Baptism

When John preached in the wilderness his message was simple yet strong. He preached “that people should be baptized to show that they had repented of their sins and turned to God to be forgiven… One day when the crowds were being baptized, Jesus himself was baptized” (Luke 3:3, 21). Many people coming to faith for the first time ask honest questions like, ‘Why is it important to be baptized?’ and ‘Is baptism essential for salvation?’ John’s simple message of repentance coupled with Jesus’ example of obedience give us insight. Jesus did not need to repent of sin, but His humility and willingness to identify with those who were turning from sin pleased God the Father. We know this because the voice spoke from heaven and said: “You are my dearly loved Son, and you bring me great joy” (Luke 3:22b).