When Jesus approached the Jordan River for the purpose of being baptized He surely realized that He was taking His last steps as a private person and that His public ministry was about to commence. That fact alone leads us to ask some important questions: What is baptism? Why did Jesus consider it not only important but necessary to be publicly baptized? Is baptism important for us? If so, what does it mean not only to us but to those who know about it? Let’s think on those as well as a few other questions as we consider Jesus’ transition from private citizen to public figure as well the temptations associated with it.
What Does The Word ‘Baptism’ Mean?
The word ‘baptize’ is a transliteration of the Greek word baptizw (or baptizo) from the root word baptw (or bapto), so let’s consider what that means and how it applies to our question by imagining for a moment that Charlotte is a seamstress living in first-century Judea and that George desires a new blue woolen cloak for the coming winter. Before sewing George’s garment Charlotte would first prepare a measure of cloth by immersing it in a bleaching compound to thoroughly cleanse and purify it. She would then immerse the cloth in dye to change its color. The ‘baptism’ of the cloth was by full immersion, first with each individual fiber penetrated by the bleach and then by total permeation of the dye into every fiber and thread, thus changing the color of the cloth forever. Stated differently, when Charlotte processed the cloth in this way it could be said to be ‘baptized.’ A little further on we will note the similarity of this cleansing and changing of color to our becoming a new person in Christ, but before we move on I will point out that if any other form of ‘baptism’ such as the sprinkling of water was to have been practiced an altogether different word would have been used. Nowhere in Scripture is that the case.
What Was John The Baptist’s Role?
John the Baptist, herald of Jesus our Christ, emerged as a public figure in Matthew 3:1 “…preaching in the wilderness of Judea, and saying, Repent; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” To fully understand Scripture we must also fully understand its context. The “wilderness” (Greek erEmO) of Matthew 3:1 refers in a spiritual way not only to Jerusalem and Judea but to the known world at large, a place occupied by people in need of not only moral repentance but spiritual redemption, while the word erEmon is employed by Matthew in chapter 4 verse 1 to describe a desolate locale, the place of Jesus’ face-on encounter with Satan. While humanists may regard the world around them as a bountiful place that can be changed and/or improved upon through their own efforts God sees the world as it really is, a place bereft of spiritual fruitfulness and in need of the redemptive bounty only He through His Son can offer. It is then through what worldly-minded people view as their own abilities apart from the power and providence of God that they seek to make a sin-corrupted and desolate world ‘better’ for themselves and other sin-corrupted people. Some think these ‘good’ works will ultimately save them. Sadly, both schools of thought are flawed and in the end they fail.
As we note from Matthew 3:1, John the Baptist was a preacher. It was he who was the voice “crying in the wilderness” as prophesied by Isaiah, calling people to repentance in preparation for the advent of Messiah (Matthew 3:3 and Isaiah 40:3). This means, as the Greek kErussOn implies in the text, that John the Baptist was proclaiming the message of another. In this case that other was Jesus and the message was the Gospel, the Good News of deliverance. Paul wrote in 1 Corinthians 1:21: “For after that, in the wisdom of God, the world by (own) wisdom knew not God, it pleased God by the (perceived) foolishness (mOrias or, as we might say, stupidity) of preaching to save them that believe.” I will insert here that God has never done anything that in any way can be considered ‘stupid.’ In Titus chapter 1, verses 1-3 Paul wrote: “…acknowledging of the truth which is after godliness, in hope of eternal life, which God, who cannot lie, promised before the world began, but hath in due times manifested his word through preaching…” That’s why John was preaching. “So, then, (Romans 10:17 says) faith cometh by hearing, and hearing by the word of God.” While those who hear the Gospel and refuse to accept it may regard the proclamation of the truth as “foolishness,” the preaching (heralding) of the truth in fact finds its origin in “the wisdom of God” and in “the word of God.”
What Was John’s Proclamation?
John’s message was one of repentance, an admonition to those around him to turn away from and abandon their transgressions even while turning in faith toward the coming Messiah. There was an urgency associated with that message “for the kingdom of heaven” was “at hand,” (Eggiken, or imminent) (Matthew 3:2). Matthew 3:5-6 tells us that John made many converts to the coming King of whom he preached, and that he baptized them. The means was by water and the method was, as in the example of our cloth, by full immersion. Verses 7 through 12 that follow recount how John also recognized many false converts and religious legalists among those who heard his message, and he rebuked them before refusing to baptize them. A little further on we’ll come to understand exactly why John would not comply with their requests.
Because John’s baptism was “unto (Greek eis, or because of, in recognition of or, thereby, into) repentance” (Matthew 3:11) and because Jesus had lived a sinless life one may, in giving the matter only casual thought, think that Jesus’ baptism served no purpose whatsoever. After all, He had not sinned and therefore had no transgressions for which to repent. To combine the Gospel accounts and paraphrase what happened, John the Baptist saw Jesus coming and told those present, ‘Hey, Look there! That’s the One I’ve been telling you about, the One whose sandals I’m not worthy to bear. That’s Jesus, the Messiah for whom we’ve waited all our lives. It is He who will baptize “with the Holy Ghost, and with fire (Matthew 3:11).” He’s here at last!’ Jesus then commanded John to baptize Him but John, recognizing his own sin, protested as he instead humbled himself before God’s spotless Lamb saying, ‘Jesus, I should be baptized by You but You’re coming to be baptized by me?’ Then in Matthew 3:15 Jesus told John, “Suffer (permit) it to be so now; for thus it becometh us to fulfill all righteousness.” In accordance with Jesus’ command John then baptized our Lord.
Was It Important And Necessary For Jesus To Be Baptized?
Yes. Several reasons come to mind when we consider why it was proper for John to baptize Jesus at the commencement of Jesus’ public ministry. One is that as Jesus was about to undertake the great work for which he had come to the earth (the sacrificial offering of His own blood for my sin and yours) it was appropriate that He not only be recognized by His forerunner but also lend His authority to and approval of John’s ministry and baptism. That becomes an important point to consider in light of Matthew 14:3-11 when others began to doubt John’s authority and he was arrested by Herod Antipas. As John had cried out in the spiritual wilderness of Jerusalem and Judea (Matthew 3:5) he had led many to faith in Christ. The baptism of Jesus then declared that He alone was indeed the One about whom John had been preaching.
Jesus’ baptism also identified Him in a human way with the sinners He had come to redeem, symbolizing their baptism into His righteousness by dying with Him and arising to walk in the newness of life, free from condemning sin. It is Jesus’ sinless perfection that fulfills all the requirements of the Mosaic Law on behalf of sinners who can never hope to fulfill the Law on their own. It is His righteousness, provided to all who come exchanging their sin for that righteousness, to which Jesus alluded when He spoke of fulfilling “all righteousness.” Regarding our reconciliation to God, 2 Corinthians 5:21 says, “For he (God) hath made him (Jesus), who knew no sin, to be sin (a sacrificial offering) for us, that we might be made (anew and covered with) the righteousness of God (through faith) in him.”
An indelible record for all future generations that Jesus lived as the perfect embodiment of the Trinity – Father, Son and Holy Spirit – is imprinted upon human history in Jesus’ baptism. It was the voice of God the Father that spoke from heaven and identified Jesus as His only Son, and it was the Holy Spirit that descended upon Jesus in the form of a dove. The Father, Son and Spirit work together in the salvation of those Jesus came to deliver from their sin and condemnation, and we see that work depicted here. God’s loving plan for the redemption of mankind has always included all people of all times since before the creation of the world (see Ephesians 1:4) and he sent His willing Son as the human manifestation of the Godhead to seek lost men and to save them (see Luke 19:10). It is the Spirit that convicts the lost person of sin and draws them to eternal reconciliation with the Father through Jesus the Son (John 16:8). Thus, through the baptism of Jesus, we can see all aspects of God’s glorious and unconditional offer of mercy as well as His offer of unconditional grace.
Adding to our understanding is the fact that the Old Testament priests were responsible for the presentation of the sacrifices of the people before the Lord. Luke 1:5 specifies that both of John’s parents, Zacharias and Elisabeth, were of the tribe of Levi, directly descended from Aaron and thus of priestly lineage. When John baptized Jesus it can be viewed as the priestly presentation of God’s sacrificial Lamb on behalf of mankind. John 1:29-30 records that the following day John said of Jesus, “…Behold the Lamb of God, who taketh away the sin of the world. This is he of whom I said, After me cometh a man who is preferred before me; for he was before me.” Those words have both prophetic and priestly overtones. In verse 36 John repeats, “…Behold the Lamb of God!” after proclaiming of Jesus in verse 34, “And I saw, and bore record that this (Jesus) is the Son of God.”
Lastly, Jesus’ baptism was a public demonstration of subjection to the Father’s will, and His human and Divine acceptance of His role in God’s redemptive plan. It also affirmed His commitment to that plan and His obedience to God as sovereign Authority over all things at all times. Then, as Jesus’ head rose above the water, a voice from heaven identified Him as the Son of God. The Father would not have expressed His pleasure with what had happened in Jesus’ life to that moment if His baptism had not been an act of obedience. As those present watched while the Holy Spirit descended upon Him in the form of a dove there could be no doubt that Jesus was and is Messiah.
Was Jesus Tempted As He Stepped Into The Water?
As I speculated in the previous article there were surely temptations offered to Jesus in His private life and before His public ministry began, probably every day for the entire thirty years of His life to that point. As Jesus approached the waters of the Jordan River it may have been one of those occasions when demons would have been whispering (or screaming) in His ear something like, ‘You don’t have to do this… at least put it off until another day. If you’re baptized,’ the demons may have said, ‘there’s no turning back, and You already know Your future if You declare Yourself publicly. You’ll be ridiculed, reviled, mocked and beaten. Your own people, with the permission of the Roman government, will see to it that You are crucified. C’mon, let the whole matter go by taking the easy way out! You already have the skills of a carpenter to support yourself. Take a wife and have a family. Why not live to a ripe old age? Why not have a nice, easy life?’
I think that immediately prior to the public declaration of His Divine identity demons would have indeed presented such enticements to Jesus as a ‘last’ chance to indulge the lust of the flesh and forego certain suffering and death. Jesus could have enjoyed a ‘normal’ human life but His vision was on something larger and infinitely longer lasting – His ministry, the offering of Himself as redemption for the world and, through His resurrection, the eternal security of all who believe on Him. The lust of the eyes might also have been presented as He looked around upon the world He had created; in the flesh He could have owned it all at that time, but again His vision was toward the eternal kingdom He is to inherit as not only a king among kings but the King of all kings. He might have chosen to become a king at that time by allowing the pride of life to overtake Him but He did not. If, as I suspect, these temptations were put before our Lord His choice was to brush them aside and step boldly into the river, where John at first humbly protested baptizing Jesus and said their roles should be reversed, but Jesus said to him (in Matthew 3:15) that it was necessary to “fulfill all righteousness.”
What Does Our Baptism Mean?
To begin answering that question let’s first recall that in Matthew chapter 3 John sternly rebuked the Pharisees and Sadducees before refusing to baptize them. The reason becomes clear when we consider that the prerequisite for baptism is repentance, or conversion to Christ; otherwise a person simply gets wet to no purpose. The Pharisees and Sadducees may have had many motives for approaching John with their requests but repentance of their sins was not among them. Repentance, then, is required before stepping into the water. When a convert is baptized it is a dramatic illustration of the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus. It also depicts the believer’s death to the old life of sin, the burial of his or her old way of life, and the newness of their life in Christ. Paul offers a thorough treatment of the topic in Romans chapter 6, where in verse 11 he wrote: “Likewise reckon ye also yourselves to be dead indeed unto sin, but alive unto God through Jesus Christ our Lord.” So, you may ask, what is conversion? Simply put, to be converted is to place one’s trust in the saving grace of God through faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, abandoning and exchanging the old condemned self for a new self redeemed by the blood of Jesus. Like the wool Charlotte prepared for George’s cloak in the example above, every thread and fiber of one’s prior life is ‘bleached clean’ and the spiritual ‘color’ of the convert is changed from the blackness of condemning sin to the whiteness of pure snow in eternal life.
Following conversion one will never thereafter be subject to the condemnation of hell and eternal separation from God. While it is true that in the flesh we all pay the penalty for sins committed before our conversion (the debilitating effects of prior bad habits, the regrets of wrong relationships or unacceptable social behaviors and so forth) and that since conversion we’ve all yielded to temptation is one way or another, the convert is never thereafter condemned to hell for the sin of unbelief. Matthew 12:31, Mark 3:29, Luke 12:10 and 1 John 5:16 make it clear that the sin of unbelief in the form of blasphemy against the Holy Spirit and thus rebellious rejection of redemption is the only sin that God cannot and will not forgive. Ephesians 2:8-10 may help to put it into perspective: “For by grace (God’s unmerited favor toward us) are ye saved (from eternal condemnation) through (because of) faith; and that (faith) not of yourselves, it is the gift of God – not of works (‘good’ or otherwise), lest any man should boast (because salvation can never be earned). For we are His workmanship (by Divine design), created in (redeemed by) Christ Jesus unto (for the performance of) good works, which God hath before ordained (commanded) that we should (thereafter) walk in them (by living our new life for His glory).” Jesus’ first public profession of His own true identity was actually preceded by one from the Father when God’s voice from heaven was heard to proclaim, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased (Matthew 3:17).” Baptism, then, was Jesus’ first public good work in ministry, an act of obedience to the Father’s will. Surely God would not have been “well pleased” if baptism weren’t important. Likewise, the first ‘good work’ a convert is to accomplish is to submit to public baptism as an outward testimony of an inward change and a brand new life. Colossians 2:12 says we are “buried with him (Jesus) in baptism, in which also ye are risen with him through the faith of the operation of God, who hath raised him from the dead.”
Baptism, then, is not a requirement for salvation; rather, it is an act of obedience after salvation (conversion). Some people believe that if they respond to an alter call, say the proper words and are then ‘baptized’ under the authority of Christ’s church they are saved, but such is never the case because the redemptive transaction takes place only at the moment of conversion. Consider the words of Jesus to His disciples in Matthew 18:3, where He said, “Verily, I say unto you, Except ye be converted, and become (in your faith) as little children, ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven.” Jesus Himself affirmed that baptism is not required for eternal salvation even as He hung on the cross between two criminals, one of whom scoffed Him while the other, in child-like faith, was converted even in his dying moments. “Verily I (Jesus) say unto thee (the converted criminal), Today shalt thou be with me in paradise (Luke 23:43).” While hanging on a cross and in the process of being executed for his crimes the dying man surely had no opportunity to be baptized or to accomplish good works of service thereafter, but he was assured of his eternal security nonetheless.
There are many passages of Scripture that relate the proper order of events for our understanding, of which Acts 2:41 is but one: “Then they that gladly received his word (Peter’s preaching) were baptized…” The order is always clear – belief, baptism, and ministry through a life lived for Christ. In Romans 6:4 Paul explains, “Therefore we are buried with him in baptism into death: that like as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of life.”
Is Baptism Important For Us?
Faith unto salvation is a one-time transaction. Thereafter a believer’s future is eternally secure and Satan can do nothing to overcome us unless we allow it by yielding to temptation, and you could safely wager (although I do not recommend it) that Satan will certainly put forth his best effort to shatter our lives and silence our testimonies for Christ. Just as Jesus was probably offered the opportunity to forego His public ministry, Satan can tempt us to ‘stay quiet’ about our faith and become a ‘closet Christian.’ Jesus was very plain on a number of occasions concerning the way His disciples would be treated by the world around them and He never promised that life would be easy. His first recorded words on the subject are found in Matthew 5:10-12 within the sermon on the mount: “Blessed are they which are persecuted for righteousness’ sake: for theirs is the kingdom of heaven. Blessed are ye, when men shall revile you, and persecute you, and shall say all manner of evil against you falsely, (my emphasis) for my sake. Rejoice, and be exceeding glad: for great is your reward in heaven: for so persecuted they the prophets which were before you.” For an enhanced perspective also read Luke 6:20-38.
As a matter of public declaration of our faith baptism is absolutely imperative. Once the spiritual transaction of giving one’s heart to Christ has been made Satan can’t do anything to steal that person’s salvation but he can ruin one’s testimony and ministry. How? Through offering a broad spectrum of temptations and through one’s choices to yield to them, that’s how. That is one reason for a certain urgency regarding a person’s baptism following conversion. The sooner we profess our faith and depict it publicly in the waters of baptism the sooner we can begin the good works to which God calls us. One day (in Acts chapter 8) Phillip was commanded by an angel to travel southward from Jerusalem into the barren reaches of Gaza. There he found a man, a eunuch of great authority in the courts of the queen of Ethiopia, sitting by the wayside reading the words of Isaiah the prophet. Phillip engaged the man in conversation and preached the Gospel of Christ to him. Then they began to travel together, coming upon an oasis pool of water “…and the eunuch said (verses 36-39), See, here is water; what doth hinder me to be baptized? And Philip said, If thou believest with all thine heart, thou mayest. And he (the Ethiopian) answered and said, I believe that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. And he commanded the chariot to stand still: and they went down both into the water, both Philip and the eunuch; and he baptized him. And when they were come up out of the water, the Spirit of the Lord caught away Philip, that the eunuch saw him no more: and he went on his way rejoicing.”
In baptism the eunuch publicly professed Jesus as his Lord and Christ. In baptism he publicly professed discipleship and subjection to the teachings of Jesus and a commitment to live in the newness of life with Him; he wasn’t content to wait until a later date. Like the Ethiopian, our baptism illustrates our identification with Jesus’ death, burial and resurrection in an irrefutable way. As Phillip’s action demonstrates, we are then to share the Gospel of Jesus everywhere and with all people so they may be drawn in faith to Him. As the Ethiopian’s action demonstrates, when we gladly receive the Gospel message we are to be baptized as a first “good work” and begin our public ministry to others in newness of life.
What Did People Expect To See?
Following Jesus’ baptism and the affirmation of His identity by John the Baptist, God the Father and the Holy Spirit, who or what did those who had witnessed the event want or expect to see? What did they really anticipate Jesus might do next? Those questions are difficult to answer conclusively because we all view the world around us and the events we witness from different perspectives, but let’s consider the society in which Jesus moved and began to minister as he stepped out of the waters of the Jordan River. Perhaps we’ll draw some conclusions.
Without going into a lengthy discourse I’ll just cover a lot of both secular history and Scripture here by pointing out that on one hand national Israel had long been under severe oppression by a cruel Roman government and its lackeys. Some Jews were enslaved and impoverished, others had been by one means or another murdered. Many were abused and scorned, most were barely tolerated and all were constantly resented. There were also Jews who, in service to the Roman government and with its not-so-blind-eyed permission, sought to take every advantage of their own countrymen in a number of ways through corrupt taxation and a variety of dishonest practices or political dealings. When Jesus was spiritually pronounced to be King in accordance with prophecy some of the misunderstanding Jews wanted or anticipated political relief – the ascension of a national king who would lead His people into material prosperity and politically relieve them of the Roman yoke. The Roman government would eventually come to see Jesus as an insurrectionist and a political threat, colluding with religious leaders to rid themselves of a perceived threat.
On the other hand Jewish religious leaders who had lost all proper perspective regarding the Mosaic Law and the teachings of God’s prophets of old had by this time risen to influence. They had skewed the truth when it came to the coming of the Messiah as typified in proper temple worship and sacrifice. The specified sacrifices and feasts were still observed after a fashion but were corrupted in many ways by the greed of the priests, particularly regarding worship within the temple. They viewed Jesus as a threat to both their system of influence over the common people and their lucrative source of income. It was they and those like them that Jesus eventually flogged when He drove them from the temple and they which ultimately entered into conspiracy with the Romans to kill Jesus.
Was Jesus a true prophet? Some thought so, but even though He indeed spoke prophetic words Jesus was much, much more than a mere prophet for He is the true and only Son of God. Failing to recognize Him as such, some thought he was an intelligent, learned and engaging speaker and for a time they followed Him just to see what He might say next while others were entertained by his debates with the legalistic Hebrew scholars of the day. Many thought Jesus to be no more than a good and moral man. Early in His ministry throngs followed Jesus because they wanted to be entertained by the performance of miracles or to have their bellies filled at large gatherings. More than a few thought Him to be either possessed by a demon or in some way psychologically disturbed.
What Do We Expect To See When We Look Upon Jesus?
That, too, is a difficult question to answer because just like the people who saw Jesus in the flesh we all see Him from a slightly different perspective based on our own personal experiences, transgressions and realization of our need for redemption. For some people the moment of total surrender is a very emotional experience while for others it is not. For some the realization of the need for redemption is as sudden and perhaps unexpected as a slap in the face while for others it is a more gradual process. Either way, when we come face to face with the Redeemer the experience is no less genuine. Permit me to share my personal experience.
For me, now more than a few decades ago, the process of coming to God was somewhat gradual. Growing up in a dysfunctional family such as mine didn’t lend itself to any education regarding either religion or faith. I remember well a bright and sunny day in late winter when at the age of eight or nine I first came to a knowledge that God was real, that He had created all things and that His name was not merely a swear word. Although I wasn’t aware of it at the time, God was showing Himself to me precisely as Paul described in Romans 1:19-20. God, although I didn’t understand Him at all, for the first time in my life was real to me.
In those days there was within easy walking distance of our house in rural Arkansas a small Baptist congregation of about sixty that was so conservative as to make today’s Southern Baptist Convention look like ultra-left-wing liberals. Our family had been within its doors a few times for weddings or funerals and the like, and at the age of about twelve I became curious as to what went on there at other times. On the rare occasions when I could slip away unnoticed on Sunday evenings (yes, for you younger folks churches used to have Sunday evening services and Wednesday evening prayer meetings) I’d go there. I didn’t have a Bible to follow along with the sermon and truthfully don’t remember much about the sermon preached one warm summer Sunday evening. What I remember vividly is that the Holy Spirit of God grabbed me by the nape of the neck and shook me to the core of my existence. What I remember vividly was that God was revealing to me through His Spirit the undeniable fact that I was a sinner, a transgressor of His commandments, and that there was absolutely nothing, no thing, I could do for myself to change my lost condition. What I remember vividly was that I knew Jesus alone was the answer to what was spiritually troubling me so that in a white-knuckled and silently tearful moment I surrendered completely to Him.
For many people the conversion experience is a joyful one; mine was not. So lacking was I in Christian education and influence at the time that I didn’t even understand what had happened! I knew there was something about me that was different but I was totally unaware of what it was. I wanted to respond to the alter call that evening but I didn’t, yielding instead to Satan’s immediately-presented temptations. ‘What will your family think of this?’ he whispered in my ear. ‘What will the members of the congregation think? What will your friends think when you can’t even explain this sudden change?’ I was so full of self-doubts and apprehension that I immediately and without hesitation withdrew into a ‘closet’ of my own construction. I had just been handed a sixty-gigazillion candlepower lamp, but instead of shining it upon the world to share my experience (analogous to Matthew 5:15) I flipped the switch off and wandered home wondering what had just taken place in my life. After almost two years of struggling with myself and futilely attempting to wrestle with God while resisting the power of the Holy Spirit I at last did answer an alter call, and a week later I stepped down into the chilly waters one Sunday morning in October.
Oh, how differently my life might have turned out if only I, like the Ethiopian, had gone public with my profession at that time! Alas, much to my regret I’ll never know, but in retrospect I can make a personal case for the urgency of baptism following conversion.
What’s Next?
So far in this series of articles we’ve taken a look at what temptation is, how it entered the material realm through Satan’s wiles, and how our inherited condition of the sin nature came about as a result. We have considered the passages of Scripture that relate Jesus’ wilderness encounter with Satan as well as the so-called silent years preceding it. We’ve defined what baptism is and the reasons it was so important that Jesus be publicly baptized. We’ve given thought as to why baptism is the first good work of a believer after accepting Jesus as Lord and why it is urgent to submit ourselves to it. In the next article we’ll shift our focus onto the years of Jesus’ public ministry. Following his initial failure in the wilderness Satan, we are told in Luke 4:13, left Jesus “…for a season,” or in other words until an appointed time. When did he return to tempt Christ? What guise or persona did he adopt? What methods did he use? You have this writer’s permission to study ahead and I encourage you to do so.
Until then give all praise to God the Father through Jesus the Son. Be blessed –
Tom