Jesus Baptism Lesson Guide
Begin by asking the child if they remember the point of baptism. If necessary, pull out the photos you took and discuss baptism again. Talk about how baptism is a representation of the salvation we can find in Jesus.
This lesson would begreat to do near a local river, but you could also bring pictures of the Jordanriver so the children can picture the scene in the minds.
Talk about how eventhough Jesus did not need salvation since He was sinless, He was baptized to bean example, obey God, and do the right thing. Ask the child what an example is.Explain that a good example is someone who should be imitated. Play a game ofFollow the leader. Take turns with your child. Talk about how just like you areimitating each other in the game, Jesus provided an example so we could imitateHim and learn to do the right thing.
Point out that Goddeclared Jesus to be His Son and that He was pleased with Jesus. Ask the childif they know what it means to be pleased with someone. Explain that pleasedmeans to feel satisfied with something or someone. Discuss things that pleaseyou. For instance, ask the child if you are pleased when they pick up theirtoys or do their chores. Talk about how you are happy or satisfied when they dothese things because they are the right things to do. Explain that Jesus didthe right thing and God was pleased with Him, just like you are pleased withyour child when they do the right thing.
What Does The Verse In John : 16 Mean
John 3:16 says, For God so loved the world that he gave his only Son, that whoever believes in him should not perish but have eternal life. This verse tells the story of Jesus baptism.
At the time of His baptism, Jesus demonstrated His repentance for all the sins He had committed while on Earth. baptism symbolized Jesus commitment to follow Gods Will even unto death.
In The Gospel Of The Nazarenes
According to the non-canonical Gospel of the Nazarenes, the idea of being baptized by John came from the mother and brothers of Jesus, and Jesus himself, originally opposed, reluctantly accepted it.Benjamin Urrutia avers that this version is supported by the criterion of embarrassment, since followers of Jesus would not have invented an episode in which Jesus changes his mind and comes to accept someone else’s plan. Plus, the story came from the community that included the family of Jesus, who would have guaranteed the authenticity of the narrative.
The Gospel of John states that John was baptising in “Bethany Beyond the Jordan“. generally considered to be the town of Bethany, also called Bethabara in Perea, on the eastern bank of the Jordan river, near Jericho. In the 3rd century Origen, who moved to the area from Alexandria, suggested Bethabara as the location. In the 4th century, Eusebius of Caesarea stated that the location was on the west bank of the Jordan, and following him, the early ByzantineMadaba Map shows Bethabara as .
The baptism of Jesus is generally considered as the start of his ministry, shortly after the start of the ministry of John the Baptist. Luke 3:1â2 states that:
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Recognition By Other Denominations
The Catholic, Lutheran, Anglican, Presbyterian and Methodist Churches accept baptism performed by other denominations within this group as valid, subject to certain conditions, including the use of the Trinitarian formula. It is only possible to be baptized once, thus people with valid baptisms from other denominations may not be baptized again upon conversion or transfer. For Roman Catholics, this is affirmed in the Canon Law 864, in which it is written that “very person not yet baptized and only such a person is capable of baptism.” Such people are accepted upon making a profession of faith and, if they have not yet validly received the sacrament/rite of confirmation or chrismation, by being confirmed. Specifically, “Methodist theologians argued that since God never abrogated a covenant made and sealed with proper intentionality, rebaptism was never an option, unless the original baptism had been defective by not having been made in the name of the Trinity.” In some cases it can be difficult to decide if the original baptism was in fact valid if there is doubt, conditional baptism is administered, with a formula on the lines of “If you are not yet baptized, I baptize you….”
The Reformed Churches recognize as valid baptisms administered in the Catholic Church, among other churches using the Trinitarian formula.
What Does This Have To Do With Christianity
Baptism is an important part of Christianity and has been practiced for centuries. Christianity is a religion with many traditions, and baptism is one of them. It can help you understand the religious beliefs of the person youre talking to better.
For example, if you know that someone was baptized into the Catholic tradition, you can understand their religious beliefs more easily. There are many different baptism traditions around the world, and all of them share some common elements.
For example, baptism usually involves water, but it can also involve the use of holy oil or the laying on of hands. Some people baptize again because they want to reaffirm their faith in Christ, while others do it as a sign of respect or remembrance.
Whatever the reason, baptism is an important part of the Christian faith and should not be taken lightly.
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Mystery Religion Initiation Rites
Many scholars have drawn parallels between rites from mystery religions and baptism in Christianity. Apuleius, a 2nd-century Roman writer, described an initiation into the mysteries of Isis. The initiation was preceded by a normal bathing in the public baths and a ceremonial sprinkling by the priest of Isis, after which the candidate was given secret instructions in the temple of the goddess. The candidate then fasted for ten days from meat and wine, after which he was dressed in linen and led at night into the innermost part of the sanctuary, where the actual initiation, the details of which were secret, took place. On the next two days, dressed in the robes of his consecration, he participated in feasting. Apuleius describes also an initiation into the cult of Osiris and yet a third initiation, of the same pattern as the initiation into the cult of Isis, without mention of a preliminary bathing. The water-less initiations of Lucius, the character in Apuleius’s story who had been turned into an ass and changed back by Isis into human form, into the successive degrees of the rites of the goddess was accomplished only after a significant period of study to demonstrate his loyalty and trustworthiness, akin to catechumenal practices preceding baptism in Christianity.
Thus the practice is derivative, whether from Judaism, the Mysteries or a combination
Understanding Baptism As A Biblical Design Pattern
Baptism has been a source of debate for centuries among followers of Jesus. So what does the Bible have to say about baptism? What is the meaning of baptism in the Bible?
To get a better understanding of the word baptism in the Bible, we need to trace a design pattern that runs throughout the Bible. Design patterns are repeated images, ideas, or events that weave through different stories in the biblical story. They are the main way that the biblical authors unify the hundreds of stories in the Bible. And every pattern develops a core theme that leads to Jesus.
The design pattern that were going to trace here is the pattern of God providing salvation for his people through the waters. This theme of salvation through the waters leads up to the stories of Jesus baptism and the development of baptism in early Christianity.
Lets start at the beginning.
The Pattern Begins
Genesis 1 gives us a fundamental portrait of the world. God brings order to chaos by acts of separating. On page one of the Hebrew Bible, Gods Spirit hovers over the dark, cosmic waters of wild and waste that make life and human communities impossible. God separates the dark chaotic waters, and he creates a space where life can flourish .
The pattern begins with Gods purpose, but once humanity disrupts this purpose, the pattern becomes an act of rescue.
The Pattern in the Hebrew Bible
Noah
Moses
We see this pattern again in one of the most famous stories in the Bible: the Exodus.
Joshua
Isaiah
Jesus
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About This Bible Story
Whether as an infant, adult, or in between, baptism is something that is practiced and viewed differently by some, but is always significant. Why should we bother with it, and what does it mean? Well, for one thing, Jesus was baptized at the start of His ministry, and His example sets a standard for us and for the symbol of what baptism represents. This lesson highlights that as well as the importance of being set apart by God.
The Turning Point In Jesus Life
Prior to being baptized, Jesus had lived the life of a peasant artisan in the Galilean town of Nazareth. We do not know what led Jesus to make the trek south to where John baptized in the Jordan. For Jesus, being baptized was a turning point in his lifehe would never return to that former life. The baptism was the point at which Jesus turned from his former peasant artisan life and turned to a life of ministry. Whether this turning began back in Galilee and was culminated in being baptized or whether it began with the baptism and the implications were worked out afterwards is a nuance that we are unable to address for lack of evidence. But whatever the case, the event of Jesus baptism is significant as identifying the pinnacle of this turning point.
But the issue of turning point has a deeper issue associated with it. Mark describes Johns baptism as a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins , and when people were baptized, they did so confessing their sins . No account, Marks included, states that Jesus confessed his sins when he was baptized, nor do the accounts specify from what Jesus needed to repentfrom what Jesus needed to turn. As addressed above, the later accounts attempt damage control because of the theological problems that this baptism of repentance creates. We must address the historical question that it raises: From what did Jesus need to repent?
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The History Of Redemption
The Gospels set the baptism of Jesus in the context of the age-long unfolding of the history of redemption, which takes place according to the plan of God. The background of this history is found in Genesis 13, in the events of creation and the fall. The fall of Adam is followed by the first promise of redemption, found in Genesis 3:15, the promise of her offspring, the offspring of the woman, which already points to Christ .
God called John the Baptist to serve as the forerunner of the Messiah: I baptize you with water for repentance, but he who is coming after me is mightier than I, whose sandals I am not worthy to carry. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire . The Gospels indicate that John is the fulfillment of the prophecies in Isaiah 40:3 and Malachi 3:1 concerning a prophetic forerunner . John proclaims that the kingdom of heaven is at hand .
God has always been ruling over the world , but the kingdom of heaven comes when God climactically exerts his power to accomplish the salvation of his people. John announces that this decisive time of salvation is at hand. And Jesus, the one greater than John, actually brings this kingdom in an inaugural form as he casts out demons and heals diseases . The decisive events that bring salvation are Jesus death and resurrection.
What Are The Implications Of Baptism
Baptism is one of the most important rites of passage in the Christian faith. It not only saves a person from eternal damnation but also declares them to be members of the church community.
Baptism has implications that carry over into other areas of life. For example, baptizing your children establishes their membership in the church and initiates them into its teachings and traditions.
Baptism can also be symbolically repeated through Chrismation, which marks a persons entry into adulthood in Christ. Baptism is an important rite of passage that marks a persons entrance into the Christian faith. So, make the most of it and baptize your loved ones today!
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In The Gospel Of John
In John 1:29â33, rather than a direct narrative, John the Baptist bears witness to the spirit descending like a dove.
The Gospel of John specifies “Bethabara beyond Jordan”, i.e., Bethany in Perea as the location where John was baptizing when Jesus began choosing disciples, and in John 3:23 there is mention of further baptisms in Ãnon “because there was much water there”.
John 1:35â37 narrates an encounter, between Jesus and two of his future disciples, who were then disciples of John the Baptist.The episode in John 1:35â37 forms the start of the relationship between Jesus and his future disciples. When John the Baptist called Jesus the Lamb of God, the “two disciples heard him speak, and they followed Jesus”. One of the disciples is named Andrew, but the other remains unnamed, and Raymond E. Brown raises the question of his being the author of the Gospel of John himself. In the Gospel of John, the disciples follow Jesus thereafter, and bring other disciples to him, and Acts 18:24â19:6 portrays the disciples of John as eventually merging with the followers of Jesus.
Does Jesus Always Have The Spirit
The coming of the Spirit to rest on him raises a question. Did Jesus not have the Spirit before this point? According to the biblical doctrine of the Trinity, each person of the Trinity is fully God. Jesus is God, as John 1:1 affirms. God the Son is always in intimate fellowship with God the Father and God the Holy Spirit. The three persons are one God, and they indwell each other. Jesus always has the Spirit, because he is God. So any additional work of the Holy Spirit has reference to Jesuss human nature, not his divine nature.
Observe that John the Baptist is filled with the Holy Spirit, even from his mothers womb . Surely the same is true with respect to the human nature of Jesus, who is greater than John the Baptist . That is to say, the Holy Spirit dwells in Jesus human nature from the beginning.
Then what new is happening at Jesuss baptism? The Holy Spirit comes to do a new work in equipping Jesus for his public ministry, according to Luke 4:1819. This new work is again with respect to his human nature. With respect to his human nature, Jesus is in some respects like a prophet or a king, who receives the Holy Spirit for the purpose of ministry to others.
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Validity Considerations By Some Churches
The vast majority of Christian denominations admit the theological idea that baptism is a sacrament, that has actual spiritual, holy and salvific effects. Certain key criteria must be complied with for it to be valid, i.e., to actually have those effects. If these key criteria are met, violation of some rules regarding baptism, such as varying the authorized rite for the ceremony, renders the baptism illicit but still valid.
One of the criteria for validity is use of the correct form of words. The Roman Catholic Church teaches that the use of the verb “to baptize” is essential. Catholics of the Latin Church, Anglicans and Methodists use the form “I baptize you in the name of…”. The passive voice is used by Eastern Orthodox and Catholics, the form being “The Servant of God is baptized in the name of…”.
Use of the Trinitarian formula “in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit” is also considered essential thus these churches do not accept as valid baptisms of non-Trinitarian churches such as Oneness Pentecostals.
Another essential condition is use of water. A baptism in which some liquid that would not usually be called water, such as wine, milk, soup or fruit juice was used would not be considered valid.
Bible Verses About Baptism In Jesus Christ
“And Peter said to them, Repent and be baptized every one of you in the name of Jesus Christ for the forgiveness of your sins, and you will receive the gift of the Holy Spirit.” ~ Acts 2:38
“Baptism, which corresponds to this, now saves you, not as a removal of dirt from the body but as an appeal to God for a good conscience, through the resurrection of Jesus Christ” ~ 1 Peter 3:21
“Jesus answered, Truly, truly, I say to you, unless one is born of water and the Spirit, he cannot enter the kingdom of God.” ~ John 3:5
“We were buried therefore with him by baptism into death, in order that, just as Christ was raised from the dead by the glory of the Father, we too might walk in newness of life.” ~ Romans 6:4
“For in one Spirit we were all baptized into one bodyJews or Greeks, slaves or freeand all were made to drink of one Spirit.” ~ 1 Corinthians 12:13
Read the Bible verses detailing the baptism of Jesus and study the meaning and purpose behind this Scripture using the related articles and video below.
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