It is understandable that John wants to prevent Jesus from baptism by him. He is the Lord, John is the prophet. Jesus did not need repentance, John did. There were no sins for Jesus to confess. John had proclaimed, “I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into the barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire” (Matthew 3:11–12).
14 John would have prevented him, saying, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?”