For Us To Fulfill
There was a private, world-changing conversation that happened between Jesus and John the Baptist. God lets us in on it in Matthew 3.
Jesus had come to the Jordan River to be baptized by John. But John – having special insight into who Jesus really was, could not make sense out of why Jesus was coming to him to be baptized. He said to Jesus, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”
I imagine Jesus drawing near to John, maybe looking down at the ground, the way people sometimes do when side-by-side, or maybe looking directly at him in an encouraging, brotherly way. He said to John, “Let it be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” And with that, John agreed to baptize Him, and Jesus began His full-time ministry on earth.
I love the part where Jesus says “for us to fulfill all righteousness”. US… Him and John, together. He wouldn’t have needed to involve John in His work for life and for the gospel. But He did. And today, He wouldn’t need to involve you and me in His work for life and the gospel. But He does. Let US… Jesus and you. Jesus and me. How exhilarating!
We serve a selfless God whose very being is love. He desires what is best for the other person. And what is best for us is to be involved in His life-transforming work with Him – the very Son of God; the King of the world. Let’s embrace that great privilege and do what He’s asking us to do today – we get to do it together with Him – so that together we might “fulfill all righteousness” that He has planned. We have all been created for Him.