John the Baptist's purpose & baptism were preparatory, not remissive. His repeatedly stated mission was to prepare the way of the Lord (Mal 3:1, Matt 3:3, Mark 1:2–3). His "baptism of repentance" was a call for Israel to return to God (Strong’s H7725 — https://biblehub.com/hebrew/7725.htm)—an outward & inward cleansing that prepared the people to meet their long‑promised Messiah who alone would forgive sins. John, Jesus & Peter spoke Aramaic & Hebrew, where "repent" meant: ISRAEL return to GOD! Not the later Greek idea of "change your mind."
Acts 19:4 confirms this: "John verily baptized with the baptism of repentance, saying unto the people that they should believe on Him which should come after him, that is, on Christ Jesus."
(NOTE: John preached to ISRAEL, "You're off course repent/return & believe in the 1 coming after me," Messiah, who alone will/can remit & pardon sins.)
John's water baptism did not remove or remit sin. "Nothing external removes sin." Israel's sacrificial system dealt with sin only by covering it. It did not remove or forgive sin. Once a year the high priest offered innocent animal blood sacrifices for the whole nation, but these sacrifices only covered sin & only for 1 year. The process had to be repeated annually..
Water baptism does not remit or pardon sin. Repentance does not remit or pardon sin. Obedience does not remit or pardon sin. Sabbath observance does not remit or pardon sin. Tithing does not remit or pardon sin. "Nothing external removes sin."
What removes sin, how & why:
Only faith & faith alone-placed in the finished, sin‑redeeming death & resurrection of the Lord Jesus-brings forgiveness. All glory, all credit, all praise belongs to our great God & Savior, Jesus the Christ.
The Word became flesh (Jn 1:1, 14 & Rev 19:13), born of a woman (Gal 4:4) by the Holy Spirit (Matt 1:18-25 & Luke 1:26-38). His humanity was real & His blood was sinless (2 Cor 5:21; Heb 4:15; 1 Jn 3:5; 1 Pet 1:19; 1 Pet 2:22).
Scripture is clear: "Without shedding of blood there is no remission" (Heb 9:22). Jesus said, "This is My blood of the new covenant, which is shed for many for the remission of sins" (Matt 26:28). Revelation affirms the same: He washed us from our sins in His own blood (Rev 1:5).
Hebrews identifies the Lord Jesus as our great High Priest (Heb 4:14), called by God after the order of Melchizedek (Heb 5:10). Under the Old Covenant, the pattern was sin-imputation by the high priest. In Leviticus 16:21, Aaron laid both hands on the substitute, confessed the sins of the nation, transferring-imputing-those sins onto the innocent victim. That was the foreshadow.
Jesus is the fulfillment.
Jesus is the mediator of the New Testament (Heb 9:15 & 12:24), our great High Priest (Heb 4:14) & the One who offered Himself as the sacrifice (Matt 26:53). The risen Christ is the New Covenant High Priest who performs the real sin-transfer.
When we call on the name of the Lord (Acts 2:21 & Rom 10:13) & place our faith in Jesus' sin-atoning death & resurrection, He forgives all our sins (Heb 10:10–18) & imputes our sins onto Himself (Heb 10:10; 2 Cor 5:19; Rom 4:8, 11, 22–24). At that same moment, He places His forever (Jn 14:16), salvation‑sealing (Eph 1:13–14; 4:30; 2 Cor 1:22; 5:5; 2 Tim 1:14) indwelling Holy Spirit in you.
Anyone can dunk someone into a pool of water. Only Jesus, who knows the true heart of man, can baptize-place-His Holy Spirit in-you. Jesus then imputes His righteousness to us (2 Cor 5:21, Ja 2:23 & Isa 61:10), the very righteousness pictured as the white robe in Revelation 19:7–8 that grants us entrance to the marriage supper of the Lamb.
Finally:
The only thing that removes sin from the soul is faith placed in the finished, sacrificial, sin‑atoning work of our great God & Savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.
Yes John was under the old covenant, and like all the diverse washings and carnal ordinances they were imposed upon them until the time of reformation. We also know that without the shedding of blood their is no remission of sins. So to dunk under water did not remit sins. If they were repentant towards God in their hearts they could be forgiven based upon the work of Christ in time. This is similar to when the lamb was sacrificed in the temple. The lamb represented Christ death for their sins in the future. But they had to sacrifice the lamb and confess sin etc God would recognize their faith and give life. But the lamb was a old testament type and shadow of the reality in Christ that has already come.
7. Johns water baptism was for a specific reason and it was to
cease. Jesus water baptism was to fulfilled all righteousness and manifest himself to Isreal. This was connected to an old testament story also, taking place in the Jordan river. Jesus fulfilled this.
We read in the book of Matthew John’s own words about his baptism, “
I indeed baptize you with water unto repentance: but he that cometh after me is mightier than I, whose shoes I am not worthy to bear: he shall baptize you with the Holy Ghost, and with fire:” (Matthew 3:11). John was commissioned for this purpose in part and
he was still under the law and the Old Covenant. John didn’t come to institute a ritual for the New Covenant, but to go before Jesus to prepare the way for Him who would bring in a New Covenant. It is worth noting that John himself was not baptized with water as far we can tell.
The New Covenant was not like the old one as many verses show in the bible, the Old Covenant had many symbols, forms, shadows and many ordinances, which
“could not make him that did the service perfect, as pertaining to the conscience...” (Hebrews 9:9). But Johns water baptism was in the
same administration as many of the Old Covenant rituals and laws. His ministry could not purify the heart any more than any of those Old Testament rituals and shadows could. The conscience can not be made perfect or cleansed by outward ordinances, but only through the blood of Christ
(Hebrews 9:14).
Johns water baptism, like the many other diverse washings and carnal ordinances was for the “time then present”. Which was “ready to vanish away” (Hebrews 8:13). John said that Jesus ministration is mightier than his (Matthew 3:11), showing that his ministry was not part of, or of the same administration as Jesus ministry for the New Covenant.
John was sent to do a certain work at that time, and when he finished the work Jesus would baptize believers with the Holy Ghost in the near future. John desired to be baptized of Jesus as he said “... I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?” (Matthew 3:14). Jesus baptism with the Holy Ghost was not yet come, and he himself baptized none in water, because that was not Jesus ministry.
The reason Jesus himself was baptized in water in the Jordan was not for his own sin, for he had no sin as scripture teaches (Hebrews 4:15). But he told them clearly, “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.” Matthew 3:15. Notice here that Jesus was fulfilling all righteousness, this was part of his reason for being water baptism. Jesus fulfilled the whole law for us, he did everything for us. He also told John that this was “
for now” implying that the water baptism of John would not need to continue later. But for now this was needed. And he said right after, that all righteousness had to be fulfilled. Jesus fulfilled the law, implying he completed what was to be done.
Jesus was also baptised to manifest himself to Israel, as we read, “And I knew him not: but that he should be made manifest to Israel, therefore am I come baptizing with water.” (John 1:31). This was a main reason why John was sent by God to baptise with water, for this manifestation of Jesus to Israel, and to bear record of Jesus as the Son of God, “And John bare record, saying, I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and it abode upon him. 33 And I knew him not: but he that sent me to baptize with water, the same said unto me, Upon whom thou shalt see the Spirit descending, and remaining on him, the same is he which baptizeth with the Holy Ghost.34 And I saw, and bare record that this is the Son of God.” John 1:32-34.
In Johns water baptism ministry, we do not read that it was to continue into the New Testament. We do see the apostles water baptizing also following Johns example it would seem, but we read that Jesus baptized none himself (John 4:2). So it is clear that water baptism was not the baptism Jesus came to give and it was not the saving baptism either.
John the baptist himself implied that his own ministry was
to cease when he said,
“He must increase, but I must decrease.” (John 3:30). Implying that his whole ministry would decrease and end, and give place to Jesus baptism with the Holy Ghost.
Remember that Johns baptism was still under the law and belonged to the Old Covenant.
This ending of Johns water baptism ministry was spoken of by John and implied when he said that he baptized (past tense) with water but Jesus would, [in the future) baptize with the Holy Ghost and with fire (Matthew 3:11).
Jesus himself speaks of Johns water baptism as past and ending when he says, after his death and resurrection, “ For John truly baptized with water; but ye shall be baptized with the Holy Ghost not many days hence.” (Acts 1:5) . Notice that Jesus said “John indeed baptised [
PAST TENSE] with water,
BUT ye shall [
FUTURE TENSE] be baptised with the Holy Ghost. Jesus appears to be saying here that Johns water baptism, was ended and was past making way for the Spirit Baptism.
This goes in line with the whole tenor of the spiritual worship God requires and the New Covenant, which is to worship God in spirit and in truth. The New Testament is not a setting up of rituals and ordinacnes and shadows as the Old Testament, but a reality in Christ in spirit and truth a new and living way, “...
he hath made the first old. Now that which decayeth and waxeth old is ready to vanish away” (Hebrews 8:13).
The New Covenant and understanding is a body of believers that have Christ as their head, a spiritual house, a spiritual priesthood, to offer up spiritual sacrifices, spiritual worship, spiritual songs by Christ (Colossians 2:10,19, 1 Peter 2:5, Romans 12:1, John 4:23, Colossians 3:16) and who are part of his body (Colossians 1:24), baptized into that body by one Spirit (1 Corinthians 12:13). They are truly baptized into Christ and in the power of the Holy Ghost and have put on Christ. Not living in shadows and outward ordinances and types, but in the reality, “For the kingdom of God is not meat and drink; but righteousness, and peace, and joy in the Holy Ghost.” (Romans 14:17).
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