jesus will be carried by the Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by Satan. In our stead and in the place of Adam who fell into temptation, Jesus trusts his Father in heaven and does not take the bait. He does not sin. This he does in our place and for us.

In baptism Jesus was set apart to be the sacrifice for our sins. No works of our could ever make up for the wrongs we have committed. Any good we do we’re supposed to do anyway. Nothing we did could ever take away the debt we have incurred by our iniquities. But Jesus as our substitute could. For Jesus is no ordinary man.

Now it is true, Jesus is true man. Everything necessary to be truly human Jesus is. But the Father also spoke these words after Jesus’ baptism, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.” We see here Jesus is true God as well. He is God’s beloved Son. He is the Word of the Lord, the Dabar YHWH. He is the Angel of the Lord (YHWH), the second person of the Trinity. One with the Father and the Holy Spirit. As True God and True Man Jesus can do for us what we could not do for ourselves. While no man could atone for our sins, the one who is God and Man can.

Because Jesus willingly takes this upon himself, because he offers up himself in baptism to this course of action, to be the atoning sacrifice, the scapegoat, to make peace between God and man, the Father is pleased with him. In our stead he obeys the will of the Lord in all its ways and fashions. In our stead, on the mountain the Lord provides, he offers himself as our Passover Lamb that the angel of death will pass over us. As there is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood he sheds his blood for us upon the cross and takes away the sin of the world. For this the Father in heaven is well pleased with Jesus.

Jesus is the Father’s beloved Son. Now someone pointed out the other day that in Hebrew beloved is David. So when the Father says Jesus is my beloved Son he is affirming Jesus is David. Not David reincarnated, but David’s seed. He is the seed of David that takes the place of David. As the shoot and root of Jesse, Jesus takes David’s place. He is to sit on David’s throne forever. That throne is at the right hand of the Father where he sits today since his ascension into heaven and from whence he shall return with his reward with him. Now in Jesus, all this is yours too.

Heavenly Father you sent your beloved Son Jesus to become our substitute for sin and death that we might have righteousness and life. Give us faith to receive this and pour out your Holy Spirit upon us that we might live it. In Jesus’ name we pray. Amen.