The Baptism of Jesus

Baptism of Jesus
Jesus was baptized by John the Baptist in the Jordan river near Bethany. Jesus was about 30 years old when he was baptized.

The Jordan River Photo graciously provided by Kim Frazor.

John the Baptist
Jordan RiverJohn was reluctant to baptize Jesus, for he said "I have need to be baptized by you." John knew that Jesus was the son of God. Jesus had no need to be forgiven of sins because he was sinless.
  Knowing John's reluctance, Jesus told him, "It is proper for us to do this to fulfill all righteousness." So John obeyed Jesus and baptized him in the Jordan River.

God's response
When Jesus came up out of the water, the Holy Spirit descended as a dove, and the voice of God spoke from Heaven, saying

"This is my beloved son,
in whom I am well pleased."


Jesus begins his ministry
Following his baptism, Jesus was lead by the Holy Spirit into the wilderness to be tempted by the devil. Jesus began his ministry after these events.

Nature of God
The baptism of Jesus confirms the doctrine of the trinity. Besides John the Baptist, there are 3 individuals presented in the baptism:
• God the Father in Heaven
• Jesus the son of God, and
• the Holy Spirit descending from Heaven.

The godhead consists of 3 beings: the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Jesus is not the Father
God's words show that Jesus was not an incarnation of the Father. If Jesus had been, then it would have been more accurate for God to say "This is an incarnation of myself. I am pleased with myself."

The Holy Spirit is not an "It"
The Holy Spirit is presented as an individual, who leads Jesus into the wilderness after he is baptized. John the Baptist called the Holy Spirit by the masculine pronoun "He," which also shows that the Spirit is not an "It," but an individual. ~ John 1:32

Study
• Matthew 3:13-17
• Mark 1:9-11
• Luke 3:21-22
• John 1:29-34

http://www.lifeofchrist.com/life/johnthebaptist/death.asp