Baptism: What is the right way to be baptized? Why is it important?

When Jesus went to John to be baptised, John was confused. He asked Jesus, “I need to be baptised by You, and are You coming to me?”- Matthew 3:14–15 NKJV.

John knew Jesus had no sin and, therefore, had no reason to be baptised, for the baptism of John was for repentance. He also knew Jesus was the one who baptises with the Holy Spirit.

Jesus’s reply to John was interesting. He said, “Permit it to be so now, for thus it is fitting for us to fulfil all righteousness.” — Matthew 3:14–15 NKJV.

What did Jesus mean by “to fulfil all righteousness”?

To fulfil means to do something or make something happen. For example, a prophecy or a plan.

In 2 Kings 9, to fulfil a prophecy, Jehu, after killing Joram, threw his body into the vineyard of Naboth. In doing so, he consciously fulfilled a prophecy. (2Kings 9)

Prophecy can be consciously or unconsciously fulfilled. Moses consciously fulfilled his prophecy while Pharaoh unconsciously fulfilled his. Even Judas consciously fulfilled his prophecy, for Jesus told him, “What you do, do quickly.”

So, to fulfil means to do something already planned. So the question is, what did Jesus mean when He said to John, “to fulfil all righteousness”?

First, we need to understand is that Jesus is a prophet, and a prophet speaks in “similitudes and symbolism” (Hos 12:10). He never spoke to the people without a parable and in doing so He consciously fulfiled a prophecy concerning Him in Psalms 78:3. (Matt 13:3, 34–35, MK 4:11, Is 6:9–10)

Jesus did not use words because they sounded nice. He used them with purpose. When He told the Jews that Abraham rejoiced to see His day, they thought He was mad. So they teased Him and asked Him if He was older than Abraham.

He could have said, “Yes, I am older than Abraham”. Rather, He said before Abraham I AM, making Himself God, and the Jews tried to kill Him for it.

All He had to say to John was “permit it to be so”, but instead, He added to “fulfil all righteousness,” meaning to bring to pass all righteousness, thereby fulfilling a prophecy given about Him. This prophecy can be found in Is 45:8, PS 72:1,6; 85:11 (Rev 21:1, Rom 10:6–8, Deut 30:12–14)

Isaiah 45:8 reads, “Rain down, you heavens, from above, And let the skies pour down righteousness; Let the earth open, let them bring forth salvation, And let righteousness spring up together. I, the Lord, have created it.”

Two things to note from this verse are

1) Righteousness is from the heavens, i.e. it is poured down from heaven.

2) Salvation comes from within the earth. Psalms 85:11 puts it this way: “Truth shall spring up out of the earth”.

In John 3:5, Jesus told Nicodemus, “Unless one is born of water( i.e baptism) and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.”

Now, if you recall, immediately Jesus was baptised by John, the Spirit of God descended on Him from the heavens, and a voice spoke saying, “This is My beloved Son, in whom I am well pleased.”

Christ, being the one who baptises with the Holy Spirit, had to be the first to be baptised with the Holy Spirit, for in all things, He must have preeminence (Colossians 1:18)

Technically, Jesus did not need to be baptised because the baptism of John was for repentance. He had no sin, so why should He repent?

Though He had no sin and nothing to repent from, He allowed John to baptise Him. He did this to show us that we had to die first (baptism) before springing up to life.

For He is the way, i.e. the patter

And since Christ had no sin, we likewise should have no sin to receive the Holy Spirit. But repentance (which was the baptism of John) does not cleanse you of sin; it only grants you forgiveness. This is why in Acts 19 the disciples who were baptised according to John’s baptism had to be baptised again.

To be cleansed of sin, you have to die. For God said to Adam, “In the day you eat this fruit, you shall die”. So Adam died, and the only way to give him life was through blood. Leviticus 17:11 says, “For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul”.

Hebrews 9:22 says, “And almost all things are by the law purged with blood; and without shedding of blood is no remission.”

As a temporary measure, the blood of rams and goats was used. But “it is not possible that the blood of bulls and goats should take away sins.” (Hebrews 10:4)

God, knowing this, sent His son, Jesus, to die on our behalf. So when we are baptised in the name of Jesus Christ, we are baptised into His death, and he who is dead is free from sin. (Rom 6:3–4,8).

“For He made Him who knew no sin to be sin for us, that we might become the righteousness of God in Him.” — 2 Corinthians 5:21 NKJV

This is why Peter said to the Jews in Acts 2:28, “Repent, and let every one of you be baptised in the name of Jesus Christ for the remission of sins; and you shall receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.”

So baptism into Christ frees you from sin and qualifies you to carry the Holy Spirit.

Do you see the pattern? Just as Christ was baptised and received the Holy Spirit, so those who believe are baptised in Christ and also receive the Holy Spirit, making them righteous.

The covenant of salvation is activated by being baptised in the name of Jesus Christ, meaning into the body of Christ, Gal 3:27.

This is why we must be baptised correctly, for there is only “one baptism” (Ephesians 4:5).

Yes, Christ told the apostles to baptise “in the name of the Father, and of the Son and the Holy Spirit” (Matt 28:19), but He said name, not names. Meaning the three share a name.

Christ said ‘the Father, Son and the Holy Spirit,’ symbolising offices or titles, not ‘God the Father, God the Son and God the Holy Spirit,’ which implies deities or persons.

I have a question for those who ‘baptise or were baptised’ this way. Was it God the Father, God the Son, or God the Holy Spirit that died for you? For ‘you need’ to be baptised into that person’s death to be ‘saved’.

Paul baptised believers in the name of Jesus Christ {Acts 19:5}, and so did Peter {Acts 2:38}. Any baptism carried out outside the name of Jesus Christ is wrong {Eph 4:5}.

This is the very foundation of our faith. It’s important to get it right. For if the foundation be destroyed, what can the righteous do?

Jesus has shown us the way and has given us specific instructions through the apostles. It’s up to us to work out our salvation with fear and trembling.

Have you been baptised? How were you baptised? And in whose name were you baptised?