Here are Greek-focused teaching notes you can drop straight into a sermon manuscript or handout. I’ve kept them modular so you can cut/paste as needed.[biblegateway]
Greek: Τότε παραγίνεται ὁ Ἰησοῦς ἀπὸ τῆς Γαλιλαίας ἐπὶ τὸν Ἰορδάνην πρὸς τὸν Ἰωάννην τοῦ βαπτισθῆναι ὑπ’ αὐτοῦ.[biblegateway]
παραγίνεται – present middle indicative, 3rd sg, “comes, appears, arrives.”
Emphasizes Jesus’ deliberate, personal arrival at the Jordan; he doesn’t just “happen” to be there.[biblegateway]
τοῦ βαπτισθῆναι – aorist passive infinitive of βαπτίζω, “to be baptized.”[biblegateway]
Teaching nugget:
“Jesus comes for the purpose of being acted upon, of receiving baptism; already in the grammar we see the obedient Son submitting to a God-ordained sign, not performing a self-chosen spiritual stunt.”
Greek: ὁ δὲ Ἰωάννης διεκώλυεν αὐτὸν λέγων· Ἐγὼ χρείαν ἔχω ὑπὸ σοῦ βαπτισθῆναι, καὶ σὺ ἔρχῃ πρὸς μέ;[biblegateway]
διεκώλυεν – imperfect active indicative, 3rd sg, from διακωλύω, “to hinder, prevent repeatedly.”
Imperfect suggests ongoing resistance: “John kept trying to prevent him.”[abarim-publications]
Teaching nugget:
“The imperfect tense paints John as persistently resisting: in his theological instincts, the lesser should be baptized by the greater, not the other way around.”
Greek: ἀποκριθεὶς δὲ ὁ Ἰησοῦς εἶπεν αὐτῷ· Ἄφες ἄρτι, οὕτως γὰρ πρέπον ἐστὶν ἡμῖν πληρῶσαι πᾶσαν δικαιοσύνην. τότε ἀφίησιν αὐτόν.[hermeneutics.stackexchange]
Ἄφες ἄρτι – aorist active imperative (ἀφες) + adverb (ἄρτι).
Ἄφες: “Permit, allow, let it be.”
ἄρτι: “now, for the moment, at this time.”
Together: “Let it be now,” stressing a unique, fitting moment in salvation history.[biblehub]
πρέπον ἐστίν – present active participle (πρέπον) used as a predicate adjective with ἐστίν.
πρέπω = “to be fitting, proper, appropriate.”
“It is fitting/proper for us…” – this is not arbitrary; it suits God’s righteous plan.[saintebible]