When all the people were baptized, it came to pass that Jesus also was baptized; and while He prayed, the heaven was opened.
Parallel translations
- WEB Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also had been baptized, and was praying. The sky was opened,
- KJV Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,
- BSB When all the people were being baptized, Jesus was baptized too. And as He was praying, heaven was opened,
- NASB Now when all the people were baptized, Jesus also was baptized, and while He was praying, heaven was opened,
- NLT One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized. As he was praying, the heavens opened,
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
Jesus is baptized along with the people and is praying when heaven opens. He identifies with sinners and begins His ministry in prayer.
Overview
Though sinless, Jesus submits to baptism, identifying with the people He came to save and fulfilling all righteousness. Luke uniquely notes that He was praying when heaven opened, a theme he stresses throughout his Gospel. The opened sky signals heaven's response and the dawning of the messianic age.
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 8
- John 1:32–34John testified, saying, “I have seen the Spirit descending like a dove out of heaven, and it remained on him.
- Matt 3:13–17Then Jesus came from Galilee to the Jordan to John, to be baptized by him.
- John 12:27–28“Now my soul is troubled. What shall I say? ‘Father, save me from this time?’ But for this cause I came to this time.
- Luke 5:16But he withdrew himself into the desert, and prayed.
- Mark 1:9–11In those days, Jesus came from Nazareth of Galilee, and was baptized by John in the Jordan.
- Matt 14:23After he had sent the multitudes away, he went up into the mountain by himself to pray. When evening had come, he was there alone.
- Luke 9:28–29About eight days after these sayings, he took with him Peter, John, and James, and went up onto the mountain to pray.
- Luke 9:18As he was praying alone, the disciples were with him, and he asked them, “Who do the multitudes say that I am?”
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
Luke shows Jesus the Savior for all — outsiders, the poor, the nations — the one who, on the Emmaus road, opened all the Scriptures to show they were about himself.
How Luke 3:21 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
Each word below is tagged with its Strong’s number — tap one to see the underlying Greek word, its meaning, and every verse that uses it.