John 4:1-2

After a long hiatus, am back to blogging through the Bible. I am amazed that some folks can write every day or nearly everyday for years on end. Will see how much I can do with this New Year's Resolution to return to blog writing. The tentative goal will be around once a week!

And so back to where we left off many years ago ... the Gospel of John!

1 Therefore when the Lord knew that the Pharisees had heard that Jesus was making and baptizing more disciples than John 2 (although Jesus Himself was not baptizing, but His disciples were) ... 
John 4:1-2 (NASB)

Sitting here in the 21st Century, when we think of baptism, we think of Christian Church baptism. It could be sprinkling of infants or adults. It could be immersion in a baptistry in a church. It could be immersion at the beach or other natural body of water. The mode of baptism is a whole separate conversation.

But what about baptism before the church even existed? Was it practiced in Old Testament Times? What of the baptism performed by John the Baptist?

The folks over at GotQuestions offer this answer. Here are excerpts:

The origins of baptism might be found in the book of Leviticus where the Levite priests were commanded to perform a symbolic cleansing in water before and after performing their priestly duties. [.....] John’s “baptism of repentance” (Luke 3:3; Acts 19:4) followed this paradigm of cleansing, although the final cleansing from sin is only available through Christ, and John’s baptism was the foreshadowing of that. The significance of baptism as a New Testament ceremony is that, as believers in Jesus Christ, we are baptized into His death (Romans 6:3) and raised to walk in newness of life (Romans 6:4 KJV).

At Ligonier Ministry, they offer these thoughts on the meaning of John's baptism:

John the Baptist’s ministry was Isaiah’s straight, flat highway in the desert preparing the people to be ready for the kingdom of God to come in power and end their spiritual exile. His baptism was preparatory, revealing Israel must turn from the same uncleanness marking her Gentile persecutors. John is seen as the new Elijah, for he is a prophet of the coming Messiah (Mal. 4:5–6; Matt. 11:1–14). His baptism is not the same as the one Jesus commands (Matt. 28:18–20), but it does share points of contact. The most important of these is our need to repent of our sin so that we can enter Christ’s kingdom (Mark 1:14–15).

John's baptism was about repentance, for another instance, see Mark 1:4. The Greek word for repentance is metanoia ..... "a change of mind, as it appears to one who repents, of a purpose he has formed or of something he has done."

And so when we repent, we turn away from something we have done (behavior change) or turn away from a prior commitment of purpose (value or attitude change).

In John 4, the preaching of John the Baptist and Jesus was having this impact on people. The act of baptism was a public declaration that a 180 degree change had taken place. Christian baptism symbolizes our identification with Jesus death and raising into the newness of life. It too is a public declaration that a 180 degree change had taken place.

Heavenly Father, thank you that your drew me to yourself. Thank you that when I first began walking with you, you placed me in a good church that encouraged me to seek you and to follow the teachings found in the Bible. Thank you that you led me to the waters of baptism to declare to others I belonged to you. Help me to repent amidst the ongoing challenge in living for you. I constantly need to re-examine and renounce what is grabbing my attention and affections. Help me to to repent of my latest selfish deeds. Amen.