21 When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened. 22 And the Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove upon Him, and a voice came from heaven which said, “You are My beloved Son; in You I am well pleased.” (Luke 3:21-22 KJV)
The Baptism of Jesus Christ
The evangelist, Luke, mentions John’s imprisonment before Jesus’ baptism, even though it happened nearly a year later, to complete the account of John’s ministry before beginning Christ’s. Jesus came to be baptized by John, as previously detailed in Matthew (see Luke 3:21-22). When all the people had been baptized, then Jesus was baptized. He placed himself at the end of the line with the common people, humbling himself and showing that he came not to be served, but to serve (cf. Philippians 2:7).
Luke alone notes that Jesus was praying during his baptism. Unlike others, he had no sin to confess, but he prayed to maintain communion with the Father. Sacraments must be accompanied by prayer, which draws down the spiritual grace they signify. Jesus likely prayed for the manifestation of God’s favor and the descent of the Spirit, which followed immediately. What was promised to him had to be obtained through prayer (Psalm 2:8). This honors prayer and encourages us to practice it.
As he prayed, the heavens were opened. Just as God parted the Red Sea, he now opened the skies, symbolizing restored access to heaven. Christ opened a new and living way into God’s presence (Hebrews 10:20). Prayer is a means by which heaven is opened (Matthew 7:7).
The Holy Spirit descended in bodily form like a dove. Jesus now received a greater measure of the Spirit to equip him for his public ministry, fulfilling Isaiah 61:1. The Spirit’s visible descent confirmed his identity to John, as God had promised (John 1:32-34). The bodily form of the Spirit showed he is a personal being, not just a divine force. This moment, revealing Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, was a clear declaration of the Trinity—fitting for baptism, which would later be administered in that triune name (Matthew 28:19).
A voice from heaven declared, “You are my beloved Son; in you I am well pleased” (Luke 3:22; cf. 2 Peter 1:17). This affirmed Jesus as the Messiah, the one foretold in Psalm 2:7 and Isaiah 42:1. In Matthew’s account, the voice is directed toward the crowd: “This is my beloved Son” (Matthew 3:17), serving both as a declaration to others and a confirmation to Christ himself.
Jesus was about thirty years old when he began his ministry (Luke 3:23), the same age Joseph stood before Pharaoh (Genesis 41:46), David began to reign (2 Samuel 5:4), and priests began full service (Numbers 4:3). Some believe he had completed twenty-nine years and was entering his thirtieth year. His public ministry lasted about three and a half years—a period emphasized in Scripture (Luke 4:25; James 5:17; Daniel 9:27; Revelation 11:2-3; 12:14)—symbolizing the time of prophetic witness and Christ’s earthly work in humility.
Luke provides a longer genealogy than Matthew, tracing Jesus’ lineage not only to Abraham but all the way to Adam (Luke 3:23-38). Matthew’s purpose was to show that Jesus was the son of Abraham and heir to David’s throne, so he starts with Abraham and traces the line down through David and Solomon to Joseph. Luke, emphasizing Jesus as the seed of the woman (Genesis 3:15), traces the line upward through David’s son Nathan to Adam, highlighting Jesus’ connection to all humanity.
Some suggest that Luke gives Mary’s genealogy, beginning with Heli, her father, rather than Joseph’s. The phrase “as was supposed, the son of Joseph” (Luke 3:23) may actually mean “Jesus, as recorded, was the son of Joseph, of Heli, of Matthat,” etc. In this view, Luke follows Jewish records and traces Mary’s ancestry, while Matthew presents Joseph’s legal line. Though skeptics have challenged the differences between the two accounts, careful study has shown that both reflect accurate records preserved by the Jews. The evangelists likely copied from official genealogical archives, and these differences reflect their distinct purposes rather than errors.
A discrepancy between Luke 3:36 and Genesis 10:24 and 11:12 concerns a figure named Cainan. Luke includes Cainan as the son of Arphaxad and father of Shelah, though this name is absent from the Hebrew Old Testament. However, the Septuagint, a Greek translation used by Hellenistic Jews, includes this Cainan, and since Luke was writing for a Greek-speaking audience, he followed that version.
The genealogy ends with “Adam, the son of God” (Luke 3:38). This may refer to Adam’s unique creation by God. Others interpret it as referring to Christ himself, who is both the Son of Adam and the Son of God—uniquely qualified to be the Mediator who reconciles humanity to God and enables us to become God’s children through him (cf. Romans 5:12-19; Galatians 4:4-5).