And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.
It should seem from the modesty of John in first declining this office, that he had some consciousness concerning the Person of CHRIST. The relation John gives of himself, John 1:26-34, was that he knew him not, but only that he should be made manifest to Israel. But at this transaction of CHRIST'S baptism, the knowledge of his person and character was to be more strikingly given to John. I beg the Reader to remark what John saith: I have need to be baptized of thee. Yes! though John was filled with the HOLY GHOST, even from his mother's womb, Luke 1:15, yet the work of GOD the SPIRIT upon the child of GOD, doth not supersede the necessity of the work of GOD the SON. All the office-work of each glorious person of the GODHEAD becomes essential in the covenant of redemption. And the baptism of the LORD JESUS is not water baptism; for it is expressly said, that JESUS baptized none. John 4:2; Acts 1:5
The importance of CHRIST'S baptism is evident from what the LORD saith: thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. But who shall take upon him to explain all that is contained in this expression? It is most certain, that here, at this solemn transaction of CHRIST'S baptism, he openly entered upon his office, and therefore it should seem the whole persons of the GODHEAD would publicly give the commission. The SON of GOD, all along in the Old Testament dispensation, had been set up and made known to the church as the Messiah, or anointed; and now therefore in the New, he shall have the public seal to the same. If the Reader will consult and compare a few scriptures on this point, they do, in my view, beautifully elucidate and explain each other. Isaiah 48:16-17; Isaiah 61:1 with Luke 4:18; Acts 10:37-38.