Read the account of Jesus' baptism in Mark and Matthew (Mark 1:9-11; Matt 3:13-17). Discuss the changes Matthew made to Mark and what these changes reveal about Matthew's emphases.

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The Answer is Mark's Gospel began with John's apocalyptic message and Jesus' baptism. The baptism story introduced the reader to Mark's secrecy motif: John apparently did not recognize Jesus as the messiah; after Jesus was baptized in Mark, Jesus saw the heavens open, and the voice that spoke from heaven addressed Jesus, "You are my beloved. . . ." Matthew changed the narrative quite a bit. When Jesus first approached John, John recognized him as the messiah and was hesitant to baptize Jesus because he recognized Jesus' superiority. In Jewish tradition, the spiritually superior person baptized the person who was inferior. Matthew did not want Jesus to appear inferior, so he added John's acknowledgement that it was he who needed to be baptized by Jesus. Another change Matthew made to Mark's narrative was the statement of Jesus' sonship. Rather than addressing only Jesus, in Matthew the voice from heaven spoke those who were present: "This is my son. . . ." These changes point to Matthew's interest in showing Jesus' superiority and that some people recognized and accepted Jesus' messiahship.

Read the Account of Jesus' Baptism in Mark and Matthew