Jesus was baptised when John was baptizing all the people who came to be baptized. Jesus’ baptism showed John who he was preparing the way for. With that knowledge, John could point out that Jesus was the Messiah and that the Messiah was the Son of God and the Lamb of God. (John 1:31-34) Jesus said his baptism was to fulfill all righteousness (Matthew 3:13-15).
When I was a baby, I was sprinkled baptized. That couldn’t have been a baptism of repentance for my sin because I didn’t know what was going on.
As a young adult, I accepted Jesus as my personal Savior and Lord. A few years later, as I studied the Bible, learning about baptism and everything else. I began wondering if I should be fully immersed-baptized even though I had repented of my sinful life many years earlier. Then the thought came to me that my Lord, the sinless Jesus, was baptized at around 30 years of age. So why then shouldn’t I be baptized like him?
Jesus’ purpose wasn’t to be an example for me, but I see his life as an example to follow. Jesus was baptized to begin his ministry. Jesus was baptized to display to John and the world that he was God’s son. Jesus was identifying with sinful me. So I reasoned, “What would be wrong if I were to follow my Lord’s example in full immersion baptism?” Years later, my younger sister had made the same decision on her own. I was so happy for her and my answered prayers.
Have you been fully immersed-baptized like Jesus? If not, you should for the same reasons he was baptized. Ours is a baptism of repentance, a baptism of identity with God, and a baptism of declaration to the world, “I am a Christian.”
