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What else happened when Jesus was baptized (immersed) in the Jordan? Look at Mark 1:9-11, Matthew 3:13-17 and Luke 3:21-23 and you will see that,
"Immediately upon coming up out of the water, he saw heaven torn open and the Spirit descending upon him like a dove" (Mark 1:10, Jewish New Testament).
Jesus was baptized (immersed) into the Spirit of Holiness (spiritual baptism). This new spiritual baptism is immersion into the Spirit of God. This new spiritual baptism marks us forever as "property of God." Note that Jesus had already immersed himself in the teachings of God (the Torah) many years prior (cf. Luke 2:41-50).
Jesus was baptized (immersed) in both water and Spirit. So is water baptism what Jesus was referring to when he told Nicodemus,
"The truth is, no one can enter the Kingdom of God without being born of water and the Spirit." John3:5(NLT)
If that were the only reference Christ made to water, then it would be reasonable to conclude that he was talking about water baptism. Such would not seem to be the case, however, when considering the following passages;
"Blessed are those who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied." Matthew 5:6 (RSV)
There came a woman of Samaria to draw water. Jesus said to her, "Give me a drink." For his disciples had gone away into the city to buy food. The Samaritan woman said to him, "How is it that you, a Jew, ask a drink of me, a woman of Samaria?" For Jews have no dealings with Samaritans. Jesus answered her, “If you knew the gift of God, and who it is that is saying to you, `Give me a drink,' you would have asked him, and he would have given you living water.” The woman said to him, “Sir, you have nothing to draw with, and the well is deep; where do you get that living water? Are you greater than our father Jacob, who gave us the well, and drank from it himself, and his sons, and his cattle?” Jesus said to her, “Every one who drinks of this water will thirst again, but whoever drinks of the water that I shall give him will never thirst; the water that I shall give him will become in him a spring of water welling up to eternal life." John 4:7-14 (RSV)
Jesus said to them, “I am the bread of life; he who comes to me shall not hunger, and he who believes in me shall never thirst." John 6:35 (RSV)
On the last day of the feast, the great day, Jesus stood up and proclaimed, “If any one thirst, let him come to me and drink. He who believes in me, as the scripture has said, `Out of his heart shall flow rivers of living water.'” Now this he said about the Spirit, which those who believed in him were to receive; for as yet the Spirit had not been given, because Jesus was not yet glorified. John 7:37-39 (RSV)
"Then one of the elders addressed me, saying, 'Who are these, clothed in white robes, and whence have they come?' I said to him, 'Sir, you know.' And he said to me, 'These are they who have come out of the great tribulation; they have washed their robes and made them white in the blood of the Lamb. Therefore are they before the throne of God, and serve him day and night within his temple; and he who sits upon the throne will shelter them with his presence. They shall hunger no more, neither thirst any more; the sun shall not strike them, nor any scorching heat. For the Lamb in the midst of the throne will be their shepherd, and he will guide them to springs of living water; and God will wipe away every tear from their eyes.'" Revelation 7:13-17 (RSV)
From these and many other passages, we begin to understand that we are to be baptized (immersed) into God.
"Go therefore and make disciples of all nations, baptizing [immersing] them in the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you; and lo, I am with you always, to the close of the age." Matthew 28:19-20 (RSV)
Christ commanded his disciples to baptize and to teach others to do the same. Christ never rebuked his disciples for baptizing with water and Christ never recinded his command to baptize and teach others to do likewise. So while water baptism is of no eternal value, Christ set the example for us to follow, by being baptized, denying himself, taking up his cross and sacrificing himself to the glory of God the Father. Disciples of Christ do not chart their own course, they walk as Jesus walked (see 1 John 2:6, 2 John 6).
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