JESUS WAS BAPTIZED. WHY?

Bob Mills

God considered that the baptism of His Son was so important to his ministry that it is recorded in each of the four gospels. (Matthew 3:13-17, Mark 2 9-11, Luke 3:21-22, and John 1:32-34) Each of these texts is short but to the point, and they reveal much. Both Matthew and Luke make a point that he was praying at this time. The language used, the context, and the blessing of both of the other two of the trinity, and the faith and obedience of the candidate all highlight its importance.

JESUS WAS A MATURE MAN

What little we know about the child Jesus were those events that were foretold by the prophets. When the time was right, each of those events came to be and was recorded. His birth; the visit of the magi; the flight to Egypt; his presentation in the temple; these were all prophecy fulfilled. We know that he was blessed of his Father. Now he takes the next step, a mature man, age thirty, ready to start showing in word and deed why He had come.

His ministry need an act of dedication. The time was right.

HE SOUGHT OUT JOHN

Jesus was from Galilee, but he made the long walk to find John, who was baptizing people in the vicinity of Jericho. John had been sent of God to be a forerunner who would prepare the way for Jesus’ This tells us that Jesus was old enough to make his own decisions. As a lad he had been obedient to Mary and Joseph, but this marks the beginning of his adult ministry. Baptism is not for infants. It requires forethought, belief, and repentance. In Jesus’ case, there was no repentance, for here was no sin to forgive, but there was obedience to his heavenly father. The time was ripe, His work was to begin. The Holy Spirit blessed his action, by descending as a dove upon him, and His Father spoke from heaven giving His blessing orally for all to hear. “Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.” What had he done? He was making a new beginning. What is baptism? It marks the death of the old man, and the new birth and beginning of a new life, an eternal life. Both Christ’s burial and resurrection would be shown in baptism, a burial in water, and a new life.

THE WORD “BAPTIZE” IS NOT AN ENGLISH WORD

It is a letter for letter copy of the Greek word to indicate a “washing by immersing in water,” Thus Jesus went to John because he was baptizing because there was much water at that place. Colossians 3:12, “Buried with him in baptism, wherein also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.” Or, Acts 8:38-39 , John 3:5.

Luke 3:21-22 (King James Version)

21 Now when all the people were baptized, it came to pass, that Jesus also being baptized, and praying, the heaven was opened,

22 And the Holy Ghost descended in a bodily shape like a dove upon him, and a voice came from heaven, which said, Thou art my beloved Son; in thee I am well pleased.

JESUS WAS SETTING THE EXAMPLE FOR US

He was obeying His Father and beginning his ministry. That is why he came. Let us begin and lead lives of repentance and obedience to Jesus who commanded, “Go ye into all the world and preach the gospel to every creature. He that believeth and is baptized shall be saved; but he that believeth not shall be damned.” Mark 16:15-16. Jesus had no sins to be forgiven, but everyone else does. That is why Peter, on Pentecost preached saying, “”Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins, and ye shall receive the gift of the Holy Ghost.”

We will never enter into his Heaven with our sins, or without the Spirit of God. Those sins need to be removed though repentance and baptism, and the Spirit gained as His gift. That is the time we become clean again, and to receive the ability to remain that way through the presence of the Spirit within us.
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