Lesson 1.18: The King Is Baptized

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LESSON 1.18: THE KING IS BAPTIZED

What Is Baptism?

Loved one, on the day of Pentecost, the apostle Peter said to the people, "Change your hearts and lives and be baptized" (Acts 2:38). The words "baptize" and "baptism" appear more than 100 times in the New Testament. Baptism must be important, or it would not be mentioned so often. But, what is baptism?

Some people think baptism means sprinkling or pouring water on a person's head. Others think it is dipping a person under water. In order to learn what baptism really is, we must go back to the Bible and listen to God. As we begin our study, let us try to put aside our old ideas and approach the Word of God with open minds as though we had never heard of baptism before.

The Baptism Of Jesus

Jesus walked more than 100 kilometers (60 miles) to be baptized. After walking from Nazareth of Galilee to the Jordan River in Judea, Jesus asked John to baptize him. But John thought he was not good enough to baptize Jesus. John said, "Why do you come to me to be baptized? I should be baptized by you" (Matthew 3:14).

Jesus replied, "Let it be this way for now. We should do whatever God says, "to fulfill all righteousness" (Matthew 3:15). Jesus wanted to please His Father, and He knew that God wanted Him to be baptized (cf. Psalm 119:172). Jesus persuaded John to baptize Him in the Jordan River in order to please God.

After Jesus was baptized, He came up out of the water. The sky opened, and Jesus saw the Spirit of God coming down like a dove to anoint Him. The Father spoke from heaven saying, "This (Jesus) is my Son, the one I love. I am very pleased with him" (Matthew 3:17).

From this, we learn four important things:

Jesus was baptized in the Jordan River.

After Jesus was baptized, He came up out of the water and was anointed with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus was baptized in order to please His Father.

God was very pleased with His Son.

The question is, "What did John do to Jesus when he baptized Him?

Jesus Tells Nicodemus About The New Birth

In Jerusalem, Jesus talked to a man named Nicodemus about the importance of being born again. Jesus said to Nicodemus, "I assure you, everyone must be born again. Anyone who is not born again cannot be in God's Kingdom. ... Believe me when I say that everyone must be born of water and the Spirit. Anyone who is not born of water and the Spirit cannot enter God's kingdom" (John 3:3, 5).

Here, Jesus emphasized the importance of starting life again at the time of our baptism. God gives us His Holy Spirit, and the Holy Spirit changes us into the likeness of Christ as we grow (2 Corinthians 3:18). For the penitent believer, being baptized is like being born again and starting life over again. It is a birth of water and the Spirit.

John Baptizes People At Aenon

After His discussion with Nicodemus, Jesus and His followers began baptizing people. John preached in the desert of Judea and was also baptizing people in Aenon. No one knows where Aenon was located, but when John wanted to baptize people, he found a place where there was plenty of water (John 3:22-23)... What did John do when he baptized people at Aenon?

Baptism Is A Burial

The apostle Paul answers this question for us in his letter to the Romans. He says, "When we were baptized, we were buried with Christ and took part in his death. And just as Christ was raised from death by the wonderful power of the Father, so we now live a new life" (Romans 6:3-4). Here, we learn that baptism is a burial.

Paul made a similar statement in his letter to the Colossians: "When you were baptized, you were buried with Christ, and you were raised up with him because of your faith in God's power. God's power was shown when he raised Christ from death" (Colossians 2:12). Again, we are told that baptism is a burial.

Baptism is a symbol of the death, burial, and resurrection of Christ. In baptism, we share in His death (Romans 6:3). The old sinful person dies and is buried. A new spiritual person is raised up to live a new life. Sprinkling or pouring water on the head does not fit this symbolism. Baptism is a burial because it symbolizes the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus.

Suppose someone near and dear to you died, and you arranged to have your loved one's body buried at the cemetery. What would you think if the gravedigger sprinkled a handful of dirt upon the body and went home thinking his job was done? Would you feel he had given your loved one a proper burial? Or what if he poured a cup of dirt upon the body? Would that be enough? Certainly not! A body is buried only when it has been completely covered.

According to the Bible, baptism is a burial. In baptism, the body is completely covered with water. Immersion is the only form of baptism that pictures the death, burial, and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The Meaning Of The Word "Baptism"

Originally, the New Testament was written in Koine Greek. That is, it was written in the language spoken by common people in New Testament times. Language experts tell us that the meaning of the Greek word for "baptism" is very clear and definite. The verb "baptizo" (baptize) means "to dip, plunge, or submerge." The noun "baptisma" (baptism) means "an immersion."

Now we know what John did when he baptized Jesus in the Jordan River. He immersed or buried him in water. And we know why John needed plenty of water at Aenon. He needed enough water for a burial.

Today, you too MUST be baptized (immersed in water) if you desire to one day live eternally with God. The Bible teaches that you can be born again (John 3:3-7) by obeying five easy steps:

1. HEAR THE WORD – the gospel of Jesus Christ; the good news that Jesus died for our sins, was buried, and raised again from death on the third day (1 Corinthians 15:1-4); the word that gives you the ONE Christian faith (Ephesians 4:5; Acts 11:26; Jude 3) revealed in the Bible (Romans 10:17).

2. BELIEVE THE WORD – Jesus is the word (John 1:1-3). All that the Holy Spirit has revealed in the Bible (the Plan of God) MUST be understood and believed (Ephesians 3:1-5). God's goal is for all people (Jew and Non-Jew) to be ONE in Christ (v. 6).

3. REPENT OF SINS – repentance is a change of heart; an inside change that comes from a new transformed mind (Romans 12:2). God commands and is patiently waiting for all mankind to change their heart (Acts 17:30; 2 Peter 3:9). When Jesus comes the second time, He will come as the Judge (John 12:48). His gracious love has warned us ahead of time that those who refuse to repent will perish (Luke 13:3, 5; 2 Thessalonians 1:7-9).

4. CONFESS JESUS – you MUST tell someone that you believe Jesus is Lord, the Son of God (Romans 10:9-10; Matthew 16:16). Doing so will allow Jesus to confess you as His child before the Father in Heaven (Matthew 10:32-33).

5. BE BAPTIZED – please don't be deceived by the false teaching that baptism is NOT essential, or that there are many baptisms in effect today (Holy Spirit baptism, fire baptism, John's baptism, etc.). In about 55AD, the Holy Spirit revealed through the Apostle Paul God's "Sevenfold Plan of Unity" (Ephesians 4:4-6). The ONE baptism is one of the seven ONES in this passage. If you believe the other six ones are true for unity, then why not also believe that the ONE baptism is also true?

The One baptism is the one commanded by Jesus after He was raised from the dead (Matthew 28:18-20; Mark 16:15-16; Luke 24:44-48). After His resurrection, Jesus commanded His followers to go into the whole world teaching His word. Those who believed were then to be baptized (immersed) in water (a man can only baptize another person with water, NOT with the Holy Spirit) [read two examples – Acts 8:26-39; Acts 10:47-48).

The One baptism is a burial (immersion) in water (Colossians 2:12), for the forgiveness of your sins (Acts 2:38; 22:16). The blood of Jesus is the cleaning agent WHEN one obeys God and allows his body to be immersed in water (Matthew 26:28; Revelation 1:5).

Dear friend, have you taken these five easy steps? If you will humbly obey these five Holy Spirit inspired commands, God will save your soul (1 Peter 3:20-21), and add you to His ONE body, the church that Jesus built, the body (church) of Christ (Acts 2:47; Ephesians 1:22-23; Matthew 16:18-19). The kingdom has come, for the church is the kingdom of God's dear Son (Colossians 1:13). Once added to it, you MUST be determined to remain faithful unto death, and God will fulfill His eternal life promise to you (Revelation 2:10).

What Have We Learned?

In this lesson, we have learned several important things about baptism:

1. Baptism is important. Jesus walked 100 kilometers to be baptized by John in the Jordan River. That shows that baptism was very important to him. Moreover, the words "baptize" and "baptism" are found more than 100 times in the New Testament. Anything that is mentioned that many times must be important. Baptism receives great emphasis in the Word of God.

2. Baptism pleases God. At first, John refused to baptize Jesus because he thought he was not good enough. But Jesus persuaded John to baptize him in order to fulfill the will of God.

When Jesus came up out of the water, a voice spoke from heaven saying, "This is my Son, the one I love. I am very pleased with him." Baptism pleases God.

3. Baptism is a vital part of the New Birth. Jesus said, "If anyone is not born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter God's kingdom" (John 3:5). The "water" in this statement refers to baptism.

But the new birth is of the Spirit as well as water. When the inspired Word of God is planted in our heart, the Holy Spirit begins His work within us. First, the Spirit produces faith. Then, He convicts us of sin and leads us to change our heart and life. Then, He leads us to the waters of baptism. Finally, in baptism, He enters our body and gives us spiritual strength to live the Christian life. Therefore, we are born again of water and the Spirit.

4. Baptism is a burial in water. When we repent, our old sinful life dies. When we are baptized, our old sinful self is buried with Christ, and we share in His death. We are buried so that we can be raised up and live a new life. Baptism is an immersion in water, and it leads to a spiritual rebirth and a new life with God.

5. There are five commands that must be obeyed to become a Christian: 1. Hear the word, 2. Believe in Jesus as God's Son, 3. Repent of your sins, 4. Confess your faith in Jesus, 5. Be baptized in water for the forgiveness of sins by the blood of Jesus.