Matthew 3:13-17:
13Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to be baptized by John. 14But John tried to deter him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” 15Jesus replied, “Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.”Then John consented.
16As soon as Jesus was baptized, he went up out of the water. At that moment heaven was opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and alighting on him. 17And a voice from heaven said, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
When John would not consent to baptize Jesus, Jesus said that it was proper for him to baptize Him in order to fulfill all righteousness. To be baptized indicates dying to the old life. This passage of scripture gives us insight into the new birth experience that takes place in a believer’s life when they surrender their old way of life and submit to God’s authority thereon. After Jesus had been baptized and came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit descended on Him indicating that the new life could only be lived in the power of the Holy Spirit. God the Father was announcing that the Holy Spirit would be offered to all who would die to their old life and take on the new life.
God rend the heavens to come down from heaven. The voice from heaven was provided to all present and those who will read this scripture and not so much for the Lord. It is a drawing in of all to come to the Savior through whom the heavens are opened. All who are born again are also sons and daughters whom God loves and is well-pleased with.
Through the Baptism of Jesus, we learn that God opened the heavens so that all could freely partake of the blessing of the Holy Spirit. All under heaven are entitled. The only requirement is that they receive Heaven’s gift of God’s Son, who is given to them.
There are many references to open heavens in the Bible:
- God promised open heavens to bless His people with rain and grain.
Deuteronomy 28:12 ESV:
The Lord will open to you his good treasury, the heavens, to give the rain to your land in its season and to bless all the work of your hands. And you shall lend to many nations, but you shall not borrow.
In Psalm 78:23-29 we read how God opened the doors of heaven to provide manna and meat to the Israelites. Verses 23-25… “Though he had commanded the clouds from above, and opened the doors of heaven, And had rained down manna upon them to eat, and had given them of the corn of heaven. Man did eat angels’ food: he sent them meat to the full” (KJV).
- Open heavens indicate revelation and visions as were offered to John, Peter, Jacob, Isaiah, and Ezekiel who all saw the heavens opened (Revelation 4:1-2, Acts 10:9-11, Genesis 28:12, Isaiah 6:1-4, and Ezekiel 1:1) In 2 Corinthians 12:1-4, a man whom Paul knew was caught up into third heaven.
- Open heavens indicate free access (Hebrews 10:19-20) that operates by faith (Romans 5:1-2). God opens the doors of heaven to pour out great blessings to those who wait upon Him. Waiting upon the Lord is one of the keys to experiencing opened heavens. 2 Chronicles 7:13-14 shows that humbling oneself in prayer causes one’s prayers to be heard.
- Most of all, open heaven indicates that you can hear the voice of the Lord. Everyone present there heard the voice from heaven saying, “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”
WHY JOHN THE BAPTIST FAILED TO ENTER THE KINGDOM OF GOD
Jesus said that even the least in the kingdom of God was greater than John (Mat 11:11). John had seen the miracle of new birth take place before his eyes so that all who received the Holy Spirit would attain the righteousness of God. Yet he did not believe but sent his disciples to enquire if he was the one who was to come (vs. 3). Jesus showed them all the miracles and asked them to report it to John. The fact that He was able to manifest mighty miracles indicated that He was indeed the promised Messiah.
John was greater than all those born of women but he failed to let go of the last season and get a grip on what God was doing NOW: “From the days of John the Baptist until now, the kingdom of heaven has been forcefully advancing, and forceful men lay hold of it. …he was the Elijah who was to come.” (Mat 11 vs. 12,14)
John testified in John 1:30-33 NIV saying:
30This is He of whom I said, ‘A man who comes after me has surpassed me because He was before me.’ 31I myself did not know Him, but the reason I came baptizing with water was that He might be revealed to Israel.” 32Then John testified, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove and resting on Him. 33I myself did not know Him, but the One who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit descend and rest is He who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’
John says, “I myself did not know Him” twice. He did not know the Lord Jesus. This means he did not have eternal life because to know Jesus is eternal life. God the Father had revealed to him that the one on whom the Spirit descends and rests is the one who will baptize with the Holy Spirit. He could have followed God’s testimony uninhibitedly, but he was not able to. This reveals that he was not able to SEE the kingdom of God. This is why even the least in the kingdom of heaven is greater than John the Baptist.
The requirement to see the kingdom of God is to be born again from above: Jesus replied, “Very truly I tell you, no one can see the kingdom of God without being born from above.” – John 3:3
What happens when you do not see?
You will fall away as scripture indicates: Blessed is he who does not fall away on account of me. – Mat 11:6
Prayer:
Heavenly Father, we recognize that you desire for us to hear you through your Son. We receive the precious offering of your Son and the Holy Spirit offered to us through your Son. We desire all three of you and wish to hear you speak to us. We desire to put our old life away and seek you earnestly. We desire to be blessed with every blessing offered us on the cross. We delight in you and we passionately seek you. Bless us with your Presence. Give us the full measure of your Spirit so that we may live triumphantly for you. We pray this in Jesus’ Name. Amen.
Additional References:
Revelation 19:11… And I saw heaven opened, and behold, a white horse, and He who sat on it is called Faithful and True, and in righteousness He judges and wages war.
Ezekiel 1:1 ESV… In the thirtieth year, in the fourth month, on the fifth day of the month, as I was among the exiles by the Chebar canal, the heavens were opened, and I saw visions of God.
Isaiah 45:8… “Drip down, O heavens, from above,
And let the clouds pour down righteousness;
Let the earth open up and salvation bear fruit,
And righteousness spring up with it.
I, the Lord, have created it.
Revelation 4:1… After these things I looked, and behold, a door standing open in heaven, and the first voice which I had heard, like the sound of a trumpet speaking with me, said, “Come up here, and I will show you what must take place after these things.”
Matthew 3:16… After being baptized, Jesus came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened, and he saw the Spirit of God descending as a dove and lighting on Him,
Mark 1:10… Immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heavens opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him;
Luke 3:21… Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus was also baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened,
John 1:51… And He *said to him, “Truly, truly, I say to you, you will see the heavens opened and the angels of God ascending and descending on the Son of Man.”
Acts 7:55-56… But he, full of the Holy Spirit, gazed into heaven and saw the glory of God, and Jesus standing at the right hand of God. And he said, “Behold, I see the heavens opened up and the Son of Man standing at the right hand of God.”
Acts 10:11… and he saw the sky opened up, and an object like a great sheet coming down, lowered by four corners to the ground,
Isaiah 64:1… “Oh, that you would burst from the heavens and come down! How the mountains would quake in your presence!” (NLT). The King James Version reads, “Oh that thou wouldest rend the heavens, that thou wouldest come down, that the mountains might flow down at thy presence.”