Before the coming of Jesus, John preached repentance and baptism to all the people of Israel.
Acts 13:24

Baptism was not unknown in the days of Jesus and the New Testament Church.

In the Old Testament, the priests underwent ceremonial washing when ministering in the tabernacle. These were not baptism per se, but had certain similarities.

John the Baptist, on the other hand, baptized people. John’s baptism was also different from Christian baptism. John’s baptism was a baptism of repentance, administered to those who responded to John’s preaching on repentance.

Christian baptism brought these older pre-figurements of baptism to a new and much deeper level. Instead of a mere ceremonial washing, or a commitment to repent (turning from sin to follow God by following the law), Christian baptism is “an outward physical symbol of an inward spiritual reality.”

The inward spiritual reality is that a person has been “immersed into,” and is now “identified with” Christ. Water baptism is the outward symbol of the spiritual baptism “into Christ” that happens when a person is born again. As the Old Testament priestly washing and John’s baptism of repentance were symbols of what the person intended to do, Christian baptism is a symbol of what God in Christ has already done for us—namely, He saved us. And in saving us we are “immersed into,” and now “identified with” Christ.

This is why we practice believers’ baptism, by baptizing only those who have professed saving faith in Jesus. This baptism is therefore a testimony to the fact that God saves us.

If God has saved you, have you been baptized in water as a symbol of what He has done for and in you? If not, let’s get together to talk about, and make plans for your baptism.