LUKE 3:21-38 BAPTIZED AND PRAYING John in his preaching, made it clear that those he baptized were to express outwardly that which was true of them inwardly. Baptism has no meaning if there is not the reality of repentance. When Jesus came to be baptized by John, it was not because He had anything to repent of. He was always "holy, harmless, undefiled and separate from sinners." Both John and Lord Jesus were identified with the righteous believers living then who waiting for the Messiah to come. The Lord had been seen by Simeon and Anna in His infancy. There were others who were waiting for Him to come and now in this act of baptism, Jesus was beginning a whole new phase of His life as He stepped into the public view of the nation of Israel. That was when "He came unto His own, and His own received Him not."
Luke, the writer, along with the other Gospel accounts, gives an overview of the life of the Lord's first 30 years on earth. The newborn baby fulfilled the scriptures in the place of His birth and in the prophecy that He would be called out of Egypt. This pleased the Father in heaven. He was a Nazarene and as a child not only was the demands of the law fulfilled, but He was subject unto His parents and grew in favor toward God and men. This pleased the Father in heaven. As a boy of 12 years of age He testified of His interest and knowledge in the things of God when He was about the "Father's business" among the doctors in the temple. This pleased the Father in heaven. He was known as the carpenter's son and then as "the carpenter" as He labored among the people. This pleased the Father in heaven. Advancing in wisdom and stature was another way He pleased the Father in heaven. Now in publicly identifying Himself with those who were godly, again He pleased the Father. The public teaching ministry that was beginning as He stepped out to preach the Gospel, was pleasing to the Father in heaven. His attitude of prayer at this juncture in His life on earth testified to His fellowship and obedience to the Father who sent Him. The Holy Spirit also testified as to who He was among all the people. The Divine Trinity was united publicly at the very beginning of the ministry of the Lord Jesus.
Seven times in Luke's account of the perfect manliness of Christ we find Him praying. This act of fellowship in prayer indicates His adoration of God, His worship of God, His submission to God's will and His dependence on God. All of these elements are involved in genuine prayer. So, when the Father spoke from heaven, declaring His pleasure in the Lord Jesus Christ as His well-beloved Son, the whole life of the Lord Jesus, the present attitude of the Lord Jesus and the public beginning of the ministry before Him, brought delight to the Father.
Every aspect of our lives is under God's scrutiny. The way we act as young children, the attitude we have towards our parents and family, our willingness to advance in a godly way in life is known by our heavenly Father. Our obedience to His will and submission of mind to the guidance of the Holy Spirit is important to our fellowship with God. The prayers of a believer are evidence of the way we consciously respond to our Father. It is true God is our Father, but we still need to be aware of the fact that He is the Eternal, Almighty, All-knowing God. That will keep us from being light-hearted and casual in His presence. He is holy and we need to maintain a dignity with respect and reverence when we speak to Him.
It is hard to imagine the One who created the world and all the universe with a word from His mouth, being a carpenter and forming hand-made things out of the material He made. Yet, we know that is what happened that He might draw near to us as one of us and meet our deep need out of the riches of His grace. Every person on the list of names Luke records in the genealogy that goes back to Adam was known by the Son of God. He gave them life and yet from that historical line of failing, mortal men - He was "found in fashion as a man." The carefulness of Luke to go over those names bears witness to the work of the Holy Spirit through the writer. The humanity and perfect manliness of Christ was declared throughout this book. The angel said His name is Jesus. Joseph and Mary called Him Jesus. The child Jesus, grew. At 12 years of age He was the boy Jesus. Jesus grew in the sense of advancing in wisdom through the years to maturity. Jesus was named at His baptism. Now Jesus Himself about 30 years old steps out in perfect manliness to serve God in public ministry. There is a progression in the lives of God's people as well that leads to the final approbation of "Well done" in a future day.