Growing In Godliness Blog
“When Jesus Was Baptized”
Categories: Author: Paul Earnhart, Baptism, Jesus, Obedience, Salvation, SubmissionWhen Jesus Was Baptized
By Paul Earnhart
Mark records the baptism of Jesus in these words: “And it came about in those days that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptized by John in the Jordan. And immediately coming up out of the water, He saw the heaven opening, and the Spirit like a dove descending upon Him; and a voice came out of the heavens: “This is My beloved Son, in Thee I am well-pleased.” (Mk. 1:9-11)
There are some interesting things here. One is the fact that Jesus was baptized in the Jordan river-not near it, but in it. Furthermore, He came up out of the water after His baptism. The word baptize means “to dip, to plunge, to immerse.” If Jesus was not immersed in the Jordan, there was no point in His going into it. Did you come up out of the water after you were baptized?
Another thing is made very clear…what Jesus did was approved by Heaven. The Holy Spirit descended upon Him as a dove, and God spoke in a voice from heaven, confessing Jesus as His Son.
The confession that God made is one that we all must make if we are to be saved. Rom. 10:10 says, “For with the heart one believes to righteousness, and with the mouth confession is made to salvation.” All men will eventually confess Him. Phil. 2:9-11 tells us that “God also has highly exalted Him and given Him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, of those in heaven, and of those on earth, and of those under the earth, and that every tongue should confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
How much better to confess Him now…while we live…and be saved, than to wait until it is too late when we confess Him when He comes in judgment. If this confession is to be valid, however, it must be backed by complete submission and obedience to Him as God’s Son.
