Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw heaven being torn open and the Spirit descending on him like a dove. And a voice came from heaven: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.”
Mark 1:10-11 NIV
Jesus submitted Himself for baptism although He did not need to. However, He was committed to doing everything properly. He made sure that everything He did was in accordance with the scriptures. Albeit, what I want us to consider today is the personal nature of the baptism of Jesus. He was the one who brought Himself to be immersed in water. John did not go and call Him; He came Himself. As He came, John recognised the person of Jesus. It was revealed to him the essence of the coming of Jesus.
The next day John saw Jesus coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of God who takes away the sin of the world!
John 1:29 NKJV
However, Jesus did not rely on the revelation of John. He had his own experience. ‘Just as Jesus was coming up out of the water, he saw’, this means that your experience with the Lord will not be shared. It was Jesus Himself who saw the heaven open upon Him.
It is when you yield yourself to God, that you will see heaven open over your life. When you yield yourself to God, He recognises you. After yielding yourself to God, He proclaims you as His child. You do not do the proclamation, God does it. So, you must first yield yourself before God can acknowledge you. For open heavens to happen, immersion must take place. Immersion is to be knitted into Christ. It is to be a partaker of His death and resurrection.
And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the Spirit descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the Holy Spirit.’ And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of God.”
John 1:32-34 NKJV
There must be a personal note to your relationship. It was God who said ‘You are my Son’. Can God say the same of you and me? John was a witness to God’s announcement. Albeit, others can only be witnesses to God’s proclamation about you. You need to have that personal revelation because that would be your fuel for the journey. So, let us submit ourselves to God and experience our revelation of Him.
