Baptism

“John appeared, baptizing in the wilderness and proclaiming a baptism of repentance, for the forgiveness of sins.” Mark 1:4

There were many new ideas and practices that Jesus brought to the world in his ministry. Baptism was not one of them. It was a ceremony instituted by John, the forerunner of Jesus.

Jesus’ message was groundbreaking and revolutionary in many ways.

• When he changed the water into wine at the wedding in Cana, he signaled that religious faith was moving away from Old Testament rituals, such as rites of purification, to something new God was doing. It was like new wine as compared to the old water of the past.

• To Nicodemus, Jesus announced that there would be new membership requirements for the people of God. It would no longer be being born into the Jewish race. Instead, all who were born of the Spirit would constitute the people and kingdom of God (John 3:3-8).

• To the woman at the well, Jesus announced that no longer would worship be tied to a particular place, such as Jerusalem, but “those who worship the Father will worship him in spirit and in truth” (John 4:21-23).

• In the healing of the man at the pool of Bethesda, Jesus announced that people needed to understand the nature of the Messiah in a way they had not understood before. Just as God the Father had life in himself, so he had granted to the Messiah, the Son of God, to have authority in himself, not just authority over the Sabbath, but the power of life itself. At the day of judgment, it would be the voice of the Son of God that people would hear to call them either to eternal life or to eternal judgment.

With all the new emphases of Jesus, why didn’t Jesus institute the practice of baptism? Why was it John who instituted it?

We do not know the exact reason. God simply thought it better for John to begin the practice rather than Jesus. It may be that God did not want the ministry of Jesus to be thought of primarily as bringing ceremonies to religious practice. Jesus’ work was more significant and extensive than just new ceremonies. It brought changes that were far more radical and important.

It is in keeping with God’s grace that he allowed John the Baptist to introduce the practice. God often gives us gifts of which we are not worthy. It was a sign of grace that God allowed John to start a practice that has become one of the significant ceremonies of the Christian faith.

God gives us grace in many ways. I wonder what signs of grace you see in your life? Has God allowed you to do some important things? Has God given you unexpected gifts? Has God put you in a position to make a difference? Just as God gave John a unique opportunity, sometimes he does for us as well. Be confident that God’s grace is at work in your life.