resurrection. He said, ―No man takes my life but I give it willingly‖. He also said, ―Destroy this temple and I
will raise it up‖. This is more fully pictured by our coming up out of the water by our own strength.
It is rumoured that there is a painting in the catacombs of the Vatican of the immersion of Y‘shua with
Yochanan (John the Immerser) watching from the bank of the river Jordan. I have not verified it personally (if
it can be verified), but the sources seem to be reliable.
Mikveh facts
It is the clear command of Messiah Y‘shua that every believer of the Gospel be mikvehed (Matt 28:19-20,
Acts 2:37-38). He Himself was mikvehed in the Jordan in order to set us a perfect example (Mark 1:9-10,
Matt 3:13-17).
Mikveh is an important part of salvation. (Mark 16:16)
The requirement for mikveh is faith in Y‘shua. (Acts 8:35-37)
The leaders of the early Messianic community obeyed the Master's command in Matt 28:19-20 and
mikvehed all new believers (Acts 2:41, Acts 16:33).
Mikveh, by immersion, was the method they normally used (Acts 8:38-39, John 3:23).
Water mikveh is a symbol of burial and a rising again to walk in newness of life in Messiah through the power
of the Ruach haKodesh (Set-apart Spirit.) (Rom 6:3-5, 1 Peter 3:20-21).
At his or her mikveh, the believer in Y‘shua becomes a member of Messianic Israel-also called the Bride and
Body of Messiah (1 Cor 12:13).
At mikveh, the believer "puts on Messiah‖, is divinely reckoned (if not actually!) and recognised as a child of
Abraham; and is thereafter regarded as a true Israelite; Biblical Israel is Abraham's extended family of faith.
(Gal 3:27-29)
Believers in Y‘shua the Messiah should not needlessly delay being mikvehed in water (immersed).
(Acts 22:16)
To understand baptism, we need to ask the following question. Which came first, the grave or the crucifixion
stake? The answer is obvious: the Crucifixion stake. After our salvation, we practice Holy Communion
publicly to confess that the body of Y‘shua was broken and His blood shed for us to atone for our sins. If we
refuse, we deny the fact that Y‘shua died on the crucifixion stake. ―For as often as ye eat this bread, and
drink this cup, ye do show the Lord‘s death till he come‖ (1 Cor 11:26).
Y‘shua was buried after being taken down from the crucifixion stake. His resurrection from the grave sealed
His Godliness. Read carefully what Rom 6:3-6 says, ―Know ye not, that so many of us as were baptized into
Jesus Christ were baptised into his death? Therefore we are buried with him by baptism into death: that like
as Christ was raised up from the dead by the glory of the Father, even so we also should walk in newness of
life. For if we have been planted together in the likeness of his death, we shall be also in the likeness of his
resurrection: Knowing this, that our old man is crucified with him, that the body of sin might be destroyed,
that henceforth we should not serve sin‖.
In other words, by being baptised publicly, one acknowledges the fact that our old man is buried and that one
now lives as a new person in Y‘shua HaMashiach. By baptism, we publicly acknowledge that Y‘shua was
buried and that He also arose.
―Baptizo‖ is the Greek word for immersion and is used with every baptism verse in the New Covenant.
―Rantizo‖ is the Greek word for sprinkle and is NOT used with ANY baptism verse in the New Covenant.
Peter knew exactly the meaning of these words as is proved by the following two verses.
―Elect according to the foreknowledge of God the Father, through sanctification of the Spirit, unto obedience
and sprinkling of the blood of Jesus Christ: Grace unto you, and peace, be multiplied‖. (1 Peter 1:2)
―...while the ark was a preparing, wherein few, that is, eight souls were saved by water. The like figure
whereunto even baptism doth also now save us (not the putting away of the filth of the flesh, but the answer
of a good conscience toward God,) by the resurrection of Jesus Christ:‖ (1 Peter 3:20-21).
Take note that sprinkling was first practised in the 13th century by the Roman Catholics.
Nowhere in the Bible do we find that children/babies had to be baptised. Cornelius and his family are cited
(Acts 10:47-48); but let us analyse Acts 10:2, ―A devout man, and one that feared God with all his house...‖
Have you ever seen a devout, God-fearing baby?
Read these Scriptures for YHWH‘s way to be saved (Mark 16:16; Titus 3:5).
Is Y‘shua not our perfect example? He walked ±70km to be baptised.
The root meaning of "baptizo" is to immerse so that what is dipped takes on the qualities of what it has been
dipped in.