Tag Archives: Baptism

Born again

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waterWe started looking at John chapter 3 yesterday. We find there some of Jesus’ earliest teaching on baptism. However, we need to remember that baptism is not the main point of what Jesus says to Nicodemus. The driving thrust must be on the Spirit. Look at what Jesus says in verses 5 through 8:

“I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.” (John 3:5–8)

We need to remember that baptism wasn’t new. With John’s preparatory work, baptism was at the center of religious thought, at least in Judea.

The talk about the Spirit was new. He wasn’t new, of course, but he hadn’t been given to people in the way that he would be given to Christians. What differentiated Christian baptism from John’s baptism was the Spirit. Look at these passages:

“I baptize you with water for repentance. But after me will come one who is more powerful than I, whose sandals I am not fit to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Matthew 3:11)

“I baptize you with water, but he will baptize you with the Holy Spirit.” (Mark 1:8)

“John answered them all, “I baptize you with water. But one more powerful than I will come, the thongs of whose sandals I am not worthy to untie. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and with fire.” (Luke 3:16)

“I would not have known him, except that the one who sent me to baptize with water told me, ‘The man on whom you see the Spirit come down and remain is he who will baptize with the Holy Spirit.’” (John 1:33)

“For John baptized with water, but in a few days you will be baptized with the Holy Spirit.” (Acts 1:5)

“While Apollos was at Corinth, Paul took the road through the interior and arrived at Ephesus. There he found some disciples and asked them, “Did you receive the Holy Spirit when you believed?” They answered, “No, we have not even heard that there is a Holy Spirit.” So Paul asked, “Then what baptism did you receive?” “John’s baptism,” they replied. Paul said, “John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance. He told the people to believe in the one coming after him, that is, in Jesus.” On hearing this, they were baptized into the name of the Lord Jesus. When Paul placed his hands on them, the Holy Spirit came on them, and they spoke in tongues and prophesied. There were about twelve men in all.” (Acts 19:1–7)

Being born again involves water, but we must never lose sight of the fact that we are being born of the Spirit. That’s the central reality in this new birth.

Born of water and the Spirit

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water

“In reply Jesus declared, “I tell you the truth, no one can see the kingdom of God unless he is born again.’” “How can a man be born when he is old?” Nicodemus asked. “Surely he cannot enter a second time into his mother’s womb to be born!” Jesus answered, “I tell you the truth, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless he is born of water and the Spirit. Flesh gives birth to flesh, but the Spirit gives birth to spirit. You should not be surprised at my saying, ‘You must be born again.’ The wind blows wherever it pleases. You hear its sound, but you cannot tell where it comes from or where it is going. So it is with everyone born of the Spirit.”” (John 3:3–8)

Nicodemus came asking a question, even if he may not have known that he had a question. Jesus answered it by talking about being born again. When Nicodemus asked what that meant, Jesus talked about being born of water and the Spirit. I’m convinced he was talking about baptism.

Later in the same chapter, we find the next reference to water. It’s the water of baptism. John often connects teachings with actions in his gospel; the healing of a blind man is connected with teaching about spiritual blindness, for example. Here we have a discussion of entering the kingdom followed by examples of baptisms, both by John and his disciples and by the disciples of Jesus.

The Jews were very familiar with ceremonial washing. It was nothing new to them. Proselytes would be immersed. Worshipers would wash before going to the temple. Priests engaged in ritual washings.

We’ll dig deeper into what this text means, but I think Jesus is saying much what Paul said when he described the new life that beings with baptism. (Romans 6) New life… born again. Similar concepts. Much like what is said in Titus 3 about the “washing of regeneration and renewal of the Holy Spirit.”

The baptism of Jesus: Perspective

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waterI want to conclude this series within a series by trying to put the baptism of Jesus into its proper place. I’m a strong believer in observing what emphasis Scripture itself puts on certain stories and certain ideas (a lesson I learned from Dr. Tom Olbricht) It can be very telling to study what biblical writers emphasized and what they didn’t.

Jesus’ baptism is recorded in three of the gospels and alluded to indirectly in the fourth. That shows that it was a significant moment in Jesus’ ministry. But it’s interesting that we never find the early church saying, “Jesus was baptized, so we should be as well.” (I’m limiting myself to the New Testament canon; if someone wants to bring in evidence from early church writers from later centuries, I’d be interested to hear it)

The baptism of Jesus is important as a watershed moment in Jesus’ ministry. It reminds us of the importance of baptism in the Christian movement (as does John’s ministry in general). But I don’t know that it’s a WWJD moment that should lead people to the water. In and of itself, I don’t think it provides sufficient reason for someone to be baptized in a Christian way.

The baptism of Jesus: That voice from heaven

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waterOne of the most famous elements in the story of the baptism of Jesus is the pronouncement from heaven: “This is my Son, whom I love; with him I am well pleased.”

That’s how Matthew records it, and it’s the version I grew up with. (Though I hear the King James in my head: “This is my beloved son…”)

Mark records the voice as saying: “You are my Son, whom I love; with you I am well pleased.” Same idea, but speaking directly to Jesus. Luke records it as Mark did. John mentions no voice, just the coming of the Spirit in the form of a dove.

Who was the voice for? It doesn’t really seem to have been for John. He doesn’t mention it when he is quoted as describing the event in the gospel of John, chapter 1. And he later comes to have real doubts as to Jesus’ identity. That seems strange for one who heard confirmation from heaven (though it’s surprising how often people doubt visions and voices in Scripture).

There’s no indication that anyone started following Jesus because of the voice. Either no one was around to hear it, no one understood it, or they were unmoved by the experience.

It almost seems to me that the voice was for Jesus. It reminds me of this incident from John 12:

“Then a voice came from heaven, “I have glorified it, and will glorify it again.” The crowd that was there and heard it said it had thundered; others said an angel had spoken to him.” (John 12:28–29)

The crowd didn’t seem to hear what the voice said. They heard it as thunder or as an angel speaking to Jesus. No one seems to have heard the message.

Something similar happened at Saul’s conversion:

“My companions saw the light, but they did not understand the voice of him who was speaking to me.” (Acts 22:9)

What do you think? Was the voice from heaven there for Jesus’ sake? Was it for John? Or did it serve another purpose?

The baptism of Jesus: Why was he baptized?

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waterWe talked last week about John the Baptist. Now we need to talk about Jesus’ baptism. Each of the gospels mention it, though the perspective changes from book to book. Mark is pretty sparse on details (as he often is), though he does mention that voice that proclaimed the identity of Jesus and the Father’s pleasure with what had been done. Luke’s account is very similar. Matthew adds the protests of John, where he said, “I need to be baptized by you, and do you come to me?” We’ll talk more about Jesus’ reply to John.

John’s gospel doesn’t mention the baptism itself, but it does mention the descent of the Spirit in the form of a dove. No mention of the voice from heaven, either.

So why was Jesus baptized? “To fulfill all righteousness” is the quick answer, quoting Jesus’ words from the gospel of Matthew. But it raises as many questions as it answers. Matthew often talks of fulfillment, yet it’s hard to see how this act fulfilled any prophecy. And he says this was about fulfilling righteousness, not Scripture.

Then you have the fact that John’s baptism was about repenting from sin and receiving forgiveness for that sin. Jesus had no sin. (It’s an interesting fact that Jesus began his ministry by being baptized for sins that he didn’t have and ended it by being crucified for sins that he didn’t have)

If you had to give a brief answer to the question “Why was Jesus baptized?”, what would you say?