Hi domerèki messenger of CHRIST! Nei beogo he who intercedes! May GOD remember those who brought you to salvation and those who did you good! He is not unjust to forget their work and the love they have shown for his name (Hebrews 6: 9-10). Pray for them. From glory to glory you will go. For with GOD, the best is always yet to come (Hebrews 6: 9).
Why John the Baptist refused to baptize JESUS
Why JESUS was baptized by John the Baptist
(Luke 3:15-16, Segond 21, french translation of KJV) : " 15 The people waited, and all wondered within themselves if John was not the Messiah.16 Then he said to them, "I baptize you with water, but he is coming who is mightier than I, and I am not worthy to untie the strap of his sandals. He will baptize you with the HOLY SPIRIT and with fire."
(Matthew 3: 13-17, NKJV) : 13 Then JESUS came tfrom Galilee to John at the Jordan to be baptized by him. 14 And John tried to prevent Him, saying, “I need to be baptized by You, and are You coming to me?” 15 But JESUS answered and said to him, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfill all righteousness.” Then he allowed Him. 16 When He had been baptized, JESUS came up immediately from the water; and behold, the heavens were opened to Him, and He saw the SPIRIT of GOD descending like a dove and alighting upon Him. 17 And suddenly a voice came from heaven, saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”
(John 1: 29-34, NKJV) : 29 The next day John saw JESUS coming toward him, and said, “Behold! The Lamb of GOD who takes away the sin of the world! 30 This is He of whom I said, ‘After me comes a Man who is preferred before me, for He was before me.’ 31 I did not know Him; but that He should be revealed to Israel, therefore I came baptizing with water.” 32 And John bore witness, saying, “I saw the Spirit descending from heaven like a dove, and He remained upon Him. 33 I did not know Him, but He who sent me to baptize with water said to me, ‘Upon whom you see the SPIRIT descending, and remaining on Him, this is He who baptizes with the HOLY SPIRIT.’ 34 And I have seen and testified that this is the Son of GOD.”
1. Why John the Baptist refused to baptize JESUS
Baptism is the translation of the Greek word baptisma (strong n°908) meaning immersion or submersion. Baptisma (strong n°908) comes from the Greek verb baptizô (strong n°907), meaning: to plunge, to immerse, to submerge.
JESUS and John the Baptist were cousins (Luke 1:36). John the Baptist knew that JESUS was far more righteous than he. That's why, when JESUS came to be baptized, he said to him, "I'm the one who needs to be baptized by you, and you're the one who's coming to me?" (Matthew 3:13-17). He only received confirmation that JESUS was the Messiah after the latter's baptism (John 1:29-30). Already, before baptizing him, John the Baptist could testify that JESUS was a righteous man. Because:
From childhood, JESUS had a revelation of the Scriptures (Luke 2:46-47).
From childhood, "JESUS grew in wisdom, stature and grace before GOD and men. " (Luke 2:52, Segond 21).
John the Baptist had the inner testimony of the HOLY SPIRIT that JESUS was more righteous than he. (Luke 1:39-45) John the Baptist was filled with the HOLY SPIRIT from his mother's womb (Luke 1:15). She herself was filled with the HOLY SPIRIT when Mary, JESUS' mother, visited her (Luke 1:41). She called Mary "the mother of my LORD" (Luke 1:43). She also said, "Blessed is she who believed, for what was spoken to her from the LORD will come true." (Luke 1:45). Zachariah, the father of John the Baptist, was also filled with the HOLY SPIRIT (Luke 1:67).
A parenthesis for pregnant women. Ladies, if the HOLY SPIRIT can fill a pregnant woman and a baby while it is still in the womb. Are you so naive to believe that demons won't try to do the same? If a child can react to a greeting (Luke 1: 41-44). Don't you think that your words, and the words you expose yourself to, can influence them? For the record, in the Jewish culture of the time, greetings were words of blessing. I close the parenthesis.
To be baptized with John the Baptist's baptism, also known as the baptism of repentance, you had to repent and confess your sins (Mark 1:5). Since JESUS had committed no sin, he needed no repentance (2 Corinthians 5:22, Hebrews 4:5, 1 John 3:5, 1 Peter 2:22, 1 Peter 1:18-19). Moreover, he was never a disciple of John the Baptist.
If it hadn't been for the Gospel of John, I'd have thought that John the Baptist already knew that JESUS was the Messiah before he baptized him. And that he was talking about the baptism of the HOLY SPIRIT (Luke 3:16), when he told JESUS that he was the one who needed to be baptized by him (Matthew 3:14).
2. Why JESUS was baptized by John the Baptist
At first, John the Baptist refused to baptize JESUS. But JESUS said to him, "Let it be done now, for it is fitting that we should do all that is right" (Matthew 3:15). Only then did John the Baptist agree to baptize him (Matthew 3:15). JESUS went to be baptized by John the Baptist for a reason other than repentance.
Being baptized by John the Baptist was appropriate at that time because the new covenant had not yet been established. The baptism of repentance, also called the baptism of John the Baptist, was appropriate for those under the old covenant. The new covenant was established at the cross and formalized at the resurrection of JESUS ( John 19:30, Matthew 27: 50-51, Hebrews 9:1-27, Hebrews 10: 18-21, John 20:17, John 3:16). It was only after JESUS' resurrection that the disciples received the HOLY SPIRIT and the baptism of the HOLY SPIRIT ( John 20: 21-23, Acts 2:3-4). When JESUS was baptized, all was not yet accomplished.
❖ (Romans 6: 3-4, Segond 21): " Do you not know that all of us who were baptized into JESUS CHRIST were baptized into his death? By baptism into his death, then, we were buried with him so that, just as CHRIST was raised by the glory of the FATHER, so we too may lead a new life."
❖ (John 5: 35-36, Segond 21): " John was the lamp that burns and shines, and you wanted to rejoice for an hour in his light. For my part, I have a greater testimony than John's: it is the works the FATHER has given me to do. These very works that I do testify about me that it was the FATHER who sent me."
It has never been proper for those in CHRIST, i.e. in the New Covenant, to receive the baptism of repentance. The baptism of repentance is not baptism in the name of JESUS CHRIST (Acts 2:38, Romans 6: 3-4) or in the name of the FATHER, SON and HOLY SPIRIT (Matthew 28:19). The baptism of John the Baptist is not the baptism of the new covenant. Those of the New Covenant must repent and be baptized into JESUS CHRIST.
John the Baptist was a prophet (Luke 7:28, Luke 1:14-17, Matthew 11:9). John the Baptist was a prophet in the Old Covenant. He was the last to prophesy about JESUS. As we saw in the previous article, his mission was to prepare hearts to receive the message of CHRIST. He was preparing and smoothing the way. He announced and prepared the coming of JESUS (Matthew 3:2, Mark 1: 4:8, Matthew 3:11, John 5: 33-36).
JESUS said to John the Baptist, "Let it be done now, for it is fitting that we thus accomplish all that is right" (Matthew 3:15). He didn't say "let me do it", but "let us do it". He said "we", not "I". So what John the Baptist was doing was inspired by GOD and right under the Old Covenant. By calling people to repentance, John the Baptist was obeying GOD, fulfilling his mission and therefore doing what was right. Because it was right, it was therefore right for JESUS, to be baptized by John the Baptist. So, JESUS said "let us do it", not "let me do it".
❖ (1 Corinthians 3: 6-8, Segond 21) "I planted, Apollos watered, but it was GOD [ELOHIM] who made it grow. So it's not he who plants or he who waters who counts, but GOD, who gives the growth. He who plants and he who waters are equal, and each will receive his own reward according to his own labor."
Just as John the Baptist obeyed GOD by calling people to repentance, so JESUS fulfilled GOD's will by going to be baptized. JESUS is the Word made flesh ( John 1:14, Revelation 19:13, John 14:6). He is ONE with the FATHER, he knows what the FATHER thinks, he says what the FATHER says and he does what the FATHER does (John 10:30, Matthew 3:17, John 5:19, John 5:30, John 6:38-40).
❖ (Matthew 5:17, Segond 21) "Do not think that I have come to abolish the law or the prophets; I have not come to abolish, but to fulfill. "
❖ Romans 3: 21-24, Segond 21 "21 But now the righteousness of GOD to which the law and the prophets testify has been manifested independently of the law: 22 it is the righteousness of GOD through faith in JESUS CHRIST, for all who believe. There is no difference: 23 all have sinned and fall short of the glory of GOD, 24 and they are freely declared righteous by his grace, through the means of liberation found in JESUS CHRIST."
🙂 First, JESUS was baptized by John the Baptist to obey the command GOD gave His people through the Baptist. He was baptized to fulfill the Law and the Prophets (Matthew 5:17). In him, the Law and the Prophets were fulfilled. He is the one who perfectly fulfilled the will of the FATHER. In this, he fulfilled the Law. He was the perfect model. Through him, his birth, his character, his feelings, his message, his life, his works and his ministry, all the prophecies were fulfilled. By prophecies, I mean the promises and wills of GOD. I trust you remember the difference between the promises and the wills of GOD (see the article Prophesying: some verses to ponder). When JESUS was baptized by John the Baptist, he made a solemn commitment:
That of dedicating one's life to doing the FATHER's will through the assistance of the HOLY SPIRIT (Philippians 2:5-11, John 6:38, Hebrews 10:8-9).
That of faithfully honoring, respecting and fulfilling the two greatest commandments.
Love GOD with all your heart, with all your soul and with all your strength ( Deuteronomy 6:4-5, Mark 12: 30, Matthew 22: 36-37, Luke 10:25-27).
Love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18, Mark 12:31, Matthew 22:39).
❖ (1 Corinthians 1: 30-31, Segond 21) "Because of him you are in JESUS CHRIST, who by the will of GOD became our wisdom, our righteousness, the source of our holiness and our deliverer, so that, as it is written, whoever wants to feel pride should put his pride in the LORD."
❖ (Romans 5:17, Segond 21): "If by one man, through the fault of one, death reigned, much more will those who abundantly receive grace and the gift of righteousness reign in life through JESUS CHRIST alone."
❖ (Ephesian 2:8-9, Segond 21) "For it is by grace you have been saved, through faith. And that not of yourselves: it is the gift of GOD. It is not by works, so that no one can boast."
🙂 Secondly, JESUS was baptized by John the Baptist so that the FATHER and the HOLY SPIRIT would publicly testify that He is the Son of GOD sent for the Salvation of the world. Saying, "This is my beloved Son, who has all my approval." (Matthew 3:17) The FATHER wasn't just speaking to John the Baptist and those present that day. The FATHER was also addressing the doctors of the Law and the prophets. He was sending them a message. From now on, it is JESUS whom you must listen to, observe, imitate and obey. The baptism of JESUS was a solemn commitment, an official presentation and a message.
** Hi domerèki = Good moring / Good day to you in Bissa (Burkina-Faso)
** Nei beogo = Hello in Mooré (Burkina-Faso)
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