SPECIAL TOPIC: JESUS' BAPTISM

Why Jesus was baptized has always been a concern for believers because John's baptism was a baptism of repentance (cf. Matt. 3:11; Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3; Acts 13:24). Jesus did not need forgiveness for He was sinless (cf. 2 Cor. 5:21; Heb. 4:15; 7:26; 1 Pet. 2:22; 1 John 3:5).

The theories have been:

  1. it was an example for believers to follow (cf. Matt. 28:19; Acts 2:38)
  2. it was His identification with believers' need
  3. it was His ordination and equipping for ministry
  4. it was a symbol of His redemptive task
  5. it was His approval of the ministry and message of John the Baptist
  6. it was a prophetic foreshadowing of His death, burial, and resurrection (cf. Rom. 6:4; Col. 2:12)

Whatever the reason, this was a defining moment in Jesus' life.

Just a brief theological aside.  Modern believers ask, "Must I be baptized to be saved?"  If Jesus did it and commanded believers to do it (Matt. 28:19-20; Acts 2:37-39), why would any believer not be obedient?!

This event, along with the series of NT quotes related to Ps. 2:7 (i.e., Heb. 1:5; 5:5) and Rom. 1:4, were used by some theologians (i.e., 2nd century, 8th century, 12th century) to propose that the man, Jesus, was "adopted" as Messiah because of his godly life of obedience. This occurred, they speculated, at

  1. his baptism
  2. his resurrection

The early popes and later the Council of Nicea (A.D. 325) declared this view as heresy.

SPECIAL TOPIC: BAPTISM

SPECIAL TOPIC: BAPTISMAL REGENERATION

SPECIAL TOPIC: ADOPTIONISM

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