Why Jesus Is Not Our Example For Baptism.
I love baptism! When God’s People celebrate new life and obediently proclaim it to the world it rouses the tired, renews the discouraged, and evangelizes the lost. Recently, I attended a home baptism gathered around a pool celebrating new life. The father baptizing his son stood up and began reading scripture. He read several verses that other than having the word “baptism” in them did little explain why we follow Christ in believer’s baptism. He finished with Jesus’ baptism in Matthew 3:13-17 as the primary reason we are baptized.
I felt saddened that this sweet moment of proclaiming salvation to the world now felt spiritually muddied, and shocked that no one seemed to understand why this was the case. Soon my mind flooded with memories of watching baptism misunderstood or abused. Pastors preaching like lions from the stage while whispering in small rooms that they weren’t sure if they were communicating it correctly. Parents refusing baptism for their teenage son in front of the church for fear people would be confused because he was baptized as a 5-year-old. Countless conversations about being “re-baptized” for a fresh start. Throughout my life and ministry, I have witnessed one of the most important commands in scripture grow increasingly unclear and be robbed of its true meaning and power.
Let’s explore this a little deeper.
Where did Baptism Begin?
It’s easy to feel like first century Christians owned the patent on baptism, but ritual immersion and use of water to symbolize cleansing finds its roots throughout the ancient Near East with both Jews and gentiles. In the Old Testament we see this as early as Leviticus 16:4, 23-24, and 2 Kings 5:14-18, tells us that Naaman was commanded by the prophet to dip seven times in the Jordan to experience cleansing.
By the first century, Jews also saw baptism as a means of publicly showing submission and identifying with a teaching or belief. In fact, Jews required gentiles to be baptized when converting to Judaism to mark their changed identity and submission to follow YHWH.
Why was Jesus Baptized?
The significance of first-century baptism sheds light on the man they call, John the Baptizer (Immerser), who both spoke and fulfilled prophecy crying in the wilderness, “Prepare the way of the Lord.” (Isaiah 40:3).
John’s message was that people would repent and be baptized for the forgiveness of sins because God’s Kingdom was now at hand. John taught that his immersion was merely with water, but that the coming Messiah would bring the Holy Spirit (John 14:16), and fire (Acts 2:1-13).
Why would Jesus approach John for baptism if the prerequisite was the repentance of sin? This seems to contradict EVERY New Testament teaching about Jesus, nor does Jesus give examples for us to follow if there is no substance or meaning behind it. Jesus even has to convince a refusing John to do it. What was his argument?
“Jesus replied, ‘Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness.’…” Mat 3:15 NIV).
This phrase is easily lost on us in our day but to understand it, we need only ask what Matthew means by “righteousness” to understand what Jesus is fulfilling because nowhere in Old Testament is Jesus’ baptism prophesied. Theologian Thomas Constable gives us a hand here:
An important prerequisite to understanding Jesus' words is an understanding of the meaning of righteousness. Matthew's use of this word is different from Paul's. Paul used it mainly to describe a right standing before God: positional righteousness. Matthew used it to describe conformity to God's will: ethical righteousness. Ethical righteousness is the display of conduct in one's actions that is right in God's eyes. It does not deal with getting saved but responding to God's grace. In Matthew, a righteous person is one who lives in harmony with the will of God (cf. 1:19). Ethical righteousness is a major theme of the Old Testament, and it was a matter that concerned the Jews in Jesus' day, especially the Pharisees.
Don’t miss this immensely powerful moment. Jesus had no need to repent for the forgiveness of sins. He was submitting to the will of His Father and identifying Himself as the Messiah about whom Isaiah and John prophesied. This is THE moment when Jesus confirms, accepts, and begins His three-year road to the Cross for our sin. Therefore, the outcome is God the Father’s voice confirming Jesus’ Sonship, and the Holy Spirit in the form of the dove of peace resting His anointing on Him. This is why Jesus was baptized.
Why are We Baptized?
It is not because of His example, but by His command that we are baptized. Jesus’ final commission is that we make disciples by baptizing them in the name of the Father, Son, and the Holy Spirit. We see this clearly practiced throughout the book of Acts. The inauguration of the Church begins with the call to repent and be baptized (Acts 2:38). Baptism does not save our souls, it publicly identifies that we have submitted our lives to God. For the early church this could often be a death sentence, but it is the command of our savior to follow Him in believers’ baptism.
Why Does this all matter?
How we communicate the purpose of and adherence to baptism matters because our Savior matters. Failing to understand Jesus’ baptism robs this crucial moment of its true purpose and power. It also exposes the deeper issue that we don’t understand the purpose of baptism. Little misunderstandings have big ramifications.
If we fail to grasp that baptism is a one-time act of obedience that publicly identifies our submission to Christ, we will not live in the freedom of truth. The truth is that baptism’s power in our lives is that it publicly communicates the power of our savior to the world. It doesn’t change us or renew us, instead it empowers us convey that we are now changed and renewed. We need not return to this act, but instead are reminded that because of it we can live in freedom and repentance.
