The Bible In Your Hand

A few days ago, I promised to write a post on Baptism, since we are presently looking at John’s Testimony concerning the baptism of Jesus. But the life of a Pastor, and computer problems got in the way, and so it is much later than I originally intended for writing this post. The question before us, why was Jesus baptized and is there a reason why we as Christians should be baptized?

Matthew’s gospel ends with the passage we often call the great commission. In that passage, we are told to, “Go therefore and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all things that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, even to the end of the age. Amen” (Matthew 28:19, 20).

Jesus’s ministry on earth, started with his baptism, and ends for those that follow Him to baptize others. It is true, that John was only following a tradition of Baptism. What was different with John’s baptism was for the repentance of sin, but he was following the tradition of his time. Gentiles that came to the Jewish system of faith were baptized by immersion, but John’s baptism was different in that he was not only calling Gentiles, but he was also calling for Jews to repent of their sins and be baptized by immersion.

Paul, when in Ephesus came upon some disciples of John the Baptist, he asked them, “Did you receive the Holy spirit when you believed?” So, they said to him, “We have not so much as heard whether there is a Holy Spirit” (Acts 19:1, 2).

In our last post, we saw John the Baptist describe what happened at the baptism of Jesus. John’s testimony states, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him” (John 1:32). As we continue through the book of John, you will see that the Holy Spirit was guiding and directing Christ from that point throughout Jesus ministry.

Jesus himself, called for the helper (another name for the Holy Spirit) to be in them as it was in me. Let’s look at the passage later in John’s gospel. Jesus is talking to his disciples on the night before He was arrested. “But now I go away to Him who sent Me, and none of you asks Me, ‘Where are You going?’ But because I have said these things to you, sorrow has filled your heart. Nevertheless I tell you the truth. It is to your advantage that I go away; for if I do don’t go away, the Helper will not come to you, but if I depart, I will send Him to you. And when He has come, He will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness, and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in Me; of righteousness, because I go to My Father and you see Me no more; of judgment, because the ruler of the world is judged. I still ahve3 many things to say to you, but you cannot bear them now. However, when He, the Spirit of truth, has come, He will guide you into all truth; for He will not speak on His own authority, but whatever He hears He will speak; and He will tell you things to come. He will glorify Me, for he will take of what is Mine and declare it to you. All that the Father has are Mine. Therefore, I said that He will take of Mine and declare it to you’” (John 16:5-15).

Today, Baptism into Christ by immersion allows the Holy Spirit to enter your heart. The Holy Spirit will convict the world of sin, and of righteousness and of judgment: of sin, because they do not believe in mM; of righteousness, because I go to My Father, and you see Me no more; of judgment because the ruler of the world is judged (John 16:8-10). The power of the Holy Spirit, being directed by Christ will cause us to understand what the devil is doing and give us the power to resist sin and see and long for righteousness in our lives.

As the Father directed Christ’s ministry through the Holy Spirit, which was seen in the form of a dove, lighting upon Christ and remaining there, is the same Holy Spirit that comes upon each of us, when we are baptized into Christ.

This is why baptism is so important and why Jesus asked His followers to Baptize and make disciples.