Why did John Baptize Jesus? He baptized for REPENTANCE and Jesus was supposedly was WITHOUT SIN. No one then

Question

or now, Baptizes "to fulfill all righteousness". That would have been as meaningless then as it is today.

Answer 1

I believe Jesus wanted to display humility, and also to respect the fact that John respected His Coming enough to baptize in His name

Answer 2

It would great if people, understood even a little of what Jesus represented, like a broken recorded I'll say it again. Jesus had no sin. There is no supposedly to it, no sin is, no sin. Jesus was Baptized for our example, not because he had sin. You are also very wrong there people today who are baptized into righteousness and the Holy Ghost.

Answer 3

Going back to the hebrew legends, there was supposed to be 2 messiahs-one a priest king and the other the warrior king. Supposedly-some gnostics believe-John was the priest king and he was baptizing(recognizing) Jesus as the warrior king. And that would make sense because Jesus united many different types of followers with him, Essenes, Zealots, etc. The only problem was that neither John nor Jesus ended up fullfilling all the requirements of the jewish "messiah". But the anointing of kings goes far back in Jewish history, i think to the time of Enoch. Not sure though.

Answer 4

Ummmm, that's kind of why John didn't want to baptize him at first! He claimed he was not fit to untie Jesus' sandal straps, and asked Jesus to baptize him instead. But if that had happened, other people would have claimed that they didn't need to be baptized either because only bad people got baptized. Pretty soon baptism would have been a symbol of shame. Jesus wanted to set an example, to show that everyone needs baptism.

Answer 5

He was an example in everything He did-and as soon as He came out of the water the Holy Spirit fell on Him. It's true that He was sinless-but He was leading by example in performing the physical act of repentance. It also shows that there is no need to baptize babies as they are pure and have no unclean thoughts or acts. We should be baptized when we are ready and we understand the act.

Answer 6

John did not just baptize people for repentance, he baptized for the faithful to receive the "Comforter." In Jesus, it was the spirit of the Father in heaven. To the faithful it is the spirit of one who once lived in the flesh who was found worthy of heaven, GIVEN to the one of faith to guide, instruct and protect a one of faith. BAPTISM, is a metaphor to REBIRTH and "symbolizes" that a person is being BORN AGAIN to a new life in the Lord, and RECEIVES the comforter from him while yet in this world ...............

Answer 7

Jesus was baptised because that is the example that all must follow. i'm not sure how the verse goes but it says no man can enter the kingdom of heaven unless being reborn of body and spirit. well Jesus was a mortal man at that time so he had to get baptised also even if he was without sin it was required.

Answer 8

John only did it because Jesus asked him to. Baptizing isn't done for repentance. It is done to show that we accept God, and want to follow Him.

Answer 9

The questions and issues surrounding the baptism of John and why Jesus was baptized have been studied from many angles. My estimation is that John's baptism was in keeping with the Old Testament thought. It was not something new but rather the beginnings of the Messianic age and it was perceived by Israel (including the leaders) as such. It was a call to repentance because "the kingdom of God was at hand" and John was "preparing the way of the Lord." So Israel responded and "they were baptized of him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins." His baptism was to initiate Israel as the "kingdom of priests" that God had originally ordained. John's baptism also had a very pragmatic reason of "revealing" who is the Messiah. John would know who is the Messiah by the Spirit's decent.

The baptism of Jesus was to "fulfill all righteousness." This had nothing to do with a need for Jesus to repent, rather it is to be understood as a reference to Jesus complying with the Father's will in acknowledging John's baptism. Like the rest of Israel He identified Himself with the Father's program in that unfolding messianic age. However He would not simply be another "priest" of Israel, He would be THE faithful High Priest who would offer Himself "once and for all." His baptism also had a very pragmatic reason, "to be made manifest to Israel." That day when John baptized Him, Israel knew by the Spirit's decent and the Father's voice of approval that Jesus was the Messiah.

Jesus describes the greatness of the man who was His forerunner. Yet "he that is least in the Kingdom of Heaven is greater than he;" Jesus went on to say. John was the last of the Old Testament prophets. He forms the connecting link or "prophetic bridge" from the Old Testament era to the arriving Messianic era. He is the thundering voice of judgment calling Israel to repent and prepare for their coming King.

Perhaps we are provided no greater introduction and background to John the Baptist than his own biography which he presents to the committee of the Sanhedrin:

And this is the record of John, when the Jews sent priests and Levities from Jerusalem to ask him, Who art thou? And he confessed, and denied not; but confessed, I am not the Christ. And they asked him, What then? Art thou Elias? And he saith, I am not. Art thou that prophet? And he answered, No. Then said they unto him, Who art thou? that we may give an answer to them that sent us. What sayest thou of thyself? He said, I am the voice of one crying in the wilderness, Make straight the way of the Lord, as said the prophet Esaias. And they which were sent were of the Pharisees. And they asked him, and said unto him, Why baptizest thou then, if thou be not that Christ, nor Elias, neither that prophet? John answered them, saying, I baptize with water: but there standeth one among you, whom ye know not; He it is, who coming after me is preferred before me, whose shoe's latchet I am not worthy to unloose. These things were done in Bethabara beyond Jordan, where John was baptizing. (John 1:19-28)

Answer 10

Jesus was showing that baptism is more than for the remission of sins...but that it is a requirement, and act of obedience, that is asked of us. Baptism symbolizes many things...one of them being that we are submitting our will to the Father. Hence the reason Jesus was baptized...because it was a required act of obedience to show submission to the Father.