Matthew 3:15

3:15 So Jesus replied ¹  to him, “Let it happen now, ²  for it is right for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then John ³  yielded ⁴  to him.

Matthew 16:25

16:25 For whoever wants to save his life ⁵  will lose it, ⁶  but whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.

[3:15]  ¹ tn Grk “but Jesus, answering, said.” This construction with passive participle and finite verb is pleonastic (redundant) and has been simplified in the translation to “replied to him.”

[3:15]  ² tn Grk “Permit now.”

[3:15]  ³ tn Grk “he”; the referent (John the Baptist) has been specified in the translation for clarity.

[3:15]  ⁴ tn Or “permitted him.”

[16:25]  ⁵ tn Or “soul” (throughout vv. 25-26).

[16:25]  ⁶ sn The point of the saying whoever wants to save his life will lose it is that if one comes to Jesus then rejection by many will certainly follow. If self-protection is a key motivation, then one will not respond to Jesus and will not be saved. One who is willing to risk rejection will respond and find true life.