Page 48 - Advanced Life of Christ - Student Textbook

John had a message for those who came to hear him and be
baptized: water alone could not change them; they needed
genuine repentance. This was true of all people, Jew and
Gentile alike. His baptism required a pure heart symbolized
by washing with water. The Jewish people often spoke of
“repentance” as a regular act each time a person sinned.
John preached a special kind of repentance – a turning from
sin to God. John thus expected from his own people the kind
of repentance they expected of Gentiles who had converted
to Judaism.

Jesus’ baptism In the Synoptic Gospels (Matthew, Mark,
and Luke), Jesus’ baptism marks His inauguration as the
servant Messiah and the initiation of His public ministry.
Luke declares that Jesus was 30 years old when this occurred
(Luke 3:1,23). The Spirit is the agent of a new beginning, and
the endorsement of the heavenly Father was a stamp of
approval. Jesus was anointed by the Spirit of God as Messiah
and the “Servant of the Lord” as described centuries earlier
by the prophet Isaiah (Isaiah 11:2, 42:1, 61:1)

Matthew introduces a conversation between John and Jesus
in which Jesus explained His true motive for receiving
Headwaters of the Jordan River at Caesarea baptism, which was to “fulfill all righteousness”. John
Philippi acknowledged his inferiority to Jesus, as stressed in John’s
Gospel but never mentions that John baptized Jesus nor
John’s preaching toward repentance. John served as a witness to Jesus that He had received the abiding
Spirit, and that He was the Son of God.

Why was Jesus Baptized?

47