196 THE BAPTISM OF JESUS
The dove of the Holy Spirit in
this 14th-century fresco by Giusto
de’ Menabuoi, in the Baptistery in
Padua, is a symbol of renewal, like the
dove sent out by Noah after the Flood.Some scholars debate whether or
not John knew before he baptized
Him that Jesus was the Messiah.
According to Luke’s account, as
Jesus comes up out of the river,
the heavens above Him open
and “the Holy Spirit descended
on Him in bodily form like a dove”
(Luke 3:22). A voice from heaven
simultaneously booms out: “This
is my Son, whom I love; with Him
I am well pleased” (Matthew 3:17).
John’s Gospel suggests John did
not know who was in front of him
until he saw the dove: “And I myself
did not know Him, but the one who
sent me to baptize with water told
me, ‘The man on whom you see the
Spirit come down and remain is
the one who will baptize with the
Holy Spirit’” (John 1:33). John
claims to have decided to baptize
Jesus simply because then the man
“might be revealed to Israel” (1:31).
The affirmations of God and
John the Baptist, made in front of
the witnessing crowd, both confirm
that Jesus is the Son of God and
the Messiah. He is symbolically
cleansed in order to commence
His ministry and is now ready to
encounter the forces of darkness.
Immediately after the baptism,
Jesus goes into the desert, where
He fasts for 40 days. Here, He is
tempted by Satan (Matthew 4),in a series of tests that resonate
with universal human desires and
concerns. Jesus maintains His
resolve—His baptism has been
successful—and He returns to
society to begin preaching to the
people and working miracles.Historical ramifications
The baptism of Jesus is one of five
key events in the Gospel narrative
of the life of the Messiah. The other
four are: the Transfiguration; the
Crucifixion; the Resurrection; and
Jesus’s Ascension into heaven.
Nearly all denominations of
Christianity celebrate the event,
and the baptism of Jesus shaped
the Christian rite of baptism that
is practiced worldwide to this day.
The majority of theologians
assign a high degree of certainty
to the actuality of Jesus’s baptism,
using it as a starting point from
which to assert Jesus’s historicity.
It is also highly likely, based onhistorical records, that John the
Baptist lived at the same time as
Jesus. The 1st-century historian
Flavius Josephus attested to the
existence of John the Baptist at the
same time as Jesus in his work
Antiquities of the Jews. He stated
that John’s ministry began around
28–29 ce, shortly before that of the
Messiah, and most modern
theologians accept this view.
Once he has baptized Jesus,
John the Baptist’s popularity as
a preacher begins to wane. This
is largely due to people beginning
to follow Jesus instead of him.
John’s response to this change
in his circumstances is typical of
his renowned humility, as well as
affirming his role as a precursorHe will baptize you
with the Holy Spirit
and fire.
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THE GOSPELS 197
to Christ. In John 3:30, John states:
“He [Jesus] must become greater;
I must become less.”Holy waters
Most scholars agree that the
baptism took place near the Jordan
River, in the countryside of Roman
Judea. Some accounts suggest that
the immersion was conducted in
one of the many desert springs
or waterholes in the area, rather
than in the river itself. Specific
references in the book of John
point to the town of Bethany on
the eastern bank of the Jordan
River, near Jericho (1:28), or to
the settlement of Aenon near
Salim “because there was plenty
of water, and people were coming
and being baptized.” (3:23).
Given the meaning of the word
baptize—“to dip”—many Christian
denominations insist upon baptism
by total immersion, often threeBaptism
The Christian rite of baptism—
which consists of sprinkling or
pouring water on a person’s
forehead or immersing them
in water—symbolizes spiritual
and physical purification.
The rite of baptism confers
an individual’s admission to
the Christian Church. Before
His Ascension, Jesus bids his
disciples to “make disciples
of all nations, baptizing them”
(Matthew 28:19).
In many denominations,
baptism is performed on very
young children, accompanied
by name giving. The doctrine
of original sin, propounded
by St. Paul and developed by
the early Church, made the
baptism of infants, who might
die suddenly or unexpectedly,
of vital importance. The early
church frowned upon the
practice of “baptism of the
dead,” in which a living person
was baptized on behalf of
the deceased.
Today, some Christian
denominations, including
Baptists, do not baptize
children, on the grounds
that the basis for baptism is
a credible profession of faith.
Other groups, including
Quakers, view baptism as
an unnecessary ritual.times, to symbolize Jesus’s death
and resurrection; others favour
sprinkling or pouring to represent
the Holy Spirit descending from
above. Some Christians believe
that baptism is a sacrament that
is necessary for salvation; other
groups, such as Lutheran
Protestants, associate baptism
with spiritual regeneration. ■Methods of baptism
Denomination Sprinkling Pouring Immersion Do Not BaptizeAnglicanBaptistRoman CatholicAdventistEastern OrthodoxEpiscopalianMethodistPresbyterianQuakerUnited Church
of ChristHeaven was opened and
he saw the Spirit of God
descending like a dove.
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