Jesus' Baptism- My Baptism

You know if you think about it at all, baptism is a bit bewildering. We've had all kinds of fun with the arguments over infant baptism and "Believers Baptism" and which one is the "real" one. Most of the arguments made about all this are very rational and rule based. The different traditions have their preferences at this point- although some still want to be right.

Infant Baptism

Believers Baptism

Hybrid Baptism I

Hybrid Baptism II

There is clearly more than one meaning -even in scripture.

For instance, John's baptism was a Jewish practice of ritual and moral cleansing prescribed by the Torah. For the Essenes - a Jewish sect who left us the Dead Sea Scrolls and lived near John - it was a ritual, accompanied by a "change of heart", necessary to enter their community.

Essene Baptismal Pool at Qumran

Jesus underwent John's baptism, but then never baptized himself. However, his parting words in the Great Commission were instructions to baptize in the name of the Trinity.

After he died, his followers began baptizing, presumably following his instructions  and apparently using the same method as John. (see Acts)

In Acts we find whole households being baptized- so presumably everyone of any age.

The Apostle Paul relates the meaning as representing participating in Christ's death and resurrection.

The church over time would express all of this these meanings  and practices.

If we look at the gospel accounts, we have a good idea about it's core essence. Look here at Luke's account:

 The interest of the people by now was building. They were all beginning to wonder, “Could this John be the Messiah?”

 But John intervened: “I’m baptizing you here in the river. The main character in this drama, to whom I’m a mere stagehand, will ignite the kingdom life, a fire, the Holy Spirit within you, changing you from the inside out. He’s going to clean house—make a clean sweep of your lives. He’ll place everything true in its proper place before God; everything false he’ll put out with the trash to be burned.”

After all the people were baptized, Jesus was baptized. As he was praying, the sky opened up and the Holy Spirit, like a dove descending, came down on him. And along with the Spirit, a voice: “You are my Son, chosen and marked by my love, pride of my life.”

It's clear John expected that the Messiah would take this to another level.

We see this in the affirmation Jesus received of who he was- God's beloved child.

When we baptize infants, this is a powerful sense that we affirm of all of us - this too is who we are. And we have a Spirit life within us that needs to be cultivated. It's a fire to empower, a light to share, a destiny to live into.

Jesus is about to find out what this means for him. He's headed here next...

If we go with him, maybe we can find out what it means for us, too!