Therefore, go and make disciples of all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit.
Matthew 28:19
One of the clear tenets of the Great Commission is to baptize disciples. Jesus directs that His disciples be baptized so we baptize. The simplest reason for baptism is that it is God’s will that believers follow in Jesus’ footsteps by being baptized. But that really does not answer the question why? Why does God want His people to be baptized? People have argued over this issue for many years, but today let’s examine some basic information regarding the context of baptism.
First, baptism in the first century was not new. Many different people baptized others for various reasons. Next week we will talk about the baptism of John for repentance. He prepared the way for Jesus by preaching repentance. Baptism today is still about repentance. Disciples of Jesus vow to repent from their sins and turn their lives over to him in the act of baptism. So repentance is still one reason God asks His people to be baptized.
Did you know that the Jews cleansed themselves and new converts in a similar way to baptism? There were large collections of water (mikveh) in the Temple and synagogues where people were ritually cleansed from about 280 BC forward to the first century. This Jewish “baptism” was done to purify the worshiper before they entered the Temple or synagogue. A Jewish proselyte is both circumcised and immersed in the mikveh which is known as tevilah. This process is similar to our immersion that symbolizes the purification from sin by the blood of Christ. So again baptism serves the purpose of bringing people into God’s family through this cleansing act of baptism.
Finally, Biblical baptisms remind us that God gives His Spirit to those who obey Him. This is first seen as the Spirit descends on Jesus like a dove. The Spirit was given to those who were baptized on the Day of Pentecost. God promises His Spirit to His people and baptism is the way we show our obedience to Him and receive His seal of salvation (Ephesians 1:14). Some are uncomfortable with the idea of the gift of the Spirit, but God tells John the Baptist in John 1:33 that Jesus will “baptize with the Holy Spirit.” So, we baptize our new disciples so that they will have the Spirit and fire from God to go out into the world to do His work.
Baptism has many facets. For me, the bottom line is that God desires all of His obedient people to be baptized. This begins a new phase of their life in His family. They show themselves to be obedient followers welcomed into the body of Christ as they are purified and given God’s Spirit in order to effectively do His will in our world. And if all else seems unreasonable, we baptize because God through Jesus commands it.
Scripture: Matthew 28:16-20
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