Baptism: Immersed in Christ
- James Collazo
- Aug 11, 2022
- 9 min read
Introduction
We often open discussions about baptism with the Acts of the Apostles—the real story begins with Jesus entering the Jordan River. He did not seek baptism for himself; he stepped into the waters to fulfill God's will. Too often, we build our theology and rites around our own need for baptism. Instead, we must confront two questions: (1) "Why did Jesus insist on being baptized?" and (2) "Why did he shock John the Baptist with his insistence?" In that river, we glimpse the pattern that baptism would later signify: death, burial, and resurrection. The familiar phrase, "Baptism is an outward sign of inward grace," does not appear in Scripture. Yet this common description can sometimes obscure the deeper biblical imagery of death, burial, and resurrection found throughout the New Testament.
Jesus' baptism inaugurated his public ministry, immediately followed by his temptation by Satan in the desert. This ministry climaxed in both the crucifixion and resurrection. Jesus' baptism anticipates the death and resurrection that would define the gospel. All three persons of the Trinity revealed themselves: the Father declaring Jesus' faithfulness, the Son submitting fully, and the Holy Spirit descending to guide him (Matt. 3:13–17; Mark 1:9–11; Luke 3:21–23). The apostle Paul echoes this truth, describing baptism as union with Christ in his death, burial, and resurrection in his letter to the Romans:
Or don't you know that all of us who were baptized into Christ Jesus were baptized into his death? We were, therefore, buried with him through baptism into death in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may live a new life. For if we have been united with him in a death like his, we will certainly also be united with him in a resurrection like his (Rom. 6:3–5).
Paul's language shows that Christian baptism derives its meaning from Christ's death, burial, and resurrection. Baptism is therefore not merely an act of cleansing but union with Christ in his saving death, burial, and resurrection. Paul similarly connects baptism with burial, resurrection, and the believer's new covenant life in Christ (Col. 2:11–13). Throughout the New Testament, baptism is consistently presented as the ordinary response of faith to the gospel, immediately following repentance and confession of Christ.
Through baptism believers share in Christ's death and resurrection (Rom. 6:3–5), are clothed with Christ as their new identity (Gal. 3:27), and are incorporated into his body, the church, by the Holy Spirit (1 Cor. 12:13). Baptism therefore signifies far more than a public declaration of faith; it marks union with Christ, his new life, and his covenant community. Together these images show that baptism fundamentally unites believers with Christ rather than merely applying water.
Jewish Context of Baptism
John's baptism was a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Mark 1:4; Luke 3:3). He was shocked that the sinless Messiah insisted on receiving it. Yet Jesus insisted, "Let it be so now; it is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness" (Matt. 3:15). Rather than repenting of sin, Jesus identified fully with the people he came to redeem, inaugurating the mission that would culminate in the cross and the empty tomb.
Long before John the Baptist appeared at the Jordan, ritual immersion was already part of Jewish life. Throughout the land of Israel, archaeologists have uncovered hundreds of mikvaot (H4723) dating to the Second Temple period. Jews immersed themselves after various forms of ritual impurity (Lev. 15), before entering the temple, and in preparation for holy occasions. John's baptism therefore introduced something familiar in form but radically different in meaning: a once-for-all call to repentance in preparation for the coming Messiah. In the Acts of the Apostles, Luke distinguishes John's baptism from Christian baptism (Acts 19:1–7). Christian baptism in the name of Jesus carries a distinctly Christ-centered and Spirit-empowered meaning. Although Jesus' disciples performed baptisms during his earthly ministry, John notes that Jesus himself did not personally baptize (John 4:2).
Jesus himself commanded his disciples to baptize "in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit" (Matt. 28:19), language echoed almost verbatim in the Didachē (Greek for "Teaching," G1322), a first-century manual of Christian doctrine and practice. The Didachē refers to "living water" (hudōr zōn, G5204 / G2198), a Jewish expression for naturally flowing or fresh water. In Jewish vocabulary, "living water" referred primarily to naturally flowing or fresh water, especially springs and streams, rather than stagnant or manually collected water.
By contrast, Jewish ritual immersion ordinarily took place in a mikveh, a ritual bath supplied by naturally gathered water that met Jewish purity requirements. The Mishnah also notes varying levels of purity for water used in the mikveh (m. Mik. 1–8). Interestingly, the Hebrew noun mikveh also means "hope," reflecting Jeremiah's words: "LORD, you are the hope of Israel; all who forsake you will be put to shame. Those who turn away from you will be written in the dust because they have forsaken the LORD, the spring of living water" (Jer. 17:13).
The term "living water" also points directly to Jesus himself. When he spoke with the Samaritan woman, he said, "If you recognized God's gift and who is saying to you, 'Give me some water to drink,' you would be asking him, and he would give you living water" (John 4:10). In his gospel, John clarifies that "living water" ultimately signifies the Holy Spirit (John 7:39), especially when Jesus declared, "Let anyone who is thirsty come to me and drink. Whoever believes in me, as Scripture has said, rivers of living water will flow from within them" (John 7:37–38).
In Christian baptism, water symbolizes both burial and new life in Christ. The Didachē states:
Now, about baptism: give public instruction on all these points, and then baptize in running water, in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. If you do not have running water, baptize in another source of water. If you cannot baptize in cold water, do so in warm water. If you have neither, pour water on the head three times in the name of the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit. Before the baptism, moreover, the one who baptizes and the one being baptized must fast, as well as any others who can. Also, you must tell the one being baptized to fast for one or two days beforehand (Did. 7).
The Didachē provides valuable evidence for how many first-century Christians practiced baptism where the New Testament leaves certain procedural details unstated. The Didachē reflects a preference for immersion in cold, running water during the baptism of new believers, consistent with an understanding of baptizō (G907) that naturally accommodated immersion when circumstances permitted. Complete immersion most vividly portrays burial and resurrection while reflecting the ordinary meaning of baptism in many first-century settings. Although the Didachē was highly respected in portions of the early church, it ultimately remained outside the New Testament canon. Still, its early date and proximity to the apostolic era make the Didachē an important witness to early Christian liturgical practice.
Feast of Tabernacles and Baptism
The preference of the Didachē for living water echoes a biblical theme that culminates in Jesus' ministry. Jesus spoke of "living water" at the temple during the Feast of Tabernacles (Hebrew: Sukkot, H5523; cf. John 7:2). This Jewish festival commemorated Israel's exodus from Egypt, when they dwelled in makeshift booths (Hebrew: sukkah, H5521) throughout the desert (Lev. 23:42–43). Both baptism and Sukkot employ water as a symbol. In baptism, water symbolizes spiritual cleansing and new creation for the believer. During the feast, priests drew water from the Pool of Siloam and poured it upon the altar while praying for God's continued provision. It was against this backdrop that Jesus declared himself to be the giver of living water. Whereas we now take running water for granted, in the ancient Near East, it was precious. Jews intentionally built their sukkot with partially open roofs, exposing those inside to the elements and reminding them of Israel's dependence upon God's provision. Likewise, baptism signifies God's cleansing of sin and the beginning of a new life in Christ.
Paul writes, "All were baptized into Moses in the cloud and in the sea" (1 Cor. 10:1–2). Just as Israel passed through the sea, leaving slavery behind as they journeyed toward the Promised Land, believers pass through baptism, leaving behind the dominion of sin as they begin a new life in Christ. The Feast of Tabernacles calls for spiritual renewal, recalling the Israelites' journey to the Promised Land and reflecting on God's continual provision. When Jesus proclaimed himself the giver of living water at the temple, he spoke with the authority of God. The connection between living water and baptism becomes clearer in Jesus' conversation with the Pharisee Nicodemus. When Jesus told Nicodemus that a person must be "born from above" or "born again" (Greek: gennēthē anōthen, G1080 / G509), he likely alluded to the prophet Ezekiel:
I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols. I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh. And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws. . . . you will be my people, and I will be your God (Ezek. 36:25–28).
Ezekiel foresaw a new covenant in which God would cleanse his people with water and give them his Spirit. Jesus' conversation with Nicodemus assumes this prophetic background. Baptism marks the believer's union with Christ and the new life he gives. The apostle Peter likewise explains that baptism derives its saving significance not from the water itself but from Christ's saving work: "This water symbolizes baptism that now saves you also—not the removal of dirt from the body but the pledge of a clear conscience toward God. It saves you by the resurrection of Jesus Christ" (1 Pet. 3:21).
Immersed into Christ
Christian baptism finds its meaning not merely in water but in union with the crucified and risen Christ. John the Baptist contrasted his baptism with the greater baptism the Messiah would bring: "He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire" (Matt. 3:11), pointing beyond water to the transforming work of God's Spirit. Jesus entered the Jordan not because he needed repentance but because we did. For all of you who were baptized into Christ have clothed yourselves with Christ (Gal. 3:27). Those who are baptized into Christ share in his death and resurrection, have clothed themselves with Christ, and have all been baptized into one body by one Spirit.
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