Believer's Baptism (Matthew 3:13-15)

“(13) Then cometh Jesus from Galilee to Jordan unto John, to be baptized of him.
(14) But John forbad him, saying, I have need to be baptized of thee, and comest thou to me?
(15) And Jesus answering said unto him, Suffer it to be so now: for thus it becometh us to fulfil all righteousness. Then he suffered him.” (Mat 3:13-15)

The Lord Jesus always teaches by example. Baptism was important to Him. In this passage He traveled approximately 60 miles to get to the Jordan River so that He would be baptized by God’s appointed servant. The Jordan River wasn’t the exactly a favorable place for ceremonial washings. John the Baptist knew that the Lord Jesus was greater than himself. And yet the Lord traveled, and submitted Himself to baptism, because He was obedient to His Father’s will and work.

1. It does matter who administrates baptism. Baptism is a church ordinance. It is given to the church to baptize believers, not merely any one person.

2. It does matter how a person is baptized. The Lord Jesus was immersed else, there would be no need to travel all the way to the Jordan. Remember, the word baptize itself literally means “to dip” or “to immerse.”

3. Baptism is part of God’s plan that the Lord Jesus performed in order to fulfill all righteousness. And so it is incumbent upon all who claim the name of Christ to follow in obedience to the Master’s pattern of getting baptized.

4. Baptism initiated the Lord Jesus’ public ministry. Baptism then, initiates a Christian’s ministry and service to God. Baptism is a visible, public and initiatory declaration of surrender to God. It was important for Christ to identify Himself with God through God’s appointed forerunner. This teaches us, that if we are to do anything for God, we must of necessity; identify ourselves with God’s ordained institution for ministry, i.e. the church.