Why Was Jesus Baptized?

[tampasteve]

He was following the Jewish custom and Law of using the Mikvah. Jews do this to this very day. Immersing in a Mikvah is also how one converts to Judaism, incidentally.

The moment was to visually show his ministry starting, to temporally show the Trinity, the change from John to Jesus as the primary leader in the movement they shared, as an example to all of us following, etc.

There are a lot of reasons theologically, but it was an incredibly common thing for Jews to do. Immersing in natural bodies of water or a halachically sound Mikvah was and is part of the religion.

 

[SkyWriting]

Even after reviving answers to this question it still doesn't make sense to me. Jesus was sinless so there was no point of getting baptized,.. what was the purpose for it anyways?

Part of being a human is to experience all of it. So Jesus had to be born, live, and die as well.
He also had to learn from teachers and volunteer to be baptized by the Spirit, just as any person does.
Jesus was sinless in that God was his influence and destiny even before birth. Jesus was sweating blood in anguish over his death. So it's not as if His Father was doing the thinking for Him. He was physically a human and had to seek God's council as we all do.

 

[Justin-H.S.]

Christ is purposely depicted with little or no clothing. But why is that significant?

All throughout the creation narrative in Genesis we see God creating and then saying it is “good.” Man and woman were created together in God’s image. They were both beautiful, and while they lacked physical garments, they were clothed in the glory of the “image” and “likeness” of God. However, when they fell into sin, they hid in shame until God brought them garments of skin to wear (which symbolizes the sinful tendency that now obscures our true nature). Their natural beauty was transformed into an object of shame. Adam and Eve fell, and with them fell creation.

Now, enter Jesus Christ: he represents the second Adam (1 Cor 15). In shame and nakedness, Adam hid. Yet Christ comes in his majesty, both as God and man, both in glory and nakedness completely unashamed, representing the beauty of the undefiled human made possible through Him (and in the subsequent centuries, Christians were often baptized without any clothing, shedding the garments of the “old man” to die in Christ and be resurrected in Him). But why was Christ baptized if He had no sin?

Theophany Icon Explained
The Canon of Theophany

 

[hedrick]

I suspect we're oversimplifying John's ministry in saying that the only reason to be baptized was sin. He had his own disciples, suggesting that he had additional teachings, and a community around him.

For Jesus, both the experience of the baptism (with God speaking to him) and what happened right after in the wilderness suggest that it had meaning for him, and wasn't just an example with no real function for Jesus himself.

 

[The Liturgist]

I suspect we're oversimplifying John's ministry in saying that the only reason to be baptized was sin. He had his own disciples, suggesting that he had additional teachings, and a community around him.

For Jesus, both the experience of the baptism (with God speaking to him) and what happened right after in the wilderness suggest that it had meaning for him, and wasn't just an example with no real function for Jesus himself.

Some of John’s disciples did not become Christian, and the Mandaean Gnostics of Iraq (who have now largely had to flee due to persecution and are scattered around the world) claim to be in part descended from this group. Some of their texts are anti-Semitic and imply this descent was at least partially spiritual rather than familial.

 

[sunshineforJesus]

He was babtized to be an example to us.

 

[Vanellus]

It's interesting that Jesus says proper or fitting for us. This likely means Jesus and John the Baptist, or it could be a reference to the Trinity. I prefer the first explanation as it fits well with the Malachi prophecy explained above in post #20.

I've also thought that there was an element of Jesus identifying with humankind here. Jesus' incarnation was part of his righteousness. That is not meant to take away from Christ but I'm trying to make the point that what we do contributes to who we are.

 

[George95]

MOD HAT ON

This thread has been moved from Traditional Theology to General Theology.

MOD HAT OFF​

 

[yeshuasavedme]

Even after reviving answers to this question it still doesn't make sense to me. Jesus was sinless so there was no point of getting baptized,.. what was the purpose for it anyways?

“.
“To fulfill all righteousness”. Into the office held by Aaron and then his sons in succession since Moses baptized them into that office as High Priest, but not high king.

The office of high king and high priest over the earth belonged to Adam and he lost that office by death. The office was to have been forever, but no son of Adam could live forever, because of sin and corruption that leads to death, but Adam’s sons from him had it in the line of Seth down to Noah, then Noah blessed Shem the younger son with it, and Shem blessed Abraham with it. Shem was Melche Zedek, the king of righteousness, priest of the most high God who met Abraham in Genesis 14, and blessed him with that office. Read Jewish history to see that.
Then From Abraham it went to his sons in succession down to Moses, who held office as king and high priest before the Law, and Moses baptized Aaron into the High Priesthood office, only, but not into the office of king.
Then, John the Baptist was the legal descendant of Aaron who would have the right to that office of high priest, but in his day, it was corrupted and sold and John was not in that office by men, recognizing the right of John, but God recognized him as the rightful heir to hold it, and he baptized Jesus into the office of high priest, transferring it back from the line of Aaron to the legal “Firstborn human being son of God”, because the first, firstborn human being son of God (Adam) died in spirit and then in body because of sin and therefore sold it into death and corruption.
Now, earth has an Everlasting Father of the human being flesh who will never leave us orphans in Spirit and who gives us His Living Spirit when we are born again, and who is God the Word come in that New Creation human being flesh (named Israel, not Adam -Isaiah 49), and He is the King of Righteousness who has the birthright to earth by that reverse adoption of being born into the family of Adam, but being without sin, and therefore no corruption in His flesh, gave His perfect blood to Atone for the Adam race and to buy the earth back, and He will take His ransomed kingdom back and reign forever as the Everlasting Father, the High King and High Priest, who ever lives to make intercession for us.

 

[FameBright]

Jesus said, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit."

I guess that applies to Him as well

 

[prodromos]

Jesus said, "Very truly I tell you, no one can enter the kingdom of God unless they are born of water and the Spirit."

I guess that applies to Him as well

He IS the kingdom of God. His being baptised, sanctified the waters.

 

[Hawkins]

Even after reviving answers to this question it still doesn't make sense to me. Jesus was sinless so there was no point of getting baptized,.. what was the purpose for it anyways?

You need to first understand the many significance of Baptism. First, it represents how one is dead then "buried" in Hades and resurrected and will end up in Heaven. Jesus' baptism thus prophetically indicates that He will die the same dead as a normal human then descend to Hades and resurrected. He is the only one by far completed the process to be in Heaven.

Second, similar to circumcision which marks a Jew as belonging to God, baptism has the same effect of marking a gentile (and Jew as well) as belonging to God. Jesus as a man belonging to God and is coming from God.

Third, baptism indicates a switch from an old covenant to the New Covenant, while Jesus is the one who brought us the New Covenant. He as a man and Jew switches to the New Covenant just like everyone else.

Forth, He sets an example for His sheep to follow.