At the Baptism of Jesus

At the baptism of Jesus we have a very lovely scene. He is there seen coming forth from the retirement of Nazareth to bear His public testimony for God among men. John had been sent of God to the nation to make ready a people prepared for the Lord. He had called upon the nation to repent of its sins and submit to his baptism. The result we know; the Pharisees and lawyers rejected the counsel of God against themselves and spurned John's baptism. The publicans and sinners, those in whose heart God had wrought—the true remnant of their day—took their true place before God in the waters of Jordan, confessing their sins. This was surely a movement of faith, an act morally pleasing to God, fruit of His gracious operation within.
In grace, Jesus would take His place with them in this. In His eyes they were the excellent of the earth in whom was all His delight (Psa. 16.) Not that He had sins to confess, far be the thought, but the act was in His case a fulfillment of all righteousness as He Himself said to the hesitating John the Baptist. He had taken His place in wondrous grace, as man below to be obedient in all things, and He would be therefore with the remnant—perfect, spotless One though He was—in this movement of their souls toward God.
Luke tells us He came up "praying." Such a notice of the Blessed One is quite in keeping with the character of the third gospel, which presents Him to us as Son of man.
Coming up from the water, "the heavens were opened unto Him, and He saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon Him: and to a voice from heaven, saying, This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased." What a sight and what a thought for our hearts! The very heavens opened unto a Man below and the Father was heard expressing the infinite delight of His heart in Him! To whom had the heavens been opened in such a manner before? To whom had the Father rendered such a testimony?
Constantly in Scripture God expresses pleasure in certain of His saints. Enoch pleased God. David was described by the Lord as "a man after Mine own heart." But never had God seen perfection till the Son stooped to walk below. There the Father saw what gave His heart perfect delight, satisfaction, and rest. Dependence was perfectly displayed and obedience begun which would not stop short of even the cross of Calvary. One is reminded of the angel's utterance on the wondrous night of the incarnation: "Glory to God in the highest, and on earth peace, good will toward [good pleasure in] men.”
These are some of the results of the coming into the world of that wondrous Babe. God has been and shall yet be glorified. Peace shall be obtained upon the earth, although delayed because of Christ's rejection (Matt. 10:34.) God's pleasure in men which has been marred by the entrance of sin shall be restored.