Why was Jesus baptized?

Grace911 · Apr 14, 2023

Baptism represents the death, burial and resurrection of Christ.

Mat 3:16 And Jesus, when he was baptized, went up straightway out of the water: and, lo, the heavens were opened unto him, and he saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove, and lighting upon him:
Mat 3:17 And lo a voice from heaven, saying, This is my beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.

Baptism washes away our sins, however Jesus was sinless.

Jesus' ministry begins with 40 days of fasting, then Satan tries to tempt Him.

Why did Jesus start His earthly ministry by being baptized by John the Baptist who was a Levite?

Amos 3:7 Surely the Lord GOD will do nothing, but he revealeth his secret unto his servants the prophets.

Was the LORD GOD revealing a secret at the baptism of Jesus?

Are there any Torah or other scriptures from the Old Testament that suggest the answer?

Magenta · Apr 14, 2023

Baptism was required for a priest, consecrating him in preparation
for service to the Almighty, taking on the sins of his people.

See Exodus 29:4; 40:12-15; Leviticus 8; Leviticus. 16:23; Exodus 30:17-21, for e.g.

Once a year, on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the high priest entered the temple enclosure known as the Holy of Holies to burn incense and sprinkle the blood of a sacrificial animal on the mercy seat of the Ark. By doing so, the high priest atoned for his own sins and those of the people. The Holy of Holies was separated from the rest of the tabernacle/temple by the veil, a huge, heavy drape made of fine linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn and embroidered with gold cherubim. This is the veil that was torn as Jsus died on the cross. As our high priest, Jesus was to atoned for the sins of the whole world.

Grace911 · Apr 14, 2023

Magenta said:

Jesus is a Jew and not a priest on earth, right? John the Baptist was an earthly Levite. These scriptures you sited all pertain to the Levites. I don't think that is the answer to why Jesus was baptized. Can we continue to dig?

JohnDB · Apr 14, 2023

Magenta said:

Baptism was required for a priest, consecrating him in preparation
for service to the Almighty, taking on the sins of his people.

See Exodus 29:4; 40:12-15; Leviticus 8; Leviticus. 16:23; Exodus 30:17-21, for e.g.

Once a year, on Yom Kippur, the Day of Atonement, the high priest entered the temple enclosure known as the Holy of Holies to burn incense and sprinkle the blood of a sacrificial animal on the mercy seat of the Ark. By doing so, the high priest atoned for his own sins and those of the people. The Holy of Holies was separated from the rest of the tabernacle/temple by the veil, a huge, heavy drape made of fine linen and blue, purple and scarlet yarn and embroidered with gold cherubim. This is the veil that was torn as Jsus died on the cross. As our high priest, Jesus was to atoned for the sins of the whole world.

Best answer even if you aren't the OP.

All in the way the title of this thread was worded AND the question asked.

IOW: Don't ask what you don't want to know.

Grace911 · Apr 14, 2023

JohnDB said:

I do want to know, but Jesus was not the High Priest until after His death, burial and resurrection. His baptism was 3 1/2 years before He returned to heaven. Do you think that He was presenting himself as a High priest at his baptism?

JohnDB · Apr 14, 2023

Grace911 said:

Priests ARE Jews.
Rabbis weren't necessarily Levites. Some were but most weren't. Paul was well on his way to becoming an imortant Rabbi. He studied under a rather famous Rabbi as a disciple and was told by that Rabbi to "go make disciples". But Paul was a mid order Rabbi.....Jesus took on the mantle of a Schmeekhah Rabbi. The highest order of Rabbi....one who had the authority to explain the Torah/Law as recorded in Matthew.

Grace911 · Apr 14, 2023

JohnDB said:

Do you have scripture to show that priests are rabbi's are vice a versa?

Yes, I suppose "Priests are Jews" after the division of the kingdom. Some Levites went with House of Judah and some went with House of Israel. So not all Levites are of the House of Judah. Magenta's scripture references all have to do with Aaron and his sons. in the line of Levites. Jesus was a Jew, that is of the House of Judah, but He was not a Levite of the line of Aaron. Yes, Paul was of the tribe of Benjamin and when the kingdom division occurred the Benjamites went with the House of Judah, making Paul a Jew, in your estimation.

Aaron56 · Apr 14, 2023

John was the son the the High priest (a Levite) who had taken the vow of the Nazarite. He was, in effect, a super-priest (if you will).
Jesus was the Lamb of God. All sacrifices needed to be washed by the priests before they are offered to God.
When Jesus told John to baptize Him “to fulfill all righteousness” He was talking about the ceremonial law of washing the sacrifice: the priest (John) must was the Lamb (Jesus).

This was the actual moment He gave His life up for us. His Father (Our Father) confirmed this from heaven and declared “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” In the tradition of the time, the Father said, to paraphrase, “In all manner of my business this son represents me. When you see him you are doing business directly with me as he is now executor of my estate”.

Likewise, we are called to be living sacrifices within the estate of God, our Father.

JohnDB · Apr 14, 2023

Grace911 said:

Priests are not Rabbis....Priests are of a particular lineage of Levites.
Levites are the "uncounted" tribe of Israel.
Because there really are 13 tribes instead of the 12 usually stated. Levi was a son of Jacob from which his tribe stems from. Yes, Aaron was a Levite but so was Moses....and there were many Levites among the Jews.

Rabbis could come from any tribe. Paul, a Rabbi, came from the tribe of Benjamin.

Rabbi means "father/teacher" in Hebrew.

The term "Jews" in general was a slang term for Israelites as a racial description. The New Testament uses the term "Jew" as those who refused to believe in Jesus.

The house of Judah was those Israelites that were descended from Judah...another son of Jacob that ascended to the title of firstborn after Reuben lost his position from an indiscretion.

Jacob himself never got his own tribe named after him but each of his sons got their own tribe. One was Ephraim and the other Manassas. Manassas was so large they referred to it as West or East.

Blain · Apr 14, 2023

Im not sure if this adds to the subject but just some thoughts I was thinking about. I have actually been thinking about baptism a lot lately and it is you being put under water then coming back in life which by the way the enemy mimics in horror movies where you go under water to go dark worlds in the spiritual realm or some other kind of worldy place but you dont come back up in new life

But Jesus was baptized and it was only then that he received the holy spirit and God himself spoke

But the power he had was unreal the holy spirit basically just flowed from him but again it was only when he was baptized.. I have been baptized twice in my life but both times even though I put my heart into it somehow it didn't really feel like I was baptized it felt like it was lacking something

And really when you think about baptism it is more than you giving yourself to God he doesn't need you in public for that it seems to be a display for a different purpose and honestly this doesn't seem like the kind of thing that shouldn't have something happen something from God as this rsembles a ritual of sorts or spiritual covanent with him and such a thing should be more than a mere act of obedience of getting baptized

Nehemiah6 · Apr 14, 2023

Grace911 said:

Who says John was a Levite? His father was a priest, and priests and Levites were not the same. While they were from the tribe of Levi, they were distinct and had distinct functions. Also John was a prophet and had nothing to do with priestly functions.

But Christ already gave us the answer. It was the RIGHTEOUS THING to do. Christ did not need to repent or be baptized. But He was identifying Himself with Israel. At the same time it would be the occasion when all those present at His baptism would see that (1) He was the Son of God, (2) God the Father greatly loved His Son and was well pleased with Him, and (3) the Holy Spirit would present Himself in the form of a dove which was very unusual. So there were two divine witnesses on earth at His baptism, and one human witness John.

Possibly it would also be confirmation that Christ came "by water and blood".
This is He [Jesus the Son of God] that came by water and blood, even Jesus Christ; not by water only, but by water and blood. And it is the Spirit that beareth witness, because the Spirit is truth. For there are three that bear record in heaven, the Father, the Word, and the Holy Ghost: and these three are one. And there are three that bear witness in earth, the Spirit, and the water, and the blood: and these three agree in one. (1 John 5:6-8)

JohnDB · Apr 14, 2023

Blain said:

It's a ritual...
It's only special if you put faith into it.

Jesus is God, was God, and always will be God.

The Holy Spirit is God, was God, and always will be God.

Understand yet?

Jesus's baptism was a more filling of the Holy Ghost...He was starting his ministry tour.

Jesus is fully Man and Fully God at the same time. He was sent to have the full human experience....and as such He was subject to all the same rules and regulations as any man would be. Meaning He needed a ceremonial cleansing (baptism) by someone special.

glf · Apr 14, 2023

When John refused to baptize Jesus, in Mt 3: 15 KJV "Jesus answered saying unto him, Suffer it to be so now, for thus it becommeth us to fulfill all righteousness."

Magenta · Apr 14, 2023

Grace911 said:

Does Scripture say that? Hebrews 5

1 Every high priest is appointed from among men to represent them in matters relating to God,
to offer gifts and sacrifices for sins. 2 He is able to deal gently with those who are ignorant and
misguided, since he himself is beset by weakness. 3 That is why he is obligated to offer sacrifices
for his own sins, as well as for the sins of the people.

4 No one takes this honor upon himself; he must be called by God, just as Aaron was. 5 So also
Christ did not take upon Himself the glory of becoming a high priest, but He was called by the
One who said to Him: “You are My Son; today I have become Your Father.” 6 And in another passage
God says: “You are a priest forever in the order of Melchizedek.” (as per Psalm 110:6)

posthuman · Apr 14, 2023

Grace911 said:

Perhaps here is a place to look...

2 Kings 6:1-7
And the sons of the prophets said to Elisha, "See now, the place where we dwell with you is too small for us. Please, let us go to the Jordan, and let every man take a beam from there, and let us make there a place where we may dwell."
So he answered, "Go."
Then one said, "Please consent to go with your servants."
And he answered, "I will go."
So he went with them. And when they came to the Jordan, they cut down trees. But as one was cutting down a tree, the iron [ax head] fell into the water; and he cried out and said, "Alas, master! For it was borrowed."
So the man of God said, "Where did it fall?"
And he showed him the place. So he cut off a stick, and threw [it] in there; and he made the iron float. Therefore he said, "Pick [it] up for yourself."
So he reached out his hand and took it.

a BRANCH is put in the water, saving something worth more than a man's life, not belonging to a man

Blain · Apr 15, 2023

JohnDB said:

Well regardless faith is needed for baptism but I think what we call faith can sometimes be stifled because we arent in the spirit

We have the holy spirit at least we say we do but we are supposed to be able to connect to him sort of like going into a kind of spiritual state

But for me at least both times I got baptized I wasn't connected to him and it didn't really seem special it was underwhelming honestly

But now in spending so much time with Jesus lately I said something kind of odd to him I keep feeling like I am to be baptized but at the right time and that baptism is not the same for everyone is a personalized experience between them and God and the baptism has mean something special and true to your heart

So I said to him when I do get baptized I want you yourself to do it. I don't know how he would do this physically as he doesn't tend to just suddenly pop up in church to baptise people but it just felt like it was something that if he were to do it would make the baptism have true meaning and beauty to me and I think I would come out of that water different

jb · Apr 15, 2023

Why was Jesus baptized?

Click to expand...

To identify with the believer...Heb 2v17,18, 4v15

TMS · Apr 15, 2023

Grace911 said:

God said ....“This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.” This was an assurance to John that Christ was the Son of God. And what do these words say to us, to every human? To every one it shows we are accepted in Jesus,—accepted through the merits of Jesus.
Jesus offered up His petition, humanity was presented to the Father by Him who had clothed His divinity with humanity. Jesus offered Himself to the Father in man’s behalf, that those who had been separated from God through sin, might be brought back to God through the merits of the divine Petitioner.

Christ honored the ordinance of baptism by submitting to this rite.
As our substitute, he takes upon him our sins, numbering himself with the transgressors, taking the steps the sinner is required to take, and doing the work the sinner must do.

Locoponydirtman · Apr 15, 2023

Jesus said that His baptism was to "fulfill all righteousness". To understamd this all one has to do is to look at the meaning of the word fulfill. Roughly the word means to complete, realize, and or deliver. Knowing that Jesus was already complete in his righteousness, His purpose must have been to complete, realize, and deliver righteousness to and for us.

montana123 · Apr 15, 2023

Grace911 said:

Mat 5:17 Think not that I am come to destroy the law, or the prophets: I am not come to destroy, but to fulfil.
Mat 5:18 For verily I say unto you, Till heaven and earth pass, one jot or one tittle shall in no wise pass from the law, till all be fulfilled.

Mat 3:13 Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
Mat 3:14 But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
Mat 3:15 And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.

1Ti 2:5 For there is one God, and one mediator between God and men, the man Christ Jesus;
1Ti 2:6 Who gave himself a ransom for all, to be testified in due time.

Jesus had to do everything that a person had to do to be right in the eyes of God for Him to qualify to be the Savior of the world.

So He had to be baptized the same as all the other people had to be baptized which was by John's baptism.

He had no sin but He had to fulfil the law and it was required by God to be baptized by John so He was baptized.

Why was Jesus baptized?

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