Throughout Israelite history there had always been a remnant that did not go the way of rebellion against God, but lived according to His Word and His will.
When John the Baptist came preaching and teaching about baptism, he was calling such a remnant to make a public declaration of their desire to follow God in righteousness and faithfulness. Those who came to be baptized by John publicly declared in front of the entire crowd that when they entered the water they were part of the corrupt Judaism, but when they came back up out of the water they no longer identified with the corrupt way of doing things, but were now part of the new order of God which would follow and obey Him in righteousness and justice.
Was John an Essene?
It is because of John’s message of baptism and separation from the corruption of Judaism that many scholars believe that John may have been part of a Jewish sect called the Essenes. The Essenes lived in the Judean desert wilderness, and they too believed that Judaism had become corrupt. To separate themselves from the corruption, they moved out into the wilderness to live, work, and worship in a holy community.
The writings of the Essenes sound similar to some of the things preached by John the Baptist, and their writings also contain instructions for the baptisms of people who join them. Archeologists have uncovered large baptismal pools where the Essenes would have undergone these ritual baptisms of separation.
Baptism in Judaism
But whether John was an Essene or not (I tend to think not), the point that in the days of John, Jesus, Peter, Paul, and the early church, people knew what baptism meant. Not only did every religion in the area practice some form of baptism for various reasons and purposes, but within Judaism, baptisms were a central practice. They indicated a death to the past and a rising to a new life. Following the definition of baptism, a water baptism indicated that a person would fully identify and immerse themselves in a new way of living for the future.
Why Did Jesus Get Baptized?
So when then did Jesus get baptized? When Jesus came to be baptized by John in the Jordan, He was making a public declaration about which type of Judaism He thought was best. The baptism of Jesus was not so He could get forgiveness of sin, for Jesus had not sinned. Nor was the baptism of Jesus for conversion, or to be saved, or to receive eternal life, or any such thing.
No, through baptism, Jesus was rejecting the corruption that had entered the religious and political spheres of Judaism, and was choosing to side with those who sought generosity, honesty, peace, and grace.
The baptism of Jesus by John in the Jordan has nothing to do with repenting of sin or getting saved, but everything to do with making a public declaration about which side Jesus is on and what He will live His life for.
John was calling the people to turn away from the corruption, and be restored to a new life of faithful obedience to God, and Jesus responded to that call by getting baptized by John in the Jordan River. Jesus wanted to be fully immersed and identified in the values of the Kingdom of God that John was preaching.
Not a bad theory. But picture Jesus wandering around in the desert, layered in dirt and sand. Might it just have been that Jesus saw what JBap was doing in the river Jordan and thought to himself: this is the perfect opportunity for a good wash?
Just thinking outside the box.
Ha! Jesus was dirty. Maybe he just needed a good wash.
I like this idea: “through baptism, Jesus was rejecting the corruption that had entered the religious and political spheres of Judaism, and was choosing to side with those who sought generosity, honesty, peace, and grace.”
This makes so much sense. In baptism I can totally identify with (immerse myself in) this Jesus. I’ve not heard this explanation until now. It pretty much says what I personally experienced.
Unfortunately, the “official” explanations I’ve heard from churchmen have been all over the map, but none have emphasized this total identification with Jesus and the life He lived. Instead, I’ve heard about being baptized to “convince your friends and relatives to get saved”(I’ve never seen that happen), to “prove you’re a Christian”(I don’t think it proves that), because “the church requires it for membership”(So I’ll just not be a member of your “church”), to “submit yourself to the authority of the elders” (authority that I doubt is theirs in in the first place), etc.
Since I’ve been “on the inside” of leadership, I know that the real reason most churches try to baptize (in many cases rebaptize) as many people as possible is what I think of a church “bean counting”, resulting in a statistic that proves the church is actually doing something. I learned the hard way how to make churchmen enraged – Ask them how many of those baptisms were actually new believers.
Church bean counting through baptism is so prevalent. You know that churches need to pad their annual report to the denominational headquarters and to make it look like the church is “growing.”
Thanks, Jeremy! Gave me some clarification.
Glad I could help.
By being baptized, He took His first steps towards identifying Himself with sinners.
DID GOD MISSPEAK WHEN HE SPOKE ABOUT WATER BAPTISM? BY STEVE FINNELL
2 Timothy 3:16 All Scripture is given by inspiration of God….(NKJV)
There are many who view water baptism as non-essential in becoming saved from the penalty of sin.
Is water baptism essential for salvation or did God misspeak?
Colossians 2:11-13 …by the circumcision of Christ, 12 buried with Him in baptism, with Him through faith in the working of God, who raised Him raised Him from the dead. 13 And you, being dead in your trespasses and the uncircumcision of your flesh, He has made alive together with Him, having forgiven you all trespasses, (NKJV)
Did God misspeak when He said you were dead in your trespasses before you were buried in baptism?
Did God misspeak when He said through faith and baptism our trespasses were forgiven?
Ephesians 5:25-27 …just as Christ loved the church and gave Himself for it, 26 that He might sanctify and cleanse it with the washing of water by the word, 27 that He might present it to Himself a glorious church, not having spot or wrinkle or any such thing, but that it should be holy and without blemish. (NKJV)
Did God misspeak when He said Jesus sanctified, cleansed, and made the church holy and without blemish with the washing of water by the word?
Romans 6:4 Therefore we were buried with Him through baptism into death, that just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.(NKJV)
Did God misspeak when He said we should walk in newness of life after being buried in baptism? If baptism is not essential then why not walk in a new life before being baptized in water?
Romans 6:6 know this, that our old man was crucified with Him, that the body of sin might be done away with, that we should no longer be slaves of sin. (NKJV)
Did God misspeak when He said our old sinful nature was done away with when we were buried with Christ in baptism?
Was our sinful natured destroyed before baptism? No, it was not.
Before water baptism we were slaves to sin.
Mark 16:16 He who believes and is baptized will be saved..(NKJV)
Did God misspeak when He said believe and be baptized in order to be saved?
Acts 2:38 Then Peter said to them, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptized in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins…..(NKJV)
Did God misspeak when He said repent and be immersed in water in order to have your sins forgiven?
Acts 22:16 And now why are you waiting? Arise and be baptized, and wash away your sins, calling on the name of the Lord.’ (NKJV)
Did God misspeak when He told Saul to be baptized in water to wash away his sins?
1 Peter 3:21 There is also an antitype which now saves us, namely baptism (not the removal of filth of the flesh, but the answer of a good conscience toward God), through the resurrection of Jesus Christ, (NKJV)
Did God misspeak when He said baptism now saves us?
Galatians 3:26-27……27 For as many of you as were baptized into Christ have put on Christ. (NKJV)
Did God misspeak when He said believers in Christ are baptized into Christ?
Every word Of Scripture come from God the Father.
Has God misspoken concerning water baptism and salvation or has man misunderstood, rejected, or ignored God’s teaching.
Is it possible that men reject God’s teaching about water baptism due to their own pride? No one likes admitting they are wrong.
Satan was expelled from heaven because of his pride.
God did not misspeak. But as humans often do, we have misunderstood what He said. We often think that quoting a bunch of Bible verses proves our point, when it never does. Instead, we need to study the words of those Bible verses in their historical and cultural contexts to see what was meant when they were written.
Mark 1:8
I(John) indeed have baptize you with water: but he(Jesus) will baptize you with Holy Ghost.
Acts 1:5
For John baptized with water, but you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit not many days from now.
Ephesians 4:5
One Lord, one faith, one baptism
It is the baptism of the Holy Spirit you have been misinterpreting as baptisim by water. 1 Corinthians 12:13, For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one body—Jews or Greeks, slaves or free—and all were made to drink of one Spirit. So we must look and study thyselves approved unto God, by rightly dividing the word of truth and not taking up no private interpretations. (2Timothy 2:15, 2Peter 1:20)
Study the scriptures I meant to include… Sorry am very tired
The new testament were letter of the apostals to the different churches at that time. Jesus gives them authority to do and undo any thing on earth concerning our salvation. Without these letters there would be no guidance for us to follow. Therefore the apostals are gods ambassadors to the earth. If the scriptures were completely lost we would have no guidance until god sends us a new ambassador to teach us all of Gods mysterys. He would also hold the keys of heaven and our salvation. Although Christ mentioned baptism as a crucial practice for our salvation it cannot be officiated without an ambassador of God. There is a text the bible that states THE MOST PERFECT WORK OF GOD IS TO BELIEVE IN THE ONE THAT HE HAS SENT! John 6-29
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Jeremy you seem to have a lot of knowledge, however wisdom may be another issue. Negative comments about churches and bean counting????
That’s exactly what they did, and within the leadership circle said so. They baptized people (and rebaptized people) so they could report those statistics to the denomination, which affected the local church’s standing within the denomination. Doing baptisms for those reasons does not deserve any positive comments in my opinion. Jeremy is not the one lacking in wisdom. That would be churches that convince people who shouldn’t be baptized to get baptized, failing to explain that the real reason for the baptism is to improve the statistics reported to the denomination.
Interesting. Related, but with a different twist. The churches I’ve been involved with there was also an obsession with numbers. The church I went to for the longest period of time was sort of a mega-church(for lack of a better word) with thousands of members, but they also met in smaller home churches(of 15-40 people each). The elders would meet with the home church leaders regularly and put intense pressure on them to constantly grow and increase in numbers. If they didn’t, then they weren’t ‘spiritual’ and God ‘wasn’t using them,’ ultimately, if the didn’t ‘right the ship’ and start growing fast, they would lose their position, be demoted from home church leadership. This pressure was passed on to the laity and it became a stressful works/performance based dynamic. And if you focused on learning about God, theology, or increasing in knowledge of scripture, you were frequently and often rebuked(knowledge puffs up, love edifies), and instead of ‘selfishly’ learning theology, you should be out converting people(increasing numbers). Thus all church meetings became seeker meetings. All milk, no solid food. Every teaching became something you’ve heard 100 times. The atmosphere became stale, superficial, fake, boring. My experience is that the only time I experience life transforming power, was when I discovered/learned more about God, and that happened most often thru the study of scripture. For years I’ve been searching for a church that doesn’t shame and discourage bible study(beyond the basics) as unspiritual.
It is however important to immitate Jesus Christ; if you turely love Him. He led an examplary life as a perfect God and man. By His demonstrated actions, whilst here on earth, He fulfiled the Laws / scriptures, for us.
He gave the deciples the authority to do certain things for the Kingdom of God and He will not contradict Himself. Are we the followers of the Disciples or of Christ Jesus?. It is true that some Churches practice baptism in the name of Jesus and that is ok , beacuse the Father has given all authority to Jesus here on earth and in Heaven. At his name all knees must bow.
Jesus commanded that we be baptised in the name of the Father and of the Son ( Jesus) and of the Holy Spirit. When we obey his words of command ( which is life) in regard to baptism, we have baptised into his father, his name and holy spirit all in one. Salvation is nearer to us as the Scriputre says that at the mere mention of Christ name are we saved.
I however, never heard that Jesus was sprinkled with water for Baptism, or fulfillment for baptism. Instead, our beloved teacher and Lord, clearly demonstrated true humilities a perfect Son of man when he submitted himself to John the Baptist in water by immersion. He revealed hiself as the true Baptiser ( by fire) followed by the act of the Holy Spirit ( The Counselor and Administrator ). I do not claim to be wise on spiritual matters, but I encourage all true believers to follow Chist Jesus by doing what He commanded us to do, if we love Him. He said, “Keep my commandments, if you love Me”. He has taught us the things we are required to know and do, until the comforter, instructs us futher. Why do you call him your Lord, but do not practice his words? All things are possible with Jesus and we shall know fully, when we see Jesus, our beloved.
It is not unwise or unlawfull, to be baptised by immersion as Jesus did, if you were onced baptised by the sprinkling of water. Following Jesus, is your chioce, an act of the Father who calls you; for salvation is of the Lord, less we should boast.
Occam’s Razor says that ” one should always choose the simplest explanation of a phenomenon, the one that requires the fewest leaps of logic ”
I suggest the question is not, Why was Jesus baptized,but..why was Jesus baptized by John.
John the Baptist was a Levite, though he performed his priestly ministry outside of the temple.
Why did John refer to Jesus as “the Lamb of God “, isn’t this a reference to the Levitical sacrifices.
John said of Jesus, ” he must become greater, I must become less ” What is John talking about. I suggest that a reading of scripture gives us the clues, that John was in fact the last Levitical priest whose task was to inaugurate the ” handing over ” of the priesthood to the new High Priest, in the new order of Melchizedek ( as the writer of the Letter to Hebrews explains it )
So Jesus came to John the Levite, John gave Jesus the ritual bath of the High Priest, then Jesus emerged from the bath not to be anointed with oil as the old Levites, but to be anointed with the Holy Spirit and then Jesus’ distinction was announced to the people by the voice of God Himself.
After taking great care to explain that the Levitical system was ineffectual , the writer to the Hebrews speaks about entering the Holy Place through the blood of Jesus, and that we have a great priest over the house of God, Jesus, whose ministry is effectual.
Jesus is revealed as the eternal High Priest, who is both the sacrifice and the mediator.
So I suggest that the meeting of John and Jesus at the river for a wash, is the place where the “handover” ritually took place for all to see.
Wow Neville, this is very interesting. Sincere thanks for sharing it.
Neville, this is the best explanation I’ve found. I tend to lean on the fact that Jesus came to be the perfect fulfillment of the law. Therfore since John the Levite priest baptism is for all, if Jesus ‘skipped’ that ceremony, then he may be looked at by the religious as not having fulfilled all law. Upon doing this, God shows his pleasure, and heaven shows it’s honor, and the Holy Spirit demonstrates the triune Godhead, for all to know that this High Priest is the one who came to to forgive all sin.
Thanks for the reply Dave. The scripture itself is always the best place to start looking for answers to our questions.
So are saying he converted?