The story of Christ’s baptism is very important. It very first story we hear about once he becomes an adult. You can find this story in all 4 of the gospels, the books of the Bible that teach us about Jesus’ life. This is the first story that teaches us who Christ is and what he came to do.
Matthew 3:13 Then Jesus went from Galilee to the Jordan River to be baptized by John.
In this story we are introduced to John, or more commonly know as John the Baptist. John was a pretty weird guy. He lived out and the desert, dressed weirdly, and and ate weird food.
He is known as John the Baptist because he would baptize the people who wanted to repent from their sins. Repentance is when you recognize your sin and you make a conscious decision to surrender those sins to God and ask for his healing. When people repented they would go out into the wilderness to be baptized by John.
When Jesus asked John to baptize him he became really confused. Christ had nothing to repent for.
Matthew 3:14 But John tried to talk him out of it. “I am the one who needs to be baptized by you,” he said, “so why are you coming to me?”
John didn’t want to baptize Jesus because Jesus had never sinned. He had never gone against God. So why was Jesus baptized?
Matthew 3:15 But Jesus said. “It should be done, for we must carry out all the God requires.” So John agreed to baptize him.
Jesus wasn’t being baptized as an act of repentance, but as an act of obedience to God. There are a few important reasons why it was necessary for Jesus to be baptized.
Jesus Was Baptized to Identify With Us
Jesus came to die for us. In order for that to happen he had to take on humanity and identify with us. He was baptized to show people that he is like us and he is with us.
Jesus Was Baptized to Show Us How to Obey God
The Bible also tells us that Christ is our example. If you are a Christian you should want to lead a life as similar to Christ’s as possible.
By being baptized Christ was showing us that baptism is honoring to God. As a Christian you should also be baptized. In fact, it was one of Jesus’ last commands.
Matthew 28:19 Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit
This verse shows us that God wants us to be baptized. If you believe in Jesus for you salvation and the forgiveness of your sins then talk to a leader or parent about getting baptized. Baptism is one of the greatest ways to show your faith in Christ.
Jesus Was Baptized to Teach Us About His Death and Resurrection
Being baptized was one of the first things Jesus did publicly in his adult life. This act of baptism was very symbolic of the reason Christ came to this earth. He came to live a sinless life, die on the cross, and be resurrected in order to save us from our sins. And he did just that.
His baptism foreshadowed that. During the baptism Christ was dipped into the water to represent his death and burial. Coming out of the water represents his resurrection. This shows that above all else Jesus came to rescue us, and that was his plan from the very beginning.
Discussion Questions:
- Watch the video together or invite someone to summarize the topic.
- What is your initial reaction to this video? Do you disagree with any of it? What jumped out at you?
- As a group list some of the most important events from the life of Jesus.
- Who is John the Baptist, and why is he significant?
- What is repentance? Give an example of repentance from your own life. Why is repentance important for Christians?
- Read Matthew 28:19. Why is it important for Christians to get baptized? Have you been baptized? If so, why did you get baptized?
- What is the meaning of baptism for Christians?
- Write a personal action step based on this conversation.
