R.C. Sproul

And so that is where covenant is rooted and grounded in the character of God Himself.

Now when we talk about the working out of the covenant of redemption, a distinction is made with respect to the obedience of the second person of the Trinity, with the obedience of Christ, the God-man, between what is called the perfect act of obedience

and the perfect passive obedience.

Now that may or may not be a distinction that you're all familiar with, but let me just in a few moments try to simplify what it means.

The act of obedience has to do with Christ working as the second Adam, willingly placing Himself under the requirements of the law.

and takes upon Himself that responsibility in our behalf and actively obeys every commandment that God requires from human beings.

That's why you saw the confusion at the time of Jesus' baptism when John announces that Jesus is the Lamb of God who is going to take away the sin of the world and presumably the Lamb without blemish, and he calls the rest of the people to come into the river there to be baptized as a sign of cleansing from sin.

And Jesus comes and presents Himself to be baptized.

And John said, wait a minute.

What's wrong with this picture?

I just told everybody you're the Lamb, you know, the one without blood.

You should be baptizing me.

I can't baptize you.

You're not a sinner.

And what does Jesus say?

Suffer it now, John.

You see?

for these things must needs be fulfilled to fulfill all righteousness."

Now, he didn't go into a lengthy discourse with John the Baptist on why he wanted John the Baptist to baptize him.

He was just saying, look, he pulls rank.